Weekend Wrap

Another weekend gone and another round of sporting events to write about.  

Hat-trick of Classic Goals

When I stayed up to watch Liverpool FC vs Norwich, I was not sure what to expect. I was confident they were going to win, not sure why, just had the feeling this was a game not to miss.  On the 24th minute my feeling were confirmed when Gerrard set up Suarez perfectly for what was a clinical finish to start the scoring. Four minutes later when Suarez, scored again 4 minutes later with another clinical finish to make it 2-0, I knew I was about to watch Suarez score his first hat-trick for Liverpool. Although it took until the 82nd minute for the third to occur, it was worth the wait. Most players would have played out the situation very diffently when receiving the ball in clear space from half-way, instead of pressing forward and closing down with partners in co, Suarez instead coolly, sent the ball on it's way, finding the keeper way off his line and no chance of stopping what will e one of the great goals for he season.  What a perfect way to finish off what were all great goals.

A Cheat in my book

Rugby Union

Instead of focusing on one game or incident instead I will talk about how this game will lose viewers quicker than any other code in Australia if it keeps going the way it is.  Why is it that Australian teams always seem to get the rough end of all decisions in Super Rugby?  With so many dubious calls, it cannot be errors or poor refereeing. One only has to watch a game where Kaplan is in charge to understand my frustration. As I Queenslander I love nothing more than seeing NSW lose in sport, but against the Crusaders (Yes I admit I love seeing a New Zealand side lose more), the Waratahs were never given a chance by Kaplan. Although if NSW had a decent centre instead of Carter they would have won the game, which shows how poor a side the Crusaders are even with the help of the officials. Rugby Union is one game where when played in Australia, you  very rarely see "Home town advantage".  Outside of Australia, it is a very different story.

Loyalty Wins Out

When I heard that Genia had signed with Western Force, I was not happy.  I can understand a player wanting to sign for more money and who can blame them, but with what the Red's have built and the players they have retained I was surprised.  I was also surprised when I read today that Genia had done an about face and re-signed with the Reds. What doesn't surprise me is why he did it. A winning culture and knowing that he can continue to enjoy that feeling of winning and enjoying it with a great team.  Reading between the lines, he has decided that no money is worth it for the losing feeling every week.  

Queensland Firebirds Fall Short

From the outset, the Firebirds look like a team on fire and on a mission.  Unfortunately they were pipped in the final minute of a game that they never should have lost.  But that is sport and they will bounce back and learn from the experience. Also the debut of Nicola Gray for the Firebirds was very impressive and I think she can go on to great things after what I saw. One thing I need clarification on though is the rules of Netball. As I am not an avid watcher I do get frustrated with the calls and especially the advantage call. Some games you never hear advantage and the whistle blows constantly and then you get a game like the Firebirds vs Vixens where you hear advantage called more than once, the ball never gets further than one pass yet a turnover is allowed.  This is where I need clarification. Is this poor officiating? If advantage is called, does that not mean anything if no advantage is gained?

Yet again I may have missed many stories and sporting events.  If you feel there is a sporting vent coming up that you want my insight into, let me know.  I will aslo state at this point, I need to write down thoughts I have during games, as I am sure I told the Sideline Reporter I would mention something from yesterday.

Cane 2 Coral

Last week saw the official announcement of the FSPH Cane 2 Coral for 2012 in Bundaberg.  On hand for the Launch were FSPH CEO Alan Cooper, Rugby League great, Shane Webke, who is the Race Ambassador, any many more dignitaries, sponsors and volunteers who will make this event a very successful one indeed.

This is no ordinary local fun run and it won't be long until this is one of the major events on the National calender. With major prize money of $2000 for first in both Men and Women's plus many prize categories for all walks in life as well as team prizes, it is no surprise hat the race is growing with popularity. In total there is over $9000 in prizes.

How many runs can you think of where you start on the banks of a river, meander through sugar cane fields famous for the rum of Bundaberg before finally heading straight towards the ocean on the shores of the Bargara Surf Club where the Great Barrier Reef is only a stones throw away.  For the serious competitor or someone who really wants a challenge the race is 15km, but for those who want to enjoy the scenery there is an 8km race.

So if you are looking for somewhere to go in August book yourself in early for accomodation and register for the run/walk on the 5 Aug 2012.

