The Sandwich World Cup, a fair tradition

CENTER SANDWICH — Every year on Thursday evening before the Sandwich Fair starts, residents meet with fair workers for a soccer friendly at Quimby Field. The fair staff, most of whom come all the way from Mexico, play against locals. For 20 years, the Sandwich World Cup has provided a chance to let loose before the busy weekend.

Phil Strother, an original organizer of the game, said area residents would play scrimmage matches with each other 20 years ago, and fair workers came to watch. He asked if they would like to join.

“We were just playing pickup out here, and we didn't have enough people,” Strother said. “And guys from the fair were watching us play, and we said, ‘Do you guys want to play?'”

The residents enjoyed the matchup, and the following year, they went to the fairgrounds to track down the workers. Now, it’s an annual event. The game usually starts around 5 p.m., and this year, they started 10 minutes early to get maximum playing time before sunset.

“[It’s] when they get done working for the day until it's too dark to see.”

The games are now a popular draw for spectators. The match is played as 10-on-10, and while the fair workers have just barely enough players to fill the field, the home team, who wear white to distinguish themselves on the field, usually has a roster of subs. This year, nine players waited on the sidelines.

Kitty Greene, who has played in the Sandwich Cup since the beginning, said players who gather for pickup games on Sundays throughout the year are always excited for the annual contest.

“Anyone who plays on Sunday will come out for this game, just for the chance to play against somebody else,” she said.

The visiting teams' players also look forward to the game. They come to New England on work visas with Gillette Shows, Inc., an amusement ride supplier.

Jaime de la Cruz said he has been coming from Tlapacoyan, Mexico, for 18 years. Despite making 20 stops around New England to work fairs, Sandwich is the only place that hosts the workers to play soccer. De la Cruz said, in a mix of Spanish and English, the town is very friendly and welcoming. While he didn’t play this year, he loves the game. A couple of years ago, players received custom shirts. De la Cruz said he keeps that shirt on his wall at home in Mexico.

When the matches first started, the team from Mexican would win year after year. But recently, the residents have stacked up some victories. Due to the casual nature of the game, the final score generally gets blurred. Some said the residents won 8 to 1 on Thursday, another said 6 to 1. Since the locals practice year-round, it makes it hard for the fair workers to keep up in a shorter timeframe. Betty Gillette, owner of Gillette Shows, came on a golf cart to watch the game with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter. She is invested in her workers’ team.

“We used to win more often when the guys were younger, and then they're all kind of old, and they don't ever practice. They come to this game cold,” she said. “Now, we have a few younger guys.”

The game, however competitive some players might be, is for fun. When the tradition first started, the teams would go their separate ways when the game ended. Then in 2012, they continued the fun by having drinks together, and eventually, a potluck. Now, the post-game activity is a full catered meal.

Strother's wife Ashley Brulland is another longtime participant, playing since the first year. She runs a catering business called Elevens Kinetic Provisions in North Sandwich, and as the meals continued to grow, she decided to put in the work to feed everyone.

“This is what I do for work. And it's very easy for me to just make all the food at this point,” she said.

While Brulland cooks the food, Strother grills the steak for carne asada tacos, and others pitch in monetarily. But Brulland said she wanted to cater the meal because she wanted to maintain and grow the relationships she has made with the fair workers.

“We enjoy the camaraderie,” Brulland said. “Sharing a meal is really important to me, personally, to share and to feed people.”

Despite a language barrier for many players, they have connected over food and sport. Strother said the experience is unique, especially in the current political times.

“It's taken on a new meaning, since there's been so much anti-immigrant sentiment in our politics, in our country,” Strother said. “Being welcoming and friendly feels really good to us here.”

Whether it’s called soccer or futbol, Parker Hansen, who has played on the Sandwich team since 2012, said this is what the sport is all about.

“Football brings people together.”