I've missed something. Why are ACFC playing Manurewa in Te Atatu?
Kiwitea has no lights, so Auckland City play night games (and reserves) at the Croatian Cultural Club in Te Atatu, directly across the road from McLeodPark (Waitemata's ground)
Explains why the keeper had a City jacket on at the Birko game on Sunday.
Top keeper imo. Better than Tracey.
Yeah Ciganda's been fantastic, long been one of the best in NZ, very overdue for a step up. Had him on my shortlist of potential Nix signings last season as he's been here long enough to gain citizenship
Explains why the keeper had a City jacket on at the Birko game on Sunday.
Top keeper imo. Better than Tracey.
Yeah Ciganda's been fantastic, long been one of the best in NZ, very overdue for a step up. Had him on my shortlist of potential Nix signings last season as he's been here long enough to gain citizenship
The really good news is that by playing for Auckland City he can finally afford to live on Waiheke
Western Springs 2 v Birkenhead 1 at McFetridge park today Goal less first half. western Springs most of the possession but Birkenhead the better chances Springs up 2-0 early in second half and Birko got one back from the penalty spot Birko down to 10 men for last 10-15 minutes - straight red for DOGSO On that performance very surprised that Springs bear Auckland Ctiy - maybe the influence of the weather and the turf at Seddon ? Birko really running out of players - Hobson and Du Toit off to college in the States shortly . I guess with Rewa imploding a bit then Springs must be a serious contender for National League spot. I had forgotten what it was like to watch football withoput an umbrella
The hot chips situation at Manurewa is a disgrace! This is the real issue facing NZ football......have to order from a caravan, and takes 20 mins for the chips to come from the fryer in the clubrooms and brought out. Say what you want about Rewa paying huge amounts for players, maybe they can invest in a chip fryer that cooks more than one punnet at a time! #realfacts
The hot chips situation at Manurewa is a disgrace! This is the real issue facing NZ football......have to order from a caravan, and takes 20 mins for the chips to come from the fryer in the clubrooms and brought out. Say what you want about Rewa paying huge amounts for players, maybe they can invest in a chip fryer that cooks more than one punnet at a time! #realfacts
Good stuff! That’s real fan engagement right there. Straight to the heart of the issues.
Was at a northern league game on the weekend and a ground well named because it really wasn’t much better than a farm. Discussion came up about state of facilities in general. Most clubs seem to think a square of grass with a little more mud/grass around it and a shack to sell some beer or coffee is good enough to get the peasants coming out to support. Supposedly a ‘top club with lots of money’. Didn’t have enough money to paint lines for technical area though. So had to laugh when some sex-machine from the home bench complained there was more than one of tho opposite bench standing, he gold told to mark a technical area and only one would stand in it.
Ellerslie at least had nice clubrooms, but, but again, hadn’t really gone out of their way to make it a nice environment for their supporters. OK on Sunday as our was a nice enough day, but that cold wind got any worse or raining and it wouldn’t be something that encourages me back.
I keep hearing about ‘professional image of the game’. Amateur players get told to change the tape holding their socks up because they are the wrong colour, yet these other things are what would really improve the game’s profile. The public that were enthused after the WWC might head off to a game or two, but mostly they won’t continue to come when they find they have to stand in the mud and get rained on, and drink cold coffee with soggy chips they had to wait 20minutes for.
Do they play on the field in front of it now? Watched a first round game on the opposite field there, so good if they have moved as it was very exposed.Buffon II
Rewa do have a covered stand at least. Better than most Northern League clubs.
I'm interested in how the Northern League clubs that have flash new pitches will look after them. Went to Keith Hay two weeks ago and the field itself looked gorgeous - overheard a couple of kids wondering if it was artificial grass. Really hope they and the other clubs can look after it all.
I think there'd be a killing to be made in having someone walk around the pitch with a trolley selling beers/chips/popcorn/etc. (Though I'm sure with the beers there'd be some liquor licensing bullshark)
I'm interested in how the Northern League clubs that have flash new pitches will look after them. Went to Keith Hay two weeks ago and the field itself looked gorgeous - overheard a couple of kids wondering if it was artificial grass. Really hope they and the other clubs can look after it all.
Western Springs have a great quality grass pitch now that Norway trained on, that could theoretically be enclosed. But it's the turf fields that are visible from the clubrooms.
I'm interested in how the Northern League clubs that have flash new pitches will look after them. Went to Keith Hay two weeks ago and the field itself looked gorgeous - overheard a couple of kids wondering if it was artificial grass. Really hope they and the other clubs can look after it all.
