August 30, 2007
University to leave the SPL?
There is some strong information coming through that University’s continued involvement at the Southern Premier League is tenuous at best. Personally speaking that does not come as any great surprise if in fact it is grounded in fact. Anyone watching Uni over the last few weeks could see the real desire and ability to compete at the highest level is waning. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a huge amount of pride associated with this club but while the heart maybe willing, the flesh (bones, ligaments & cartilage) is weak.
The retirement of Rappa and the ability of the marvelous Sheppy & Horace to continue grinding out appearances on a match by match basis must becoming increasingly difficult. Then there is the likes of Alexis Bull who has succumbed to osteitis pubis (a long term injury prospect), and numerous others who struggle to put in two-three consecutive matches must be demoralising.
So if University does remove themselves from the SPL what will this mean for the league? Will it mean both Beachside & Metro participate regardless of the playoff result?
There is also persistent rumours that University will run a ‘Chickenfeed’ (everything cheap as chips) social league. Will this be a league open to only Uni members or will they open it to social clubs? If they choose the latter how will this impact on FFT’s league structure?
Nice start to the off season.
Have no real information about SPL but re the so called ” chickenfeed comp ” would not surprise at all , would expect that it would be open to uni members ( believe they would then be covered by Uni insurance ) could have up to 10 teams given numbers - do they really need FFT - have own grounds - no doubt would use own refs and save themselves a bucket load of money!!
Some may well say it is being driven by the desire to shake up the competition structure ,….
Comment by sent off — August 30, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
Have heard all these rumours before several times of recent years.
However if they are true Uni could confirm them by following the lead of Burnie United . When it wanted out of the Old state league they simply fortfeit their last league matches of the season and were duly demoted.
Perhaps Uni could argue it doesnt have sufficent resources to play its match this weekend against Metro or to stay in the PL in 2008 due to
little ready access to under 19 players etc
Then they could easily slide back to Div 1 and make way for the planned 8 team Premier league by having Metro,Taroona and Beachside playing off for position 8…
As for the no frills social league would certainly have appeal..sounds a little like a vikings futsal in the making.
Comment by interested spectator — August 30, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
Woud be a sad day if University followed this path from a team that used to be at the height of the Premier League winning all before them. I hope for one they hang around and promote strong linkages with The University, Hutchins and Schools in the Mount Nelson/Sandy Bay area.
Comment by D Train — August 30, 2007 @ 2:06 pm
What a great idea, good luck to Uni of this is true will have to enroll for the insurance in a few years and “cross over”
Comment by bpullen — August 30, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
interested spectator, wouldn’t the three teams playing off for 8th spot be Beachside, Metro and NTE based on this years results…..
Comment by overme — August 30, 2007 @ 4:28 pm
I havent heard these rumours as of yet and i have been at uni for the past 2 seasons. The huge demise from last seasons competetive university outfit to this years meager showing is a tad disheartening. The team is constantly changing and some days a full seniors team doesnt even show up to the match and players are asked to back up for seniors after the reserves game. The large number of injuries has cost us and i think uni are really starting to feel the pinch of having no junior program in place to help ensure the consistancy of the club. Back when they had the hutchins 1st XI was playing as their under 19 team for university they should have worked something out so to help retain more of these players to move up in the uni ranks after finishing at school. This lack of young talent has led to the current seasons struggles as the club has been forced to extend themselves due to a severe lack of upcoming young players. Hopefully they can work something out with a school such as hutchins to help urge the large amount of talent that flows through the school to lace them up for university in the near future.
As it stands uni are being made to play the final match V Metro as metro didnt wish to have the game called off. Uni will most likely feild a different team to that it finished the season with as its somewhat up to players wheather they wish to play in this game.
Comment by winter — August 30, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
Winter
let me put this to you. You are about to play in the relegation contest. Your opponent has the advantage of continuity because they play a catch up game this week. Your sweeper has a red card which will be served after the Uni game. Your playing for your Premier League future. Do you reckon you would MAKE Metro play ????
The decision on what YOUR club does with YOUR players is up to you I don’t think Metro would particulary give a hoot what you do. We WANT to stay in SPL.
What would you do if there were still finals and this was the 1st week of them ?
Comment by metbrigade — August 30, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
It would be a shame to see Uni go by the way winter but the observations you make about Hutchins and their lack of attention to this are relevant. Would much prefer to see them in the system than out of it.
Comment by GJ — August 30, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
I dont disagree with Metro’s reasons for wanting to play the game in the slightest, if i was in that situation all the match practice before the relegation match would be more than welcome. Its just been a very long year for the Uni boys with a lot tired legs.
Oh and as for the topic of this discussion i was informed that University would not be leaving the league any time soon. So u will see the uni boys round for a few years to come Hopefully with an influx of youth to bolster the club.
