The A league thread

Sport
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[QUOTE=“Chucks Nwoko, post: 1145546, member: 2812”]I’ve always thought the Mariners were a poorly supported club. Understandable, given the competition on the CC with the mighty Knights. 6k quite surprises me.

How many of the 13 games would you head to? Entry to home FFA cup matches thrown in as a freebie?[/QUOTE]
We’re par with Perth Glory. Not bad going really, but we need more for the long term survival of the club, especially with our current owner, fucking pommy dickhead Mike Charlesworth, who has driven membership numbers down. We’ll go to every game, it’s a great social occasion for us as all our friends are there. There’s a nice community spirit about the club, which Charlesworth has actively tried to destroy. The young lad gets to be a ballboy a lot of the time.
We’ll be at John Hutchinson’s testimonial game tomorrow evening at Pluim Park (the home of Central Coast Football).

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[QUOTE=“Fitzy, post: 1145548, member: 236”]We’re par with Perth Glory. Not bad going really, but we need more for the long term survival of the club, especially with our current owner, fucking pommy dickhead Mike Charlesworth, who has driven membership numbers down. We’ll go to every game, it’s a great social occasion for us as all our friends are there. There’s a nice community spirit about the club, which Charlesworth has actively tried to destroy. The young lad gets to be a ballboy a lot of the time.
We’ll be at John Hutchinson’s testimonial game tomorrow evening at Pluim Park (the home of Central Coast Football).[/QUOTE]
North Sydney Oval’s your real home pal.
Na, what’s this Pluim Park about? Is that where CC played before they became an A League franchise?

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[QUOTE=“Chucks Nwoko, post: 1145549, member: 2812”]North Sydney Oval’s your real home pal.
Na, what’s this Pluim Park about? Is that where CC played before they became an A League franchise?[/QUOTE]
North Sydney oval is a cricket ground, shit for football. It’s also in Sydney, which is not the Central Coast.
Central Coast Football Association (the governing body of football of the coast) is based at Pluim Park, which is a handy 5 minutes drive from our home, very handy as that’s where the young lad plays his home games and trains. Brilliant facility that’s had over $1 mil spent on it in the last year.
Then of course, we have a half kilometre walk down the road to Alan Davidson park, home of the Tiger (my beloved Wyoming Tigers, our local club).

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[QUOTE=“Fitzy, post: 1145552, member: 236”]North Sydney oval is a cricket ground, shit for football. It’s also in Sydney, which is not the Central Coast.
Central Coast Football Association (the governing body of football of the coast) is based at Pluim Park, which is a handy 5 minutes drive from our home, very handy as that’s where the young lad plays his home games and trains. Brilliant facility that’s had over $1 mil spent on it in the last year.
Then of course, we have a half kilometre walk down the road to Alan Davidson park, home of the Tiger (my beloved Wyoming Tigers, our local club).[/QUOTE]
I jest, I jest; NS Oval wasn’t well received at all by the Mariners’ faithful.

That’s a lovely story and all, but your home ground is CC Stadium in Gosford.

I’ve done a quick reccy, and the only way the Mariners will reclaim a spot at the top table is if they hand the reins to the Cypriot-born, fans favourite, Wayne O’Sullivan. 16/17 will be his season.

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[QUOTE=“Chucks Nwoko, post: 1145554, member: 2812”]I jest, I jest; NS Oval wasn’t well received at all by the Mariners’ faithful.

That’s a lovely story and all, but your home ground is CC Stadium in Gosford.

I’ve done a quick reccy, and the only way the Mariners will reclaim a spot at the top table is if they hand the reins to the Cypriot-born, fans favourite, Wayne O’Sullivan. 16/17 will be his season.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, the Mariners ground is CC Stadium, but CC Football Club’s ground is Pluim Park. We currently play in the NSW National Premier League second div. The Mariners were running the NPL club, but fucked it up, we got relegated and the licence was handed back to CC Football. Hopefully, we wil go back up this season, but some of the teams aren’t going so well. Though the U12’s are fucking killing it at the moment.
Did you know Wayne Sul played 2 games for the Republic of Ireland U21’s in the 90’s? He won’t be our coach. To be honest, he’s never come across as the sharpest tool in the box when I’ve spoken to him. Walmsley will coach the Mariners next season and possibly a season after that, but we are all awaiting the glorious coming of our favourite son, John Hutch, to his righful place as Mariners coach (which I shudder at the thought of as I think he’ll be a disaster).

