The Range - Issue 4 (2015/16)

THE RANGE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY MAGAZINE OF LOADED WAIBOP UNITED

Issue 4, 2015/16

$1

v Southern United Thursday, January 14, 2016 FMG Stadium Waikato Kick-off: 7.35pm

Photo: Photosport.

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We love goals as much as you do.

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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ASB Bank Limited 6310 15037A 0915

A Few Kind Words Dwayne Barlow

Hello and welcome back for our second of four ASB Premiership matches at FMG Stadium Waikato this season. It’s a decent venue, isn’t it?

It’s been a strange few weeks, footballwise. Hollow, perhaps, would be the best description of my feelings, which is odd given the amount of Christmas food and drink I put away over the break...

Confirmation of the move to give away our ASB Premiership license came out only days before our final match of 2015, then we had what seemed like forever without a live game to watch. There was a bit of a void for a while, which was only partially filled by Tottenham’s (yep, I’m one of them) decent record over the festive season.

But we were back in action on Saturday and it was great to take in a match at a ground I’ve never been to, Wellington’s Newtown Park. This was, if we lived in cliché land, a match that had everything.

We played well, scored goals, should have had a few more, let in a few soft ones, then snatched a late, late winner.

The players were elated with the winner, mainly because it gave them what they deserved when it looked like the points

had slipped away. I was too, but couldn’t make too much noise as I was surrounded by enemy fans.

My wife and I took our two boys to Wellington at the weekend for a Phoenix double-header. The game at the Caketin wasn’t anywhere near as dramatic as the day before but the boys had fun running round a three-quarter empty stadium.

So yep, football can be cruel, but it has its good days too. Which leads me nicely to what will be a feature of this and our next two issues - Enzo Giordani’s My Favourite Year (see page 15 for part 1). We need to remember that, even as we prepare to write WaiBOP United into history, we did a few things right over the last three summers. Enzo encapsulates that perfectly.

As we move into 2016 all the region’s winter clubs will be gearing up for their coming seasons. The Federation runs a club noticeboard on the website and we’re happy to post messages from our clubs.

You can contact me on the email below if your club wants to use this service.

I hope you enjoy this evening’s match and that we see you all back here next Thursday.

THE RANGE Official Matchday Magazine of Loaded WaiBOP United Editor Dwayne Barlow. Enquiries to dwayne.b@waibop.co.nz Contributors 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

Welcome back to FMG Stadium Waikato for our latest match. This is the start of the play-off run-in for us and the visit of Southern United is simply a match we have to win if we’re serious about making it into the post-season.

Saturday’s match down in Wellington against the Phoenix ended up with the right result but we sure made things difficult for ourselves. We played some of our best football of the season at times, particularly during the second half, but let in some soft goals which kept the game close.

Publicly we’ll put it down to rustiness after the Christmas break, but privately we

know where we need to tighten up and I’m confident we will. We have a talented, motived, tight-knit group of players this season. They deserve to be in the play-off mix because of the work they’ve put in and the attitude they’ve shown.

Welcome to Mike and his team. I watched Southern on Sunday and was impressed with some of the young players Fridgy’s brought in. It’s a long way for them to come on a Thursday evening, as we know from heading to the South Island earlier in the season, but I know they’ll be up for the challenge. We can expect a good game for local fans and the audience on Sky.

Loaded WaiBOP United’s Mario Ilich during our previous ASB Premiership match at FMG Stadium Waikato, a 2-0 defeat

by Auckland City FC. Photo: Photosport.

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Today We Welcome Southern United

Southern United FC was established as Otago United in 2004 from four associations within the Football South Federation.

Otago United was formed by the 21 clubs within the Football South Federation, stretching from Timaru to Invercargill.

Based in Dunedin the franchise was named Otago United for the first nine years of its history before changing its name to Southern United FC prior to the start of the 2013/14 ASB Premiership season as a way to better reflect the geographical area the team covers.

We have a 100% record over Southern

United, taking five wins from five games, and will be looking to maintain that record today in what is the final ever league match between the two teams.

Coach Mike Fridge.

