Central League

Halftime at Endeavour - Wests 2:0 Tawa. First one was an own goal to Jamie Sharp. Could easily be 2-2. Both sides have hit the post (Tawa from a lob about 35-40 yards out with the wind), Tawa also had a really good 1 on 1 that should've been buried - not a defender on sight, but hit straight at keeper.

4-1. Tawa livid at a couple of those goals, apparently offside they thought. Got a bit heated with verbals towards the end. Tawa really died off in the 2nd half despite pulling one back straight away. Lance had a good game in goal, could've been ugly if it weren't for him. Wests deserved the win though.

Had to laugh at The DomPost C/League report - quote on the red card was taken from an incorrect tweet sent from DFPark.

Report from the Bay

In the Contracted Players thread someone is claiming that Hamish Watson has signed for Wairarapa United.

Epic Lower Hutt snub if true.

Did he have his wrist in plaster Saturday?

Injured from doing this?

Over The Hill 

Probably being paid more now than he was with the nix. 

Surprised to see Olympic draw. Anyone watch?

Hawke's Bay Today's take 

PNM v Rapa

good on him, he's chasing a career in professional football, got to pay the bills somehow. A free pair of boots and box of bananas a week prob won't cut it anymore. No different to any other form of business.

Except funding coming from the assumption that it's an amateur competition? 

Imagine how much better facilities and junior coaching could be if people weren't being paid to play amateur football. 

Maybe clubs could subsidise junior subs more, instead of paying players to play amateur football. 

Just a few thoughts. 

But yeah good on him, I'd take money if offered too. Which makes me a hypocrite. But meh. 

What rubbish. 

If a players only motivation to turn up to training and play on a Saturday is that they get to bleed the game dry of money in the process then good riddance if they leave I say. There are plenty not who pay far too much for that privilege from the time they're 5 years old because of people like that. And many others who can't afford or struggle to pay for the privilege. 

Its an amateur competition, one of the purposes of which is to develop players. Resources are clearly wasted currently. I realise its something that isn't going to change, and I'm not trying to change it (hell I'd take $ if it was offered to me too). But that doesn't mean I agree with it and I don't see how anyone could objectively actively support it

Who says he is going to the Rapa purely for money? They have a much better chance of winning the league than Lower Hutt

I didn't say he was. 

Spartacus: that rant was just directed at rapa (or Hamish Watson - I didn't mean to imply anything about his intentions). I do vaguely remember the posts you are referring to, and good on him. But that still doesn't make the very common practice ok. 

Greeeks vs Pet One ....Petone went ahead twice. Pretty even match most of the game. Ole kid Hamish scored Petone 2nd goal with his first touch off the bench when ball cut back for him. but Abba caused a few problems once he entered the field. He won the Penalty to make 2-2. Fair result.

So in the Glenfield case, where is the money coming from?

I mentioned that I went and watch Birkenhead a couple of weeks ago against Sports. There was a great dig about Birkenhead using home-grown players in the after match and I thought, that's actually a relatively accurate comment when you see that they have jettisoned some players over the years that have come in and then been punted out. They have kept it largely within the club and that's a great inspiring commentary to young players coming through.

Glenfield do this every 3rd year or so. I think it was Pritchett, Seaman, Uhlmann, Vodavich, Mulrooney and Micholson the last time they were splashing to get them into Premier. As to where it comes from...... who knows.

All Wairarapa grounds closed so Rapa-Petone game has been shifted to Maidstone at 1:30pm

...and Lower Hutt home game moved to Petone turfyturf

CL getting transferred to artificial pitches, while those paying (rather than being paid) to play get cancelled for second week in a row. 

What a world we live in. 

Love that Pirlo quote Buffon

Did Birkenhead not a couple of years ago splash the cash to get players who weren't usually there to play for them to get promoted?

Anyone know how much Watson is getting? heard a rumor but not sure how accurate

Just travel expenses surely? 

How much does a train pass to the wairarapa go for these days?

If past signings are anything to go by I would say anywhere between 10 and 20 g.