Island Bay United AFC

Welcome back to Shark Park everyone, greetings to Kapiti Coast United and Stop Out who arrive for the main games of the day.

One of the great things about living in the bay is bumping into your mates and people you know around the traps. We start today's monologue at Island Bay New World. My brother pulled a me last Monday when we went shopping, and forgot to get something, so in he pops again, so I wait outside. Twiddling my thumbs.

So there I was, busting a yarn with ex IBUAFC shark Anton De Gregorio when along pops one of our oldest friends, Leo Bertos. Holy shark fin soup it was great to see him, the last time being a dinner we held when Perth Glory came over last year, so we quickly organised for him to come and have dinner with us (Stu Dunn, Natalie and my brother Grant gee you knit) on Wednesday night.

Grant was meant to cook, but he decided to leave to visit our father up the coast on Wednesday afternoon, go figure, so it was up to Bertos and myself to source dinner and cook it. True to Island Bay's eyetalian tradition, Spaghetti Bolognese was the order of the night. And may I add I did a very good job. I am biased.

Well, as per usual I was late (last minute guru here folks) to write this weeks instalment of A word from GUNEZ. When our beloved editor, the man with the sleekest mullet ever to grace a human, Paul Muollo advised me it was due Thursday morning, I thought hey why not get a few words from Leo, in what would be a world exclusive first interview in Wellington, just remember you heard it here first folks. After a great evening of banter and food (he ate that much I lost my lunch the next day!) I recalled there was the need to ask him for some pearls of wisdom, so, short on time and with us both in true AWFG style not taking things too seriously here you go, Wellingtons fastest ever football interview, the questions in bold:

So how are you feeling being back home in Wellington, to play football for the Phoenix?
"Ahh". "How can I just answer that in a few words man, that's not fair?" "But yeah, it's so great, I just don't have enough words to describe it"
Which I didn’t foresee when I asked this question, giving him only a couple words per answer, typical me.
And how do you feel doing yet another one of these question and answer interviews
"ha-ha, yeah it's all good you're doing it mate so no worries"
Its great you are staying with family in Island Bay, do you like down this way?
The rather cheeky response was followed by a quick save on his behalf "it's great, real nice area and close to town and training too" Leo saved himself from a $2.50 bus fare straight outta the bay with that save!!
So what's the story with football for you at the present moment?
"I am doing some rehabilitation work at the moment for a hip injury I got whilst at Perth Glory and will join the main squad training in several weeks, there is a long way to go in the season, so it's important to take it day by day, get it right 1st time."
What are your individual and team goals for the season?
"For the team, to qualify for the playoffs and take things from there, individually, well to play a part in ensuring that happens"
And a tip for teenagers aspiring to professional football?
"You need to be committed to being a professional footballer, there are other job options that come up in life, but you must keep focused and work hard at what is required to succeed, I did some real hard yards man."
Favourite restaurant in Wellington?
"Zico"
Best opponents faced, why?
Leo indicates the players we spoke of earlier in the night in a separate conversation. These players were Joe Cole and Jermaine Defoe who were playing for West Ham as he lined up for Barnsley. "Man, these guys were ahead of their time for their age, amazing, doing moves, they had (created) so much time on the ball, it was amazing". After some further reflection Leo states "the most amazing was the Croatian Robert Prosinecki, who was playing for Portsmouth at the time". Actually Leo waxed lyrical about this guy earlier in the night; Prosinecki is regarded as technically the best Croatian footballer of all time. "Also, Kaka was amazing when we played Brazil, but yeah, definitely Prosinecki"
And playing for the All Whites versus Brazil?
"Well I really should have mentioned Cafu to the previous question as well, but you said keep it to a few words" to which I nod. "Yeah he was amazing, I was named at left wing for that game, he was right back, I tell you I played left back for that game, and he right wing!!" Ha, I would have dealt to him no problem buddy.
And will you make it down to watch the Island Bay sharks at all this season?
"Well, if you and Stu are playing, yeah sure why not. Actually I'm keen to keep watching local football, and I am off to Miramar versus Olympic (his old club) on Saturday but yeah sure I will be down during the season."
Cool, cheers bro,
"Sweet, anytime."

So for now, let us Phoenix fans be re-assured that the feeling is good within their camp and Leo is excited to be back playing where it all began for him, catching up with family and old friends and focussing on making a positive impact on the field. His wife Laura will be arriving in a month for her first trip to New Zealand and Leo is eager to show her around our great country. Lining up with the fans on his side this time is something he is really looking forward to, as he said with a laugh "last year they booed every time I touched the ball". I did lament when the conversation turned round to the fact I would have to pay to watch him play this season, to which I received a good deal of stick from him. It's different I argued from paying to watch mates in Team Wellington, in fact it still sits uneasy with me but we did have a good laugh over the matter! Needless to say I will move quickly to buy my season ticket when given the chance!

It is for me, a pleasure to see Leo, Tim Brown, Tony Lochead and Mark Paston who were players I have been lucky enough to play school, rep and senior football with plying their trade as professional footballers in our city. For those out their good enough, the chance is there.

Later in the season we will have a look at the upcoming A League season. Until then I sadly admit Manchester United are and should be Champions of the English League, however Rangers look good for the Scottish title and Team Wellington have the NZFC final this weekend, make sure you tune in to it on T.V. C'mon you lads!

