Huawei Wellington United Phoenix Academy Football School of Excellence - WeeNix

From the Phoenix Facebook 6 hours ago:

"Due to a staff member relocating back to the UK for family reasons a position has become available at the Phoenix for a strength and conditioning coach, view the ad at:
http://www.seek.co.nz/Job/strength-and-conditioning-coach/in/wellington-wellington-central/22498805"

In other news at least Greenacre is back in the country and being whored out by the club to make Euro 2012 predictions for the TAB. Hopefully this implies he still has a job? Hang on, Tim Brown is also on it!

"In this episode of TAB Sport EUROZONE Mark Stafford, Chris Greenacre & Tim Brown preview Croatia v Spain & Italy v Republic of Ireland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_VxbibDAK8&feature=em-uploademail"

Nice Job Description

Reporting the "Sports Science Manager"

Have we got one ? ?

If timmy doesnt make it in the world of economics (or busines,, or whatever hes about to study) then maybe he'll give comedy a go

Noah Hickey is on the board if think

...and Mark Chote

Those are exactly the two I was referring to. From what has been said in the podcast and in the media, those guys are on the board because the owners know very little about football, so they may as well start advising the owners on what needs to be done now, rather than later.

Yeah interesting but shouldn't the board be listening to Ricki? From what I undestand Noah and Ricki don't exactly see eye to eye

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/wellingtonphoenix/news-display/Phoenix-Youngsters-Named/47810

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/wellingtonphoenix/news-display/Phoenix-Youngsters-Named/47810

Basalj. Rowe. Fenton. 

Players selected for the Phoenix footballing school of excellence are:

SCOTT BASALAJ, 18: 2011 New Zealand U-17 World Cup goalkeeper emanating from Lower Hutt and St Pats Silverstream. Capable young keeper who has attracted interest from clubs in Europe.

LUKE ROWE, 20: Former Birmingham City youth player. Had a fine season with Team Wellington last year playing at left back.

ALEC SOLOMONS, 18: Centre back from East Coast Bays. Strong candidate for the 2013 Under 20's national team. Alec was also a part of the ASB Challenge team from 2010-11.

TOM DOYLE, 19: Left sided midfield player who was previously with Auckland City. Came to Wellington to study and play for Miramar.

JUSTIN GULLY, 19: Versatile midfield player who has come through the federation programme, alongside Stop Out. Joined Team Wellington in the summer and was a vital part of the team that reached the Grand Final.

TOM BISS, 19: Out of Hawkes Bay United and a product of their academy, Tom has matured into a midfield player with a good range of pass and ability to impact at both ends of the field. Tom has recently been playing in Perth's Premier State League.

LOUIS FENTON, 19: A local Boy from Tawa, more recently playing in the Victorian Premier League, Melbourne. Louis is becoming a dynamic and creative midfield player with an eye for goal as he displayed playing for Team Wellington in the ASB Premiership

TYLER BOYD, 17: The youngest player in this group, Tyler is an attacking player either wide or central. He spent last year plying his trade under the watchful eye of Declan Edge at Waikato in the ASB Premiership

Solomons, Gully and Boyd are the only ones I haven't previously heard of. Any notable omissions or players that should have made it?

So Gully in, No Thomas?

Interesting 5 out of the 8 have never made NZ age group sides

Not as talented as I was expecting, but OK

How many youth players do the Wellington Phoenix still need to sign? Is it two? If so, who are two youth players better than the ones named in the Phoenix Finishing School?

Also, doesn't exactly strengthen Team Wellington hugely with the majority already based in the capital.

I've got a feeling that guys like Rowe could still be signed for the whole season if they impress during preseason and we get to October without signing our youth players. Don't be surprised.

Or do we look to Australia (AGAIN) 

or are there some overseas based New Zealanders eg Jamie Doris, Corey Chettleburgh, Tim Payne, Ant Hobbs that could become available before the season..

Unlikely.  These guys will be better playing than being in the full squad looking decorative.  Remember they can't play for TeeDubs if they are on the Phoenix books.

Luis, I would not be surprised if the other two yoof players weren't as good as some of these lads.

The interesting thing will be if Lochy goes down for 2-4 weeks does Rowe get the promotion?  You would hope so, even if he needs a four week stand down.  Having said that, there were four weeks between each ASB Premiership game last season so it wouldn't be a problem.

