Fair enough. All i know is we're top!!
Three for me, and two for them.
Permalink
Permalink
With the league we're in its hardly much to boast about ;)
Permalink
Permalink
And...Foreign Spy2008-04-11 10:40:05
Permalink
Permalink
Sad thing is theres a lot of potential there - its just organised to piss poorly
Permalink
Permalink
Err...Foreign Spy2008-04-11 10:40:58
Permalink
Permalink
Keith "the only explanation for what I'm doing is I'm senile" Johnston never had any intention of playing fair through this. Or as US1 says on their website "straight up".
He has delayed everything whenever he could even going so far as to question NZ Football's appeal committee's right to hear an appeal, and then said that one of the committee members should be removed due to conflict of interest!
What surprises me most is NZF not having the balls to slap KJ1, lets face it the board are a bunch of puppets, down for his continued arrogance.
Steven Yates was the lone 1/4 dissenter at the US1 submission hearing and resigned when he realized that he unlike the other board members was not tied up to puppet-master Johnston.
Good on yer Steve for showing integrity unlike the rest of the idiots.
The hard thing for a lot of Glenfield members is Keith "the complete b#$%^&d" turns up and sits in the clubrooms as though nothing has happened.
20 years ago he'd be lying out the back bleeding all over the place!
Well US1 turned the 3 clubs submissions down again. Reasons to turn up next week, maybe.
I'm not holding my breath as it took him 3 weeks last time to pass the reason's to the 3 clubs.
On 1st April he even sent a NEW criteria list to the 3 clubs to play in Inter-Fed. comps. which sensibly the clubs ignored. The most astounding comment about this deliberate breach of NZF's appeal ruling was from a member of 1 of the 3 clubs saying that most NZFC clubs would not be in the NZFC if they had to meet US1's criteria.
Most people suspect the document was drawn up after NZF upheld the appeals!
For those who really want to fathom the depths of Keith Johnston's mind..............
He has sent out an invite to an Inter-Fed. Comp. with US1 & AFF to run on a Wednesday night, when do teams train?, in which he clearly states they have been working with the AFF on this since last year. The AFF immediately denied this on their website and said they'd had just heard about it a few days before the US1 invite. IS THIS LYING OR NOT?
If so then he just breached FIFA' Code of Ethics.
The really interesting thing is how will the clubs qualify in june when this wednesday comp starts if they don't qualify now?????
Oh thats right a quick rubber stamp Board Meeting for Keith Johnston to change the criteria.
This whole thing is so he can make out he didn't deliberately set out to wreck the Northern League from day 1.
He has delayed everything whenever he could even going so far as to question NZ Football's appeal committee's right to hear an appeal, and then said that one of the committee members should be removed due to conflict of interest!
What surprises me most is NZF not having the balls to slap KJ1, lets face it the board are a bunch of puppets, down for his continued arrogance.
Steven Yates was the lone 1/4 dissenter at the US1 submission hearing and resigned when he realized that he unlike the other board members was not tied up to puppet-master Johnston.
Good on yer Steve for showing integrity unlike the rest of the idiots.
The hard thing for a lot of Glenfield members is Keith "the complete b#$%^&d" turns up and sits in the clubrooms as though nothing has happened.
20 years ago he'd be lying out the back bleeding all over the place!
Well US1 turned the 3 clubs submissions down again. Reasons to turn up next week, maybe.
I'm not holding my breath as it took him 3 weeks last time to pass the reason's to the 3 clubs.
On 1st April he even sent a NEW criteria list to the 3 clubs to play in Inter-Fed. comps. which sensibly the clubs ignored. The most astounding comment about this deliberate breach of NZF's appeal ruling was from a member of 1 of the 3 clubs saying that most NZFC clubs would not be in the NZFC if they had to meet US1's criteria.
Most people suspect the document was drawn up after NZF upheld the appeals!
For those who really want to fathom the depths of Keith Johnston's mind..............
He has sent out an invite to an Inter-Fed. Comp. with US1 & AFF to run on a Wednesday night, when do teams train?, in which he clearly states they have been working with the AFF on this since last year. The AFF immediately denied this on their website and said they'd had just heard about it a few days before the US1 invite. IS THIS LYING OR NOT?
If so then he just breached FIFA' Code of Ethics.
The really interesting thing is how will the clubs qualify in june when this wednesday comp starts if they don't qualify now?????
