Waikato FC (where's your Fallon gone...)

GO the Volunteers

 

and yes i have had more than a few pints of Guiness here in Dublin

 

Doesn't matter how strong, fast, fit or sharp you are if you don't get the points. Congrats to Waikato.

Being from Waikato is no longer a hinderance when it comes to national recognition, just look at Aaron Scott for starters and then Nik Robson and before him Tim Schaeffers were given national recognition after playing for Waikato FC and Alex Barlow who is away with the U20's at the moment was recognised playing for Hamilton Boy's High.

The simple fact is players coaches and teams in the Waikato need to be performing well and they will get recognised!

 

Merry Christmas (and belated Happy Birthday, Mr Ed).

 

Good Luck Dave and all at the club.

 

The words "standards' and "double" come to mind, given waikato were told there was no money budgeted for them to travel by plane at the start of the season. Should the league survive next summer -- and there must be a questinomark about that -- there has to be more of a level playing field in such matters, otherwise teams might as well slash the entry fee and make their own arrangements.

 

The other news at Waikato is that keeper greg walters has brought his younger brother over the from the US, and he is quite a tidy midfielder (Mike). But won't be eligible until the transfer window opens next week. Anthony hagan has also been training with the squad, I understand. Mind you, he turned up a few times pre-season.

 

Ahead of the game against Hawke's bay, the most interesting thing will be what formation Waikato choose.

 

they have done quite well recently with the 4-5-1 packed midfield approach, somewhat against the odds.

 

I've been full of admiration for the recent efforts of stu Hogg, who has had to do a lot of running and geenral donkey work in a lonely recent role up front. But for all that, his game is not really suited to being a targetman, insofar as he is far more effective when he is facing goal than when he has his back to goal -- where as a small lad, he is not quite so suited to holding the ball up.

 

And yet, either because of Stu's role, or in spite of it, it has generally worked for waikato in recent outings. I know stu has come in for a bit of stick here in the past, but I think he is playing as well as i can recall seeing him.

 

Marco Rojas may start on the bench. he almost caught H Bay by surprise when he came on last time and left some defenders reputations in tatters with weaving runs down the right flank. However he won't have the element of surprise this time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He came on at left half.

 

it is hardly acceptable to base an inequity one season on a similar gaffe the season before. All we want is a level playing field for both clubs, whichever season we are in.

 

if no money, both clubs do the trip by road.... If enough money, both teams fly, etc.

 

what do others think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cheers.

Its just something that until there is an independent league manager (admittedly it'll be more a self serving exercise for ACFC and Waitakere but there will be league wide benefits if they follow through on what they say they can do) its all going to have to be put up with.

 

 But for the distance involved, air travel has to be the objective if the existing league is to have credibility.

 

For players who have to work the following day it becomes a journey too far if you ain't getting home till after midnight, as was the case after waikato's trip to napier. After all, it's meant to be a flagship league, not a joke league.

 

And I don't think we can shy away from issues -- just because they might open up more issues. You can't take the politics out of politics.

 

One of the prime isues for the league at the moment is: is the code getting the best bang for its buck from existing logistical practices? And are the benefit:cost ratios being fairly disbursed?

 

I'd hate to think Hawke's bay had to travel  by bus next year on the basis of an argument that Waikato did exactly that this summer -- which would be perpetuating the argument expressed by another poster here. That would be a pissing match of the worst kind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You've got to play on a Saturday. Sunday in NZ is a day at home, more so if there is a 1 dayer on. The men can get leave passes on the Saturday (nothing sexist here sorry) to go to the football then BBQ and get on it later, get drunk and do what ever. Sunday the wives want that quality time and if you've had a skinful the night before plus sun at the beach, the last thing you want with a hangover and too much sun is a nagging wife. Hell the kids don't care cause they don't expect to see football in the summer and all wanna be like Brendan McCullum hitting 6s so its not family orientated.

 

We pick the wrong day to do this. It has to go to a Saturday.

 

Floppy Noodles won the "More Than Amazing Race" (local fundraising event) on Friday, caught truckloads of fish at Raglan on Sunday (saw dolphins in front of the boat too, nice), Liverpool came from behind to beat Portsmouth, theN Waikato showed Waitakere up today. It could only get better if the beer was free all day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, it was.

 

 

 

Brilliant!!