Player to watch Southern United has a solid core of players from Dunedin’s big two clubs - Caversham AFC and Dunedin Technical - as well as players from further north. From the locals, Seamus Ryder looms as a big threat out wide. He looked threatening in the round 4 game between these two sides and is someone we must contain today if we’re to walk away with all three points.

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More FM

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Football Dad Playing to the conditions

The match vs Small Seaside Town FC was a topsy-turvy and end-to-end affair.

Football Dad’s team clearly had a tactical edge. The “spread on attack, compress on defence” mantra he had drummed into the children was paying a dividend against a side which featured no less than seven apparent strikers and one kid in defence.

After the delayed start, and with the tide lapping ever closer to the shore-front corner flag, Football Dad was feeling quietly confident with his side up 2-0 after quarter of an hour.

A father of one of the Seaside Town FC children took a huge slug on his flagon of home-brew.

“Owwwww, bro!” he hollered at his child, a small podgy boy with mismatched boots (one bright green Nike, one black Puma).

“I told you boy, just stay on that line and shimmy from left to right! It’s like league, just don’t pick up the flamin’ ball, ya egg!”

Football Dad felt a sharp poke in the back.

It was Prissy Uptight Mother, parent of the most troublesome child in the team.

“That’s totally inappropriate,” she hissed, her whisper full of privileged upper-class invective. “How can he stand there, consume alcohol so openly and then berate his child in such an uncouth fashion? You should say something.”

Football Dad turned, and shot back firmly; “It’s not my problem. We’re the visiting team, we’re up 2-0, and I’m focussed on our team…not the quality of the hosts’ fans.

Complain to the Federation if you’re upset about it.”

“Well…I never!” barked Prissy Uptight Mother. “You’re basically condoning it!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Football Dad spotted Short Fat Kid scythe through the opposition’s two-man defence (one kid had dropped back, to pick up a boot which had come off ), and fire in a low hard drive, which hit a noticeable bump in the turf, ballooned over the hand of the hosts’ keeper, and bobble into the back of the net.

3-0.

A subtle pump of the fist from Football Dad, before he shouted; “Well done, let’s get back down there and whack in another one.

Hard luck, goalie.”

The kids in Football Dad’s team whooped and hollered, before quickly assembling a conga line, which they kept formed as they snaked back to their own half.

“We smacked it in the net; cha cha!” hollered 11 juvenile voices in unison. “The back of the net, cha cha!”

The celebration wasn’t something Football Dad particularly favoured but at 3-0 – and with the corner post closest to the sea increasingly sliding into the sand – he wasn’t about to complain.

“Let’s get on with the game team!” he yelled, chirpily…and with his confidence building.

The dishevelled referee blew sharply on his whistle to restart the match.

“10 minutes to go until oranges!” he yelled.

Check out issue 5 of The Range for the next installment from Football Dad. waibopunited.co.nz 7

Loaded -

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easily treated if detected early enough.

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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/

ASB Youth League 2015 season round-up

The 2015 ASB Youth League concluded prior to Christmas with WaiBOP United finishing sixth in the twelve team league.

Another top six finish is extremely credible in what is a development league although the coaching staff, led by first time head coach Michael Built, will be left wondering what could have been.

Only five points separated the top seven teams in the most competitive ASB Youth League season imaginable. In the end it was the team’s struggles in front of goal that proved costly, leaving a higher placed finish elusive once again.

The team was particularly good on the road in 2015, with away wins over eventual third place finishers Waitakere United and

fourth placed Southern United. The victory in Masterton over Heartland Wairarapa will also be one the players will tell their grandchildren about combining, as it did, a plethora of off- and on-field challenges.

The team’s final ever match was, somewhat fittingly, played at FMG Stadium Waikato. Although it ended in defeat it was a superb experience for our players to take the field at a venue that only a few months earlier had played host to matches in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. So what now for these players? Some will be involved with the 1st team for the remainder of the season before hopefully moving on to successful careers in senior football.

Loaded WaiBOP United Youth Team’s Paul Clout fires one across goal during their 1-0 ASB Youth League win over Auckland United at St Peter’s School, Cambridge. Photo: Dwayne Barlow.