Oh thats right a quick rubber stamp Board Meeting for Keith Johnston to change the criteria.
This whole thing is so he can make out he didn't deliberately set out to wreck the Northern League from day 1.
Permalink
Permalink
And...Foreign Spy2008-04-11 10:41:53
Permalink
Permalink
Damned if they do and damned if they don't.....................
The problem the 3 clubs face when it comes to the US1 Crap League is that if they don't play they play into Keith "any change is a good change" Johnston's hands. He then can use the US1 criteria for Inter-fed. comps against the clubs for not playing.
The true worth of US1's Pantomime League was there for all to see on Sunday.
ECB vs. Glenfield - usually a rip-roaring end-to-end hard fought local derby in previous years was a flat error-riddled lifeless game.
None of the players appeared that interested, I can't blame them they've been demoted at least 2 divisions with no reason they can see.
Glenfield couldn't string 4 passes together in the first half and were lucky to go in 1-1 at half-time. They played a lot better in the second half but in the 89th minute the ref. saw something no else did and gave a penalty, then conveniently ignored a similar situation a minute later when a Glenfield player went down in the box!?
End result 1-2 to bays, who on the balance of the game deserved a win, but the method (refs. crap call) didn't impress anybody including the ECB coach.
Significantly, afterwards in years past the winners would be heard singing etc etc, this time - absolute silence from both dressing rooms.
If what US1 did was for the good of the game maybe they should explain to all the players, esp. all those who were under 20, what is so good about this!
The bottom line is a teams place in a league system should be determined on the field not by some self-righteous arm-chair saddled admin type who probably never played at a decent level and thinks he knows best.
i.e. Keith "I am the best" Johnston.......................
wombat232008-04-07 15:52:24
The problem the 3 clubs face when it comes to the US1 Crap League is that if they don't play they play into Keith "any change is a good change" Johnston's hands. He then can use the US1 criteria for Inter-fed. comps against the clubs for not playing.
The true worth of US1's Pantomime League was there for all to see on Sunday.
ECB vs. Glenfield - usually a rip-roaring end-to-end hard fought local derby in previous years was a flat error-riddled lifeless game.
None of the players appeared that interested, I can't blame them they've been demoted at least 2 divisions with no reason they can see.
Glenfield couldn't string 4 passes together in the first half and were lucky to go in 1-1 at half-time. They played a lot better in the second half but in the 89th minute the ref. saw something no else did and gave a penalty, then conveniently ignored a similar situation a minute later when a Glenfield player went down in the box!?
End result 1-2 to bays, who on the balance of the game deserved a win, but the method (refs. crap call) didn't impress anybody including the ECB coach.
Significantly, afterwards in years past the winners would be heard singing etc etc, this time - absolute silence from both dressing rooms.
If what US1 did was for the good of the game maybe they should explain to all the players, esp. all those who were under 20, what is so good about this!
The bottom line is a teams place in a league system should be determined on the field not by some self-righteous arm-chair saddled admin type who probably never played at a decent level and thinks he knows best.
i.e. Keith "I am the best" Johnston.......................
wombat232008-04-07 15:52:24
Permalink
Permalink
With all due respect: I entirely disagree with Wombat 23's concept of what would be the effect of the three team's withdrawals.
He says that it would "play into Keith 'any change is a good change' Johnston's hands".
I say the effect would be that the league collapses. Similarly, I would advocate that the three clubs decide to form a "super-club" for the season "to share costs" - and gain the same effect. It would have been the only effective reply.
What people seemed to have missed; is that Johnston's mad, weak league has similarly weakened the other competition; and I'll bet that he realised it would when he went it alone as US1.
Like the northern nonsense, the Auckland competition has had to promote unworthy teams to its top competition and has suffered the same effect. While the Auckland competition is marginally stronger that its northern counterpart, it is still grossly understrength.
Having to promote the likes of Metro, Mt Albert-Ponsonby and Three Kings United occurs in the wake of megalomaniac Johnston's insanity. Forty-something year-old good guy, Nobby Stiles, has re-launched his playing career at Metro! In the old northern premier league, these three teams would have battled for the bottom two spots - much to Birkenhead's relief.
It is known that Glenfield Rovers best players are sitting the season out, Shore current lineup is an empty, non-urgent kid's side, and both Bays and Waitakere have left the door open for their contracted players to walk if they wish.