To date Cane 2 Coral has raised $112,250 for charity and this year will be looking to greatly increase that total.

I myself will not be competing but I have registered to volunteer for the event so I hope to see lots of people there and who knows you might make the covering article that features on Sporting Sport Opinions.

For more information visit the site. http://www.cane2coral.com.au/

Why Perth Were Not Robbed

Like most people who are not Perth Glory fans, I am tired of hearing them complain about being robbed. If they were robbed, as Burns puts it, then that means they are in the opinion that they were winning and had it under control. So the best way to put it is to see how things are positioned if the penalty was denied and full time was blown. Here are the breakdown of stats for A-League final and why Perth should stop complaining and accept Brisbane Roar are champions.

Shots by Brisbane Roar: 9
Shots by Perth Glory: 1
Shots on Target Brisbane Roar: 7
Shots on target Perth Glory: 0
Goals - Brisbane Roar: 2
Goals - Perth Glory: 0 (Own goal is how they scored)

Going into extra time Perth are down to 10 men and have 4 players on a yellow card, in comparison to Roar only having 1 player on a yellow card. With 4 payers on yellow cards it would be expected that Perth would use their final substitution to sub a player on a yellow, whilst Brisbane have already used their 3 subs.

This being the case Perth have a least 3 players who are on the cusp of a red card and odds are that one of those will pick up a second yellow if Brisbane stay on the attack with the one man advantage. Add to that the fact of Perth Glory not being able to create more than one chance on goal, it is hard to see how they can say they were robbed of victory. If they are referring to being robbed of the chance to go to extra-time then they may have a case. But considering the debate is still going on and within 24 hours the focus went to the issue of offside more than the tackle then the case of being robbed is wafer thin,. Especially considering that this is now being considered a correct call. For those who want to debate that one then try standing on the sideline and watch a game without the aid of freeze-frame and see what decision you make. If it is such a tight call then the sideline official made the right call by playing advantage to the attacking team which should always be the case.

Perth Glory are doing nothing but showing the poor sportsmanship that as a junior coach I try and ensure my kids never show. Gracious in defeat is a term that will never be labelled on the Perth Glory team.

Weekend Wrap

Just seems a week of sport cannot pass by without controversy taking centre stage. With all the sport going on this article will be taken up by only a few subjects but subjects that will have debate and arguments going for years.

Rugby League Farce

Here is a weekend where Rugby League had what it would call a showcase weekend. A Test match between Australia & New Zealand, the inaugural Under 20 Origin and the City v Country Origin.  But as usual the management of the game completely dropped the ball. With 3 channels, channel Nine for some reason had no ability to show the Test match or the City v Country game live and couldn't be bothered to cover the U20 Origin. It is even harder to understand why it was done this way when the solution was so simple.  Have the under 20 Origin on Friday night as it was in Australia and could have been shown at 7:30 live and would ave gotten a very healthy audience, then have the Test match on Saturday or Sunday afternoon in New Zealand when a live telecast in Australia would be watchable by all and place the city v country game on the alternate day. It is not rocket science.

Clear Contact - Now watch the video

Brisbane Roar Go Back to Back

Brisbane have created history by winning back to back titles and deservedly so. The media will have you thinking Perth were robbed but evidence will state otherwise.  Regardless of what you think of the penalty, let us remove that from the equation.  1-1 at full time is what you would have. This means the game would have gone into extra time and with Brisbane on the upper hand for the last ten minutes of regular time and Perth down to 10 men, I cannot see how Perth were going to keep Brisbane out, let alone score a goal, especially seeing their main threat, Smeltz was off the field. Perth Glory fans can complain all they want but considering Brisbane scored all the goals they were kidding themselves to think they would be on the winners podium at the final whistle.

I also find it interesting to see how some are approaching the situation where a referee's decision influences the outcome of a game. Many a comment has been made in the media and on social media forums that a referee should never make a decision that decides the outcome of a game. If this is the case then why have a referee. Every decision a referee makes, changes the result of a game.  If he does not make the decision he has still affected the game. With the replay showing a clear tackle from behind that makes conctact with the calf, if the penalty is not given then the debate would be the opposite.  I have watched games where in extra time, referees fail to make any penalties on foul play so as to not affect the result, not realising that by doing nothing they are affecting the outcome.  Whether it be in the first or last minute the ref is to make the call the same way and he should be credited for holding his nerve and making the decision in real time without the aid of slow-mo replays.

