They're both dismissing it as a "bit of fun" and being "all about charity."
But there's simply no hiding the fact that Steveston merchants Iain Mackelworth and Davood Khatami are fairly keen to win a "charity" soccer match on Saturday.
Both Mackelworth - an Englishman who runs Steveston Barber Shop - and Khatami - an Iranian-born German soccer fan who runs Bean and Beyond Café - have been keeping a low profile in the run up to the second annual "Battle of the Bs" six-a-side game at Sportstown this weekend.
Last year, Mackelworth's Barberlona team silenced Khatami's Beanfica squad with an 11-8 win, much to the chagrin of the café owner, who accused the barber of pulling in ringers ahead of the "friendly."
"He's been very quiet this year," Mackelworth said of rival Khatami.
"There was a bit of 'chat' after last year's game about how few of my players were actual customers. But I have a wide customer base and I think Davood thought he'd be playing
against a team of seniors who come in for a short, back and sides."
Asked why he's been tighterlipped in the lead up to this year's match, Khatami said he "can't stand the sound of someone crying" when the trash-talking kicks off.
"(Iain) didn't come into the café for three months after last year's game," laughed Khatami.
People are invited to get along to Sportstown at 6 p.m. to watch and are welcome to join in the postmatch "banter" with a $20 burger/fries/beer deal. All proceeds again go to the Richmond Society for Community Living.
