R8 vs Melbourne City | Sunday 30th Nov | 5:00pm | RoF

I'm not debating it and was simply sharing an observation.

I don't follow cricket and had never heard of the guy before this event, so I don't really mind either way. As I said I'll be respectful along with everyone else.

Agree. 

One of the milestones of Hughes' career happened in Wellington too - he'd been dropped due to poor form in a previous series but came back vs. NZ in Wellington and that innings made his career, leading to him being a test regular.

"2010 - Reduced to back-up Test opener after a torrid 2009 Ashes series in England, gets a rare chance against New Zealand in Wellington and hammers 86 off just 75 balls to see Australia across the winning line."

This is a huge huge thing in Australian life dude. And for that matter not too far behind in NZ life.

It should be noted that there have always been close links between cricket and football in this part of the world and in Britain.

So it's natural that such solidarity should be shown.

I played both cricket and football at school.

I don't know if it's been the same in Australia, but many of NZ's cricketing greats were also accomplished footballers:

Including several dual cricket and All Whites internationals:

Grahame Bilby, Ces Dacre, Ken Hough, Don McRae, Vic Pollard, Mark Burgess

(Note: Hough has the unique distinction of playing cricket for New Zealand and football for both New Zealand and Australia)

Richard Hadlee was goalkeeper for major Christchurch club Rangers in the Southern League in the 1970's; current Black Cap Nathan McCullum played in the NZ Football Championship for Otago and cricket was his second choice; former Black Cap Ian Smith left school to play Central League football; Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming were all age group Canterbury football reps and carried the coffin of legendary former Christchurch United coach Terry Conley at his funeral.

NZ test cricketers and captains have been prominent in football administration such as Mark Burgess (NZ Football board) and Lee Germon (former CEO of Mainland Football):

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c...

In fact, the very first player in history from Down Under to play Association Football, New Zealander Charles Dacre was one of the leading cricketers and footballers in England in the mid eighteenth century (he played in the very first game of Association football in 1864 and captained the South of England vs. All England in cricket):

http://users.skynet.be/pluto/Texthistory/evolution1.html

(scroll down to relevant passage)

Also in online "Cyclopedia of New Zealand" from 1902:

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc02Cycl-t1-body1-d1-d15-d3.html

Alot of those statistics are rather meaningless by themselves. Chances created means what? The direction of a pass is one element. The quality of the pass is needed to be taken into account. Weight of the pass. Whether or not its on the ground or bobbling. Would that pass back to Sigmund against perth in R1 count as a 'completed pass' because Sigmund got a touch on it? Doesn't mean it was a good pass.

Looking at the stats alone does not create a good argument. Riera concedes more fouls because he actually makes alot of tackles, and a fair few important ones. Can't say so much about Vinnie. 

Again, if his role is to keep the ball, then he should be able to actually be calm on the ball, which sometimes he is far from. Switching the play can mean nothing depending where it is, how long the ball is in the air, and how obvious the switch is. 

Creating a chance can be straightforward. Getting an Assist can be another thing altogether. A shit ball to Burns may still lead to a shot, maybe even on goal, but a Good ball to Burns could result in a goal. Just be aware of those factors.

Not to mention Jacob Oram used to be a soccer goalkeeper (snigger).

Cool.

Not many people know that just before their (decisive) game against Uruguay for the last spot in the 2006 WC finals the Australian team were visited in the changing room by Steve Waugh, the great (past) Australian cricket player and captain. He had an amazing motivational speech to the Socceroos, according to those present (it was commented on later), which may or may not have been one of the factors in their win.

It was later mentioned that Steve Waugh was actually a promising junior footballer with Sydney Croatia but could not get in first team and wanting to succeed at a top level he switched to cricket (which he also played at that time).

Jeremy Coney to speak to Ernie's troops before walking out at RoF! He was in my junior team.

We are an emotional bunch and sometimes I feel that gets in the way of objectively analysing a situation/player (as best we can). And I just used those stats to refute points made. You can look at all the stats to get an overall picture of what Lia contributes relevant to other players in his position if you like. So when you are looking at the stats, you're not judging him on his aesthetic football ability but what the end result is - which can then be married with what you witness on the pitch yourself.

I suggest the Lia put-downers try looking afresh with untainted eyes this weekend. Ernie isn't stupid and plays him because he does his job.

I agree with that. 

He is nowhere near as mobile as he was under Ricki, but then he did not need to be very mobile in those days.

As we are playing a faster passing game, he may look less useful, but Ernie would have dropped him if that was the case. As it is, Ernie is talking about strikers, and last year it was fullbacks, while our midfield woes are supposed to be over.

Might not be the right thread, but does anyone know what is happening with the 10x$10K on the weekend?  Is there $110K being given away here, or is it part of something else?