Look for the Video here which clearly shows contact

All that should be considered in the tackle is:

Was it late?  Yes
Was it from behind? Yes
Was there contact that affected the player with the ball? Yes
Did it stop the player from having an opportunity to score? Yes

Regardless of how Berisha acted after he had the airswing, with all the factors above it is still a penalty. The only reason for the airswing was due to the contact knocking his foot onto the ball and changing his line. Whatever reaction happens afterwards is irrelevant.

To finish up with I have to quote my sideline reporter for his comment after Smeltz was bandaged up:
 "I can't Smeltz anything."

NRL Issues of Contention Round 7

Instead of focusing on what has happening during the NRL round, instead I am going to focus on what has become the number one talking point. Eligibility of players for state and country.  With the selection of Tamou for the Australian team the can of worms has been opened yet again. It doesn't matter which side of the sate you live on or which side of the Tasman you will always accuse the other side of using dirty tactics and stealing players.

What a lot of people forget is what started Origin in the first place was NSW continually using a team packed with Queenslanders to take on Queensland. More than twenty years later and it seems that both sides are still complaining about where players should be playing.  What annoys me most is how supporters of NSW will throw every accusation under the sun at Queensland for some of their selections, yet they will never admit to how many players they have selected that are not from NSW.  All in all both sides have done it.

With Tamou's defection to Australia though indicates a serious change needs to be done. Although he may be eligible, this is a player that less than 12 months ago accepted his call up for the New Zealand Test train on squad.  Is his heart really in it for his country? Should acceptance to a train on squad be the same as selection and automatically enforce a 2 year sit out rule? Which National Anthem is the one that puts a chill down his spine when he hears it? Is he going to defect again? If he is born in New Zealand and hold a New Zealand passport then how can he call himself an Australian?

But at the end of the day there will always be the arguments but it is the players themselves that make the decision. If the NRL, ARL and NZRL want to be serious on the issue of eligibility then it must be a hard and fast rule. But any change in rules needs to be done carefully as the powerhouses will not care about the minnows of league.  As it is I can see plenty of flaws in the rules at the moment. If a player is signed to a club from Perth and goes to Melbourne and his first game is for Melbourne's Under 20 side, which state does he play for? Until there is a strict guideline we will be having this debate again next year, and the next and the next..............

Weekend Wrap

With the amount of work I have been doing it is amazing that I was able to find time to watch sport. Actually, who a I kidding. I will always find time to watch sport. Depending on who you support depends on how your weekend went but for me it was all good.

Australian Cricket Team Win 

After 3 days this game looked like it only had two outcomes, a West Indies victory or more likely a draw.  With the Windies crawling along to 400+ and Australia's top order failing again at 8/285 it was not looking good. But as seems to be the story lately this game was turned on it's head by the bowlers who once again saved the day. Harris scored a magnificent maiden half century and was well supported by Hilfenhaus and Lyon.  After the batting heroics the bowlers then went on to dismantle the West Indies and leave Australia with only 192 to win.  But as usual the batsmen made hard work of it and left it to the bowlers to tidy it up again.  Harris was a well deserved man-of-the-match, yet the bowling attack as a group could have been awarded this.  What is worrying though is yet again another double failure by Ponting. I have a feeling this could be his last series if he fails to get any scores on tour.

96


A simple number but one which I will never forget. When most hear the number 96, many different things come to mind. For me though the first thing that comes to mind will be followed by a moments pause before I try and explain what it means to me. But rather than have me explain I would rather you do some research into the number and draw your own conclusions.  For me it will always be about the families who waved goodbye to 96 people who left to watch a game of football and never saw them again.

http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/ 

Liverpool Heading for Wembley Glory

All day I was full of anticipation about the FA Cup semi final against Merseyside rivals Everton. A victory in this game and Liverpool are one step closer to Double Cup Glory which will make up for the terrible season they have.  At half time though it was not looking good.  Down one nil after a terrible defensive error and overall not playing great football, things needed to change if Liverpool were even going to equalise.  I always like a team that shows patience with the ball, but Liverpool were taking it too far and being hesitant and unsure. Against a better and more clinical team, I fear Liverpool would not have been able to come back.  Thankfully though Everton returned the favour with a horrible defensive error that gifted the ball straight to Suarez who was never going to let down. Once the ball found the back of the net, the balance and intensity of the game shifted and Liverpool dominated for the rest of the game.  Andy Carroll may have been having trouble locating the direction of the goal but once he did,  knew it was all over. This goal after his late winner in the previous game may be just the thing that turns his game around.  Liverpool are now in the FA Cup final!!!!!

