So if Waitak are booked to play at Nth Harbour, and Waikato at Waikato Stadium, maybe it's time Team Welly should be compelled to give up Dave Farrington and return to Newtown Park?
The WaiBOP United Thread
Perhaps I am getting a bit cynical in my old age, but I can see no benefits for the WaiBop team playing at Waikato Stadium. I have been there in the past when Waikato was playing and although the surface was superb, there is very little atmosphere when you have a couple of hundred people rattling around in a 30,000 seat (??) stadium. The echoes are deafening. The costs used to be pretty tough.
In my opinion, the team would be better off spreading itself around the area - Porrit, Gower, Links Ave, Cambridge, Ngarra, Taupo, Rotorua - there you are - seven home games.. Might get some local support involved at those venues.
Disagree. If playing at the Stadium, promote it. Better to aim high than low for a change.
Guess this confirms the TV stuff we have been hearing about then.
You can aim as high as you like. If you haven't got the right ammo, you are going to hit diddly squat.
Going local to take the game back to its' roots is not aiming low - it is using a bit of common sense and perhaps, heaven forbid, may get some local interest going with the according support.
So if Waitak are booked to play at Nth Harbour, and Waikato at Waikato Stadium, maybe it's time Team Welly should be compelled to give up Dave Farrington and return to Newtown Park?
WeeNix's home ground.
Perhaps I am getting a bit cynical in my old age, but I can see no benefits for the WaiBop team playing at Waikato Stadium. I have been there in the past when Waikato was playing and although the surface was superb, there is very little atmosphere when you have a couple of hundred people rattling around in a 30,000 seat (??) stadium. The echoes are deafening. The costs used to be pretty tough.
In my opinion, the team would be better off spreading itself around the area - Porrit, Gower, Links Ave, Cambridge, Ngarra, Taupo, Rotorua - there you are - seven home games.. Might get some local support involved at those venues.
Disagree. If playing at the Stadium, promote it. Better to aim high than low for a change.
Guess this confirms the TV stuff we have been hearing about then.
You can aim as high as you like. If you haven't got the right ammo, you are going to hit diddly squat.
Going local to take the game back to its' roots is not aiming low - it is using a bit of common sense and perhaps, heaven forbid, may get some local interest going with the according support.
Depends on what you think the ASB Prem is for. More than Northern League I would have thought.
Interesting comment Jerzy - I have no idea what the ASB Prem is for. I have asked this question to NZF on many occasions and have yet to receive an answer. I though an ASB purpose would have been publicised prior to, or during, the recent review but - no dice. I even asked at the meeting I went to but could not get an answer from NZF, but got many and varied from the assembled club delegates.
So, if you could come up with a feasible answer I would be appreciative.
Interesting comment Jerzy - I have no idea what the ASB Prem is for. I have asked this question to NZF on many occasions and have yet to receive an answer. I though an ASB purpose would have been publicised prior to, or during, the recent review but - no dice. I even asked at the meeting I went to but could not get an answer from NZF, but got many and varied from the assembled club delegates.
So, if you could come up with a feasible answer I would be appreciative.
Think you're being disingenuous. The ASB was formed originally to offer a higher standard of football than winter club leagues offer by encouraging an "elite" nationwide summer league consisting of winter league multi-club participation, plus regional representation, plus a higher standard of spectator facilities. Over the ten years there's been a steady erosion on all fronts - as you're probably well aware.
And as you're also probably aware NZF are trying to once again raise the bar before it flops completely.
Graeme's point about the dangers of a ghost town at Waikato Stadium is well made.
However if I understand correctly, a number of Thursday night games at Waikato Stadium will have the benefit of allowing them to be televised live. Which is fantastic.
I don't think I'm speaking out of turn to say that my club, Melville United, is also down to host Waibop's first match of the season - at Gower Park - which will also be televised and be preceded by a women's national league match. (1.30pm and 4.30pm) on our renovated No 1 pitch which has just recently had hedging planted along the final side, so its close to fully enclosed now.
