The Range - Issue 3 (2015/16)

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY MAGAZINE OF LOADED WAIBOP UNITED Issue 3, 2015/16

Photo: Photosport.

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v Auckland City Sunday, December 20, 2015 FMG Stadium Waikato Kick-off: 4.35pm

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ASB Achieving them are successes to be celebrated. And because football is all about goals (and savings too of course) we’re proud to support it at every level. New Zealand Football, Succeed on.

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A Few Kind Words Dwayne Barlow

By now everyone should know the ten teams that will contest the ASB Premiership from the start of next season.

This announcement is part of a wider plan by New Zealand Football to increase the standard and profile of the top tier of football in New Zealand and, ultimately, to help improve the production line of future All Whites.

To the semi-casual observer outside the process, such as myself, there seemed to be some pretty decent bids from the eight teams looking for the two extra spots. All four Auckland-based applicants appeared to be either well-funded, or geographically savvy, or both. The same could be said for most of the of the applicants from further south.

As a football fan, then, it’s an excellent sign that we have both a desirable elite league and the capacity within the game to create strong entities to improve it.

Locally, we have to applaud Hamilton Wanderers for having the confidence to put themselves in the mix as one of the eight applicants.

The board of WaiBOP Football took the view that only one team from our region

could be supported at the top level due to player, coaching and financial pressures.

Therefore, following a meeting in early December, the board formally sought approval from New Zealand Football to transfer our licence to Hamilton Wanderers, subject to Hamilton Wanderers meeting New Zealand Football licencing criteria.

Unfortunately print deadlines have ensured that, as I write, I don’t how this process has played out, which is a bit of a bugger. It’s often tough to be wise before the fact...

I will say that I do have some pretty strong views about what is the best model for ASB Premiership representation in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty region. I won’t go into them here because I might get myself in trouble, but I do hope that, whatever the decision, we now have a strong, sustainable team that is able to compete, and win, during the years ahead.

As this is the last issue of The Range prior to the festive season I’d like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday period. The team will be back in action before you know it, with our next home game here at FMG Stadium Waikato on January 14. See you then.

THE RA ANGE E Official Matchday Magazine of Loaded WaiBOP United Editor Dwayne Barlow. Enquiries to dwayne.b@waibop.co.nz Contributors Bruce Holloway, Enzo Giordani, Football Dad, Photosport, NZ Football.

Images WaiBOP United unless otherwise acknowledged.

Copyright None of the contents of this publication should be reproduced without prior permission.

WaiBOP United Brian Perry Sports House, Wintec Rotokauri Campus, Akoranga Road, Hamilton.

Board Chair Merv Williams. CEO Mark Christie. waibopunited.co.nz 3

From The Dug Out Peter Smith

Hello and welcome to our first ASB Premiership home game of the season to be played at FMG Stadium Waikato.

This will be our home for the next four games and I, for one, am looking forward to it.

We’ve had an inconsistent start to the season with defeats following victories. On a positive note, we’re well in the play-off mix but, in such a competitive league, we’re also only three points off bottom.

I always expected this season’s ASB Premiership to be a level or two higher and, I think, that’s how it’s panning out. Every game is a proper challenge and if you don’t

prepare thoroughly you can quickly be found out.

I’d like to welcome Ramon and his Auckland City team to Hamilton for today’s match. As a coach, I admire what Ramon’s achieved over the last few seasons and as fans of the game we all should. In all areas, Auckland is what the rest of us are trying to emulate.

Games like this are a great test for us as a young squad and me as a coach. We’ll find out this afternoon if we can handle the pressure of trying to put in a performance against the best. I think we’re good enough, but there won’t be any room for error.

Loaded WaiBOP United’s Wade Molony holds of Andreas Wilson of Canterbury United during our last ASB Premiership match. Photo: Photosport.

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Today We Welcome Auckland City

Auckland City’s reco record d over the last decade is incomparable in the domestic de game. That their previous match was a FIFA Club World Cup encounter against Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima pretty much says it all.

City won the league, won the grand final then won the OFC Champions League in 2015 and that came off the back of their bronze medal finish at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup. As if you didn’t know.