In 1986 I watched my first ever FA Cup final live on TV with my father.  For a man that never played football, his knowledge from as early as I can remember is up there with some of the experts in the game. He has watched football for as long as I can remember and I have always enjoyed listening to what he has to say about the game.  I can remember being excited to watch and had chosen to support Liverpool as an Aussie called Craig Johnston was in their team. I have memories though of my father telling me that Ian Rush was the one to watch. If Liverpool where to win, it was Rush that would win it for them. Now all this time later I will be able to sit down with my son and together for the first time watch Liverpool in an FA Cup final.

Firebirds On Board For #BBin2012

From the start of the game the Queensland Firebirds were in control and it only looked like a matter of what the margin would be. Now that they have a win on the board and a good win at the that, the Firebirds have got their campaign under way.  There are still areas of improvement but it was a different team on the court today. The intensity and speed where there and smart decisions were being made. It is a shame though that the coverage dropped out at half time as reports say that they dominated further in the 2nd half. Next week will be a good test for the Firebirds to see if they are back on track with an away game to the Sydney Swifts. If the Romelda gets her radar on track and gets her confidence it should be a good trip to Sydney with Pittman, Medhurst, Nourse and Steel all back towards there best.

With Channel Ten receiving a lot of criticism of their coverage recently, they need to ensure things like that don't happen again.  ALso the times of replays need quick addressing if Network Ten wishes to appease the fans whose next step should be complaining to the sponsors and advertisers.  Upset the source of money for Ten and things will improve.

Olympic Legend Murray Rose

Today was a sad day for the world of swimming and Australia.  Murray Rose passed away aged 73 but will always be remembered.  A legend always lives on and that is what Rose is. A four time Olympic Gold medallist who will also be known for his work out of the pool for his role in charity with the Rainbow Club. If you are not familiar with what Murray Rose achieved in his lifetime, when you have some spare time do some reading.

Central Coast Chokers

Seems the Mariners have celebrated winning the Premiers Plate too early and where bundled out by Perth Glory in the Preliminary Final in a penalty shoot-out.  I was not surprised by comments today by Graham Arnold when he said that the ACL was more important and that he may have fielded a weaker side in the Final. Seems like a poor sport to me. Regardless of the sport you always want to win trophies and bragging rights. And if Arnold never really wanted to win then why not field a weaker side in the semi and allow you stars to be fully rested for the upcoming ACL game? With the poor press the game has given itself lately it was not a smart thing to come out and say when you know the media will pick up on any negative comment in football.  But as a Roar fan I was more than happy to see the Mariners choke out of the finals as I a confident that the Roar will make easy work of Perth in the Final.

NRL Issues of Contention Round 6

Another round of NRL and another round of contentious issues.

Can't be seen as a shoulder charge if the shoulder is not leading the body.  Fair hit in my  opinion.

Hardly any surprise that Tim Sheens and the Tigers are at the head of my list this round.  Seems all the talk after the game is about the tackle Ben Te'o put on Matt Groat. Tackle aside, it is the fallout from this that has me scratching my head. The talk of a 19th man for substitution when a player is taken out of the game through by injury from foul play. Surely they are not serious. Imagine half-way through the second half you have a player out on his feet and not playing the best, he receives a hit that is high and takes the ultimate dive insisting that he is unable to continue. Dives in sport are bad enough as it is. Whilst I do not condone taking out players through foul play, you can guarantee coaches and players will see the loophole before the legitimate use of the proposed rule. If the NRL wants to go down this rule then scrap interchange totally and go back to 4 substitutions and allow a fifth for serious injury from a foul play that is put on report.  Or look at the idea of only 4 interchanges and 2 substitutions. But then maybe if the NRL was serious about serious foul play that they deem dangerous then start sending players off.