Typically the clubs have little say as the grounds in themselves are the responsibility of the council to maintain. Those that are dual use like Michaels Ave I'd be concerned about. Ones inside defined rectangular areas that are no good for cricket will last longer.
There was an article somewhere about how FIFA were getting daily data analysis on the grounds, grass length, soil moisture etc. It would be interesting to get those last set of data points and compare them in years time to get a measurement of councils stewardship
The hot chips situation at Manurewa is a disgrace! This is the real issue facing NZ football......have to order from a caravan, and takes 20 mins for the chips to come from the fryer in the clubrooms and brought out. Say what you want about Rewa paying huge amounts for players, maybe they can invest in a chip fryer that cooks more than one punnet at a time! #realfacts
Good stuff! That’s real fan engagement right there. Straight to the heart of the issues.
Was at a northern league game on the weekend and a ground well named because it really wasn’t much better than a farm. Discussion came up about state of facilities in general. Most clubs seem to think a square of grass with a little more mud/grass around it and a shack to sell some beer or coffee is good enough to get the peasants coming out to support. Supposedly a ‘top club with lots of money’. Didn’t have enough money to paint lines for technical area though. So had to laugh when some sex-machine from the home bench complained there was more than one of tho opposite bench standing, he gold told to mark a technical area and only one would stand in it.
Ellerslie at least had nice clubrooms, but, but again, hadn’t really gone out of their way to make it a nice environment for their supporters. OK on Sunday as our was a nice enough day, but that cold wind got any worse or raining and it wouldn’t be something that encourages me back.
I keep hearing about ‘professional image of the game’. Amateur players get told to change the tape holding their socks up because they are the wrong colour, yet these other things are what would really improve the game’s profile. The public that were enthused after the WWC might head off to a game or two, but mostly they won’t continue to come when they find they have to stand in the mud and get rained on, and drink cold coffee with soggy chips they had to wait 20minutes for.
genuinely interested in the nice environment statement - would you care to elaborate for me? I'm asking just incase there was something we missed?
The hot chips situation at Manurewa is a disgrace! This is the real issue facing NZ football......have to order from a caravan, and takes 20 mins for the chips to come from the fryer in the clubrooms and brought out. Say what you want about Rewa paying huge amounts for players, maybe they can invest in a chip fryer that cooks more than one punnet at a time! #realfacts
Good stuff! That’s real fan engagement right there. Straight to the heart of the issues.
Was at a northern league game on the weekend and a ground well named because it really wasn’t much better than a farm. Discussion came up about state of facilities in general. Most clubs seem to think a square of grass with a little more mud/grass around it and a shack to sell some beer or coffee is good enough to get the peasants coming out to support. Supposedly a ‘top club with lots of money’. Didn’t have enough money to paint lines for technical area though. So had to laugh when some sex-machine from the home bench complained there was more than one of tho opposite bench standing, he gold told to mark a technical area and only one would stand in it.
Ellerslie at least had nice clubrooms, but, but again, hadn’t really gone out of their way to make it a nice environment for their supporters. OK on Sunday as our was a nice enough day, but that cold wind got any worse or raining and it wouldn’t be something that encourages me back.
I keep hearing about ‘professional image of the game’. Amateur players get told to change the tape holding their socks up because they are the wrong colour, yet these other things are what would really improve the game’s profile. The public that were enthused after the WWC might head off to a game or two, but mostly they won’t continue to come when they find they have to stand in the mud and get rained on, and drink cold coffee with soggy chips they had to wait 20minutes for.
genuinely interested in the nice environment statement - would you care to elaborate for me? I'm asking just incase there was something we missed?
Sorry, Chopah, didn’t notice your response. Are you talking about the farm? Or Ellerslie? The farm is basically that, a farm. Watching football stood in sodden grass and mud for 90 minutes is a bit 3rd world for the 21st century. Not even so much as a fence to lean on, just a saggy rope halfway round the field. Or you could sit up by the clubhouse and have your experience enhanced by land cruisers towing boats in front of you all afternoon.
Ellerslie, as I said, was better, in that they have nice rooms, but other than having a single wooden bench along the front of it, exposed from behind so I came away with stiff back and sore backside. nothing really to make your stay comfortable. Simply putting a 5ft high hoarding along behind it, and making a wooden ‘seat’ where the kick rail is both ends of that pavilion, leaving the middle bit for access to changing rooms, would make all the difference, all free if you sell advertising on the hoardings. Field itself had a nice surface -thanks FIFA- but it didn’t look like a venue for an ‘event’, just an another patch of grass.
