WeeNix
200
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950
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about 14 years

inafoxhole wrote:

inafoxhole wrote:

Is he eligible?

Yes he has already played 1 game for NZ a 2-0 loss to Fiji in 2008

Sure - and that's long enough ago that there may have been different regulations in place, but as far as I'm aware, he doesn't meet any of the 4 questions.

except he has played a competition game for NZ so that's it, he can't play or anyone else, doesn't matter what the regs are now 

I think it's more the fact that he hasn't been anywhere near the NZ team since 2008, even when Hudson was doing his scattergun selecting and that he's only playing in the Welsh league, which is probably on a par with the SSpremiership, that he shouldn't be selected - just because a player plays outside New Zealand it doesn't make them International quality

sure, but it's not that simple is it, otherwise deklan wynne would have been fine, 'because he'd played for NZ'

Starting XI
1.5K
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4.9K
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over 15 years

Semi-pro, maybe he has a normal job too and is quite comfortably off with the combined salary. Married a local girl, quite happy at the club, a million reasons why he might still be there. For many of those playing lower division football, its not all about playing at as higher level as you can get a contract at.

The New Saints are a fully professional team - the players don't have other jobs and train and play full-time.

It's the other clubs in the Welsh league that are semi-pro.

Explains why the New Saints dominate so much.

I'm under the impression that Draper qualifies to play for NZ without asking for an exemption.

Born in England but grew up in Christchurch from the age of 12.

Capped by NZ at u-20, u-23 and senior international level.

Only moved to play in England aged 20 in 2010.

There's a recent comprehensive interview with Greg here:

https://sports.vice.com/en_au/article/anzacs-abroa...

Draper: "It's predominately a part-time league, but two more teams – Bangor and Gap Connah's Quay – are looking at going full-time next season. That will make the league a bit more competitive and give us a bit more of a challenge. It's definitely improving, year to year."

The New Saints offered you a contract in 2011 - and you've been there ever since. Why did you decide to play in the Welsh Premier League?

"It was the chance to play European football really, and I knew they were full-time too. Basingstoke was only part-time. You know: trainings on Tuesdays and Thursdays and games on Saturdays..."

Life and death
2.4K
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5.5K
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almost 17 years

So they are bit like a Welsh Auckland City? main objective is Europe [World Club Cup]

Starting XI
3K
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3K
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almost 7 years
Well yeah, they're always going to whitewash the league (well at least until others go professional). But they won't ever go too far in Europe, Wales are dwindling around the first and second qualifying rounds based on their coefficient so i doubt they'll ever get far sadly. I guess they're just resting on their laurels as it is, they're under no pressure
Marquee
1.2K
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8.2K
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over 16 years

TNS drawn against Gibraltar's Europa FC in the first qualifying round of the Champions League.

First Team Squad
120
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1.9K
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almost 17 years

Good chance to get into the next round you'd think

First Team Squad
75
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1.3K
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about 14 years

PROAK wrote:

Good chance to get into the next round you'd think

Draper a sub on in the  73 minute of the first leg as TNS lost the home tie 2-1 all to play for in Portugal next week

First Team Squad
120
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1.9K
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almost 17 years

Official in this game with the best name - The San Marinese linesman is called Salvatore Tuttifrutti

First Team Squad
1.5K
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1.8K
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about 13 years

PROAK wrote:

Official in this game with the best name - The San Marinese linesman is called Salvatore Tuttifrutti

Fantastic! I'm still partial to the Harry Potter character/referee Lucien Laverdure myself

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

Scottie Rd wrote:

PROAK wrote:

Good chance to get into the next round you'd think

Draper a sub on in the  73 minute of the first leg as TNS lost the home tie 2-1 all to play for in Portugal next week

TNS win 3-1 away from home on the rock of Gibraltar, in extra time. So TNS win 4-3 on aggregate and into the next round. Draper subbed on at 79 mins.

Looks like a much more difficult tie in the next round - Croatian champions HNK Rijeka.


Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
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over 16 years

coochiee wrote:

Scottie Rd wrote:

PROAK wrote:

Good chance to get into the next round you'd think

Draper a sub on in the  73 minute of the first leg as TNS lost the home tie 2-1 all to play for in Portugal next week

TNS win 3-1 away from home on the rock of Gibraltar, in extra time. So TNS win 4-3 on aggregate and into the next round. Draper subbed on at 79 mins.

Looks like a much more difficult tie in the next round - Croatian champions HNK Rijeka.


Lost the first leg 2-0 in Croatia. Draper didn't play.

Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
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over 16 years

el grapadura wrote:

coochiee wrote:

Scottie Rd wrote:

PROAK wrote:

Good chance to get into the next round you'd think

Draper a sub on in the  73 minute of the first leg as TNS lost the home tie 2-1 all to play for in Portugal next week

TNS win 3-1 away from home on the rock of Gibraltar, in extra time. So TNS win 4-3 on aggregate and into the next round. Draper subbed on at 79 mins.

Looks like a much more difficult tie in the next round - Croatian champions HNK Rijeka.


Lost the first leg 2-0 in Croatia. Draper didn't play.

Lost the second leg 5-1 at home this morning, Draper came on for the last half hour or so. Out of Europe now.

Marquee
690
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7.3K
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over 14 years
Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

Draper not required from bench as The New Saints get walloped 5-0, away to Shkendija of Macedonia in first leg Champions League qualifying.

2nd leg next Tuesday in Wales

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

The vagaries of playing home & away in lower level European football.

