THE National Federation of Anglers has teamed-up with building materials giant, BUILDER CENTER, to re-launch the 22-year-old Team Knockout competition in a new format and with more than £11,000 in prizes, Total-Fishing can reveal.

The winning team, in the teams-of-five event, will land a winning prize of £4,000 and the event will kick off this September and you do not have to be an NFA member to enter a team, so it’s likely to appeal greatly to the many smaller clubs out there as well as to match groups and even maybe websites like Total-Fishing.

The Builder Center Team Knockout Event, will be an open entry for teams of five who could end up fishing two qualifying rounds in their local region, before reaching a semi-final in April with six teams of five (30 anglers) battling it out in May in an all-expenses paid two-day Grand Final at the stunning White Acres fishery complex in Cornwall where the winning team will land £4,000, runners-up £2,000 and the third placed team £1,000.
The Team Knockout was first introduced to the match scene in 1981 when teams of 12 competed against each other on a ‘home’ and ‘away’ basis.
Teams were grouped into regions and a draw made – just like the FA Soccer Cup. This time round the teams will be drawn in pairs and then in blocks of three pairs (six teams). The pairs will fish a knockout against each other but they will also be competing in a 30-peg match with the venue chosen by the NFA.

Builder Center already sponsor a five-a-side indoor football competition on Sky Sport. Marketing manager, Stuart Evers, says: “Angling is a new area of sponsorship for us but the sport fits our profile well and we like what the NFA have shown us. Interested anglers can collect an entry form from one of our 200 branches throughout the country. We are looking forward to a successful link to anglers through this competition.”

NFA President, Ken Ball, commented: “I am delighted with this five-figure sponsorship which will give the sport a real boost. Builder Center has a national network of more than 200 branches supplying 60,000 building materials and equipment. The blue chip company has roots going back to 1889 and it is appropriate that we should land this sponsorship during our centenary year.”

Entry to the competition for NFA and Builder Center customers is £50 each team of five and £70 per team for non NFA members.

Entry forms can be obtained from Builder Center branches, NFA club secretaries, the NFA at Halliday House, Egginton Junction, Derbyshire DE65 6GU (or the NFA’s new website www.nfadirect.net  and from tackle shops from July 28.
At the qualifying rounds, teams will be grouped in geographical locations. The semi final/s will be fished on Saturday, April 3, 2004 and the Grand Final on Monday, May 17 (practice day) and match days Tuesday and Wednesday, May 18/19, 2004.

NFA competitions executive, Mick Turner, added: “This is a great package spread over nine months and we hope it will appeal to the nation’s match groups at all levels. We have reverted to a WEIGHT competition for this event up to the final, when points will apply, to give the lesser known teams the chance to beat the country’s top match groups.

“We expect a bumper entry for the exciting competition and anglers are advised to send off their application form early to beat the August 23 deadline.”