In a nice world, our top division sides would play at venues where there was a fence or similar around it, making it look like “this is the stage for this event” rather than just a field with a saggy rope round it. There would be seats for spectators; not necessarily a proper stand and everything, but a few wooden terraced seats, ideally with a backing to stop the icy wind blowing through you. Even more ideally with a cover to make it bearable in the driving rain.
Was at WCR last weekend: field looked like a venue with at least a steel bar around it and a nice surface -again, thanks FIFA- but nowhere comfortable for a spectator to sit unless you bring your own chair.
Fraser Park in Wellington is pretty much minimum benchmark for me: Demarcated playing area, Sealed surface around it A few terraced (steal frame, wooden seats, 4-5 rows high) seating (would be nicer if they backed them, to keep the wind off you) Good facilities for teams, cafe etc and a place to get out of the rain if you need
I’ve done my time standing in the rain and mud, and I accept that is part of it with coaching and officiating, and even supporting at lower levels, but I’m older now and like some creature comforts. It is about making it a nice place to go, so people like going there. That’s how you grow the game.
The hot chips situation at Manurewa is a disgrace! This is the real issue facing NZ football......have to order from a caravan, and takes 20 mins for the chips to come from the fryer in the clubrooms and brought out. Say what you want about Rewa paying huge amounts for players, maybe they can invest in a chip fryer that cooks more than one punnet at a time! #realfacts
Good stuff! That’s real fan engagement right there. Straight to the heart of the issues.
Was at a northern league game on the weekend and a ground well named because it really wasn’t much better than a farm. Discussion came up about state of facilities in general. Most clubs seem to think a square of grass with a little more mud/grass around it and a shack to sell some beer or coffee is good enough to get the peasants coming out to support. Supposedly a ‘top club with lots of money’. Didn’t have enough money to paint lines for technical area though. So had to laugh when some sex-machine from the home bench complained there was more than one of tho opposite bench standing, he gold told to mark a technical area and only one would stand in it.
Ellerslie at least had nice clubrooms, but, but again, hadn’t really gone out of their way to make it a nice environment for their supporters. OK on Sunday as our was a nice enough day, but that cold wind got any worse or raining and it wouldn’t be something that encourages me back.
I keep hearing about ‘professional image of the game’. Amateur players get told to change the tape holding their socks up because they are the wrong colour, yet these other things are what would really improve the game’s profile. The public that were enthused after the WWC might head off to a game or two, but mostly they won’t continue to come when they find they have to stand in the mud and get rained on, and drink cold coffee with soggy chips they had to wait 20minutes for.
genuinely interested in the nice environment statement - would you care to elaborate for me? I'm asking just incase there was something we missed?
Sorry, Chopah, didn’t notice your response. Are you talking about the farm? Or Ellerslie? The farm is basically that, a farm. Watching football stood in sodden grass and mud for 90 minutes is a bit 3rd world for the 21st century. Not even so much as a fence to lean on, just a saggy rope halfway round the field. Or you could sit up by the clubhouse and have your experience enhanced by land cruisers towing boats in front of you all afternoon.
Ellerslie, as I said, was better, in that they have nice rooms, but other than having a single wooden bench along the front of it, exposed from behind so I came away with stiff back and sore backside. nothing really to make your stay comfortable. Simply putting a 5ft high hoarding along behind it, and making a wooden ‘seat’ where the kick rail is both ends of that pavilion, leaving the middle bit for access to changing rooms, would make all the difference, all free if you sell advertising on the hoardings. Field itself had a nice surface -thanks FIFA- but it didn’t look like a venue for an ‘event’, just an another patch of grass.
In a nice world, our top division sides would play at venues where there was a fence or similar around it, making it look like “this is the stage for this event” rather than just a field with a saggy rope round it. There would be seats for spectators; not necessarily a proper stand and everything, but a few wooden terraced seats, ideally with a backing to stop the icy wind blowing through you. Even more ideally with a cover to make it bearable in the driving rain.
Was at WCR last weekend: field looked like a venue with at least a steel bar around it and a nice surface -again, thanks FIFA- but nowhere comfortable for a spectator to sit unless you bring your own chair.