Which leads me to my next issue with this game. The lack of the sin bin. Leading up to the first Broncos try the 2 tackles both were deliberate attempts by the Tigers to slow down the play to allow their defensive structure to build and stop Brisbane from a legitimate quick play the ball. Even though Brisbane went on to score, past games have shown the Refs immediately blow the whistle for a penalty and send the offending player to the sidelines for 10 minutes. Then you have the incident where Blair clearly takes out Wallace very late and very intentional. Surely it warranted more than just a penalty?  It was a potentially dangerous tackle and it was only luck that Wallace was not seriously injured. The Broncos haters that are out there will only want to talk about the Te'o tackle. I have a feeling Te'o will not get off on this one but look at the facts. He was standing at his normal height and Groat ran straight at him. Groat is shorter so obviously if he is going to run with his head forward then his head will hit Te'o. For me this is just a case of the attacking player getting ending up in an unfortunate position. When it is a high impact sport, a player carrying the ball should surely look to take more care rather than just running straight at a defender blindly. If this is the case and it is going to be penalised every-time then how does a tall player tackle a shorter player without making contact with the head? When it was Pritchard the whole southern contingent were behind him saying it was a good hit. That same contingent are now condemning this one. Seems they want it both ways. As Te'o has pledged his allegiance to the maroons, I can see him getting a few weeks for that hit. Especially if it was closer to Origin.


UPDATE:

Well it shouldn't come as a surprise that the NRL judiciary found Ben Te'o guilty, even though the majority of the Rugby League community consider it a fair hit.  Be assured that I will be on top of every high tackle that is reported and referred by the Match Review Committee to see how future tackles are judged. Seeing as most comparisons are to the hit Frank Pritchard got one week for, I couldn't see how the NRL would be able to defend the decision in the legal system.

Weekend Wrap

Easter weekend for me is always about time with family and time to watch plenty of sport. Admittedly though I was just happy to get 4 days break from work to recharge. Add to that the chance to draw a picture that hopefully will raise good money for charity as long as I can get some good publicity and help from outside sources (shameless plug but it is all for a good cause - charity yet to be finalised)

As usual there will still be an NRL Issues of Contention post if you feel I have missed anything on that front.

More to come on this tackle In NRL Issues of Contention

Broncos Hold Off Tigers & Ref

I will openly defend the fact the Broncos had to defeat more than the Tigers outfit on Friday night. How the Tigers were so good in discipline to only concede one penalty shows what a good job Sheens has done in his whining week in week  For a Premiership favourite team it amazes me that people still think the Tigers are aa good team. With so much going in their favour if Benji Marshall was as good as the Channel Nine Commentary box made out then he should have ran riot according to all the press write ups. If the Broncos held on to two passes in the first half it would have been all over by half time and if the Tigers were penalised like other teams for holding down, offside and walking off the mark then Brisbane would have carved them up more. I can also point out two tackles in a row where the sin bin should have been showed in the same way it was shown without hesitation for Jack Reed against South Sydney and he didn't even hold down the player. The Broncos without a doubt are one of the form teams at the moment and that is with their attack not clicking yet in the way that the Storm are. Where the Broncos are dominating though is in defence. Week in week out this Broncos team is showing the basis of a top level team and with a very young squad it is a daunting prospect for other clubs.  Once the attacking flair clicks in this team then the Broncos will be up there with the Storm as the team to beat.  I only hope that Wallace stays off the Origin radar so he is there to guide the team around when it is needed during the Origin period.

Liverpool Just Can't Seem To Win

A draw is better than a loss but too many times has Liverpool drawn at home. Early in the game though there was what should have been a goal when the ball crossed the line before Aston Villa keeper Given stopped it. His sheepish look to the sideline official was enough for all to know what had really happened. If this goal was awarded then maybe the result would have been very different. But it was the failing of Liverpool's attack to convert all the possession and pressure into goals. It seems that Liverpool have a great ability to hit the woodwork with consistency it is amazing that Dalgliesh is not bald from pulling his hair out. Liverpool definitely need to make a change to their roster in the way of a good midfielder and an forward that can convert. Carroll, Henderson and Adam are the ones that I would be looking to trade. They may have talent but it doesn't show itself in the structure that Liverpool play and their error and turnover rate are just not of an acceptable level.

