The top four clubs from the Premier and First Divisions are set to do battle for $12,000 in prizemoney over the festive holiday.

For the second straight year, local communications firm CCS Group Limited will be the primary sponsors of the Dudley Eve Champions Cup ? renamed after the late Bermuda Football Association (BFA) administrator.

Last year saw Premier giants Dandy Town and then First Division Devonshire Colts emerge as inaugural champions following wins over Devonshire Cougars and St.George?s respectively at White Hill Field.

Now defending cup holders Town, Cougars, Somerset Trojans and North Village will battle for Premier supremacy during the double-elimination tournament, while St.George?s, Paget, Wolves and St.David?s will compete for Colts? vacated First Division crown.

This year?s tournament begins next Wednesday night at Somerset Cricket Club where St.George?s take on Paget in the curtain raiser and Cougars lock horns with Village in the nightcap.

Dudley Eve Champions Cup action then switches to Devonshire Recreation Club on Friday, December 23 where St.David?s will meet Wolves and Town open their defence against Dennis Brown?s Trojans in what will be a repeat of last month?s Martonmere Cup final.

All teams taking part in the tournament were represented during yesterday?s draw where CCS chief executive officer Robert Loxton was on hand to present BFA president Larry Mussenden with a cheque for $10,000. The BFA weighed in with another $2,000 in prizemoney, lifting the overall pot to $12,000.

?Based on what we have witnessed so far this season, we?re looking forward to an exciting and extremely competitive tournament,? BFA league and cup committee chairman Charles Clarke told

?All of these teams are in position to challenge for league honours with only five points separating the top team (Trojans) from the fourth placed team (Town).

?And if one looks back at the history of the Dudley Eve, the team that won the competition in most cases ultimately went on to win the league.?

The former Dudley Eve competition was inaugurated in 1978-79 with Devonshire Colts the first club to win the event while Wolves were the last to do so in 2001 before the axe fell on the festive tournament in November of 2002.

PHC Zebras, who failed to qualify for this year?s tournament, have won the competition the most of any club with six triumphs while North Village have won it five times.

PHC were also the first club to win the trophy by the toss of a coin in 1981-82 over Trojans, while Wolves are the only club to have lifted the trophy and get relegated in the same season.

The late Eve is best remembered for the significant role he played in the desegregation of football in Bermuda and for his many years? service as secretary for then local powerhouse Pembroke Juniors during the 1940s and ?50s.

Meanwhile, the BFA?s chairman of the safety and security committee, Lee Holder, said yesterday that security during this year?s tournament would be ?rough neck style?.

?What we will have in place is three parties working in collaboration. First we have the clubs themselves, then private security firms and the Police,? he explained.

Holder, also vice-president of Premier Division Devonshire Colts, stressed that vehicles permitted inside club venues would be thoroughly searched while fans would be screened by metal detectors at the entrance of club venues.

?There will also be a heavy Police presence both inside and outside of the grounds at all matches while additional Police will be available as necessary,? he added.

This year?s eventual Premier and First Division winners will pocket $2,250, the runners-up $1,750, the third placed team $1,250 and the fourth placed team $750, while one lucky fan will win a Honda Biz Scooter that local cycle retailers Holmes, Williams and Purvey (HWP) have put up for a raffle draw.