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In its century-plus history, the Jackson Cup has featured everything from former high school and university stars to future pro and World Cup players. But the Vancouver Island Soccer League’s equivalent of the FA Cup has never conducted a stranger draw than it did Saturday. That’s saying something, considering the first draw was held in 1915 amidst a world war.

The 2021 Jackson Cup is a tournament with brackets in search of dates. That it took place live on Facebook from VISL executive director Vince Greco’s garage just added to its unusual nature. Then again, nothing has been usual in sports since March.

“It’s weird, but so typical of this season,” said Greco. “It at least allowed us to show our sponsors’ banners and give them something for supporting us through all this.”

The draw is usually held amid pomp and circumstance at the Strathcona Hotel, something not possible this year due to the health restrictions regarding gatherings. The VISL, however, still needs to be ready to go once sports games are again allowed in B.C., hence the impromptu garage draw. The brackets are set. The dates of the games will be added later. “We don’t even know when we’re going to play in 2021. But you can’t have a tournament unless you have a draw,” said Greco.

The VISL is nothing if not dogged. Despite all the problems inherent post-March, the league managed to stage the 2020 Jackson Cup final in September at Westhills Stadium, along with all its other Cup finals, then began the 2020-21 season before sports were again curtailed in December until at least Jan. 8 and likely further.

“We were determined COVID would not be the Jackson Cup champion listed for 2020 [it was Nanaimo United],” said Greco.

“We were not going to let COVID win.”

But it is again contending. VISL teams aren’t even allowed to practice. The only athletes in B.C. allowed to practice together are those considered elite. They include registered national-team athletes training in Greater Victoria, Whistler and the Richmond Oval for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer and 2022 Beijing Winter Games, pro athletes such as the Vancouver Canucks, B.C. Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps and Pacific FC, junior hockey players in the WHL and BCHL, and varsity athletes on teams such as the UVic Vikes, Camosun College Chargers and VIU Mariners.

The VISL falls under the umbrella of “adult sports” in which no one 22 and over is allowed to train in groups of more than four people.

The VISL Division 1 is very good quality and definitely not considered a beer league, the latter being the loosely defined grouping mainly targeted by the provincial training restrictions. The VISL, however, also has lower-level divisions and masters divisions and is not quibbling about the designations or where the distinctions have been drawn.

“The ones allowed to train right now are Olympic and pro athletes and the like, while we are strictly amateur. Although some of our players believe they belong on Barcelona or Juventus,” quipped Greco.

Further compounding matters is that when play returns, it will be in maximum of four-team cohorts. That will require nimble scheduling so that VISL Cup play meshes with teams playing in the same regular-season cohorts.

The Jackson Cup involves VISL Div. 1-2 teams. Top-ranked Bays United (7-0) was drawn against No. 17 Gorge FC of Div. 2 in the first round. The second-seed Highlanders (6-1) drew No. 16 Campbell River of Div. 2 in another highlighted opener. Defending champion and third seed Nanaimo United (5-0) was drawn against No. 13 Juan de Fuca Hellas of Div. 2.

Also conducted Saturday were the VISL draws for the George Smith U-21 Cup, Tony Grover Masters Cup and George Pearkes Div. 3-4 Challenge Cup.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com