Preason matches in India? Er...

Hueiyen Lanpao credibility factor: 0.005%. I would say the match promoter probably heard about the Nix from his cousin, Ahsan Ali Syed.

Piney says that Tim Brown had a hand in organising this. Piney credibility factor: 99.995%.

But you can't even go to Manipur without a special pass from the Indian government. Is Timmeh involved in some kind of charity for that part of the world? Or is he a heroin dealer?

"If the club plays the friendly match with Prayag United, the match will be a enthralling match for football enthusiasts of Manipur as there are three Manipuri players, Gouramangi, James and Joychandra in the Kolkata team. Moreover, there are two Nigerians, one Costa Rican and one South African in Prayag United."

Odds on this being linked to the transfer of one of those players?

Hernandez is one i believe

Nice copy pasta in that from Wiki.

If this is true can we have access to watch them please?

An online stream? I guess Sky wouldn't go anywhere near it.

   YELLOW FEVER SCAM !!

Wellington Phoenix Line Up: 

                                                 2nd Best      Smithy

                                 El Grapadura   Hard News  Feverish  Tegal

                               Frankie Mac    Junior 82     C Diddy   James Dean

                                                           Doloras

Flights, Accomodation and "Tiger" provided

Bring your own Stripey

Subs?

YOU`RE IN !

Swap El Grap and Tegal, and me and Frankie - he plays best in the hole.  I'd have Feverish on the bench.

You are of course referring to the other Junior82 aren't you? 

The one that can actually play football...

I'm keeping 2nd Best out of goal? Very flattered, unless this is like primary school and the least talented kid gets stuck in goal.

2B will just be waiting for you to be red-carded.

Or take a knee to the head, and then pretend to be injured so you don't look embarrassed.

By the way I am really unfit and can hardly run for more than a few minutes, so will gladly give up my spot to patrick or other "fit" YFer.  In exchange for some sort of "favour" of course... (start at fridge magnets and we can work up from there).

I went for a run on Monday. I lasted 12 minutes and four laps around Redwood Park until I was too exhausted to continue. Managed 14 minutes today. I think I'll stick to being an impact player off the bench.

Perhaps I should re-phrase that:

Would you like a fridge magnet Patrick (or some other favour)?  In exchange for you starting instead of me.

Voucher for the Adidas store on Lambton please. I'm sure there will be plently lying around in peoples houses. If I get enough of them I can buy an away kit.

Blimey - you're easily pleased.  

Thought you might play hard ball and make me humiliate myself with random facebebo image postings*.  The Adidas vouchers last season expired in December, but if you'd like to take a credit for the ones to come...

*actually I do have some Nix keyrings and clips - I should have used them as my second offer.

BTW is this what the Internet Police call "grooming"?

Maybe I am not up with the play but a little devil inside me thought - 'Why play preseason in India? Because its, hot like Australia, but not as hot at Honiara in September.........'

How many All Whites at the Phoenix.....?

Looks like the game is closer to going ahead.  Will have to get some boots and head down to Newtown 1 this Sunday.

(10:30am was it Ricki? I've got a prior appt at midday)

Getting my passport renewed now. Can't wait. See you all on Sunday. 

Do we need shin pads?  I could borrow Jnr Jnr's.

Also who is bringing the half time oranges and is D playing rush goalie?

Half time Oranges with Vodka good enough?

Sounds good to me.  

Realistically I'm not going to be in line for the Player of the Day award*, so I'll take whatever I can get before the Gaffer subs me.

*Didn't want a stupid happy meal or Lanes voucher anyway.

See if Tim can get you that picture of ricki in a compromising position with a donkey. Then you'll never get subbed off. 

I am looking to go to India in August so this could be fun

Having been to India, I personally wouldn't go in August which is in the middle of the monsoon season. The monsoons would disrupt a lot of your travel outside the main cities with roads closed due to floods, trains and flights cancelled etc. Expect waste-high (polluted) water flowing down the streets at times. 80% of India's rain falls June- September during the monsoons. It's much easier travelling October - February when the monsoons have passed and it's cooler.

I was in India for ten weeks October 2011- January 2012 and the temperatures were nice (an Indian winter is like a NZ summer temp. wise: 20 degrees - 30 degrees) and it only rained 30 minutes in my whole time there, travelling widely.

August is a bad time to consider playing a match in Imphal in Manipur state in the North East, as again it's monsoon time and the monsoon rains are heavier in the north east than the rest of India. From Indian travel site:

 http://www.mustseeindia.com/Imphal-weather

August is not the best month to visit Imphal.

Manipur is also a strange choice as a venue as the towns are relatively small and undeveloped and prone to terrorist incidents. Also it's not at all one of the strong centres of Indian football, the strongest being Bengal (Kolkatta) and the former Portuguese territory of Goa which provide several teams to the Indian league.

I saw some games in the Indian league whilst there and while it's not a great standard, it's a professional league and better than the ASB Premiership with some quite good African imports (who probably don't mind the climate etc.). 

I also caught the South Asian Championship in Delhi in December and winners India were clearly the best side. Again, not a great standard and by all accounts India weren't playing at their best. However, the Indian side had a few players who'd probably do well in the A-League such as striker Sunil Chhetri who had just returned from a trial at Glasgow Rangers.

But to me and everyone else who saw the Championship, the stand-out player was India wing-back Sayed Nabi aged 26 who showed he could play at a higher level than the Indian league. He's quick, elegant and very skilfull.

The Nix, with no experience of India, should be very careful about which promoters they deal with as it sounds to me with mention of playing in Manipur, they could have a dodgy one who will fleece them. It would make more sense to play in a football hotspot like Kolkatta or Goa where people turn out in large numbers to see foreign teams play.

Football has traditionally been more popular than cricket in Bengal (cricket's caught up in recent years there), going back to when local team Mohan Bagan beat the East Yorkshire Regiment side in 1911 playing in bare feet and inspired nationalist pride. You see goalposts on every patch of public land throughout Bengal, sometimes with saris drying on them and animals grazing.

I heart Curry!