Auckland City is chock full of top local performers and seriously good imported talent, play an eye catching brand of football and know how to win games

and championships. Put simply, they are the bench mark to which all other ASB Premiership aspire.

Coach Ramon Tribulietx.

Player to watch With Auckland City it would be tempting to say well, er, all of them. But, if pressed, we’d have to single out Solomon Islander Micah Lea’Alafa. Auckland City’s wide man has lit up the early stages of this season’s ASB Premiership, both through his scoring prowess and his ability to beat a player. One to watch for both the fans and our defenders.

Ex-WaiBOP United players Danyon Drake and Alfie Rogers are also part of their squad.

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Football Dad A game by the sea

Half of Small Seaside Town’s population had shown up for the game.

“Cheeeeeeeehooooooo!” screeched a tattooed and patched member of the local bikie gang, swigging from a bottle of homebrew in his left hand.

“Ranginui! Ranginui! What are you doing, you egg? Your team’s goin’ the other way, boy!”

Football Dad looked nervously across at his charges, who were fanning out across the park.

“Remember what we spoke about, kids!” he hollered. “Spreading on attack, compressing on defence. Defenders, looking over your shoulders to see where the opposition attackers are when they press.

Touch and pass, touch and pass.”

“Fish and chips if we win by more than two goals!” yelled Seaside Town FC’s coach, a retort of sorts.

Resplendent in khaki shorts, a black Lion Red sweater, and steel-capped boots, the pensioner-come-ref blew a sharp burst on the whistle.

Football Dad’s team created a reasonable opening movement, which led – somewhat astonishingly – to an opening from one of his attackers, the irrepressible Short Fat Kid. “Hey,” he blurted, having swept past a defender and to the edge of the 18-yard box.

“This ball is flat!” he announced to all and sundry, turning swiftly toward the nearby ocean and kicking it into the long grass no more than a metre from the sideline.

“That, I am afraid… is bull****!” he wailed.

“Oiiiiii!” yelled Football Dad, in as SargentMajorly as he could. “Language son, there’s younger kids present. I’ll tell your mother.”

A waft from the town’s sewage discharge

pipe drifted across the pitch, aided and abetted by the westerly that blew right up the little harbour.

“Gross, Dad,” remarked the Youngest One to her father. “That smell. That is disgusting.”

She always switched wings at half-time – Football Dad’s rationale was that it “confused the opposition”. Truth was he just wanted her close to him, nearer for instructions that she always followed….but never quite nailed, technically speaking.

The game, of course, had ground to a halt.

A shrill blast from the whistle, as the kids looked puzzled. On the opposite sideline, an even larger member of the local bikie gang methodically worked his way through seven or eight tired old footballs – estimated 15 years old.

“Awww, bro,” mourned the gang member.

“You’re not gonna believe it coach – they all flat!”

Slowly, with an arc as beautiful as an Andrea Pirlo free kick, his hand moved toward his face.

Facepalm.

“Raj,” he muttered to the Indian lad, dropping a perfectly-pressurised near-new Nike ball at his feed. “They need a ball – run this on.”

In the far left-hand corner, a 2-foot wave crashed ashore, centimetres from the corner flag.

Another blast on the whistle from the dishevelled ref, and finally – after the vomiting, the flat balls, the kid stuck in the toilet, and then a flat ball – the annual fixture was underway.

“C’mon red!” yelled Football Dad at his motley bunch. “We have not bloody come here to lose!” waibopunited.co.nz 7

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Why I’m a Fan Enzo Giordani

When I’m asked where I’m from, it’s a complex question without the easy answer people expect of me.

If I was quoting my whakapapa, I would probably tell you that my mountain is Rome’s Janiculum and my river is the Tiber – the home of my ancestors on my father’s side. Despite that, I was born in Auckland and lived there until I was three. I live in Auckland again now and have done since I was 20.

But if home is where the heart is, for me it would probably be the home of my ancestors on my mother’s side, the place I grew up and where I became who I am today – the Waikato, and more specifically a little place, on the banks of the river, by the name of Huntly.

It wasn’t always easy being half-Italian in a small rural New Zealand town though.

The odd-sounding name that the kids used to tease me about was one thing, but as I got older and my tastes developed things grew increasingly awkward.