Fraser Park in Wellington is pretty much minimum benchmark for me: Demarcated playing area, Sealed surface around it A few terraced (steal frame, wooden seats, 4-5 rows high) seating (would be nicer if they backed them, to keep the wind off you) Good facilities for teams, cafe etc and a place to get out of the rain if you need
I’ve done my time standing in the rain and mud, and I accept that is part of it with coaching and officiating, and even supporting at lower levels, but I’m older now and like some creature comforts. It is about making it a nice place to go, so people like going there. That’s how you grow the game.
Clubs could probably afford the creature comforts to provide this if they didn't have to pay so much money to be part of the National League. In saying that the National League rules require pitches to be fenced as a minimum.
In terms of upgrades I don't think any of the teams in Wellington own their grounds. I know Olympic doesn't even have priority access to Wakefield Park and anyone who drives home to island bay late from work can see their first team training well after 9pm as a result.
The hot chips situation at Manurewa is a disgrace! This is the real issue facing NZ football......have to order from a caravan, and takes 20 mins for the chips to come from the fryer in the clubrooms and brought out. Say what you want about Rewa paying huge amounts for players, maybe they can invest in a chip fryer that cooks more than one punnet at a time! #realfacts
Good stuff! That’s real fan engagement right there. Straight to the heart of the issues.
Was at a northern league game on the weekend and a ground well named because it really wasn’t much better than a farm. Discussion came up about state of facilities in general. Most clubs seem to think a square of grass with a little more mud/grass around it and a shack to sell some beer or coffee is good enough to get the peasants coming out to support. Supposedly a ‘top club with lots of money’. Didn’t have enough money to paint lines for technical area though. So had to laugh when some sex-machine from the home bench complained there was more than one of tho opposite bench standing, he gold told to mark a technical area and only one would stand in it.
Ellerslie at least had nice clubrooms, but, but again, hadn’t really gone out of their way to make it a nice environment for their supporters. OK on Sunday as our was a nice enough day, but that cold wind got any worse or raining and it wouldn’t be something that encourages me back.
I keep hearing about ‘professional image of the game’. Amateur players get told to change the tape holding their socks up because they are the wrong colour, yet these other things are what would really improve the game’s profile. The public that were enthused after the WWC might head off to a game or two, but mostly they won’t continue to come when they find they have to stand in the mud and get rained on, and drink cold coffee with soggy chips they had to wait 20minutes for.
genuinely interested in the nice environment statement - would you care to elaborate for me? I'm asking just incase there was something we missed?
Sorry, Chopah, didn’t notice your response. Are you talking about the farm? Or Ellerslie? The farm is basically that, a farm. Watching football stood in sodden grass and mud for 90 minutes is a bit 3rd world for the 21st century. Not even so much as a fence to lean on, just a saggy rope halfway round the field. Or you could sit up by the clubhouse and have your experience enhanced by land cruisers towing boats in front of you all afternoon.
Ellerslie, as I said, was better, in that they have nice rooms, but other than having a single wooden bench along the front of it, exposed from behind so I came away with stiff back and sore backside. nothing really to make your stay comfortable. Simply putting a 5ft high hoarding along behind it, and making a wooden ‘seat’ where the kick rail is both ends of that pavilion, leaving the middle bit for access to changing rooms, would make all the difference, all free if you sell advertising on the hoardings. Field itself had a nice surface -thanks FIFA- but it didn’t look like a venue for an ‘event’, just an another patch of grass.
In a nice world, our top division sides would play at venues where there was a fence or similar around it, making it look like “this is the stage for this event” rather than just a field with a saggy rope round it. There would be seats for spectators; not necessarily a proper stand and everything, but a few wooden terraced seats, ideally with a backing to stop the icy wind blowing through you. Even more ideally with a cover to make it bearable in the driving rain.
Was at WCR last weekend: field looked like a venue with at least a steel bar around it and a nice surface -again, thanks FIFA- but nowhere comfortable for a spectator to sit unless you bring your own chair.
Fraser Park in Wellington is pretty much minimum benchmark for me: Demarcated playing area, Sealed surface around it A few terraced (steal frame, wooden seats, 4-5 rows high) seating (would be nicer if they backed them, to keep the wind off you) Good facilities for teams, cafe etc and a place to get out of the rain if you need
I’ve done my time standing in the rain and mud, and I accept that is part of it with coaching and officiating, and even supporting at lower levels, but I’m older now and like some creature comforts. It is about making it a nice place to go, so people like going there. That’s how you grow the game.
all good - yeah was asking re Ellerslie - just when you said environment I thought you meant that we had not been welcoming or something - I did notice there was a few Coast supporters who didn't come up stairs and preferred to stay downstairs on the wooden benches - I was wondering if they hadn't felt welcome. I did have a good chat this weekend just gone with 3 or 4 coast parents during the Reserves game so hopefully next time you come you can pop up stairs on the deck and I will get a stool with some back support for ya!