Firebirds Struggling

Only 2 rounds have gone in the ANZ Championship but the Queensland Firebirds are 0 from 2.  Not the start that they were hoping for. Watching the game it appeared that the team is just lacking on speed, intensity and confidence. Things aren't quite working fluidly and as champions when every team wants to beat you, a new level has to be found each week to stay on top as every opposition wants the champions scalp. I am no expert on netball but from what I saw there was definitely a lack of intensity and patience with the ball. Too many turnovers and failure to capitalise on turnovers were costly. I also thought there was an inconsistency in the officials calls at either end which must frustrate the players. When one constantly calls every thing and the other lets a lot go, it does not create a good dynamic in the game and some of te calls or alck of alls were just dumbfounding. Either way though the Firebirds were not the better team on the day but it is early in the season and things can improve from here.

I did enjoy though being able to watch my first game for the season and catch a chance to watch the Firebirds live and will definitely be heading to a game next time I am in Brisbane. It is great for netball that they are getting great coverage on free-to-air and as much as I hate commentators plugging TV shows, I understand that the coverage comes at a cost. What I personally found hard though was identifying the players. As a person with Facial Agnosia it is amazing how they all pretty much look the same. Maybe I just need to watch more game and get used to the players in their position. What could help though is the bibs as I felt they didn't really stand out.  I also found the camera angle could have been higher especially when it came to showing shots on goal. Like basketball I feel it looks better when the angle is above the net not below.

AFL Has Lost Me

As much as I like the Brisbane Lions and still support them the game of AFL has lost me.  Whilst the Lions did not deserve to win, this is a game where the rules and the inconsistent interpretation of the rules has turned me off.  Add to that a game where if any other teams are playing there is no interest factor at all. And a game that thinks expanding and splashing millions of dollars just to have teams losing by massive margins makes you wonder why they bother. Add to this the fanatical one eyed supporters of AFL who love to bag every other code yet scream blue murder when anyone attacks the game of AFL is laughable. I always will always stand by the comment when anyone says that AFL is the best game - "If it is so good why does a hybrid game need to be played against Ireland as the only form of representative fixture that no top level players wants to play. "

Reds are Back Winning

Although I missed the game, I was assured by my Sideline reporter the the Reds were deserving winners regardless of what you read.  As much as the commentators kept trying to say the Red's were lucky , then it is about time. How many times have the Red's copped bad decisions? Seems everytime the Red's lose they are bagged and when they win they are lucky.  And reports have also filtered in that Greg Martin was back to his usual ways and it is amazing that he is even allowed though the gates of Lang Park. If the Reds make the finals again this year, it might be time for a montage of all Martins negative talk about the Red's to be shown, so that when he jumps back on their bandwagon he can be pushed back off whilst htey are at top speed.

Lang park will be a sea of Orange for the A-League Final

Roar Ready For Back To Back

The Central Coast Mariners were always facing an uphill battle to stop Brisbane from hosting the A-League final, needing a 2-0 nil win as a minimum. And when the Roar went up early with a brilliant free kick from Broich (only controversial on Fox and down south) it was a done and dusted game. Mitch Nichols then sealed the result with an excellent first touch to make it 2-0, even Mariners fans must have known that scoring 4 unanswered goals was never going to happen.  Admittedly the mariners did well to claw it back to 2 all, but they never looked like scoring 2 more without letting Brisbane in.  The interesting point to come from the game were the yellow cards to key mariner players. These player now tread dangerous line against Perth with another yellow seeing them miss the final. Brisbane Roar will now be heading into the Final with a week off which is crucial during the ACL championship games and have dealt a psychological blow to the Mariners.

Well I might have upset a few people with some of my comments like I did with comments yesterday about AFL but I will not retract from what I said. As always these are my opinions and I try to write what the media won't. Hopefully what I can do is create positive debate not negative argument.

FFA & Western Sydney

All the talk in Australia Football at the moment is the decision to expand the A-League into Western Sydney. For those that follow me on twitter will know where I stand on the issue, but this will let me elaborate more.