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Have you invested in one of those terrible palm tree with O’Donovan on the back @Fitzy. God they are desperate.
Few interesting signings. Sydney are going to miss Antonis and Ibini.

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Jesus Loko, it is the rankest jersey I’ve seen since Wexford’s tie dye thing a few years ago. It is fucking woegious and I’m still not quite understanding it as our strip last year was brilliant. I’ll continue to wear my be=lue away strip shirt from last year which was cool. Anyway, I have nothing but pessimism about this season, if we avoid the wooden spoon I’ll be happy. We have signed a conga line of no mark strikers from god knows where and one centre back Aussie reject. We should have been signing two very good centre backs and a central midfielder.
Sydney have dropped the ball alright, especially not replacing Janko and Ibini (did you see what happened Ibini? Broke his shin in his first game with Brugge, so sorry about this, he’s a terrific player but a lovely bloke. His family used to sit behind us at Mariners games, very nice people).
@Little_Lord_Fauntleroy - what’s the story with the Roar? Will they even exist when the A Leagues comes around again in October? Even if they survive liquidation, they’ll lose a shit load of players.

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Adelaide United
Ins: Iaccapo La Rocca (Wanderers), George Mells (Free agent), Eli Babalj (on loan from AZ Alkmaar)
Outs: Nigel Boogaard (Newcastle Jets), Cassio (released), Miguel Palanca (released), Awer Mabil (FC Midtjylland), Cameron Watson (Newcastle Jets), Paul Izzo (Mariners)

Brisbane Roar
Ins: Jamie Maclaren (Perth Glory)
Outs: Andrija Kaluderovic (released), George Lambadaridis (released), Adam Sarota (FC Utrecht - end of loan), Kofi Danning (Oakleigh Cannons), Lachlan Jackson (Jets)

CCM
Ins: Mitch Austin (Cambridge United - free), Roy O’Donovan (Mitra Kukar - free), Paul Izzo (Adelaide United), Harry Ascroft (Free agent)
Outs: Richard Vernes (Budapest Honved - end of loan), Zac Anderson (released), Dejan Pandurevic (released), Tom Slater (released), Hayden Morton (released), Isaka Cernak (released), Brent Griffiths (released), Matt Simon (released), John Hutchinson (retired), Travis Major (released), Zac Cairncross (released), Matt Nash (retired)

Melbourne City
Ins: Corey Gameiro (Sydney FC), Ivan Franjic (Torpedo Moscow), Steve Kuzmanovski (Wanderers), Harry Novillo (permanent deal), Aaron Hughes (Free agent), Michael Zullo (Free agent), Bruno Fornaroli
Outs: Andrew Redmayne (Wanderers), Mate Dugandzic (released), Iain Ramsay (released), Rob Wielaert (released), Kew Jaliens (released), Damien Duff (released), Josh Kennedy (retired)
Melbourne Victory
Ins: Danny Vukovic (Perth Glory)
Outs: Mark Milligan (Bani Yas), Andrew Nabbout (released), Nathan Coe (released), Jordan Brown (released)

Newcastle Jets
Ins: Themba Muata-Marlow (Sydney FC ), Andy Brennan (South Melbourne), Nigel Boogaard (Adelaide), Mark Birighitti (loan return from AS Varese), Lachlan Jackson (Brisbane Roar), Jason Hoffman (Melbourne City FC), Mateo Poljak (Western Sydney Wanderers), Labinot Haliti (Western Sydney Wanderers), Cameron Watson (Adelaide United)
Outs: Scott Neville (Wanderers), Jacob Pepper (Wanderers), John Solari (released), Sam Gallagher (released), James Virgili (released), Taylor Regan (released, Jess Vanstrattan (released), Zenon Caravella (released), Andrew Hoole (Sydney FC), Travis Cooper (released)