I preferred the perceived `girl’s drink’ of wine over the more ‘manly’ beer, Italian foods such as pasta over the more traditional Kiwi ‘meat and three veg’, but most treasonous of all was my preference

for ‘sissy soccer’ over the oval ball game that shapes New Zealand’s national identity.

Italians and Waikato folk do have one thing in common though - they often put province before country. The one thing they dislike more than football loving wine drinkers down in the Waikato, is Aucklanders.

When it comes to sport, I grew up supporting two teams, Waikato and whoever is playing Auckland and despite having lived in Auckland for the past 20 years, that sense of Waikato parochialism will be with me for the rest of my life.

The overarching consequence of this strange mixed upbringing is that I am both out of place and at home in each of the worlds I belong to. In Italy I can’t speak the language so get treated like a tourist. In New Zealand my Italian heritage marks me out as being different.

Where I live, the Waikato is the butt of many jokes. And I’ll never forget the first time I returned to Hamilton for a Waikato Ranfurly Shield game after moving to the big smoke – I went up to a bar to order a drink only for the bartender to ask me Continued on page 11...

Welcome and thank you to our 100 Club Members Cambridge FC, Peter & Tanya Lawrence, Allfast Solutions, Rose Lynn Fashions, Phil Rogers Builders Ltd, Dincel Construction Systems, Bettle & Associates, DBMM, Davies Foods, Jet Creative, Printhouse, The Soccer Shop, H3 Group, Crombie Lockwood, Ebbett Volkswagon, MTF Vehicle Finance, Media Works, Fairfax Media.

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where I lived and then refuse to serve me after I said Auckland!

Being a football fan in New Zealand is isolating enough without adding to that by supporting Waikato football teams in Auckland but I’ve never been one to do things by halves despite the distinct lack of anything much to cheer about!

I could make life easy for myself by switching my allegiances to Auckland City so I can celebrate lots of trophies or Waitakere United so I can attend games five minutes’ drive from where I live. But that’s just not who I am!

When Fabio Capello coached my favourite Italian team, AS Roma, to the

club’s last league title in 2001, he said “a trophy at Roma is worth ten at Milan or Juventus.” And he should know – he won them at those clubs too.

I feel the same way about WaiBOP United.

I may never see them win a trophy. But, if I ever do, it will be better than witnessing all the trophy presentations in the world anywhere else. Because to earn that win I have had to stay loyal through so many hard times. But also because it’s still home.

Enzo Giordani is a well known sight around Waikato and, indeed, national football parks and stadiums through his work on New Zealand’s leading football blog in-the-back-of-the.net. It’s a superb body of work. You should check it out.

Our Charity Macular Degeneration WaiBOP United is pleased to announce our continuing support for Macular Degeneration New Zealand (MDNZ) as the charity the franchise will promote during the 2015/16 ASB Premiership season.

Macular Degeneration causes progressive loss of central vision but the peripheral vision is not affected. It is the leading cause of severe vision loss. One in seven people over the age of 50 years is affected in some way and the incidence increases with age.

The macula is the central part of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. The retina processes all visual images. It is responsible for your ability to read, recognise faces, drive and see colours clearly.

WaiBOP United will promote awareness of Macular Degeneration within the football community. We hope that off the

back of whatever profile our club is able to build we can help raise awareness of what Macular Degeneration is and how people can get tested.

This is something that has the potential to cause functional blindness and yet is easily treated if detected early enough.

Macular Degeneration is thought to be caused by genetic and environmental factors. People over the age of 50 years are at risk. If you smoke or have a family history of Macular Degeneration, your risk of developing the disease is much greater.

You can visit our website for more information, including the simple test to detect vision problems resulting from damage to the macula (the central part of the retina).

Visit: www.waibopunited.co.nz/aboutus/our-charity/

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#Ia amWaiBO OPUniited Federico Marquez, Loaded WaiBOP United’s 2014/15 top scorer, has again been an influential performer.

Here he takes on Hawke’s Bay United during our last home game, played at Taupo’s Owen Delany Park on November 26. Photo: Photosport.

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VW

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The National League Part 3: 2004 to now

Ahead of planned major national league revamp for next summer, in the last of three articles Bruce Holloway summarises the evolution of the competition since 2004.