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#IamWaiBOPUnited Mark Jones skips past Auckland City’s Emiliano Tade during our previous ASB Premiership fixture at FMG Stadium Waikato, played on November 26, 2015.

Photo: Photosport.

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VW

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My Favourite Year Enzo Giordani

WaiBOP United doesn’t have too many games left in our short existence. As we get closer to turning off the lights we thought it worth highlighting what this franchise has meant to football fans.

Who better than Enzo Giordani, New Zealand’s leading football blogger, to explain in this three part series...

Part 1: Why? There is a book, edited by ‘Fever Pitch’ author Nick Hornby, called ‘My Favourite Year’. It’s a wonderful collection of essays by British and Irish writers, each on the subject of their favourite seasons as football fans.

From ‘The Commitments’ author Roddy Doyle on the Republic of Ireland’s ride through Italia ’90, through to Political Scientist Chris Pierson’s account of a year when his beloved St Albans City did exactly what I’m not entirely sure, it’s evocative reading from cover to cover – and partly the inspiration behind this blog.

I’ve often wondered which year I would write about if I was ever invited to contribute a chapter. (Nick, if you’re reading and contemplating volume two, I’m totes available) There are two big contenders.

One would have to be Italy’s 2006 World Cup, even though I actually think that kind of easy success isn’t really what the concept is all about.

The other is Roma’s 2007/08 season, when I attended two games in Rome and saw the most incredible goal I’ve ever seen in real life. We knocked Real Madrid

out of the Champions League and the Serie A title was decided on the last day of that season as a helicopter containing the trophy hovered in mid-air halfway between Catania (where Roma were playing) and Parma (where Inter ultimately prevailed).

Either of those years would be fitting in different ways, but I’m not going to write about either of them here.

Ideally, you need a bit of distance before you can judge one season over another.

When feelings are still fresh it’s easy to say something more recent is better than something in the distant past. But even so, I’m calling this one early. My favourite year is WaiBOP United’s 2014/15.

Why would I choose that? And more to the point, what is it that makes any year in the life of a sports team you love stand out above the others?

Many would say winning trophies is what counts, but I would disagree with that completely. I say it’s all about people. The game is fine when you watch it by yourself.

But when you can enjoy the team you love matched with people you love spending time with, then that is what separates the good from the great.

And a few wins don’t hurt either…

Stantiall, Grant The end of the jinx Up until 13 December 2014 I had never, I repeat never, ever in my entire life, seen WaiBOP United or its predecessor – Waikato Continued on page 17... waibopunited.co.nz 15

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 find out more about our partners.

MTF Matamata

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...from page 15

FC – win a game of football. Just let that sink in for a moment.

In ten long years of ASB Premiership fandom, I had never seen them win. Yet still I stayed true. If that’s not loyalty, then what is?

Don’t answer that question. Because I’m going to answer it for you. I happen to know of another definition of loyalty altogether – my mate Grant Stantiall.

Before I met Grant in real life, I only knew him on Twitter where his politics are the polar opposite of mine (he makes me wince every day) and, as a football fan, he would have to be the sorest loser I have ever seen.

Now, that might not sound like a ringing endorsement to you but the truth is, for all we romanticise fandom, football fans can be pretty unpleasant to be around sometimes – usually when things aren’t going their way.

There’s no excuse for bad behaviour, and I’m not about to make excuses for it here, but to only know that side of Grant is to miss out on a hell of a lot. For example, last season I knew him as a photographer who went to every WaiBOP game he could get to, on a voluntary basis, to take professional quality photos from the sidelines for the club to use.

Why? Because he’s a fan and he’s someone who would literally give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He has

exceptionally generously given me, and a lot of other people for that matter, many things over the years – including time and knowledge as well as ‘stuff’.

But there’s something else you need to know: Grant was the founder of Waikato FC. When it went bust he lost most of what he and his wife owned in the fallout.

And now let THAT sink in for a moment...

Waikato FC’s record in the ASB Premiership was never that crash hot, despite coming third in year 1. So for someone who is as bad at losing as Grant is to have founded the club, sacrificed everything to keep it going, to then watch it fold, at enormous personal cost, then still be there taking pictures for free on the sideline for its successor – THAT’S loyalty.

