A long-running annual soccer tournament has been shelved just weeks before it was set to kick off.
The Langley Labour Day Michael J. Smith Soccer Tournament, which runs every Labour Day weekend, has been cancelled for 2012.
“The (registration) numbers were extremely low,” said Langley FC vice-president Regan Mostat.
“I think that problem is everywhere,” he said, adding he had spoken to some other tournaments who are experiencing the same problem.
The Labour Day tournament’s website states they “will be re-organizing and enhancing the tournament to allow for more teams, more fields, and more exciting events to make the 2013 tournament the biggest and best Labour (Day) tournament in B.C.”
Mostat said they could have pushed through with the tournament with smaller numbers, but decided against that.
“At this point, the time frame was a little bit too short,” he said.
“It just wasn’t going to pan out.”
Last year was the 13th annual tournament and featured 61 boys and girls soccer teams playing at fields across the Langley Township. That was about half the number of teams as the previous year.
At its peak it drew 240 teams.
The tournament typically attracts teams from across B.C. as well as from Alberta and Washington State.