Whilst no decision has been formally made by the FFA on Gold Coast United, it appears that within 24 Hours Queensland will be reduced to the Brisbane Roar. This will ensure that the competition stays at 10 teams and there will be no need for a bye.  Today it was announced that the Gillard Government is proving $8million in funding to allow the establishment of the team in Western Sydney. The Federal Government has announced $5million for grassroots football and support for the elite level, women's football will receive $1million and the final $3million will be given to Football NSW to redevelop the head-quaters at Valentine Park. The FFA will be funding the club after no financial backer was found. This is a lot of money for the government to put into one area of Australia.

This small amount of information raises many questions that seem to be glossed over by the media, most in the football world but screamed out by those outside of NSW. I don't think Clive Palmer was the best thing for Gold Coast and the A-League, but he was definitely right about the way that the FFA are running the game. For the FFA to come out and announce such a decision in the middle of the final series shows that they are more interested in their own affairs than the game.  Instead of talking about the finals for the next few weeks, all the discussion will be about affairs off the field.

For the Government to make such a large funding announcement, this is something that would have been worked on by the FFA some time ago. I would hazard as guess as to say tat before the decision was made to terminate the licence of the Gold Coast that most of the planning and approval for the government funding into Western Sydney was already done. The sceptic in me wonders how much of this is for political gain by the Labour Party. But what will be the greater cost? If this team fails, the A-League has taken a massive step back as it will be the third time in a short period a club has failed. Even it it is a success, it will take a long time for it to pay back it's dues and if no financial backer was found to start with, I find it hard to see one jumping on board until the club is a success.

I have no problem with the FFA creating another side, what I object to is taking away a team that is established and only needs an owner to take over and replacing it with a team from scratch. Would it not have been better to locate an owner for the Gold Coast and at the same time work on developing two extra teams in the competition. Gold Coast has the playing roster, the youth, the stadium and the staff in place. All it needs is an owner with football sense to run it properly. It will be interesting to see what decision is formally announced about Gold Coast United, it will be more interesting to know why they made it. For the sake of Football in Australia I hope that every decision the FFA makes, works out best for the game, if instead it ends up failing then it is time that the powers at the top admit they have erred and step aside and allow change for the better to happen.

The way that the FFA is going though they will only turn away people from the game. They might attract more people in Western Sydney but at what cost?  Any move they do should be a positive move, no one that polarises opinion and creates a negative debate.

Part 2:

The FFA has announced today that Gold Coast United has been kicked out of the A-League at the surprise to no-one. What is dumb founding is the reasoning and explanation behind the decision.  CEO Ben Buckley and Chairman Frank Lowy have made it very clear that the Gold Coast was kicked out of the competition when it was stated: 


"Today's decision to exit can be directly attributed to Gold Coast United Pty Ltd's lack of community engagement and it's inability to build a football culture around the club. We acknowledge the hard work and commitment over the past six weeks by Football Queensland, Gold Coast Football Association, the Gold Coast players and coach Mike Mulvey. The team showed great professionalism and pride in performance in the way the completed the season. FFA's mandate is to govern for the good for the game and this decision is the only responsible course to take in ensuring we have a sustainable Hyundai A-League"


This is a statement that obviously was written with contempt and no concept that it would be picked to pieces by anyone.  How can the FFA seriously say on one hand that a team is axed due to this reasoning and then on the previous day it announces a new team for which no backing could be found and is only established due to government funds and the funding of the FFA.  A board that clearly says it is "not a bloody bank."   Add to this the fact that Ivan Slavic has been bidding for a Canberra and managed to raise an estimated $4million only to end up walking away due to the lack of interest by the FFA.  


The FFA has tried to defend itself by saying it propped un NQ Fury for 12 months (before folding), Gold Coast United for a few months and Brisbane Roar for two years (Now owned by International Company). 2 of the 3 clubs involved were only funded whilst the FFA wound them down so this is a mute point.  Brisbane Roar were at the top of the pack in the A-League and it just needed smart management.  The same argument can be put tot he Gold Coast as well.  The reason that the FFA give for kicking out the club were all down to the way that Clive Palmer ran the club. Once he was removed then surely with a new owner it could have started a new chapter and headed forward.