Perth Glory
Ins: Jerrad Tyson (Sun Pegasus), Alex Grant (Stoke City), Antony Golec (Wanderers), Hagi Gligor (Sydney FC), György Sándor (Free agent), Ante Covic (Wanderers), Diego Castro (free agent), Marc Warren (APIA), Guyon Fernandez (NAC Breda)
Outs: Danny Vukovic (Melbourne Victory), Scott Jamieson (Wanderers), Brandon O’Neill (Sydney FC), Daniel De Silva (Roma – loan ended), Youssouf Hersi (released), Jack Duncan (Randers FC), Rostyn Griffiths (released), Riley Woodcock (Sydney FC), Jamie Maclaren (Brisbane Roar), Andy Keogh (released)

Sydney FC
Ins: Riley Woodcock (Perth Glory), Brandon O’Neill (Perth Glory), Andrew Hoole (Newcastle Jets), Filip Holosko (Free agent), Milos Ninkovic (Free agent), Zac Anderson (Central Coast Mariners), Matt Simon (Free agent)
Outs: Nikola Petkovic (KVC Westerlo), Sasa Ognenovski released), Corey Gameiro (Melbourne City), Hagi Gligor (released), Peter Triantis released), Nick Carle (released), Marc Janko (FC Basel), Ivan Necevski (released), Bernie Ibini (Shanghai SIPG loan-expired)

Wellington Phoenix
Ins: Blake Powell (APIA Leichhardt)
Outs: Nathan Burns (FC Tokyo), Michael Boxall (SuperSport United), Jason Hicks (released), Josh Brindall-South (released), Kenny Cunningham (released), Tyler Boyd (Vitoria Guimaraes)

Western Sydney Wanderers
Ins: Mitch Nichols (Cerezo Osaka), Andrew Redmayne (Melbourne City), Scott Jamieson (Perth Glory), Jacob Pepper (Newcastle Jets), Scott Neville (Newcastle Jets), Andreu Guerao Mayoral (Racing Santander), Federico Piovaccari (free agent), Dimas Delgado (Free agent), Alberto (Free)
Outs: Tomi Juric (released), Ante Covic (Glory), Kerem Bulut (Iraklis), Nikita Rukavytsya (released), Jason Trifiro (released), Nick Ward (injury replacement), Nick Kalmar (injury replacement), Antony Golec (Perth Glory), Adrian Madaschi (injury replacement), Iacopo La Rocca (Adelaide United), Yojiro Takahagi (FC Seoul), Yusuke Tanaka (released), Yianni Perkatis (Blacktown City), Steve Kuzmanovski (Melbourne City), Matthew Spiranovic (Hangzhou Greentown), Labinot Haliti (Newcastle Jets), Mateo Poljak (Newcastle Jets)

249

Wanderers are fucked this year, they’ve lost some amount of players. Very little in the way of decent, exciting players coming into the league as yet, which is disappointing.

250

Nicholas and Jamieson (injury prone) are not bad additions but yeah I agree. That’s 2 years they have been poor in the transfer market. Spiranovic is there biggest loss. Very accomplished player.
Why would Sydney bother with Simon, strange one. Seemingly Janko wanted to stay but they didn’t like his international commitments which seems like a poor decision. Surely having a current international played is good to have around the squad.

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Spiranovic, La Rocca (the filthy italian bastard), Haliti, Poljak, Juric, Covic all huge losses for them.
I doubt Matt Simon will even play for Sydney. There’s all sorts of stories about why Janko left, but whatever you believe, Sydney didn’t handle it well. Arnold is said to be very unhappy about the situation.

252

What did Liam Reddy do @Fitzy?

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He doesn’t get on with Walmsley and the new coaching staff. My source(s) tell me that he’s been a fucking nightmare to manage in the last few months and they see him as an extremely negative influence in the dressing room. The leadership group in the players along with the management have had enough and told him to cop on fuck off. Then he went on a rant in the media last weekend and that was the final straw. There have been a few disciplinary issues pre-season as well.
It’s a pity, he’s been great for us, but he has to go. We’ll concede even more goals now, I don’t even know who our reserve keeper is.

