Eastern Suburbs AFC

Bit of an update from them.

http://www.easternsuburbs.org.nz/UFresource/Nation...

Have to say that a Club that has for years lost most of its better youth players to clubs all over Auckland, and who have a senior team with so few home grown talent in it, lets hope they do what they say here and not just the usual lip service.

It's a recurring footballing phenomenon for relatively successful clubs to lose youth players - often because they can offer fewer first team openings than the, erm, less successful.

By contrast, it is often clubs in a "rebuilding phase" (football-speak for being crap) that can offer these less proven performers a chance.

So it's possible that being unable to offer first team berths to kids is perhaps a byproduct of a deeper achievement.

For instance, I'd cite the case of Central United players looking to break into national league - more have done so at Waibop rather than Auckland City.

But that hardly degrades Auckland's worthy achievements in terms of on-field success.

Finally, well done to Eastern Suburbs in establishing a solid financial base to operate national league from, rather than trying to do so retrospectively after cracking league inclusion.

I hear what your saying but I think in this case it's more to do about how many players they have brought in at both First Team and Reserves level - you can still have a good team and give youth a chance.  We seem to pickup lots of Suburbs kids who just don't see the pathway, and yes I take your point that they have had success and you can't deride them for that but now that they have won some titles is it not time to develop their pathway?  after all there is no prize money for winning the league but there is for developing professional players.

"I think every club, even the Phoenix, you’ve always got to have your head around the fact that every single club in New Zealand is a development club. There’s always going to be someone better than you that you’ve got to be prepared to pass your players on to."

- Neil Emblen

Hi Chopah,

As an aside, I tend to disagree with the view that you do or don't do something "because their is or isn't prizemoney".  

In my experience the aesthetic of belonging to a winning club/team is a far more powerful incentive than the prizemoney.

Back in the late 80s there was thousands up for grabs in the northern league - and there is absolutely nothing stopping administrators reintroducing prizemoney if they had the inclination (though I do understand why it was discontinued) - but when it was stopped, we still wanted to win every bit as much. 

Maybe more-so, because money wasn't muddying the motives.

It is always fantastic when players can go right through with the same club, but they always tend to migrate to where they best fit, whether that fit represents game-time, inducements, or old fashioned collegiality.

My club has been lucky enough to attract some training fee money for players turning pro - but again, we shouldn't assume the money was the prime inducement.  

Some clubs prefer to be judged by their player development, some prefer to be seen to be grappling with the challenges of assembling an elite playing squad.

Is developing a "pathway" necessarily a higher calling than building a winning culture around which you can promote the code, and bring intrinsic enjoyment to club members and supporters?

Is how we "produce" the game necessarily more noble than how, as club fans, we "consume the game" via enjoying having a successful team or winning culture?

(That's rhetorical, by the way. There is no supreme answer. All clubs will have slightly different mission statements, philosophies and objectives.)

Not all clubs seek to be all things to all people. And I'm okay with that.

Struth.

Hahahaha, definitely getting value for their National League license

absolutely brilliant!

Was that a photoshop or an actual tweet?

One hundred percent legit, now on 45(!) favourites!

Has Tim Payne signed?

Yup

What was this in relation to?

Who's been confirmed apart from Tim for the summer thus far?

Tweet was re: NZF saying the All Whites had done great work beating New Caledonia to make the ONC final.

NATIONAL LEAGUE UPDATE

We have just had confirmation of the National League draw for the upcoming season.

We open our campaign with a tough assignment: an away game to what will be a full strength Wellington Phoenix Reserve team on Saturday 22nd October.

Eastern Suburbs first National League home game:
Sunday 30th October:
Our first home game is another tough assignment as we take on Hawkes Bay United, it’s a 2:00 kick off and the game will be played at Bill McKinlay Park.

I’d urge you to come along and see a piece of Suburbs history being made as we play our first National League home game since 1979! So get along to Bill McKinlay Park and show your support for Suburbs in what is the highest level of club football in New Zealand.

Follow the link below for the Eastern Suburbs National League schedule

Suburbs home game venue:
As the necessary Premiership infrastructure will still be under construction at Ngahue Reserve in Stonefields throughout the 2016/17 season, we have made Bill McKinlay Park in Mt Wellington our home ground for our inaugural season. The stadium has had a number of refurbishments, and will provide a great game day atmosphere with the stands and supporters being close to the game and the action. We will also ensure the stadium is strongly branded with Eastern Suburbs banners and flags to ensure we have ‘ownership’ of the ground during our National League games.

