THE NEWSLETTER OF WAIUKU AFC
MARCH 22, 2007
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of New World Waiuku AFC
Saturday – can we make it a clean sweep?
The battle for Franklin soccer’s bragging rights is on again in earnest this weekend as Waiuku takes on Pukekohe on our annual derby day.
Last year we cleaned up to take the trophy, and there’s special significance in Saturday’s matches as the club looks to make a clean sweep of the pre-season trophy competitions. Huntly and Mt Albert Ponsonby have visited and have left empty-handed as the silverware spends another season at Massey Park.
It’s all about momentum heading into the new season (now just a couple of weeks away!) and a few solid victories over the onion-pickers will be just the incentive for the Blues.
Match times (all at Bledisloe Park) for New World Waiuku AFC are:
10:00 Kentish Hotel Premiers
12:00 Men’s 3rd Team / Women’s 2nd Team
2:00 Men’s 2nd Team / Women’s 1st Team
Note that the Prems are playing early this week so get along and support the lads. The word from inside the camp is that Owen Hill, who received a glowing tribute on his premier retirement earlier this year, has been asked to make himself available as the injury-hit Prems regroup after the attrition of last Saturday.
Final team line-up won’t be known until after tonight’s training.
Blood and honour – the Battles of George Street
Tough matches are just what the doctor ordered in the lead-up to the season, but we could have done without the need for medical attention as the club took on Mt Albert Ponsonby at George Street last weekend.
The day started promisingly-enough with a television crew filming some of Waiuku’s stars (plus the Fat Controller) in a mock game as part of a reality series (coming to TV1 later this year - details as they come to hand).
The women’s team took to the field and quickly established dominance over their Auckland opponents, finishing with a solid 3-0 win which could easily have been a bigger winning margin. Unfortunately, the match saw an ambulance called for one of the players with a suspected broken ankle – a pre-curser of the carnage to come.
The Mens third team were next and battled hard in blazing heat, Mike Coster slamming a goal after the keeper bobbled the save.
One MAP player went off after a collision, then Waiuku lost their goalkeeper Andy Wood after he re-injured his knee. That’s about the fourth goalkeeper injury in four weeks!! Ben Smith, reserves keeper, stepped up and the match continued, MAP recovering to win 2-1.
The pressure was on the Mens Reserves to put Waiuku into the lead in the encounter, with the Derby fixture standing at one match each, although Waiuku were ahead on goal difference.
The match saw MAP reduced to 10 men by half time through injury, but Waiuku were rapidly running out of subs as well as the heat and the pace of the game began to tell. Mid-way through the second half MAP went down to nine men, then Waiuku were down to 10 when Eric Rozeboom departed to prepare for the Prems fixture. With no subs on the bench, both teams finished the game with nine men after Mike Givens was injured. In a battle of attrition, Waiuku hung on and recorded an excellent 4-0 win, with the highlight of the day a blazing 20-yard left-footer by Owen Hill, who bagged another on the final whistle.
Going into the Prems match, MAP needed a win and a big goal difference to take the trophy.
They started like a house on fire, charging time and again at the Waiuku defence. Just when it looked as though Waiuku had absorbed the pressure, a mix-up on the edge of the box saw MAP striker and skipper Bart Utley nod the ball over keeper Justin Evans to take a 1-0 lead.
The match was played at rocket pace, with Waiuku’s speedy attack matched by the flying MAP wingers. Waiuku scored only to see it disallowed, but soon after the break struck again and this time it was allowed.
The half-time team talk was all about absorbing the early pressure from MAP in the belief that we had the fitness on them, and so it proved.
After the equaliser there was really only one team in it, and a fine late strike from Cody Ralph wrapped up a solid and well-deserved win. MAP finished with nine men as more injuries took their toll, but it wasn’t all roses in the Waiuku camp either.