Grant and I both enjoyed this win against the Phoenix youth team – and it was an honour to share my first ever win with him.

To top things off, this game was the curtain raiser to an A-League encounter between the full Phoenix side and the Central Coast Mariners. There were a group of us taking photos of the WaiBOP match and we all wanted to stay on the pitch for the so-called main event. But there weren’t enough media passes to go around. So Grant went and sat in the stand. Because he’s the sort of person that, in his language, he would describe as a GC. And I concur.

Weenix 0, WaiBOP United 2.

Part 2 follows in the next edition of The Range.

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. waibopunited.co.nz 17

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

.

.

Kirsten Laurence Physio

Janina Aricheta Physio

Graeme Kinney Manager

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.

.Brock Radich Manager

.

01 Louie Caunter

02 Scott Hilliar

Goalkeeper

Defender

04

03

Tyler Lissette Defender

Finn Cochran Defender

05 Adam Mitchell

06 Sam Redwood

Defender

Defender

07

08

Mark Jones Midfielder

Ryan Tinsley Midfielder

09

10 Federico Marquez

Dylan Stansfield Forward

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Sanni Issa Forward

Forward

12

Mario Ilich Midfielder

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13 Israel Whitley

14 Maksim Manko

Defender

Midfielder

15

16

Robert Gallegos Midfielder

James Hoyle Defender

17 Stephen Hoyle

18 Alexis Varela

Forward

Midfielder

19

20

Wade Molony Midfielder

24

Diego Viera Defender

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Xavier Pratt Midfielder

21 Brendan Lesch

22 Cory Mitchell

Midfielder

Midfielder

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Zac Speedy Goalkeeper

ASB Premiership Wrap Round 7

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ASB Premiership Standings & Fixtures

2015/16 ASB Premiership Table

P W D L F A Pts Auckland City 6 5 1 0 17 4 16 Canterbury United 7 5 0 2 13 8 15 Team Wellington 6 4 1 1 16 10 13 Hawkes Bay United 7 3 3 1 15 10 12 LOADED WaiBOP United 7 3 0 4 13 13 9 Waitakere United 7 2 0 5 7 17 6 Wellington Phoenix 7 1 1 5 13 20 4 Southern United 7 1 0 6 5 17 3 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 H/A Venue Team Wellington Home Gower Park, Hamilton Waitakere Utd Away QBE Stadium, Auckland Hawkes Bay Utd Home Owen Delany Park, Taupo Southern Utd Away Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Canterbury Utd Away ASB Football Park, Christchurch Auckland City Home FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton Well Phoenix Away Newtown Park, Wellington Southern Utd Home FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton Waitakere Utd Home FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton Team Wellington Away David Farrington Park, Wellington Canterbury Utd Home FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton Hawkes Bay Utd Away Bluewater Stadium, Napier Well Phoenix Home Links Ave Stadium, Mt Maunganui Auckland City Away Kiwitea Street, Auckland

Result 2-3 loss 5-1 win 0-1 loss 2-1 win 0-2 loss 0-2 loss 4-3 win 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 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 25

Louie Caunter Scott Hilliar Finn Cochran Tyler Lissette Adam Mitchell Sam Redwood Mark Jones Ryan Tinsley Dylan Stansfield Federico Marquez Sanni Issa Mario Ilich Israel Whitley Maksim Manko Robert Gallegos James Hoyle Stephen Hoyle Alexis Varela Wade Molony Xavier Pratt Cory Mitchell Zac Speedy

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Match Officials Referee A. Riley Asst referee G. Lochrie Asst referee C. Watkins 4th official C.K. Waugh

Next home game v Waitakere Utd Thursday Jan 21 7.35pm FMG Stadium Waikato

Head Coach Mike Fridge Tom Batty Ross Howard Craig Ferguson Benjudah Fitzpatrick Matt Joy Rhys Ruka Seamus Ryder Andrew Ridden Samuel French Andrew Mobberley Tim McLennan Zane Green Stuart Kelly Thomas Connor Harley Rodeka Tristan Prattley Alex Williams Thomas McBride Regan Coldicott David Hayman Morgan Day Mitchell Carter

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