We’re working hard to make our National League games an event…more than just about the football itself, including activities for the kids – it’ll be a fun day, so make sure it’s in your diary.

Chris Ruffell
Chairman – Eastern Suburbs AFC

Does anyone know who will coach the National League team for the upcoming season & the rough capacity of Billy McKinlay Park?

Thanks, Sunseeker.

That's a real help. :)

5,000 capacity apparently. Would like to see that tbh.

From their website:

I am pleased to announce the coaching staff for the Eastern Suburbs National League (NL) and National Youth League (NYL) teams. Of the five strong coaching team, four have been drawn directly from our clubs professional coaching staff – reflecting the calibre and depth of coaching resources our members enjoy at Suburbs. The strong contingent of Eastern Suburbs coaches charged with guiding our summer Premiership teams also reflects our commitment to providing pathways for both our player and coaches, as I mentioned in a NL update a few months ago, one of our key motivations for gaining entry to the prestigious National League was to ensure Suburbs provided the strongest club pathway in New Zealand for our members.

National League coaches:

Head NL coach: Malcolm McPherson:

The appointment of our winter Premier (men’s) League coach, Malcolm McPherson, was a ‘no brainer’ for us. His technical knowledge and ability to galvanise and harness the skills of the individual players into a cohesive team force are exemplary. Malcolm embraces our club’s ambitions: he is hungry to see (& lead) Suburbs at the highest level of club football in this country. Malcolm’s coaching abilities were obviously one of the key inputs to Suburbs winning the League & Chatham Cup double last year – a feat our club had not achieved since 1968, a gap of 47 years. Malcolm currently has our winter Premier men’s team sitting atop the League table by a 4 point margin.

Assistant NL coach: Martin Bullock

Malcolm chose Martin as the assistant coach to both compliment his own skill set, but also to challenge his calls and decisions where and when appropriate. Malcolm understands the importance of a co-coach who can bring a high level of technical knowledge and couple that with the ability to challenge and ‘push’ the team and himself, will help ensure our NL team has the very best coaching resources.

Looks great when full

is the emmanuel ekpo that easts have signed the former columbus crew and molde player?

Looks it...http://www.transfermarkt.com/emmanuel-ekpo/profil/...

Good signing if so!

Adams will play for Eastern Suburbs in the 2016-17 New Zealand Football Championship but has agreed to return to South Melbourne for the 2017 NPL Victoria campaign.

Has Moses Dyer signed? I sore on the squad list for the All Whites tour it has his club written as Easter Suburbs?

good to see a current all white stepping up to play in the national league

Suburbs have started to officially announce players - will be a slow burn between now and the start of the season
keep an eye on this facebook album: https://www.facebook.com/EasternSuburbsAFC/photos/...
or on their twitter feed.

google Derek Tieku as well - some pedigree

So far the club have introduced:

Derek Tieku (f)
Armin Pasagic (f)
Moses Dyer
Tim Payne
Sam Burfoot
Mario Ilich

check the eastern suburbs facebook page for more info about each player.

add Adams to that list and you have a pretty good spine by SSP standards. Good to see the Lillywhites going after these players. Will be interesting to see how many winter league players are in the match day squad. 

It feels like this years SSP is going to be more competitive and a bigger step up from last year. Just little things like greater player recognition, better social media and marketing from the clubs etc. 

I'm looking forward to going to Bill Mackinlay park to support ESAFC. Shame it's not at Maddillls farm. 

Ask and you shall receive.

Adams and Haviland added today - so now that's:

FORWARD
Derek Tieku (f)
Armin Pasagic (f)

MIDFIELD
Moses Dyer
Tim Payne
Sam Burfoot
Mario Ilich

DEFENCE
Luke Adams
Ross Haviland

More to come tomorrow!

Haviland......Ha ha ha ha

He'll be good for lumping someone every game

Alf Inge Haviland

Are ACFC fans bitter about Burfoot? Good signing for ES

Nope. Ramon knows best.

Please welcome Emmanuel Ekpo and Andrew Blake to the #lilywhites family!
Read more about them here: https://t.co/baaxrAOT64#goodtobeback pic.twitter.com/utAWAUnO4i

— Eastern Suburbs AFC (@ESAFC) October 12, 2016

UPDATED

FORWARD
Derek Tieku (f)
Armin Pasagic (f)

MIDFIELD
Moses Dyer
Tim Payne
Sam Burfoot
Mario Ilich
Emmanuel Ekpo (f)

DEFENCE
Luke Adams
Ross Haviland
Andrew Blake

More to come tomorrow!