While Gower has hosted national league matches before (it was last used at national league level for the White Ribbon Cup final in 2012, and before that, for a couple of games in 1998) it will be an interesting exercise in seeing what gains traction in 2015. As will be the night matches at Waikato Stadium, which I am looking forward to.
Incidentally we ran a night match in May at Gower, Panama U20s v Uruguay U20s, on our No 2 pitch (hilariously Fifa wouldn't let us use the No 1 pitch because it was designated for "training", not matches) but the lux levels were less than half what would be required for national league.
So the stadium has its uses, and I'm guessing that with Fed CEO's background as the former stadium manager, it will have been secured much cheaper than it was in 2004-06. (He'll know where all the bodies are buried.)
(For a full chronology of the twists and turns of the national league over the past 25 years, read my publication: The National League Debates, which can be purchased via the www.nationalleaguedebates.weebly.com website)
So is a draw available for ASB or ASB youth? Are these leagues still even ASB sponsored?
great about the facilities but I hear no news about player signings
rumour has it that they have been instructed by nzf to play at Waikato stadium, similar to waitak playing at North harbour, the reason behind this being that it will push these clubs closer to bankruptcy and give nzf a valid excuse to fold the ASB prem as a number of clubs will be bankrupt
rumour has it that they have been instructed by nzf to play at Waikato stadium, similar to waitak playing at North harbour, the reason behind this being that it will push these clubs closer to bankruptcy and give nzf a valid excuse to fold the ASB prem as a number of clubs will be bankrupt
And where did your heard that rumour? Any sauce?
rumour has it that they have been instructed by nzf to play at Waikato stadium, similar to waitak playing at North harbour, the reason behind this being that it will push these clubs closer to bankruptcy and give nzf a valid excuse to fold the ASB prem as a number of clubs will be bankrupt
rumour has it that they have been instructed by nzf to play at Waikato stadium, similar to waitak playing at North harbour, the reason behind this being that it will push these clubs closer to bankruptcy and give nzf a valid excuse to fold the ASB prem as a number of clubs will be bankrupt
I'm actually quite happy they're gonna be playing at Waikato Stadium, and Gower Park. I enjoyed taking my son to games at Cambridge last year but, and I know it's selfish, those two venues are easier for me to get to.
good to see the public news of Jonesy being signed .
has had a great year at Wanderers once again
he has talent when he keeps his head
rumour has it that they have been instructed by nzf to play at Waikato stadium, similar to waitak playing at North harbour, the reason behind this being that it will push these clubs closer to bankruptcy and give nzf a valid excuse to fold the ASB prem as a number of clubs will be bankrupt
That cat is fudgeing hilarious - a cross between being downtrodden, and being a gangsta
Have there been any others decent players linked with us? I'd be gutted if rumours that Aaron and a few other half decent players are going to leave do to coaching issues.
Our form/class in the first season of the NZFC where we finished 3rd seems so long ago now.
Rumour has it that Louie Cautner of Forest Hill Milford has signed to play in goal
Rumour has it that Louie Cautner of Forest Hill Milford has signed to play in goal
Thought the guy from Wellington, McPeek was coming back? where is Danyon Drake?
Marc who?
where was this striker vs Wanderers on the weekend?
big game, quality defenders, didnt do anything.
hes hopeless , well done peter
so your writing this guy off based on 1 game?
Andy Wallace would do a better job Chopah
Rumour has it that Louie Cautner of Forest Hill Milford has signed to play in goal
Thought the guy from Wellington, McPeek was coming back? where is Danyon Drake?
Rumour has it that Louie Cautner of Forest Hill Milford has signed to play in goal
Thought the guy from Wellington, McPeek was coming back? where is Danyon Drake?
Him and his brother are with auckland city. Reid is going to play youth league/bench for first team
Anything is possible in football, absolutely anything.
Waibop have signed Maksim Manko, the Aucklander who walked out on them halfway through the season two summers ago to join Waitakere.
What does it take from both parties to be able to finesse a move like this, where there is not even an acknowledgement of previous bad form?
I guess national league football means never having to say sorry.
If a club is desperate enough or a player is good enough, anything can be excused.
Just pretend it never happened. And once you brush it off, you unintentionally set the bar even lower for next time.