Birkenhead 2008 is a grossly-weakened outfit that would have plunged to the bottom of a proper premier league - only to be relieved at finding Metro, MAP and TKU already there.
Although ("old" second division) Hibiscus Coast and the cobbled-together ("old' second division, plus non-league) Western Whatevers are enthusiastic, the true worth of what is their breathtaking successes - so far - can be measured by the understrength opposition. To see the pair simply placed in a "premier" league is appalling. Likeable, but late-40's year-old Hibs striker Steve Gove is now a born-again premier star!
North Force was an unspectacular "old" first division side that believes it is now playing in a premier league. It isn't. It is still an unspectacular "old" first division side that is only playing against former northern premier league shadows - that don't want to be there.
Once a national league club, Takapuna City wanted to earn its success, and has no illusions about the worth of this crap league.
Like Birkenhead, having battled its way into the 2006 northern premier league, Albany United lost key personnel in 2007 - and then hapless fell victim to Central/Auckland's manipulation of the league in that club's unsuccessful quest for the Chatham Cup. Albany went quietly into the lower division, and now - with a hopeless team of kids - plus 40-odd year old Chris "Buckle" Harding - appears comfortable to have surrendered all ambitions in a garbage heap of football.
Non-league Forrest Hill-Milford is a nice club with nice people. FHM though, is extremely put out, talking injunctions in fact, as they fully expected to play in Johnston's premier league!!!!!
Of Johnston's zealous "Yay, let's have our own crap league with playoffs" henchmen, former Albany chairman Kieron Duffy is an interesting case. In a 2005 Albany programme, when referring to the (agreed, it is lamentable, NZFC), Duffy wrote in his exact own words - as they appeared: �It also does not help the creditability of the league when there is a play-off series at the end of it to decide who is the Champions. Perhaps the play-off games were a commercial success but it would have been a football disaster if Waikato had come through and pinched the �title� from Central? If they continue with this format it will happen one year,the third placed team will nick it.Anything can happen in a knockout competition as MilIwall found out last season in getting to the final of the FA cup.
Foreign Spy2008-04-08 09:18:03The very notion of running a league is to find the best team in the competition.The only way to do this it to judge a team over the course of a season, not in one or two games at the end. If Waikato had come through and won the knockout section would anyone believe that they were the best team in the country? Would anyone believe that they were best placed to represent NZ overseas?
League competitions need integrity,the knockout bit at the end makes it a farce.
If the play-offs are such a good idea then why does nobody else adopt them? Can you imagine the Premier League having play-offs at the end of their season between the top three or four clubs? If the league finished tomorrow,and Chelsea win it by eleven points,then where would the justice be if Man, Utd came through and won the play-off bit, having finished 15 points behind Chelsea? Even worse, can you imagine if they did it in Scotland? Celtic and Rangers finish their programme some 40 points ahead of third and fourth placed Hibs and Aberdeen, and they include Hibs and/or Aberdeen in a play-off to find the �League Champions�. It�s nonsense.�
And then, Duffy (verbatim) wrote of the old Northern Premier League: �Given that most clubs pay more to be part of the Northern League, one would have hoped that this competition would receive more media coverage. It is local and has so much potential, but it is hardly promoted at all in the media. Recently I went into what I thought was the Northern League Website, I was subsequently told it was not a Website, just a page of someone else�s site.
Is it possible that there is lack of media coverage because changes are imminent. Is has been muted that SoccerNZ would prefer this league to only have one premier division, the other clubs would play in local Federation Leagues. Sounds a little like county cricket to me, or should I say state cricket, it doesn�t matter because nobody watches either competition. I must say that I cannot fathom out as to how cricket generates so much money with so few spectators. It does have TV coverage which is a bonus, but haven�t the advertisers twigged that�nobody watches it? We have more people through Rosedale Park on a Saturday morning yet we struggle to get additional funding.
I suspect that the Northern League is to be kept �low key�, and then Soccer NZ will tell us it is no good. This league will be �re-vamped� with a few bells and whistles, and it will cost 1/2 as much again to enter it, watch this space?"
END.
It now seems this man has changed his mind just a wee bit.
The whole lot of US1's current admininstration must be thrown out ASAP on its collective ear - including the ultimate survivor, Terry "I'll agree with anyone to keep this job" Hobin.
Let's hope that a new team can put the proper league back together again for 2009.
