The WaiBOP United Thread

1. Were people saying it was a great footballing game? Words like hectic, mad, and groundbreaking were words I saw, it was crazy to watch, but not all at superb football.

2. They do have a long-term plan in place, and where is all this "money" you talk of? Some of the top players playing locally left because there was no cash available, certainly player payments were either small or non-existent.

3. The "long ball" point you raise is one I've seen a bit and I'm a bit surprised at. I'm not sure if it's the seemingly endless negative around WaiBOP, or whether I'm too busy writing to notice, but I don't see the likes of Lissette or Probert often launching long balls forward, and there's been plenty of positive play in games I've watched this year, it's just largely through the wings rather than tika-taka (Look what that brought them last season).

So although it's not Barcelona, I don't think it is Stoke either, and regardless of how you see it, the goals have been there for the majority of the season.

Hello there.

Concerned to see WaiBop not thinking today's game was important enough to field a full bench of subs (just two plus a reserve keeper who nearly had to come on outfield).

I see it's been noted the demands of injuries and a youth league game impacted.

But it's a bad look, in my view.

There is something wrong if we can't get our football calendar better harmony than this.... first team at home, youth team away on the same day.... can someone explain why this needs to be in February? (We used to schedule these things exactly to avoid such situations) And if it really does need to be, the credibility of the operation demands the national league needs take priority....

And if I put my club hat on, I'm concerned to see, on the same day WaiBop are making out they have a skeleton crew on board, Melville's Jama Boss scores a hat trick for the youth team v Wanderers SC.

To my mind it's a complete nonsense for a player like Jama to be playing in a youth league - even if he is age eligible. 

Jama is a starting XI and key player for his winter senior team. If he is to develop further, he needs to be in, or around the periphery of the national league team - not playing youth football. 

If there were WaiBop shortages, this was an ideal time to pull the likes of Jama into the senior team and possibly give him some game time. (I am one who thinks he could prove quite useful)

Jama doesn't need exposure at youth level. He is already developed well beyond that... give that opening to younger players looking to prove themselves capable of a place in a  northern league squad.

Anyway, as always, appreciate any alternate views.

Hi Bruce

Completely agree with you boys like jama boss, Jevon Williams and xavier Pratt in particular should be in that first team.

Poor showing from waibop today.

Said it a year ago but was put in my place by N-Bomb, who said he wasn't ready. Actually, he had a poor game for Melville in their Chatham Cup semi loss against Waitak so maybe that didn't help him much either.

Lest my comments get misinterpreted, I was not suggesting Jama was a starting XI player at national league level.... my concern was I couldn't understand why, on a day when Waibop could not muster a full bench for a home game, they had the likes of Jama pissing around in a youth team match elsewhere. 

However I try, I just can''t rationalise it, for what is supposed to be our flagship domestic competition.

On another note, I see on twitter my pal Grant Stantiall has criticised members of Hamilton clubs for the fact there were not many at the match. (I was among those who could not make it).

I would be keen to hear from anyone who didn't go who normally did, as to the reasons why. 

Was it an unsuitable kick-off time (12.30pm on a Saturday)? 

Were their other things on?

Or did the fixture just not appeal?

Interested to know from you WaiBop supporters whether you think this season in the new franchise guise was a step forward from the old Waikato franchise? You seemed to attract quite a few new spectators to Cambridge and Tauranga, or was that not really the case?

Hi Bruce & N Bomb.

From being involved with Waikato FC & WAIBOP Utd I have a good insight of how things have been.

I guess the 12.30pm might have been due to flight times which in the past NZ Football have dictated kick off times around flight times for away times. 

Also around how things are run as mentioned by N Bomb, It was beneficial that the Federation staff became involved to help things run smoothly with excellent help from  Cambridge FC, but without the efforts of Brendon Coker with Waikato FC this thread would not have moved onto the WAIBOP thread!!!!!.  

Also Bruce your issues around Jama not being in the 1st team squad is due to the following:

On thursday night the 1st team had 14 players while the youth team had 11 players due to various reasons, without any possibility of other youth players being available. 

I'm sure Jama  and other youth players will get there there chance next year with the 1st team if they kick on and not be 1 season wonders.

Finally a big well done to Peter Smith for overcoming a lot of barriers during the seasons.

Yeah I can confirm the 12.30 kickoff was due to flight times, as dictated by New Zealand Football.

Last flight out of Hamilton on game day to opponents destination must dictate kick off time. But believe yesterday the mid day heat helped no one.

Results-wise Waikato are pretty much where they have been for the past 9 years - positions 6-8. So there has been no qualitative shift on that front. Same old, and not too much to get excited about, apart perhaps from a ropey draw with Waitakere.

I'm not sure we have quite got the recipe right on the playing front, but we should perhaps treat this as a transition year... (though the question remains, transition to what?)

The redeeming features of the Edge era was a handful of players transitioned through to pro ranks, though Declan copped fearful stick for his zealous development approach. I didn't see a lot this summer that offered quite the same leavening features, though Jack McNab made progress, and it was good to have Aaron Scott back.

The biggest advantage this summer, as I have said before, is that the cost of national league is now socialised across the wider game in the region, which is good.

In theory that should reduce pressure on other fronts within the franchise operation. 

With a number of paid federation personnel doing jobs once done by volunteers, an improvement in operations was to be expected, though we will still need to await the opening of the books to truly judge the relationship between achievement and cost.

But even beyond that, I think the host Cambridge club - with its volunteer base - has excelled.

It seems Cambridge ran most things very well and deserve hearty congratulations. However if we examine the history of national league in the Waikato we see that making things work in the first year is often the easiest, repeating in subsequent years has proved problematic. 

