Mainland Juniors (please play nice)

Here is the link about the CFA Junior Tournament from todays Press:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/81662558/ch...

tournament kick of at yaldhurst tomorrow. Hopefully this will be an event on the player wishlist every year forward from now. Interesting mix of teams with Auckland and Dunedin teams plus some from over the ditch. Sad it wasn't supported by more local clubs but I can't wait to see the young talent about

It's in the news now....   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/82120844/families-left-out-of-pocket-after-football-trip-goes-bad

Congrats to all the girls junior teams who played the Alan Fraser memorial tourney at Kendall Park this weekend. Some exciting football played and lots of potential on display. Waimak Grey beat Ferrymead in 11th Grade final extra time, and Halswell beat Nomads in 13th Grade final in pen shoot out. Young Ferrymead 11th grade player Leah is something special. Well done to Waimak for organising.

That's really bad news for those kids and their families left tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.

What does the guy who took their money expect?

Of course the NZ police are after him because he's made no attempt to arrange to repay the money and has left NZ.

This shows that private football academies need to be more regulated (this bloke Reira was behind the IFANZ academy and the "Player Profiles" website) and there need to be contracts for overseas trips like this with legal guarantees of the product / service being delivered or money refunded in full.

While IFANZ ended disastrously with parents owed a lot of money, we're lucky that the other private academy, the Christchurch Football Academy and the Christchurch Football Centre established by Russian multi-millionaire immigrant Slava Meyn, seems to be going from strength-to-strength with it's inaugural Christchurch International Cup junior tournament organized and delivered in only four months.

This sounds like it will become NZ's biggest annual junior football tournament with plans to increase it from this year's 34 teams to 64 teams from NZ and internationally within a few years.

This bloke Slava Meyn is really good for football in Canterbury and has spent millions already on the Football Centre and coaching programs.

The Christchurch International Cup already has its own comprehensive website:

http://www.internationalcup.co.nz/

Results from the weekend's tournament here:

http://www.internationalcup.co.nz/fixtures-results...

My son played in this tournament and it was brilliantly run in what is a remarkable facility. All four games began at once when the CFC music played and each team walked onto their pitch alongside one another and then stood at halfway, and then shook hands before the game got underway.

The games all started and stopped at the same time with a loud hooter, meaning the schedule ran like clockwork. Floodlights means games can go right through to a 530 kick off (and i guess later if need be)

All kudo's to Slave Meyn and his team, and the have even bigger plans in place with a stadium, changing rooms, indoor sports court, and swimming pool.

Great for the kids to play on such surfaces, makes such a difference from some of the sh*tty bumpy mud heaps around town

rep teams to be announced over next few days, good luck to all who trialled, in Canterbury and North Canterbury. it will be interesting which way some players choose with some clubs sending teams to north island tournaments

apparently and CFA heading to Sydney around similar time. player workload may be an issue.

and tomorrow is the 12th

Are you coaching a side this year Onion Bags? 

i am, really looking forward to. got a great group to select and build a side from that plays attractive football at pace. heaps of potential and lots of fun to travel with.

Rep teams are up

CFA have U8 and U10 tournaments Sunday 04 Sept.

 Well done Tetseo and the CFA crew. Aside from the weather a good days football for the little ones.

ok people. Let's talk the new dream. The so called  (but now a new name) pinnacle club. Are all clubs up for this and who is going to be able to maintain the standard. I'm not really up with it but just from what I've heard some of the old established small clubs will feel the pinch. North west area will be interesting with nomads, fc2011 and chch united all in a similar space. Only so many qualified coaches about.

I may be wrong. Let's see what others know, is it good or bad.

Mainland teams are 3 points behind NFF going in to last round of competition in National age group tournament in Wellington. Mainland teams play Capital whilst NFF play Central.

Lets get the 2017 season speculation/comment kicked off.

I notice that the Cash Tech 14th Grade team bears no relationship to the ultra talented group they had at the 12th Grade level. It looks like the remainder of the FTC/NTC standard players have gone to Bays for this season.

Cash Tech have had huge numbers to their trials and anecdotally there are a large number of transfers in from Christchurch United. Probably based on the move to Yaldhurst being inconvenient for those in the Addington/Spreydon areas?

I will be interested in how the 4 provider model works for FTC works this year. Any comments so far. Mainland haven't published who made their FTC groups yet as far as I know but have informed individuals whether they made it or not.

will there be at least 1 competative D1 grade in Boys 15/17/19's? 

season kick off Sat April 01

Hopefully tennis and cricket finals are not that day

Youth draws up on Mainland site today.

The 15th Grade Section 1 should be a three horse race between FC2011, Cash Tech and the Coastal team that went through the 14's unbeaten.

Waimak are a bit of a dark horse. Halswell and the second FC2011 are likely to cop a hiding when they play the Top 3.

Coastal have lost Luca to a bad season long injury. ?

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Coastal have lost Luca to a bad season long injury. ?

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Yes a very bad leg break. They have also lost Andres Hernandez to an athletics career.  

Love the challenge playing Coastal Hawki, all good lads and a good side to play against, copd a hiding 8 Nil last year in first round, then drew 3-3 and lost 2-1 in 3rd round. 

Boys may take a few games to get back in the swing of it this year but we will be firing by end of season. No Nomads in league this year, heard theyve all gone to FC. 

Not all some off to school [Stac etc] teams. Anyway the real games will be Coastal v Nomads in div2 no flip in flip out players in those teams a few loyal good club lads, aye lah.

Few Coastal boys in that Nomads side surely

What happened in 19's Craig? 

Never saw the game but heard keeper was sent off.

Coastal v Burwood 19's was remarkably similar to last years 17's. No Halswell in D1 19's. 

Will go watch Coastal v CTFC 17's this week. 

I'm going to watch the CTFC Vs Nomads 13's Section 1 match this week. The 13's might be a four or five way go given the first weeks results.

What bright spark at Mainland put the 13's and 15's on at the same time? I obviously should have scheduled the boys birth three years apart not two!! Then I could watch both games each week.

hopefully grounds open for Saturday! 

Highly doubtful

Truck load of clearances have been requested since last Saturday.

Panic set in over 0-3 reversals

Didn't make A team

Last minute yeah I'll think I will play

All canned ffs

http://cufc.co.nz/cufc-talents-revel-in-ao-tawhiti-unlimited-discovery-school-football-programme/

All Boys School First XI is at CFA

May 03 is R1

Christchurch International Cup July 9 -16: Christchurch Football Centre, Yaldhurst:

NZ's biggest junior international football tournament.

http://www.mainlandfootball.co.nz/christchurch-int...

About 80 teams, 1000 players

NZ sides joined by teams from Australia, Asia, North America, South America.

"The 2016 edition included teams from the Under-9 to Under-12 age-groups, but this year the organisers have expanded the event by doubling the number of invited teams in those ages and by including Under-13 and Under-14 competitions.

The 2017 Christchurch International Cup will host around 80 teams and 1000 players across six days, with the older teams playing on the first three days (July 9-11) and the younger groups on the final three days (July 14-16)."

Some big scores in the 13/14/15 Section 1's.  9-1, 8-0 and 5-0 in the 15's.

Another season of only two competitive games a round in the 15's and the 13's looks like a three way go between CFA, CTFC and Nomads.

What can we do to get more competitive football?

i think ferrymead will be in with a shot in 13's also. Nomads probably team to beat