Northern Leagues

[quote=Jerzy Merino]

Sorry if I've created a bit of confusion. No specific incident - no biffo/public urination, etc. Toffeeman has it right - Fallon's team Eastern Suburbs, relegated last year, once best in the country (eh Leggy?) is now playing the likes of North Force in the Northern League 1st Div in what on the day looked to me pretty much like 'park footie'. Considering his past record, how much lower to go? Northern League 2nds? A fallen club, a fallen coach, 20-plus crowd...

Coaching the promising juniors of MAGS in Auck Sec Schools Premier Div seems a bit more worthy somehow. 

I watched the game .. It was fiery in the first half with the officials letting a bit go ( which was good to see).. both teams got into one another. Hobson got caught a few times but dished it out also...... Birkenhead were worthy winners. ...they look to have a strong squad , also they seem to have a good balance of age  I believe 8 starters 21 and under...... Bays will always be in the mix and there starting to play some of there younger players also... 

Hamilton hosting bays this week should be interesting.

Bay Olympic v Central. That would be an interesting clash. Olympic need the points and they have been the ones that have been the heavyweight clash over the last 8 years.

You're dead right there!

Winners for past 9 seasons:

2004 - Central Utd

2005 - Bay Olympic

2006 - Bay Olympic

2007 - Central Utd

2008 - Central Utd

2009 - Melville Utd

2010 - East Coast Bays

2011 - Bay Olympic

2012 - Bay Olympic

I, for one, will be at Saturday's game.

Yeah forgot bout that one, surely both teams will be a lot stronger when o league finishes.....

Probably looking for a new club up here soon. Minimal knowledge about Auckland football though. May wait and see where I end up living.  

 You anygood though ?

Can you speak Spanish?

 You anygood though ?

Hmm Wanderers v Bays does intrigue me, might be my third straight Saturday watching HW

From the Northern League forum:

 Yellow card, whats the issue?

Great poise and balance from our local league shown on a daily basis.

You up to this Topleft07?

I was at Onehunga Sports vs Birkenhead today. Write-up and photos here FYI:

http://in-the-back-of-the.net/2013/04/20/new-shoots/ 

I though Birkenhead would struggle this year with a lack of a serious midfield but seems no team really has a quality midfield so that makes that an easy win for teams that want to take the title. They play some nice football and I'll eat my hat and say I was wrong. I like Hobson-McVeighs distribution. He does do a lot of long balls but they are more diagonal and they don't get more than 3 ft off the ground. Real tracers. Good luck to them.

Both those points are very debatable.

I think a few early morning rums have encouraged that comment !!!!!!!

Was pretty fun yesterday at Wanderers against the Bays, terrible conditions, the ball just came to complete stops on the sideline for about 60 minutes due to torrential downpours, Wanderers have a lot going for them but one is not discipline (about 11 yellows in the game all up), ECB probably deserved the win but I think that Wanderers would have given them a run in good conditions.

Funny side-plot: ECB's Andy Carroll-lookalike came on as a sub after about 75 minutes, after a minute he got yellow carded for running right in front of a free-kick, two minutes later he dived in and got his second. Tragic stuff

He lasted 2 mins? What a dick

Nice one again Enzo. I was there too. Birko do play a neat game. And J Hobson-McV (minus hair) is an impressive fulcrum.

He was great, reminded me of an Italian style 'regista'. Sitting deep and dictating play. Cool player and nice guy. :-)

3 games gone think Birkenhead getting talked up what to much!. Wait till some of those national league players step back into there clubs,,like bay Olympic.central

TopLeft07, wherever he goes, is gonna be the game/season clincher.

It's like Waitakere last year, they were on about 3 points until just over halfway through the season, then they stormed up the table, leaving Melville and I think Suburbs in their wake, were probably the best team in the second half of the season. I don't think Birko can win it all but I can definitely see them inside the top 4 come season's end.

Still think bay Olympic / E.C.B.. Central will be the main contenders..

 Went to watch Ellerslie v Bay Olympic @ the Herald's advertised 2.45pm kick-off but was informed the game would be starting at 6.30pm! So then chose the nearest option: Bill McKinley Park, hoping to see something of interest. Lovely day, lovely pitch, 3 pm on a fabulous autumn Saturday, best environment for club football in Auckland (except 4 Kiwitea St.) Waddya get? Lower reaches of the AFF with 17 (I counted them) spectators, an empty bar and  a barman who didn't know who was playing. Neither did the solitary guy sitting drinking outside on the veranda. wtf has happened to the once mighty Mount?

Its a sad state for them. From what I understand, they pulled out of Northern League because they were close to bankrupt. I had heard that pulling out of that league, they had gone from 30k in the red to 15k in the black in the space of a season and have not looked at going back into it because of the cost.

I guess its brings into play the whole issue of player payments for winter league football (of which no player deserves anything in my opinion). For a league where there is no prize money, no promotion, is it worth it?

This weekend I covered Metro vs Ngaruawahia in division 1.

For anyone interested, here's the link: http://in-the-back-of-the.net/2013/04/27/better-late-than-never/ 

Huge win for Hamilton Wanderers today, from what I heard they dominated Central but couldn't find the winner until the 87th minute, big result and I think confirms them as real contenders even at this early stage.

Yep went to the game ....Hamilton deserved to win....  Not pretty to watch

Went along to Glenfield v North Shore, finished 5-3 to Glenfield seen them twice this season both times had a player sent off and battled on for a win. Pretty sure all 5 goals came from set plays. Pretty direct style of play.  

I was there too. Shore derbies are often entertaining and Sunday's game continued the tradition. Eight goals, another disallowed, a red card, the League leaders twice coming from behind... Mayne's excocet free kick got things going nicely, and in defence Aaron Root - until he was sent off - was showing as much bite as a Uruguayan. Up front it was good to see old warhorse Grant Young leading the line (despite carrying as many years as the opposition combined). And Shore had their stars too. Defensive mid McClure is a monster, and not just for his startling resemblence to Meatloaf, while left wing Hector Hernandez, the Devonport  Ronaldo, was all aggrieved shrieks and feints and step-overs - even if the ball sometimes seemed to know where it was going more than he did.

Great game, great day out for Mum, Dad and the kids. ACFC v Waitak it ain't - let alone Spurs v the Arse. But for fun in the sun followed by a few beers and a ferry ride home, local derbies don't get much better than this.