Interesting no one from the South Island made it, considering Canterbury United did win the ASB Youth League. I know most of the guys selected have been ASB Premiership regulars, but the likes of youth captain Erik Panzer, Ken Yamamoto, Darren White, Andy Barton have all played ASB Premiership this year. I'd hate to think they were overlooked. I know Erik is off to uni in the States. Sam Miles and Adam Smith (both currently in the USA) would have had strong cases had they been here.

Can I jsut say that it was a stupid time to release the list.  Doesn't give TV any time to do a story on it. and tomorrow it will be too late.

I wondered that and thought maybe they'd do a TV piece when they first join together.. 

He came back to try get an Olympic gig... I dont think he will get one.

Interestingly, Greenacre may be able to play for Team Wellington as well as these lads!

1. Turned down spot with Phoenix Academy because he wanted wider exposure [which he was getting in Australia].

2. He realises that its harder to break into another A League squad because he is classed as an import.

3. Wants to be home but knows he needs to stay away to make maximum use of opportunities.

4. Wasn't happy at Waitakere because he didn't like or fit in with the culture there. Found players to be arrogant and too focused on boozing [he is a good Christian lad].

5. Is returning to UWV to continue his scholarship.

My impression is that he is looking for a pro contract and if the right opportunity comes along, he will leave UWV and sign on somewhere.

Well we do need two more youth players...

So how many of these reserves will be seen in a Nix shirt this season?

Hopefully some ...

It will be interesting to look back at this first class in a few years too see how many of them played for the Nix and where they are then. Normally the % of youth players that are able progress into first team spots with teams is quite low.

Wonder if they are going to use these 8 as trialist for the 2 youth spots over the next couple of months.  And if two of them get 'promoted' then replace them with two other reserve players.

Thats what i was thinking. 

Someone said it somewhere else but it might actually be better to have our best youngsters as part of the academy rather than on fulltime contracts because they can play regular competitive football that way. If they sign a fulltime contract they can't play for TW and probably won't play for the Nix except for maybe a cameo or two off the bench if they are lucky

Good luck to him for getting his goals sorted and I hope he succeeds and proves me wrong.

As a question, is it possible to have the kids on full time contracts but never play for the Phoenix? I'm just trying to do a mental comparison. Maybe someone can help me out see where the flaw is.

Player A works at a bank and plays for a premiership team in the weekend and thats the only team he plays for. The premiership team do not pay him.

Player B works for the Phoenix in marketing but plays for a premiership team in the weekend and thats the only team he plays for. The premiership team do not pay him.

Player C is paid a wage for 'services rendered' by the Phoenix but plays for a premiership team in the weekend and thats the only team he plays for. The premiership team do not pay him.

Player D is a player on the Phoenix team. He hasn't played for the Phoenix and recognises that their international transfer rules. He plays for a premiership team in a loan capacity the weekend and thats the only team he plays for. The premiership team do not pay him because of the amateur status of the league.

I can see that player A and B, this is ok. Why would player C and D not be allowed to do this?

That might have something to do with Players C and D are registered to a proffessional team, making them proffessional players, who must stand down for a few weeks before they are allowed to play amateur football (like vicelich had to after his trip to china). 

Player C = Player A    Registered with premiership Team (amateur) works in a non football capacity for the Nix and can`t 

                                 play fot them

Player D                     Becomes difficult to go on loan from a professional club to an amateur club for reasons wages

                                and insurances. If possible, the premiership team would hold his registration for the lenght of the

                                loan period. There would then be a stand down period before he go back and play for the Nixs 

What I`m saying is a loan from pro to amateur doesn`t work, it would have to be a full transfer

Also stuffed the above up, the stand down is from the Nix to the premiership not from the premiership to the Nix

Time to go home me thinks 

A couple of questions:

1. Are they going to play games as Nix reserves with fill ins, or just be playing for Team Wellington? If the former, who would the fill ins be? Senior squad members who are not getting game time or local players from around Wellington?

2. Any of them likely to step up as injury cover for Pantelis if his news is as bad as appears?

3. If a need arises and they are good enough they could be promoted any time, within HAL squad size restrictions, although that would then rule them out of scholarships forever and amateur leagues for a period of time, am I right?

Apologies if covered already.

If anyone wants to read up a bit more on Tyler Boyd:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/sport/7157046/Aspiring-Boyd-seeking-future-with-Phoenix