ASBP 2013/14 Final Sunday 16th March 2:35pm SS4

And for those without SKY and who aren't at the game - asbpremiership.co.nz for live updates. Please, somebody amuse me by pretending my work won't be for nothing.

/ends seamless plug.

That's amazing. Could make a post about how it shouldn't of even been a question of it being shown on TV :p but it's great that it will be.

11 months ago I rebooked my seat at the Australian F1. Only to find when A League schedule released. Nix playing in Melbourne at the same time as GP. 

For all of you who have been (understandably) complaining about the quality of match commentary from SKY for the recent Phoenix and All Whites games, here is the chance to make your thoughts known proactively. 

At this stage, the match commentator for Sunday's final is Andrew Dewhurst.  Andrew has done ASBP commentaries in previous seasons, but with his various other commitments this season, he has not seen much, if any, of the league matches this year.  This means he is unlikely to have much of a grasp on the two teams he will be expected to call on Sunday (perhaps not his fault, but just a reality).

On the flip side, Gordon Glen Watson has commentated every Auckland City game this year, as well as various other media stuff around the ASBP.  He has a really good knowledge of the teams and players in the final, and, based on reading other posts on here, has a certain amount of respect from people who like his previous commentary work.

If you would like to hear commentary on Sunday from someone who ACTUALLY KNOWS about this league and its players, then get active.  Email or phone SKY TV and make the request.  Email or phone Steven Upfold at NZF and ask him to make the request.  Use whatever contacts, networks and social media you have access to in order to create a ground swell and make the request.

But make it positive - a "pro-GGW" message is more likely to be listened to than a "Dewhurst-bashing" line (however justified it may be).

This is your chance to play a part in bringing some positive change - after all, if you're a SKY subscriber, you're the customer... and you're requesting something that won't cost them any more money, and it need not alter what they do with their other football broadcasts.

Get active :)

i wholeheartedly agree with the previous post. 

gordon is vastly superior in terms of impartiality, depth of knowledge, tone and animation.

And every other possible aspect.

Agreed !!

I've been tweeting #GGWforASBPFinal.

He does consulting work for them, but in his commentary (such as previous OCL games) he is very professional and puts that aside during the games. 

I'll take "slightly impartial" over "utterly diabolical" any day of the week...

Ha ha, absolutely

Aces, GGW is professional enough to cast aside his employment arrangements.  Conflict of interests yes, but at least he has an interest and it does not necessarily mean he's impartial.

He's also not prone to only talk about his mates down at good old Central United FC when commentating like Ngata, Elrick and co.  Jeebers we've had some terrible commentators over the years

ion a slightly different note, i once read on dewhursts profile and he was a 'new zealand age group representative'

any truth to this?

it doesn't ring a bell to me and i used to follow the game religiously.  also, i've met many 'new zealand age group representatives' over the years who were nothing of the sort - you know, the corporate indoor soccer types who would like to be considered a sporting hero at work.

Haha plenty of those in social cricket too

An " NZ Age Group Rep  " hmmmm ...possibly , ....is self abuse an international sport ?

Perhaps we can get dewhurst fired for having a fake CV?

ASB Prem final at risk of being postponed.... due to potential high winds which may affect the SKY scaffolding. 

Waiting for the cynical take: "Even when SKY do things right, they still screw it up!"

Ironic that the final could be postponed to suit Sky when they have not showed a second of ASBP football this season.

F@#K EM , they do nothing for nothing ....

Sky are the scum of the earth 

So if this was an ASBP game without a broadcast, this would go a head fine but because of the scaffolding at Kiwitea and Sky being there, they may postpone it?

I hope NZF are not paying Sky to screen this. If they are not, then fair enough. If they are, Sky can fuck off. NZF are the paying customers and dictate when.

Erm. 

I'd rather it was on tv. 

Shouldn't we be positively encouraging sky that its good they've decided to screen the game, rather than slag them off for something effectively outside of their control? 

if being on the scaffolding to record the game is too dangerous, can't they just give all the players one of Patrick's helmet-cams and cobble some footage of the match from that?  It won't be live (would need some editing) but I am sure that the 36 people who would have watched it live would be happy to wait an hour for the coverage.

I completely agree with what you are saying. What if its very windy the weekend after, and the weekend after that? Do we keep postponing it until its a good weekend for Sky? Do you kinda get where I am coming from?
Sky have shown no interest in domestic football. Hell its on Sommet for all that is broadcast! Now Sky have the final, they are dictating when it is played because its windy? If they are paying the bills, then fair enough. If NZF are stumping up for it, then no way should Sky have a say when its played.

I think if the forecast comes true, the 30 players involved will be most happy with a postponement. Good forwards thinking whether it be sky or NZF.
If it comes late the game could be a farce, not only for the safety of the broadcasters

It's highly unlikely that it'd happen twice in a row. in this instance I think they've made the right move. If it were to happen again next week, it might be a different story and they'll probably just play the game regardless as waiting 3 weeks for a final would be a joke. 

Could they not move it to somewhere else? NHS?

JV: i hear what your saying but i think you also have to remember the 3? camera men are just employee's (or contractors) and SKY has an obligation to them to keep them safe - so spare a thought for them.

I'm sure one of the options is to play the game without SKY there and I'm sure that's been on the table with the other options so it's up to NZF to make a call i guess.

Any thoughts re; huge overreaction ...vis a vis the forecast is barely ever right ....I look forward too be proven wrong ....but their wronger more often than their right , this smells of beaureacratic  arse covering ...for instance ...

how much warning did Chch get before the last deluge ?

PPS  ;      F$@# SKY

I can see both sides of the situation in terms of the conditions, the contractors and their safety. I ask if this had been a Super 15 game, would Sky call it off? Granted Eden Park has better camera facilities but you understand where I am coming from. Again, I am working without some details but I just really don't get it. Put them on the roof of the grandstand or up in the grandstand (you can get some elevation from that). I get the risk, I think the risks are easily mitigated but its a case of 'we might just call it off'. Hmmm.

I should also point out that Kiwitea is not one that has been known for being a wind tunnel (much). Its relatively protected in that respects. Not so much if this was at Fred Taylor, Waikaraka or Bay Olympic by comparison.

No I do get that and I was being argumentative to illustrate a point really. I guess moving out of summer, if we hit another shit weekend next week, you have to wonder.

Its really a game that could be just forgotten , the teams for next years OFC comp are already established , this is just a NZF back patting exercise ...

" see  our final !    Its on TV !      We are very professional  !     That is our suite !

Who are the teams ?

What colour is Auckland ? "

BTW

When does Ricky get his " Super High Performance " job ?

no coverage on the herald or stuff (yet) today

I think this tropical cyclone is out of the ordinary and I'd favour postponing the final rather than playing it in the teeth of gale force winds. Also possible TW may not be able to fly into Auckland this weekend.