In October 2004, the current New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC) summer national league was introduced, ending an era of great structural upheaval.

After the U-turns, about-faces and revisions of the decade preceding, the NZFC gave a relatively settled structure for almost a decade.

There were 11 applications for the league, with East Auckland, Team Bay of Plenty and Porirua’s Ole Madrids missing out.

In 2005-06 Napier City Rovers followed the pattern of most other national league entrants and rebranded as “Hawke’s Bay United”, forming an amalgamated franchise with other local clubs. And Otago United became Southern United in 2013-14, with the name change designed to better reflect its geographic area covering Southland, Otago and South Canterbury.

Until the mid-2013 decision not to renew YoungHeart Manawatu’s licence (and replace them with a national U-20 squad) tinkering was largely confined to such things as the name of the competition, play-off structures and the number of rounds played.

After four seasons of being contested over a three-round, 21-match league system, in 2008 the New Zealand Football Championship was reduced – under

pressure of costs from many franchises – to a two-round, 14-match competition.

This left it open to criticism of lacking critical mass for a flagship league, and not being substantial enough in terms of matches to entice players to concentrate on summer competition alone. But the cut from 21 matches (three rounds) to 14 matches (two rounds) was also welcomed in many quarters. Waikato FC and Team Wellington had barely survived funding crises at the time.

Similarly, the play-offs were modified at various times. They morphed from being a three-team affair (under which the winner of the league received a bye and hosting rights for the grand final, with second and third placed teams playing off in a one-game preliminary final) to a five team playoff in 2005-06, before then again reverting to a three-team playoff for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.

YoungHeart Manawatu had been on shaky ground years earlier when it initially failed to gain an extension to its licence beyond 2007, on account of off-field matters, but was later reinstated after meeting governance and financial requirements.

The Wanderers SC team of aspiring national U20 players were added to the mix in a bid to assist international youth player development, and were a two-season wonder, with the Phoenix Reserves thrown into the mix in 2014-15.

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Thank You To our partners for the 2015/16 ASB Premiership

Loaded WaiBOP United is pleased to have a number of organisations join our football family for the 2015/16 ASB Premiership season. The companies with ads in this issue of The Range, as well as those shown on this page, plus others, are backing football in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty region. Scan the QR code to ďŹ nd out more about our partners.

MTF Matamata

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...from page 15

If including an age group team in the national league was ground-breaking, arguably even more controversial was the decision to include a reserve team for 2014-15 in the form of Wellington Phoenix.

They were included ahead of bids from South Auckland’s Auckland United, Nelson Marlborough Falcons and YoungHeart Manawatu.

Some wags suggested Phoenix Reserves – who had been largely unimpressive in the earlier one-off Challenge Series – should first be invited to win the Central League before being thrust into the national league, but they won seven of their 16 matches in their debut season.

Meanwhile the Waikato Bay of Plenty Football Federation took over Waikato FC’s licence at the end of the 2012-13 season and rebranded as WaiBOP United.

Another key change came in eligibility regulations, with the requirement for 50 per cent of match day squads to come from players eligible to play for the All Whites (or nine of the 16-man squad in the case of the grand final). This replaced previous clauses allowing up to four “guest players”.

And now we have the latest alteration to the national league, with the ten teams to contest the 2016/17 and 2017/18 ASB Premiership set to be announced on December 16 (after the copy deadline of this issue). Eight teams were vying for the two vacant spots and by the time you read this you’ll know who the successful applicants are.

Bruce Holloway is author of The National League Debates: A potted chronology of the twists, turns and conflicting ideas in New Zealand football since 1990 a 276-page manuscript which examines the challenges of finding a sustainable format for our flagship competition. Available from: www.nationalleaguedebates.weebly.com

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Meet the Team Loaded WaiBOP United - 2015/16

Peter Smith Head Coach Peter Smith is in his third season as Head Coach of Loaded WaiBOP United. He took the franchise to 6th in its debut season (2013/14), 5th last season and hopes to go at least one spot better in 2015/16.

.

