Free UFL games entrance for kids, students, elderly

MANILA, Philippines – The United Football League has opened its doors to the young, students and the elderly.

League chair Santi Araneta said they've decided to give free entrance to students with valid IDs, senior citizens and children below four feet in all First and Second Division matches of the UFL at the Emperador Stadium with hopes of widening its base.

“We want the UFL to be a family thing and not just for football enthusiasts,” said Araneta, whose family owns LBC that is bankrolling Kaya FC.

The move was aimed at giving more football fans an opportunity to watch the UFL matches live especially now that the second round action of the three-round First Division is just starting to heat up.

“The UFL's decision to allow free entrance to students, young children, and seniors is aimed at accelerating the league's growing fan base,” UFL President Randy Roxas, for his part, said.

“Grassroots development is a key component of the league's growth.  It is important for the youth to watch live games on a regular basis as it provides a lot of learning opportunities for them. You can only get better by watching the best players play and there is no substitute for seeing your idols play live,” he added.

The UFL is already charging fans P100 for grandstand seats and P50 for bleacher seats.

Meanwhile, the league will resume Saturday with Army-General Trias International taking on Team Socceroo at 6:15 p.m. and Global FC battling Loyola Meralco Sparks at 8: 30 p.m. at the Emperador Stadium.

The league postponed matches to give way for the two international friendlies by the Phl Azkals team against Malaysia that ended into a scoreless draw in Kuala Lumpur and Azerbaijan that ended up in a 0-1 defeat in Dubai the past week.