Haven't seen much promotion of this and that surprises me after the push by Huawei last year for the $10K

Just got email about it..be in your seat at kickoff to win chance to be 1 of 10 chosen.  Only prob is havent yet sat in my seat

Oh god I hate it when we wear dull colours, especially at home. Our colours are yellow and black. With good reason.

Why? Melbourne's kit is red and white isn't it? Yellow and black is no clash at all.

Still it could be worse - the Northern District Cricket's pink was a shocker. 

They should really be exposed to our Black and Yellow stripe in all its glory by now, second year of alternative strips?

So quite a few things happening then

Chance to win 10 x $10k

FIFA U-20 mascot to be unveiled

Alternate strip to be worn

Tribute to Phil Hughes

Have I missed anything?

There's one other problem... those chosn don't win $10k immediately, they have a chance to win $10k, they have to "shoot for it".

So the hcnaces of them giving away $100k is low. Not sure where $110k came from?

Brockie to score? Goodness knows I've been missing that.

You really, really wouldn't know that from people round here who think it's so obvious that the Nix should sign "not a Not A Striker", dump Lia, Brockie, Krishna and probably Sigmund, hire Aaron Clapham and Chris James, etc etc, and they can't see why an A-League winning coach would disagree with them, qualified football mavens that they are.

On a second thought....  yeah, hire Aaron Clapham....

Not so much on footballing skiils, but he's a Ch-Ch local and I am parochial

Thanks Doloras, a new word for Friday. Maven

the word "maven" comes from Hebrew, meaning 'one who understands', based upon an accumulation of knowledge ("wiki").

Sky are advertising Newcastle Jest vs Wellington Phoenix, live on Sunday.

Absolutely fudgeing useless Cods. 

edit, what's up with the forum? Fudgeing is fudgeing and Cods is Cods. What the hell 

I was introduced to the word by my local Christchurch DVD hire store "Alice in Videoland" who used it in their advertising and on their website as in referring to their staff as "dedicated movie mavens."

The manager there, Nick plays for Christchurch Technical masters team and is always good for a yarn about football.

He also organizes the International Film Festival in Christchurch every year.

By the way, it's the best DVD hire store in NZ ("Aro Street Video" in Wellington has the second best collection) and you can borrow from anywhere in NZ through their website which lists all their 20,000 films. 

Alice was open back in the late 80s/early 90s.

That and the Cat's Pyjamas takeaways and spacies parlour in the Square.(just around the corner from Warners)

And advertising it as at 7 pm.

That will put a lot of people wrong so they'll tune in at 7 pm after the game has finished.

They've been running that ad since Monday.

I emailed the codding fudges this evening.

Yes it was open in the late 80's / early 90's but it first opened its doors way back in 1985 when it was in Hereford St.

Founder Paul Stewart made his money in the construction industry but his real love was movies, so he put money into building up a collection of quality, cult, classic, foreign and obscure films even if he had to import them himself and pay thousands to have the DVD's classified by the censorship office.

Hence they have the only copies in NZ of many DVD's and videos. Check out the website - it's great!

Link?

"Alice in Videoland"

http://www.aliceinvideoland.co.nz/

Search categories on left of home page or enter name of movie, director or actor at top.

Links to join and hire by post or courier at bottom of page.

Hmm overdubs of profanity and cult classic films, add in the circle jerks...

"The life of a repo man is always intense."

I blame society...

Classic movie with Emilio Esteves. That came out at the same time as "The Brother From Another Planet". Both have gone on to become cult classics in the "B" Grade Movie science fiction world.

"Repo Man" - one of the first videos I borrowed from "Alice in Videoland" when I joined as a callow uni student in 1986.

My flatmate Shane Cotton had worked as a milkman before attending uni and could afford a VCR which were expensive back then.

I didn't buy my first VCR until about 1996.

All those "flipping"s dubbed over the cuss words are hilarious!

Hi Phil,

How's life in Wellington?

Long time no see...we miss you at football matches down here. 

Alex Cox's other film "Walker" about the American mercenary who ruled Nicaragua in the 19th century was interesting.

Cox liked to throw in incongruous and anachronistic elements like a helicopter in the 19th century.

Joe Strummer did the soundtrack for "Walker" I think.

Then for "C" Grade entertainment there was "The Toxic Avenger", "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" and "Surf Nazis must die".

Anyway, back to the game. If we pull out all the stops, there is no reason why we cant take these guys, just gotta keep Williams under the wraps. He got a hattrick in that last game here against us. He might be a bit of an inconsistant player but he scores goals, usually against us.

I think I would have been there (Alice) in 1985.  That was the start of my student flatting life in a place not unlike the Young Ones.

Rent was $19 a week and we had an outside loo.