The New Saints win 2nd leg at home 4-0. They were up 3-0 after only 35 minutes.

Draper on at 56 mins as The New Saints chased 2 more goals. But unfortunately could only score a 4th goal at 96 mins, and so lose tie overall 4-5 against Shkendija of Macedonia.

Shkendija will have a shorter away trip in next round drawing a side from Moldova.

Meanwhile The New Saints draw mighty Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar, in Europa League qualifiers.

Marquee
1.5K
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5.2K
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over 16 years

I read somewhere that Draper won the Golden Boot in Wales last season. Not sure if it was mentioned on here.

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

The New Saints beat Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar, 3-2 over the 2 legs in Europa League qualifiers.

Next round looks tough FC Midtjylland from Danish Superliga (5th last season).

Midtjylland were knocked of UCL qualifying by Astana. They have Awer Mabil in their squad.

Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
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over 16 years

coochiee wrote:

The New Saints beat Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar, 3-2 over the 2 legs in Europa League qualifiers.

Next round looks tough FC Midtjylland from Danish Superliga (5th last season).

Midtjylland were knocked of UCL qualifying by Astana. They have Awer Mabil in their squad.

Midtjylland are current Danish champions, if TNS struggled against the lot from Gibraltar, they're in for a DVDA against the Danes.

Mabil has struggled to make an impact for them, he's been loaned out for the last two seasons, and far from a certainty to feature for them this season.

Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
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over 16 years

2-0 win for the Danish team in Wales this morning. Draper was on the bench for TNS but didn't get on.

Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
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over 16 years

el grapadura wrote:

2-0 win for the Danish team in Wales this morning. Draper was on the bench for TNS but didn't get on.

3-1 to the Danes in the second leg, so now officially out of Europe. 

Draper got 15-20 minutes off the bench, but the tie was well over by the time he got on.

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

Still in Wales. Seems older than 31.

Unused sub as The New Saints win their 1st round qualifying game 3-1 against Žilina, from Slovakia.

Was 1-1 at end of normal time, TNS with 2 goals in ET.

Draw not yet done for 2nd qualifying round.

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

The New Saints next week are off to the Faroe Islands to play B36 (real name), in Europa League 2nd qualifying round.

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years

coochiee wrote:

The New Saints next week are off to the Faroe Islands to play B36 (real name), in Europa League 2nd qualifying round.

TNS unfortunately knocked out on pens after ET. 

1-1 end of NT, TNS scored first in ET but B36 equalised in the 122th min

Draper came on for a cameo at 117 mins and converted his pen. 

Legend
11K
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21K
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almost 9 years
From this weeks Flying Kiwis. Playing days over.

"It’s not often that TNS fail to win the Welsh league title... so to fall short in two consecutive seasons was a bit of a blow to the senses. And the club has responded in the way that clubs used to winning stuff usually do: with a good old fashioned cleanout. Which, sad to report, has meant the end of Greg Draper’s long tenure as a New Saint.

Greg Draper has been an undercover slayer within the Flying Kiwis ranks for a long time. The 31-year-old one-cap All White has been shattering records since joining the club a decade ago (after a spell at Basingstoke Town got him started in Britain). He’s the club’s record goal scorer with 165 strikes to his name and has been scoring then at a rate that would make Lionel Messi blush. That’s come to an end now as GD was one of eight players released at the end of their current contracts... though he won’t be leaving the club entirely. Instead he’ll be moving into the coaching side of things. They’ve created a new role for him as an: Elite Football Coach and Football Ambassador.

Chief Operating Officer, Ian Williams: “The club would like to place on record its thanks to Jamie Mullan, Simon Spender and Greg Draper for their invaluable contribution made towards the success of the club over the past 10 seasons. I personally wish Jamie the very best as he continues his football journey, and welcome back Simon and Greg who will both be taking on full-time coaching roles at the club.”

Thus ends a playing tenure that saw Draper win eight consecutive Welsh Premier League title, five Welsh Cups, four Welsh League Cups, and a couple of WPL golden boots as well. Plenty of Champions League qualifiers too. It’s been real."
Marquee
2.7K
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7.2K
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almost 17 years
Good on him for carving a career out for himself. I wonder if he thinks he is too old to play elsewhere in the UK and maybe is well settled at TNS where he's spent a decade of his life? 31 is still young so he could definitely have found another contract in Great Britain somewhere. 
Maybe he's happy with what he has achieved and is looking to up skill on the coaching/admin side of things which you couldn't really fault him for. 
Trialist
110
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63
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over 4 years
newzealandpower
Good on him for carving a career out for himself. I wonder if he thinks he is too old to play elsewhere in the UK and maybe is well settled at TNS where he's spent a decade of his life? 31 is still young so he could definitely have found another contract in Great Britain somewhere. 
Maybe he's happy with what he has achieved and is looking to up skill on the coaching/admin side of things which you couldn't really fault him for. 
 Judging by his minutes I think fitness might be an issue for him. He was scoring buckets when he was fit but season just gone he was only playing sporadically. I don't think they would be playing one of their most prolific strikers that sporadically by choice. The body starting to give up? Can happen at 31. 
Marquee
1.2K
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8.2K
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over 16 years
Just checked in on him in light of Zac Jones moving to Wales.  Looks like he's dropped down a division and is playing for Guilsfield FC in the Cymru North (5 goals in 9 games since moving in July 2021).  

He's still "Assistant Women’s Manager and Football Ambassador" for The New Saints FC Foundation.   About a 20 minute drive between Guilsfield and Oswestry where TNS are based. 

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