Haliti ruled out for the season with an ACL, a pity, even if he plays for the Scum now, a deadly player.Are you going to the derby this weekend?
Melbourne derby was very good.

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Sure am, should get 40,000 at it anyway. Not many decent seats left. All the unreserved GA is sold out. Thought Sydney were awful last weekend. Don’t have much time for Arnie. New boy with Newcastle will ruffle a lot of feathers this year.
Yeah seen the Derby game. Good game, Mooy pass for the second was ridiculous. Victory were in complete control and nearly paid a price.

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Arnie’s the best coach Sydney could possibly have, but I think their problem is up front, after losing Ibini and Janko last year, they’re struggling with how to adapt to that an an ageing Shane Smeltz is not the answer. Should be a good game against Wanderers who improved markedly against Adalide on their atrocious showing in the first game against Brisbane. The Sydney away strip is terrible, looks like a training strip (I’m coming from a position of strength here, as our kit is so cool).
This Roy O’Donovan Cark sicko we have at the Mariners - he’s fucking useless from what I can see, could turn out to be another John Sutton. Great to see Josh Bingham scoring for us last week, an Academy boy we’ve been watching for a few years.

@Little_Lord_Fauntleroy - I take back my pre-season assessment of Roar. It was understandable, given the pre-season shenanigans at the club, which was nearly bankrupted (have we been paid yet?). Aloisi is a risk as coach, but their experience is showing in the early stages of the season. I know the Mariners aren’t any great shakes and we’re hilarious at the back, but Roar were a delight to watch last Sunday. This new spanish lad Corona they signed from Almeria looks the business and the commentators were salivating over him. Their passing and movement was excellent, driven by Matt Mackay, a player I have huge time for. Broich even looks like he’ll bother his arse this season.

256

This could be Wellington Phoenix’s last season in the A League. Their licence is up at the end of the season and the FFA don’t see any benefits in revenue or Australian player development from them. So all eyes are turning to a potential team from Sutherland Shire, in southern Sydney, which would have backing from Wollongong (another association with ambitions for its own A League club). It would all make sense, Sutherland is the biggest local football association in the country and it’s full of racist poms who like football. I could see a genuine hatred developing between them and WSW, much like ours with the Scum.

257

Sydney FC 0 - Brisbane Roar 0
Bloody awful game, Arnie is more like Mourinho with every passing day. Adelaide are a complete joke of a team, losing again, this time at home to am Melbourne City team who must have had a rocket fired under them after their capitulation to Newcastle last week.
We had an entertaining 1-1 draw with Phoenix yesterday evening, Cork legend Roy O;Donovan scoring for the third home game in a row. I was intitally unimpressed with the langar, but he was outstanding last night, worked his arse off with very little ball coming to him and headed a great goal.
Some interesting fixtures this weekend - we play the scum in the M1 derby in Newcastle. Melbourne City and WSW could be the game of the round, both teams beginning to show sign s of life and both play decent football.The Sydney / Melbourne Victory clash of the biggest clubs on Saturday night could turn into another borefest and probably a 0-0 draw. In which case Brisbane will go top as they will pick up a handy win against Perth at home.

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trouble with wsw this week?

259

:joy:

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Trouble with WSW every week. It’s become the cause du jour among the tabloids, have a go at the ethnic based WSW supporters, they’re an easy target, the narrative without it being said, that they’re all Muslims, so we should all be scared shitless of them and they’re probably all IS supporters. They have a very small section of dickheads who set off flares and there’s the odd punch thrown, but nothing serious, it’s totally overblown and the cops don’t exactly help the situation. I’ve always found them to be very good supporters and good fun to be around. Newcastle “supporters” are far more violent and are a horrible, horrible bunch, but they’re all white anglo saxon bogans, so the likes of the Daily Telegraph wouldn’t have much truck with hyperbolic headlines about them.