Because that sort of stunt is clearly okay, you don't even have to give it the old mea culpa these days.
The fans? Nah, they won't notice.
I know one at least long-time fan who's noticed, Bruce, and he's far from happy about it.
those 3 signings are pretty crap sorry..
Surely you would just have most of the Wanderers team in and maybe 2/3 out of towners but good ones
Andy Wallace would do a better job Chopah
I'll let him know.
But seriously hasn't this guy scored like 10 goals in about a dozen games in the premier league? Seems decent.
http://www.waibopunited.co.nz/young-guns-sign-for-...
scott hilliar, alfie roger and louie caunter all confirmed
Hello.
A few observations on Waibop signing Marc Evans.
I will have to defer to forum newcomer "nixynix" - who has called him Marc Who - insofar as I have not had the benefit of having seen him play a match against Wanderers Sports Club, which is apparently the new barometer by which we measure the worth of strikers.
But I have seen him play 10 of his 13 matches for Melville. He has managed 10 goals in those games. A couple of them were penalties. And a couple of them were absolute stunners.
His finish to allow Melville to become the first team to beat Chatham Cup finalists Eastern Suburbs (their first failure to win in 17 outings) was excellent, and he set up the other goal.
He has been playing in a team where I think it's fair to say he has received limited service. Until he arrived Melville had not won a league match in 2015. It would be fair to describe them as a struggling team.
Marc is not a striker who has exceptional physical presence, or one who runs like a scalded cat. But he is creative with a keen football brain, and knows where the goal is. And he sets up a lot.
I would be interested to see him play in a team where he could get on the ball more often. We don't yet know if Waibop will be that team, but it will be interesting.
I would agree that the jury is out on his ability at national league level until we see him on that stage, but I would also argue he has already established himself as one of the more valuable northern premier league strikers.
Hope this helps.
rumour has it that peter smith is trying to sign the entire Probert family, Tom to play centre half, Connor to play up top once the 17s World Cup has finished and Paul to come out of retirement and do a job at left back
rumour has it that peter smith is trying to sign the entire Probert family, Tom to play centre half, Connor to play up top once the 17s World Cup has finished and Paul to come out of retirement and do a job at left back
Really? Surely Paul is about 100. He was old when I watched him play for Waikato United.
tinsley hoyle and hoyle in
http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/waibop-add-napier-city-trio/
Marc Evans with Tinsley and Steven Hoyle will be a very capable attacking trio.
Caunter was good enough to be at Auckland City - so will be good enough to play.
Anyway, Evans.
I reckon I have a somewhat-qualified opinion, and he is class. Great movement off the ball, enough pace and tenacity to get into the right positions, and bags of creativity.
Hoyle and him as a front two even will wreak havoc.
Look forward to watching it on TV - especially at Gower Park!
Waibop are starting to put together a good side. I have seen Marc Evans and he is a natural goal scorer . I think they are missing an creative midfielder and a solid centre defensive pairing
It's about time the Waikato public put club loyalty aside and support the regions flagship team
Few names signed yesterday.
http://www.waibopunited.co.nz/the-americans-are-co...
lesch and gallegos from notre dame via western suburbs
anyone seen these boys play?
http://www.waibopunited.co.nz/wanderers-spine-sign...
luque, marquez, varela, maloney all signed
Anything is possible in football, absolutely anything.
Waibop have signed Maksim Manko, the Aucklander who walked out on them halfway through the season two summers ago to join Waitakere.
What does it take from both parties to be able to finesse a move like this, where there is not even an acknowledgement of previous bad form?
I guess national league football means never having to say sorry.
If a club is desperate enough or a player is good enough, anything can be excused.
Just pretend it never happened. And once you brush it off, you unintentionally set the bar even lower for next time.
Because that sort of stunt is clearly okay, you don't even have to give it the old mea culpa these days.
The fans? Nah, they won't notice.
This WaiBOP fan will forgive almost anything if he helps the team win. I just want to see a creditable semi final appearance and if Maxim Manko helps the team do that, great. Surely we aren't in any position to turn good players away?