The hot chips situation at Manurewa is a disgrace! This is the real issue facing NZ football......have to order from a caravan, and takes 20 mins for the chips to come from the fryer in the clubrooms and brought out. Say what you want about Rewa paying huge amounts for players, maybe they can invest in a chip fryer that cooks more than one punnet at a time! #realfacts
Good stuff! That’s real fan engagement right there. Straight to the heart of the issues.
Was at a northern league game on the weekend and a ground well named because it really wasn’t much better than a farm. Discussion came up about state of facilities in general. Most clubs seem to think a square of grass with a little more mud/grass around it and a shack to sell some beer or coffee is good enough to get the peasants coming out to support. Supposedly a ‘top club with lots of money’. Didn’t have enough money to paint lines for technical area though. So had to laugh when some sex-machine from the home bench complained there was more than one of tho opposite bench standing, he gold told to mark a technical area and only one would stand in it.
Ellerslie at least had nice clubrooms, but, but again, hadn’t really gone out of their way to make it a nice environment for their supporters. OK on Sunday as our was a nice enough day, but that cold wind got any worse or raining and it wouldn’t be something that encourages me back.
I keep hearing about ‘professional image of the game’. Amateur players get told to change the tape holding their socks up because they are the wrong colour, yet these other things are what would really improve the game’s profile. The public that were enthused after the WWC might head off to a game or two, but mostly they won’t continue to come when they find they have to stand in the mud and get rained on, and drink cold coffee with soggy chips they had to wait 20minutes for.
genuinely interested in the nice environment statement - would you care to elaborate for me? I'm asking just incase there was something we missed?
Sorry, Chopah, didn’t notice your response. Are you talking about the farm? Or Ellerslie? The farm is basically that, a farm. Watching football stood in sodden grass and mud for 90 minutes is a bit 3rd world for the 21st century. Not even so much as a fence to lean on, just a saggy rope halfway round the field. Or you could sit up by the clubhouse and have your experience enhanced by land cruisers towing boats in front of you all afternoon.
Ellerslie, as I said, was better, in that they have nice rooms, but other than having a single wooden bench along the front of it, exposed from behind so I came away with stiff back and sore backside. nothing really to make your stay comfortable. Simply putting a 5ft high hoarding along behind it, and making a wooden ‘seat’ where the kick rail is both ends of that pavilion, leaving the middle bit for access to changing rooms, would make all the difference, all free if you sell advertising on the hoardings. Field itself had a nice surface -thanks FIFA- but it didn’t look like a venue for an ‘event’, just an another patch of grass.
In a nice world, our top division sides would play at venues where there was a fence or similar around it, making it look like “this is the stage for this event” rather than just a field with a saggy rope round it. There would be seats for spectators; not necessarily a proper stand and everything, but a few wooden terraced seats, ideally with a backing to stop the icy wind blowing through you. Even more ideally with a cover to make it bearable in the driving rain.
Was at WCR last weekend: field looked like a venue with at least a steel bar around it and a nice surface -again, thanks FIFA- but nowhere comfortable for a spectator to sit unless you bring your own chair.
Fraser Park in Wellington is pretty much minimum benchmark for me: Demarcated playing area, Sealed surface around it A few terraced (steal frame, wooden seats, 4-5 rows high) seating (would be nicer if they backed them, to keep the wind off you) Good facilities for teams, cafe etc and a place to get out of the rain if you need
I’ve done my time standing in the rain and mud, and I accept that is part of it with coaching and officiating, and even supporting at lower levels, but I’m older now and like some creature comforts. It is about making it a nice place to go, so people like going there. That’s how you grow the game.
all good - yeah was asking re Ellerslie - just when you said environment I thought you meant that we had not been welcoming or something - I did notice there was a few Coast supporters who didn't come up stairs and preferred to stay downstairs on the wooden benches - I was wondering if they hadn't felt welcome. I did have a good chat this weekend just gone with 3 or 4 coast parents during the Reserves game so hopefully next time you come you can pop up stairs on the deck and I will get a stool with some back support for ya!
Well cheers Chopah. Absolutely no problem with the Ellerslie people. They were friendly, and I did pop in upstairs, but I prefer to be pitch side. Could never watch from inside there, no atmosphere behind glass. did spend a few minutes on the deck, but the breeze seemed even more icy up there.