Logan Drain (ankle ligaments) and Cody Ralph (back injury) played through the pain and it is hoped they make a recovery for Saturday. Johnny Whittaker is unlikely to start this weekend after a serious head clash in the goalmouth that saw both him and his marker taken off the field bleeding. Brendan Price didn’t play due to a broken rib suffered at training before the match (you think the games are hard – you should see the trainings!), and there’s a bunch of other minor niggles and aches.
That’s football though, and at the end of the day the trophy was retained, and even better, Manager Nigel can now say he’s had a win while running the team in Coach Jim’s absence. Thankfully, Jim is back on deck now, which means the shouting from the sideline will at least make sense!
In a couple of days time it’s all on again at Pukekohe!
Come out of the Closet!
Okay, I’ve asked nicely, I’ve pleaded, I’ve even cajoled. Now I’m just grumpy.
WHERE THE F*%$#@ IS ALL THE PLAYING STRIP?????
I have received about two of last year’s first-team strip and about half of the reserves strip. Hiding in closets in and around Waiuku are loads of shirts and shorts. Just in case you have forgotten what they look like – they are likely to be blue, probably have numbers on, and we need them back!
Please look around your home, find any Waiuku strip you have and give it to your manager or to Nigel if you see him around. This mainly applies to the men, as the women seem to be far more organised and don’t lose their strip all the time!!
Personal – Man seeks other Men
It’s make or break time for the Over-35s
Middle-aged Waiuku man with size five balls
seeks similar for sweaty Saturday fun.
Apply in relative confidence to:
Waiuku.editorial@xtra.co.nz
Yes, the Over-35s STILL need more players. If you’re a bloke who fits the above description, get in contact and have a great season with the lads.
I think there might be a special subs offer for those broken-down former stars who keep defying the sands of time to bring further glory to Waiuku.
At this rate, I’ll end up playing and believe me, that’s the last thing Waiuku wants or needs!
Over the next few days we will be phoning people and getting confirmation on their availability or otherwise. If not enough people sign up then we may not have one, and everyone will moan and say well, if we had have known, we would have played. I think we have enough, but it’s all been a bit up in the air. We have entered the team already, so it would be a shame to have to cancel. If you haven’t heard from someone by next Tuesday, or if you know someone who wants to play bu hasn’t been contacted, PLEASE let me know.
I hear Professionals Realty’s Brian Barret is intending to see whether being a former International cricketer is a good grounding for Over-35s football!
Subs and registrations – yet again!
As always, keep the subs coming in, and have a word to any mates you have about having a run for Waiuku this year. The mens third team and the Over-35s always need more players.
The mens prems and reserves train Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6.30pm at George Street, but we’ve had a few from other teams join us and all are welcome.
Ask Robbie! – Questions and answers from last newsletter
Question: Does putting your shinpads on the wrong legs help your performance or is it just a superstition. If so do you do it at training also or just save it for the game?
-Just curious (by email)
Answer: Sod off Mucks. I’ll put my pads on any way I want to, and they can’t be the wrong legs – they’re mine!
Dear Robbie; My wife says I spend too much time at Waiuku soccer and says she’ll divorce me, take the house and kids and my car if I don’t spend more time with her. My question is: In wet conditions, should you play a 4-4-2 formation or go with 3-5-2 but compress the midfield?
-Blues fan
Answer: Your wife would be able to see you if she took the kids down to play soccer for Waiuku and helped out in the kitchen like she’s supposed to, and 4-4-2 is tried and true in the wet.
Dear Robbie; Is it true you beat Dale in the relays last Thursday at training and is Dale out of counseling yet?
Answers next week
Jokes of the week – Caution – may be offensive to some…
Q: Name three football clubs that contain swear words?
A: Arsenal, Scunthorpe and F*****g Pukekohe.
Q: What do you get if you see a Pukekohe player buried up to his neck in sand?
A: More sand.
Seeya on Saturday at Bloody Slow Park, and as always, Go the Blues!