Barry Gardiner Assistant Coach

.Neil Mouncher

Sunz Singh Trainer

Goalkeeper Coach

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Kirsten Laurence Physio

Janina Aricheta Physio

Graeme Kinney Manager

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.Brock Radich Manager

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02

01 Louie Caunter

Scott Hilliar Defender

Goalkeeper

03

04

Finn Cochran Defender

Adam Luque Defender

05 Adam Mitchell

06 Tom Probert

Defender

Defender

07

08

Mark Jones Midfielder

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Marc Evans Forward

Ryan Tinsley Midfielder

09 Dylan Stansfield

10 Federico Marquez

Forward

Forward

12

Mario Ilich Midfielder

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13

14

Israel Whitley Defender

15

16

James Hoyle Defender

Robert Gallegos Midfielder

17 Stephen Hoyle

18 Alexis Varela

Forward

Midfielder

19

20

Wade Molony Midfielder

24

Diego Viera Defender

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Maksim Manko Midfielder

Xavier Pratt Midfielder

21 Brendan Lesch

22 Cory Mitchell

Midfielder

Midfielder

25

Zac Speedy Goalkeeper

ASB Premiership Wrap Round 5

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ASB Premiership Standings & Fixtures

2015/16 ASB Premiership Table P Hawkes Bay United 5 Auckland City 4 Team Wellington 4 Canterbury United 5 LOADED WAIBOP UNITED 5 Wellington Phoenix 5 Southern United 5 Waitakere United 5

W 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1

D 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

L 0 0 1 2 3 3 4 4

F 12 12 11 8 9 8 3 5

A 6 3 6 7 8 13 11 14

Pts 11 10 9 9 6 4 3 3

* Not including the result of last Thursday’s game between Waitakere United and Hawke’s Bay United.

2015/16 ASB Premiership Fixture List Date Nov 15 Nov 19 Nov 26 Dec 6 Dec 10 Dec 20 Jan 9 Jan 14 Jan 21 Jan 31 Feb 7 Feb 14 Feb 20 Feb 28

Opponents Team Wellington Waitakere Utd Hawkes Bay Utd Southern Utd Canterbury Utd Auckland City Well Phoenix Southern Utd Waitakere Utd Team Wellington Canterbury Utd Hawkes Bay Utd Well Phoenix Auckland City

H/A Home Away Home Away Away Home Away Home Home Away Home Away Home Away

Venue Gower Park, Hamilton QBE Stadium, Auckland Owen Delany Park, Taupo Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin ASB Football Park, Christchurch FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton Newtown Park, Wellington FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton David Farrington Park, Wellington FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton Bluewater Stadium, Napier Links Ave Stadium, Mt Maunganui Kiwitea Street, Auckland

Result 2-3 loss 5-1 win 0-1 loss 2-1 win 0-2 loss 4.35pm 2.00pm 7.35pm 7.35pm

2.00pm 4.35pm 3.00pm 1.00pm 4.35pm

* Please check for any alterations at www.waibopunited.co.nz/fixtures

P2P Physio The complete one stop physiotherapy shop in Tauranga for all your injury needs and preventative solutions.

Phone: 07 571 1911. Web: p2pphysio.com.

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Head Coach Peter Smith

Match Officials

Head Coach Ramon Tribulietx

Louie Caunter Scott Hilliar Finn Cochran Adam Luque Adam Mitchell Tom Probert Mark Jones Ryan Tinsley Dylan Stansfield Federico Marquez Marc Evans Mario Ilich Israel Whitley Maksim Manko James Hoyle Robert Gallegos Stephen Hoyle Alexis Varela Wade Molony Xavier Pratt Brendan Lesch Cory Mitchell Diego Viera Zac Speedy

Referee J. Rowbury

Jacob Spoonley Marko Dordevic Takuya Iwata Mario Bilen Angel Berlanga Jesse Edge Mikel Alvaro Michael Den Heijer Darren White Ryan De Vries Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi Adam McGeorge Alfie Rogers Clayton Lewis Ivan Vicelich Daewook Kim Joao Mereira Danyon Drake Micah Lea’Alafa Emiliano Tade Nathanael Hailemariam Andrew Milne Sam Burfoot Liam Anderson

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Asst referee C. Watkins Asst referee S. Merriman 4th official N. Waldron

Next home game v Southern Utd Thursday Jan 14 7.35pm FMG Stadium Waikato

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