Still, we live to fight another year. Thanks to all who made it work at Cambridge, particularly Josh Easby.

Hey, tks Neil.

But why was the youth team game on the same day, different venue in the first place? Remember how we used to go out of our way to avoid such scheduling for this very reason?

Bruce

As always will we ever know who runs the competition timetable at NZ Football??

From the outside looking in, I believe the federation should continue along the veins of picking locally. Having seen Wanderers and Melville, (have not seen the other clubs sorry) I believe there is more than enough talent there. Granted some of those winter folk wont make themselves available but I think you should be able to get 25 players and say 'this is us for the summer' and roll with it. I understand that there will be a desire to find players in Auckland for the holes in the side but I think they would be better to resist that and play what they have. With that, comes investing and developing in that talent.

I don't remember Jama Boss but if I take it as so that as Bruce said 'is p*ssing around in NYL' then he would surely be better for the 15-20 mins game time (or even a full run) for a game in the top team. He then likes that, builds on that and the cycle of development continues.

Its very simplistic and full of holes but its 10 years now, and various other things really have not worked (other than year 1 under Pamment) so why not just say 'stuff it, we are picking locals and putting our lot in with them' I think there is more of a responsibility to that, with the federation running the team, then picking mercenaries from Auckland.

It's interesting you mention Bruce "I'm not sure we have quite got the recipe right on the playing front, but we should perhaps treat this as a transition year..." It feels like it is the same every year, Jeff Vader has the right idea. I believe we have enough local to talent to make up the bulk of a National League team, with the addition of two or three out of towners to fill the gaps we may lack some quality.

The problem we have in the Waikato is narrow minded administrators when it comes to national league football. They think bringing in third rate Aucklanders ( I say third rate as they weren't pick up by Waitakere or ACFC) with a sprinkling of local players is going to get them into the OFC. It has never worked and never will.

If you allow your coach 3-5 years to bring in a squad based around local players, then at the latter end of that tenure you might have a team starting to perform because hopefully your base of players will have stayed the same over a longer period of time.

If you continue down the same track Waikato football will continue to suffer........ Maybe time to look at the regions Chairperson and board? Are we heading in the right direction, are they serving the clubs as the should be from a federation point of view. I have my doubts.

In the season just gone Waikato had not only a new coach, but a complete new board.

For the first time there was no continuity at all in administrative/leadership terms.  

That is why I was prepared to give the benefit of the doubt and think of it in terms of transition. 

Everyone in a decision-making position was there for the first time. 

Further, I'm not sure any of them were particularly familiar with the national league beforehand.

I empathise with your sentiments, Soley, but also appreciate the 'real-politik' (the practical-material factors that affect operations) and the manner in which the best intentions get tilted, after having served a couple of years on the board myself.

At a base level I think the franchise's constitution needs to change, to make it more answerable to the demands of the wider game here..

What's the story with Cap Footy announcing Des Buckingham as FDO 

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-4205-0-0-0&sID=233746&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=28798277

when WaiBOP seem to have announced him here?

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=11&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2655&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=270&cHash=1ee082f1ff

My guess looking at the dates is that he started at WaiBOP and moved to Capital?

He lasted two weeks in the waikato. Clubs didn't even get a chance to meet him

http://www.waibopunited.co.nz/coombes-signs-for-waibop-united/

WaiBOP sign 2013 O-League golden boot Sanni Issa - scored 9 goals in 8 games in 2013 for Fiji’s Ba FC, and played for Amicale last season.

Thats an interesting pick up. Good on them. If Coombes can run about and provide energy in the middle...

Fergus Neil and James McPeake the latest signings for the upcoming campaign ...

Added to Coombes, Sanni Issa and Thomas Probert.   

Had a good chat with the WaiBop coach last week while he was running the Aims Games in Tauranga.  Nice bloke and was looking forward to the season. 

Let him know about the bank at Canterbury United and how random some of the supporters are.  He remembered them from last year and said it sorta adds to the atmosphere.  I made it clear I had nothing to do with them!

Waibop look like they may have a competitive team this year. In the end someone has to finish near the lower end of the table. I hope its not these guys as they are due some luck.

at this stage i'd say that phoenix b, southern, hawkes bay and wanderers are all well behind them

Were pretty competitive at the end of last season despite having all their players leave, if they could have kept their full squad throughout the campaign they could have caused some problems.

Think it'll be a similar case this season, will form a solid squad and this time hope that everyone sticks around for the full season instead of having to roll out a different squad nearly every week.

i see that sanni issa isn't going to sign after all.  what's the deal with this n-bomb?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/sport/1054950...

i see that sanni issa's visa problems have been solved by auckland city

Really? You are joking. That is unbelievable

WaiBOP admitted they were struggling to sort out his visa issues, so either 

A) They failed and Auckland City and their larger-staffed organisation stepped in to benefit

Or B) They pounced on the indecision and offered him far more than WaiBOP could while also sorting out the visa issues.

Or even a mixture of the two. Regardless, the league's imbalance off and on the pitch continues to be well documented. 

Replacement for the crocked Jaio Moreira?

So ...nothing to do with Waibops incompetance then , ...?

I for one am rapt ...he was good against us , hope hes as good { or better } for us ...

There you go. 

He is a free market player but you would hope they did not make the approach while he was dealing with WaiBOP after he had signed and while trying to sort the visa issue out. Thats bloody cheeky otherwise and a little bit low if this did happen that way.

the harsh reality is WaiBop only have themselves to blame around Issas. The Board lack vision and general knowledge of Football. They are all business people

How many players have Waibop actually signed ? No news on many local players signing

You speak like you know the story Fan. So do tell us what you know.