Permalink
Permalink
I saw parts of 2 games in the weekend and to be fair, both were pretty average. The skill set was average, the football was average and the standard that is 'northern league' is just not worth watching.
The funniest thing was watching Andrew 'nudge' Campbell who at 30, built like a burly baker and not the quickest of strikers running past the said 40 something Nobby Stiles and laughing about it. I mean really, is this the best football in the region? WE know its not, the CLUBS know its not but I can respect Auckland Football for getting something in place even as just a place holder for a year until next year. For that reason alone, I can support the idea and principle of what is trying to be achieved in the end.
What Johnston and his band of muppets don't realise is that when they were bandied with AFF and WaiBOP, they had the best winter league in the country over the rest. Going it alone, I would suggest that the Central League would far outweigh the current NRFL leaving Johnstons US1 Premiership ranked lower than a Gore over 35s sunday drunken kick around with about as much credibility to match (apologies to any drunk guys over 35 that play football on a sunday and live in Gore)
When will this madness honestly end I ask you....
The funniest thing was watching Andrew 'nudge' Campbell who at 30, built like a burly baker and not the quickest of strikers running past the said 40 something Nobby Stiles and laughing about it. I mean really, is this the best football in the region? WE know its not, the CLUBS know its not but I can respect Auckland Football for getting something in place even as just a place holder for a year until next year. For that reason alone, I can support the idea and principle of what is trying to be achieved in the end.
What Johnston and his band of muppets don't realise is that when they were bandied with AFF and WaiBOP, they had the best winter league in the country over the rest. Going it alone, I would suggest that the Central League would far outweigh the current NRFL leaving Johnstons US1 Premiership ranked lower than a Gore over 35s sunday drunken kick around with about as much credibility to match (apologies to any drunk guys over 35 that play football on a sunday and live in Gore)
When will this madness honestly end I ask you....
Permalink
Permalink
With respect to Agent47's statement:
"With all due respect: I entirely disagree with Wombat 23's concept of what would be the effect of the three team's withdrawals.
"With all due respect: I entirely disagree with Wombat 23's concept of what would be the effect of the three team's withdrawals.
He says that it would "play into Keith 'any change is a good change' Johnston's hands".
I say the effect would be that the league collapses. Similarly, I
would advocate that the three clubs decide to form a "super-club" for
the season "to share costs" - and gain the same effect. It would have
been the only effective reply.
What people seemed to have missed; is that Johnston's mad, weak league has similarly weakened the other competition; and I'll bet that he realised it would when he went it alone as US1."
Whilst yes, the 3 clubs would have loved to have pulled out of this crap US1 league, in fact at least 1 club got legal advice on the matter, if the clubs had then US1 could have gone them for breaking the rules. NZF advised playing the games when it became apparent that US1 would not postpone them.
Given what lengths US1 have gone to I'm not so sure they would let the league collapse so easily given that they can impose fines for defaulting games etc etc.
Unfortunately this was a case where we needed all the Northern Premier clubs to present a united front to US1.............
Whilst US1 (KJ) appear to be able to get away with any form of dubious behaviour (I'll leave it at that) the 3 clubs have tried to do this by the rules so as to not give US1 any reason for further delaying tactics, again part of US1's behaviour through all of this mess has been to delay doing anything as long as possible. Like not supplying documentation to the appeal committe including Peter Courtney's reports even though asked twice for them and even questioning NZF's right to hear an appeal and then to question the fitness of one of the appeal committee's members! (comflict of interest they said)
Keith "I don't care what anyone thinks" Johnston knows if he can delay it long enough the only option left to the 3 clubs is play the crap league or nothing. (which was considered)
The AFF would only let them join early in the season or it becomes a nightmare scheduling catch-up games, not to mention adding 3 clubs to the comp. would make a long season.
I do like the idea of the "super-club" though!
It's a pity this wasn't thought of earlier.......................
(Than again there was a rumour ECB tried to take their entire 1st Team and coaches to Mt. Wellington!)
As much as US1 & Keith Johnston are now attempting to distort what happened to cover their backsides and hope it all goes away, the 3 clubs are committed to fighting on in various ways.
Besides the appeal process I can't say anything at present regarding what avenues are being looked into, just that US1 has not heard the last of this by any stretch though it probably won't affect anything on the field this year, however come the US1 AGM there will also be fireworks...........
is the only polite way I can show how this US1 inspired farce affects my state of mind!!!!!!
this is Keith Johnston's state of mind.........................
this is what it should be............
