The WaiBOP United Thread

George looks like a classic Allan Jones player. Is Jones heavilly involved or Smith pulling all of the strings?

Defo no Mick Jones more an Allan Clark. lol, seemed funny at the time.

Lots of familiar faces at WaiBOP training but none I could stick a name on except Dan Morgan. I think one of the Japanese wingers who formerly played for Auckland was there, a lot of NRFL guys.

For example, anyone know who the other three guys in this photo are (pretty sure one is Franchini): https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/553785_563914623644513_518993130_n.jpg?

Dan Morgan is at waitak

i only recognise marcel desailly

Interesting. Franchini trialed at Waitakere I was told. Is he signed?

Got to love the various different training tops.

Its Carella not Franchini and Blue top is Shaydon Young (Takapuna) 

Yes good spot, it's Varela. Cheers for that, seen Young in action once

Nobody too surprising having a run in the intra-squad game at Cambridge today, all the usual suspects.

Went and had a look at the squad match in Cambridge.

The Shadow 1st XI was: McNeil; Scott, Thomas Probert, Konings, Higgins; Jones, Varela, Hilliar, some ponytailed guy named Marcelo; George, Milos.

Opponents were: Danyon; Ben Latham, Lissette, How, an Asian left-back I didn't know; Shayden Young?, Matt Williams, Maksim Manko, Haider Jabar; McNab, Molony.

Thoughts: Defo could use one or 2 quality midfielders. Little surpised to see Manko start in the "reserves", he had a better outing than Hilliar.

Higgins didn't have a great match; Milos blasted about 4 chances over in the 1st half then got a cracking header in the 2nd after excellent work from Mark Jones.

Danyon got caught off his line for a goal.

McNeil showed signs with some sharp work on the floor, not a tall keeper but good reflexes, and a talker as expected/demanded.

Molony was sharp up front - has some pace and ability, seems to have flourished this season with Bunce's academy and at Wanderers.

Latham continues to grow as a wingback, may find a spot in the squad.

Marquez would have been handy to have.

Smith looks like he wants his side to play possession football, with George a useful targetman to hold the ball up.        

Looks like Mikhail Bredeveldt could be in line to replace Marquez, which could be an upgrade potentially, top goalscorer in the Prem this year I believe. Haven't seen him more than two or three times but he's impressed me when I have watched him, could work well with Big George up front if he signs.

Is that the Chilean lad that wore number 10 for 3 Kings? If so, mad as a meat axe.

Ah well in that case he'll fit in well with Big George, we can have a duo of strikers getting sent off.

Good 2-0 win over Hawke's Bay in pre-season today, very good defensive display, McNeil didn't have to make more than 1 save I believe, while Nikolic worked hard up front to get two very nice assists. The two Asian lads, Yoko and Nomoto, looked very sound, Liam Higgins nabbed a goal and showed a good long throw, and Breveveldt was dangerous.

Also, Maksim Manko became the first player ever to score a goal after getting sent off, Conger sent him off to cool down for about 30 minutes. I reckon the attackers will get booked more than the defenders this year, they are a firey lot.

Brevedveldt and Nick Robson will be the last two players signed for the 20, while Manko has to leave after about four weeks. A pity they couldn't scoop Mulligan or Coombes, both who were close to joining.

robson would be a good signing wouldn't he?

Who knows. He wasn't much before he left overseas but then he went superbly by all accounts, bit of an unkwon quantity how he'll go.

WaiBOP moving their home games to Cambridge. Less than pleased.

what sized crowd will they get there?

people complaining about the heartland wairarapa bid and the possibility of playing national league matches in masterton will find this interesting

Why?

I'm guessing the crowd will be less than the numbers they get usually, in part because there's not many dedicated fans in Hamilton to start with - and they're not likely going to do an hour roundtrip to go and watch them play. 

It's largely been driven by the fact that Cambridge will do work for them, get everything ready etc, while at Beetham Park that wasn't going to be an option.

From a selfish perspective, I hate it, as it adds an hour to my trip in which I already have to be there way before kick-off, and the facilities there aren't ideal. It also means that there are no games in Hamilton at all, aka where the core of the franchise is.