But no. The FFA has gone full tilt in it;s bid to get into Western Sydney. Everyone hopes the venture does well as another failure will put football back in Australia and do more damage then what has happened over the last few weeks.  Western Sydney will only be a success though if the FFA can find an owner within a short frame and the community not only gets behind but stays behind it.  Everyone love a new team in their area but Australians by nature love a winner and if the team struggles on the field and is not well run off the field it will wither and die and another football wasteland will be created.  For me it is time that the FFA is cleaned out and fresh approach is applied to the game. Some of the smartest people in the game need to be attracted to the game who have the best interests of the game a heart as well as the foresight and ability to take it further.

Weekend Wrap

The winter sporting season is well under way and strangely there is little for me to write about.  Main reason is that when i am busy it means I don't get to see as much sport as usual. My wife will disagree though.  NRL has given me fuel for thought which will be covered in the Issues of Contention article to come, other than that though it is all bad news for the teams I support.

The Liverpool Fans are tearing their hair out

Liverpool, What is going wrong?

Again I frustrated myself by watching another display that sorts out the true fans from the fairweather ones.  I may coach an under 9 Small Sided Football team but even  can see what some of the problems are.  Whatever the tactics are for Dalglish, his roster are not the ones for it.  Yet again the petulant child that appears to be Andy Carroll, failed to show why anyone would pay even a dollar for his services. Constantly everyone is saying, give him time and he is still learning, but with a price tag of 25 million he is beyond the point where a return is required.  Overall the team as a whole is out of form and lacking confidence & belief. Nothing is working as it appears that they do not have the belief in themselves any more. There are elements in the team that need to be changed and only a few changes may be all that are needed.  Liverpool have the players but it is the few spread through the team that hold everyone back. For me the main problem is the midfield ever since the loss of Lucas Leiva through injury. No team will ever be successful if the midfield is short on ability and this is where Liverpool should be focusing their attention in the next transfer window.  That and a good swap for Carroll.

Vent is over, I will continue to support Liverpool FC with passion, but I will not hold back my frustration until things start changing for the better.

Queensland Firebirds


Sadly I missed this game, which is frustrating as I promised myself and told the Firebirds that I would watch the game and then do a write up.  For months I have been looking forward to the start of the season and getting prepared to cover the Firebirds and ANZ Chamionship and show that the football codes aren't the only ones that are strongly followed.  One only has to know how popular my articles on Chelsea Pittman were to realise this.  Even now I am still getting many visits to the site just to read the articles relating to Netball and the Queensland Firebirds.  With that I do hope to be able to watch the next game and give an analysis from a point of view that is not normally seen in the game.  That and my passion for Queensland teams guarantees I will be locking in to watch as often as possible.

AFL

For those that think this game is the only game, here are my thoughts.  Only game I cared about was the one that involved the team that no-one gave a chance. Melbourne Demons Vs Brisbane Lions.  regardless of how much the AFL ruins their game and spectacle I will always follow the Lions with the same passion as any other Queensland team.  Even without the events leading up the the game, no-one down south would have given the Lions a chance playing at the MCG in round 1.  Just shows how sheltered they are in their little goldfish bowl in Melbourne.  Hopefully this continues and the look of the table after round is similar at he end of the season.  If so then you would have only 2 Victorian teams and no Collingwood.  AFL and the Victorians need to accept that if they want their code to be truly National and popular across the country then they need to get familiar to this site.

Brisbane Roaring

I couldn't have a wrap where the one of the most clinical first halves of finals football was not mentioned.  Brisbane Roar easily accounted for Central Coast in the first leg of the A-League semi-final and showed why they are the best team in the competition. Brisbane completely smothered the mariners out of the game and allowed them no time with the ball if letting them have the ball at all. The complete defensive pressure from the defenders to the strikers is how football should be played.  The Mariners may have come back in the second half and played better but there was never any doubt on what the end result would be and going into the next leg  with a 2-0 advantage has Brisbane not only one step closer to another home final but also has the Mariners facing the prospect of topping the table and missing the final.

Also to come will be the next instalment in the "New Force" series about the St Luke's U9 Football side and their first game.  Due to the age of the children, all parents consent must be attained before I can go into detail.  With a 2 week break due to Easter, the delay might be a bit longer than expected and I do not want any child missing out unless otherwise indicated.  What I would like to see though is plenty of encouragement for the team words of wisdom from the elite sporting fraternity to help the team reach their goals.