Whilst yes, the 3 clubs would have loved to have pulled out of this crap US1 league, in fact at least 1 club got legal advice on the matter, if the clubs had then US1 could have gone them for breaking the rules. NZF advised playing the games when it became apparent that US1 would not postpone them.
Given what lengths US1 have gone to I'm not so sure they would let the league collapse so easily given that they can impose fines for defaulting games etc etc.
Unfortunately this was a case where we needed all the Northern Premier clubs to present a united front to US1.............
Whilst US1 (KJ) appear to be able to get away with any form of dubious behaviour (I'll leave it at that) the 3 clubs have tried to do this by the rules so as to not give US1 any reason for further delaying tactics, again part of US1's behaviour through all of this mess has been to delay doing anything as long as possible. Like not supplying documentation to the appeal committe including Peter Courtney's reports even though asked twice for them and even questioning NZF's right to hear an appeal and then to question the fitness of one of the appeal committee's members! (comflict of interest they said)
Keith "I don't care what anyone thinks" Johnston knows if he can delay it long enough the only option left to the 3 clubs is play the crap league or nothing. (which was considered)
The AFF would only let them join early in the season or it becomes a nightmare scheduling catch-up games, not to mention adding 3 clubs to the comp. would make a long season.
I do like the idea of the "super-club" though!
It's a pity this wasn't thought of earlier.......................
(Than again there was a rumour ECB tried to take their entire 1st Team and coaches to Mt. Wellington!)
As much as US1 & Keith Johnston are now attempting to distort what happened to cover their backsides and hope it all goes away, the 3 clubs are committed to fighting on in various ways.
Besides the appeal process I can't say anything at present regarding what avenues are being looked into, just that US1 has not heard the last of this by any stretch though it probably won't affect anything on the field this year, however come the US1 AGM there will also be fireworks...........
is the only polite way I can show how this US1 inspired farce affects my state of mind!!!!!!
this is Keith Johnston's state of mind.........................
this is what it should be............
Permalink
Permalink
Ok dude you made your point and you have lots of sympathy but the long rants are getting a tad boring. WE know he is a f**kwit, WE know he has screwed it all, but repeating it over and over again in the same format wont change it.
Permalink
Permalink
any comments on the joke of a league are well appreciated by me. would love all teams to jsut forfeit the next few rounds and see what happens!!
Permalink
Permalink
Forfeiting games has been discussed by players and although that will cause a disruption to the league it appears the only people that will miss out will indeed be the players who can't play anywhere else. Many of the players have expressed a loyalty to their clubs and especially those of the 3 who are fighting this in the courts on there behalf. Really the problem lies with the power and madness that the US1 board has managed to attain, the apathy of several of the clubs for not joining with Glenfield, ECB and Waitakere from the start, a few clubs who think it's great to be a "premier" team even though they don't deserve it and the fact that NZ Soccer has done absolutley nothing to sort this out!
Both the US1 league and the Auck/Waik/BOP Leagues have been diminished in value. I have to feel sorry for a club like Melville who have worked hard over a few years to gain promotion only to find that teams that finished well below them have now also been promoted.
Hardley any players will now be able to take the step up from these weaker leagues to the NZFC as they will not be getting as many tough games, will be able to make mistakes and not be punished for them and many senior players like Dodds at Glenfield refuse to play in this league and it's their experience being passed on to younger players that will be sorely missed.
Permalink
Permalink
Both the US1 league and the Auck/Waik/BOP Leagues have been diminished in value. I have to feel sorry for a club like Melville who have worked hard over a few years to gain promotion only to find that teams that finished well below them have now also been promoted.
You dont have to feel sorry for melville they got well beaten by a team that should of been demoted, now with the NZFC all finished they will be far more competitive .
Of the so called lucky three clubs to get promoted 3kings while being a young team will finish mid table and most likely above tauranga and wanderers
Permalink
Permalink
i agree the leagues will drop in standard not allowing players to make the nzfc standard required to play, i cant imagine many players from the us1 'premier' league to make many teams this year easily. it seems glenfield and north shore, 2 competitive clubs last year in the nfsl are sitting bottom of the us1 comp, things have already gone down hill.
Permalink
Permalink