I can understand the move to Cambridge. In fact I was half expecting it (or if not Cambridge, then Ngaruawahia).

To use N Bomb's terminology, the problem is actually that there is not really much of a CORE to this franchise... ie a club base nursing it along. 

There is a lot of stuff that has to be done in preparation for a national league match, and you need a certain amount of infrastructure and hands on deck. 

Cambridge as we know it, is well short of what you would expect of a national league venue (imagine NZF were non-plussed but would find it harder to bully a federation than an independent club entity)... Ngaruawahia got complaints and Centennial Park is much more advanced. But then Beetham Park is not really set up either, and at least at Cambridge you have clubrooms.

But beyond infrastructure, you need a certain number of arms and legs to make it happen. The Waikato board is more focused on governance, and doesn't have foot soldiers beyond its paid employees. Beetham Park would have been a huge logistical undertaking on every front.

In Hamilton Melville have Gower Park being dug up and relaid with a sand carpet over summer, Wanderers lost enthusiasm when Cossey got the arse, Claudelands Rovers are Cricket Central over summer.

Anyway, good on Cambridge for stepping up to the plate... out of towners may be interested that one of the driving forces at Cambridge these days is Josh Easby, who was arguably the leading football writer in New Zealand back in the late 70s - now better known as a Radio NZ deputy chairman.

Hopefully Cambridge can use hosting to wrangle some facility development out of local government as Ngaruawahia managed to do in scorign a $100,000 makeover a couple of years back. Wanderers, Melville and Ngaruawahia have all had spells of supporting national league operations over the years. Nice to see a new recruit...

The other good thing is match fee money will be going back into the code, rather than to the Ham City Council, who usually charge way over the odds for Beetham Park.

Pitch is woefull and very small.  Total shithole

Cheers Big T. So much for the grand vision NZF once had for the ASB! I seem to recall covered seating was one initial pre-requisite. Ha! We'll end up playing on disused council tennis courts  at this rate.

my mate who plays for cambridge reckons the changing rooms will be an issue too

but apparently the club are getting stuck in to this and the pitch at least will be much improved

BTW, that was a good summary as always bruce

You may well find the pitch dimensons are actually bigger than Porritt, where Waikato played most matches last season.

But I agree, last time I was out there the surface left a lot to be desired (as did the changing rooms for the type of baggage you have at national league level).

But there you go. Probably closer to the airport than any other ground, mind. 

I'm actually surprised they didn't go to Ngaruawahia, which has always been suitable in the past whenever games have been played there. 

WaiBOP are so keen on taking games around the province - Rotorua, Tauranga etc, and now we are at the point where there are no games in Hamilton. It's not really completely their fault, but it is very annoying from my admittedly biased perspective. 

IMO it's time NZF reconsidered the whole idea of the ASB. If WaiBop can't find a suitable ground in the main population centre of the Waikato/BOP when there are excellent clubs with excellent grounds already in existence in Hamilton; and with Team Wngtn just an extended Mar playing their matches at DF; and with ACFC aka Central-managed firmly based at Kiwitea, and Waitakerie Utd/Waitak City City ditto persisting with Fred Taylor and not Trusts Stadium, and HB Utd really just NPR, and Wairarapa Utd wanting to get in on things and having the drive to do so, and Nelson ditto; and maybe Canty Utd  able to reconfigure as CHCh Utd.; & Otago/Samba South probably able to do same - why not just go back to a club based National League? With the O-League as a major and obvious carrot. And with promo-relegation with the top teams from the regional leagues - East Coast Bays, Wests, Palmy Marist, etc. to keep them (dis)honest?

Because, really, the ASB just isn't what it should be/was intended to be.

I think in some areas the franchises work and are vital for Nat League football in the area. In particular Dunedin and Christchurch. I susppose I wouldn't be opposed to the notion of a club based national league while treating the franchises as clubs.

Was interested to go and watch the new wider ASBP NZ U20's squad beat WaiBoP team 2-1 in a pre season friendly yesterday afternoon at North Harbour Stadium.

The U20's looked good and I think they will really push other ASBP teams.

that's good to hear