Comment by winter — August 30, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
A couple of observations to add to this thread:
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GJ - The Hutchins School are a law unto themselves mate. The only analogy I can give is Gunns and Lennon! They never had (and I doubt ever will) consider one of their pupils’ opportunities above their school. The only exception in recent times was Ben Crosswell. He was registered with two different clubs at the same time.
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And pending any input from the Uni. guys I’ll add this, which may be more pertinent. Since Eric Abetz’s scrapping of the University’s union fees all University groups (sporting, childcare, support and so on) will now have to pay to continue to use the facilities they’ve been accustomed to for years. Instead of financial assistance from the TUU all of these groups will have to pay rent. Utas may actually have to sell Olinda Grove!
Comment by the blues at midnight — August 31, 2007 @ 12:11 am
Interested spectator has been exposed..Should have been a little more interested in the last round of the PL and its ramifications to the ladder.
As overme correctly points out NTE Metro and Beachside would play off for spot 8..but as Uni appears not to be going anywhere its not relevant.
As for statewide cup…Nelson and Somerset to take the double league and cup..
Comment by interested spectator — August 31, 2007 @ 6:26 am
I cannot understand University’s attitude to the Metro match. I just can’t believe that players don’t want to play an extra game. In my time as a player, we hated games being cancelled at the end of the season because, for example, there was nothing riding on it. We just wanted to play. The more games, the better.
Don’t the players today love the game? Or is it just that there are so many other things to do? If that is the case, then they should never play at Premier League level. They should play in the social leagues and leave the Premier League to the guys who take their soccer a little more seriously.
Comment by Scribe — August 31, 2007 @ 9:53 am
You cant blame Uni for being upset over the nature of the second game but they need to move on and get over it and just play the game out to the best of their ability.Doesnt set a good example for their club if they just whinge and dont take it half seriously.
On the subject of an ‘extra game’, Olympic played the State Under 15s last night and bar one or two players had virtually a full strength squad.
Comment by Juice — August 31, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Point was after season extra game were its not deemed as training.
Playing again next week for game 2
Comment by Juice — August 31, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
…and as for injuries and depleted squads I’m not sure why Uni is made to look like they are worst off. Metro have key players suspended as well as injured and have had a leaner year than Uni as. But has anyone from Metro complained?
The fact of the matter is that the game has been rescheduled, the game will be played, and the best team on the day will win. I have no doubt that Uni will field it’s best side and that they will want to win the match as much as Metro, and that not one single player in the SPL plays to to watch the other team win.
It’s plain and simple dis-respectful to all players to suggest otherwise.
Comment by The_lads_got_talent — August 31, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
…those are all valid points for why Metro stands to benefit from the game, but more importantly, the reason why the match is taking place (again) has nothing to do with Kent’s suspension or the relegation play-off, but rather a decision which was made several matches before any relegation issues where even in the picture. I think to suggest otherwise is twisting the facts, along with the time-space contium - which should never be messed with in the first place as it can create worm holes - and we certainly don’t need those at this curcial point in the season do we?
Comment by The_lads_got_talent — August 31, 2007 @ 9:27 pm
Two of you quotes BJ (from responses to earlier posts):
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“The fact remains, the laws of the game were not adhered to therefore the game MUST be replayed. NO ONE had a choice in that matter.”
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“It’s any wonder Metro are so insistent on the game being played but they are very much within the rights to do so.”
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You can’t have it both ways mate!
Comment by tasblue — August 31, 2007 @ 9:32 pm
You can plainly see what my “wormholes” theory eluded to . You can’t cut and paste past events to make an argument - it’s like saying a butterlfy flapping it’s wings in Tokyo causes an earthquake in Mexico. Now we wouldn’t want earthquakes at this crucial point in the season now do we?
Comment by The_lads_got_talent — August 31, 2007 @ 10:36 pm
No BJ it ain’t Feb. already. Just decided to plough through A League (responses zero), EPL (responses zero) something else (responses 1) and found something about Tassie stuff! Without scrolling down two pages. Brilliant. 90 something posts on the last SPL subject? Concentrate.
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I never went away (sorry about that whomever wished me good riddance), just posted under another name. I’ve enjoyed Lionheart’s input since being red carded too! It’s a great blogsite for Tassie football but the software sucks. I’d prefer to reply to messages posted by others than the board mod!
Comment by tasblue — August 31, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
Glad to see you have a sense of humour BJ.
Keep up the good work promoting the game in Tassie (and even elsewhere). Promise I won’t post after 11 pm from now on! No ‘firey’ responses - they’ve been hosed down.
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I’ll email yer!
Comment by tasblue — September 1, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
Blues…I was not trying to say that Hutchins WERE easy to get on with…Only that Uni tried to take an easy option rather than raise their own juniors. The fact that they tried Hutchins who are so diofficult shows a further lack of good planning.
Comment by GJ — September 4, 2007 @ 9:44 pm