Don’t forget to shark salute all your goals, let the goals flow freely in the attacking column and good luck to all teams this weekend.

Shark Attack!

Labels: april, leo bertos

Kia ora everyone, welcome back to Shark Park. It feels like only a year ago since I last wrote that, which actually was the case.

Football matters are swimmingly Sharktastic this year, be an understatement. The signs are there for a bumper year for the bay, and as per usual 'A word from Gunez' or AWFUG (the U makes the acronym better!) to some, will bring you all the action. It is with sadness my biggest critic and fan Alan Ware will no longer regularly grace the halls of our clubrooms this year, I will however send him a copy. For those who may be new readers, this column has a few semi serious points to make, and a fair bit of tongue in cheek. We make a quiet effort to poke fun at Paul Muollo (who is set to make his 2318th appearance for the 1st team this weekend) myself and a few club personalities every now and then. Names with (Gunez) in brackets after them are the nicknames for some of these people for references sake.

To matters at hand, again, and may I add at no surprise to those in the know either, the committee and volunteer base has done an outstanding job preparing the clubrooms,
organising the various game and weekly based duties. Thank you to Miguel Gaeta and 'the family' for again being on fire with the pre-season preparations, organisations, fluctuations of the initiations and all sorts of machinations that are the myriad of tasks needing completion in order to run this, our fine community football club. In addition, the IBUAFC Junior Club has gone through its registrations and trials. With strong numbers across the range of grades with increasing female participation, the season ahead looks bright for the kids. The Oosterbaan family have done wonders again; the junior system is now flourishing and provides an impressive start to those young and new to the game.

Junior grade co-ordinators are all set up to go, and it's cool to hear Edward Oosterbaan (Goosterbaan) has taken up the co-ordination and facilitation of the PDP programme in 2008. Also, other senior team players are coaching and assisting at Junior Level, their experience and volunteer efforts are what will help us to keep lifting the playing and enjoyment levels for junior footballers from the southern suburbs. Dave Graham will be facilitating afternoon training sessions for junior teams in what I feel is a positive, proactive move forward for the junior club program. At senior level, the club was greeted this year by an explosion of players at pre-season, it was great to see. Dean Holmes (Deano) and Steve Davey (Milky) have a strong squad assembled, importantly with attacking and goal-scoring firepower. Combine this with the youth coming through, sprinkle in the experience of the worlds greatest ex-mulleted warrior, and editor in chief of the match day rag Paul Muollo alongside stalwarts Rodney (Rodknee) Varga and Lee Westlake (Westlife), add National League experience in the form of Nate Winkel, as well as Ish, Zachary Lancaster (Bomber) and the 1st team have a highly competitive team. Let's hope the lads can maintain a high standard throughout the season and really challenge for the league title, as with it comes the chance at qualifying for the Central League.

The 2nd team this year will be trained by George and Tony (T.V.). For the uninitiated this stands for television, as Tony loves watching the box. His favourite show, I don’t know. The combined 2nd and 3rd squads have trained hard and well. For me it is great to see the benefits of the U19 system filtering through to senior level, with a significant number of 1st, 2nd and 3rd team players having come through the system in the last 5 years. It is now up to these lads to really work hard technically, tactically and physically to lift the senior club teams to new heights. All the best to everyone involved here.

Russell Cotton has been assisting in pre season training, and will run the 3rd team squad in 2008. Under Russell’s guidance the 3rd team have a big chance of gaining a league victory if they keep up the quality I saw last Saturday in their first league game vs. Marist. Whilst a 1-1 draw, the team will improve its finishing and quality in the final 3rd, it will be a great learning opportunity for the younger lads and everyone involved, good luck.

We have some experience this year, with the evergreens Paul Muollo, Dave Wiggins, Thurl Gibbs and Eddie Tom (who was 17 when I was born, legend) bringing leadership and plenty game to the party. In a fairytale story, Dave’s stepson Cameron Lidstone (an Island Bay junior and NZ age grade rep, originally trained by none other than Paul Muollo) was in the Wellington College 1st XI squad that lined up in the Hilton Petone final. Neither team really deserved to lose the Hilton Final I feel and kudos to all the players who played a roll in bringing the team all that way. I’m telling people I tried to miss mine, the ball wobbled and bobbled, hit the post and decided to pop in the goal, much to my ACTUAL relief!

We have plenty of pages to fill in the programme this year, so if you can help find material, footy jokes, pictures, poems (ok not poems) etc, please emerge from your shell like a Galapagos Tortoise and join the show! The more content the better!

Good luck to all Island Bay teams in 2008, the Bay is again healthily represented across a number of senior men’s and women’s teams', let the old onion bag bulge on frequent Shark Attack goal scoring feeding frenzy occasions for you. Stay injury free and don’t forget to make the effort to patronage the clubrooms, with its fine food and flowing range of beverages.

Finally, a warm welcome back to Wakefield Park to Lower Hutt AFC, a club whom impress
me with their dedication to building and developing the sport in their region from Junior level upwards. Both teams will be looking for a maximum point start to the season in what will be a highly competitive league.

Shark Attack!

Labels: april