Thursday 19 September 2013

Not Much Left To Say - Round 22, Port vs South, Finals Spot On The Line

So it all comes down to this. We're level on points with Green Gully, who beat Oakleigh 2-0 last night. We have a 1 goal better goal difference, which is effectively a 2 goal better goal difference, since we have scored more goals (seven of them) than Gully, and the advantage is given to teams that score more goals.

After all the mathematical gymnastics of the past few weeks, it's a pretty simple equation now.
  • We win and we're in, to play either Port or Gully in an elimination final.
  • If we draw, we need Gully to draw or lose.
  • If we lose, we need Gully to lose, and hope the difference between our losses isn't more than two goals in their favour.
Of the little I've seen of Port - their home games against Dandenong Thunder and Bentleigh Greens, and the footage of their win against us smack bag in the middle of the South Crisis 2013 (a game I wasn't able to attend) - they have been ordinary. And yet they've kept racking up points, to the point where a draw will see them through to the finals.

Honestly, I'm bad at these previews at the best of times. With such a cut-throat one off game, I'm even more nervous, especially as we'll also be watching over our shoulder (and at our phones) for updates from the Gully-Thunder contest.

Perhaps the cruelest irony would be if we kept our first clean sheet in ages in a 0-0 draw, with Gully winning by any margin at all.

NPL Victoria - Mediate This!
A mediation session was held yesterday. Apparently it didn't go too well, and we'll be heading off to the courts on Monday.

There are rumours and innuendo circulating that the 'ethnic' and 'wog' angles were brought up by FFV person(s) during the meeting.


If true, that's not cool on its own terms, but it will also reinforce the animosity between the two sides.

There is also talk that the FFV is planning on using the Knox Regional Football Facility for one of its NPL franchises, which people are suggesting goes against an agreement they have with the Knox council.

The good news is, if you can call it that, that I have a day off on Monday, and will therefore endeavour to head out to the court to see what's going on.
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5 comments:

  1. Unknown23 September 2013 at 13:29

    Would be wrong to have argued on racial lines, if indeed the FFV did so. The tweet you cite is from a person I have seen trolling the Facebook pages of NPLV applicants in less than flattering terms – so I won’t put too much stock in it. There, from a diversity perspective, remains a much better line of argument for the FFV anyway, namely the inclusion of regional victoria and state-wide pathways for all pleayers. If true, it was very silly of the FFV do argue this point, particularly in a non-binding forum. There was literally nothing to be gained from any argument - let alone a racist one!

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  2. Anonymous23 September 2013 at 16:26

    Justin..unfair assessment of the tweet by a person involved in the whole process.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown23 September 2013 at 17:14

      I saw what Nic (or someone opperating a Facebook site purporting to be Nic?) posted on an NPLV applicant's Facebook page on 4 August. The post is now deleted, but their responce to Nic of "Nic off" is still there.

      I can't unsee Nic's post, and it has coloured my view of his ability to provide a 'good faith' or accurate description of the mediation process.

      I, of course, acknowledge Nic's deep, ongoing and commited involvement in this dispute.

      Delete
  3. Nicholas Tsiaras23 September 2013 at 20:58

    Justin...the man himself replying now...think you were talking on the Surf Cost Page, happened to be an article from the local paper having the sponsorship request from council declined. I have been banned on the FFV facebook page also for posting articles from local papers and various websites for public consumption. Trolling is not my choice of words...maybe more so putting out there all available media.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown24 September 2013 at 12:55

      Not an unreasonable responce Nic, and in a spirit of compromise I retract 'trolling' and say 'somewhat provactive posting'?). As someone who cares about the game I, like you, want the best for it - even if we have slightly different views about how to get there! Regardless - the appropriate wheels are revolving to get the 'show back on the road'.

      Delete

A few notes on comments.

We've had a lot of fun over the years with my freewheeling comments policy, but all good things must come to an end. Therefore I will no longer be approving comments that contain personal abuse of any sort.

Still, if your post doesn't get approved straight away, it's probably because I haven't seen it yet.

As usual, publication of a comment does not mean endorsement of its content.

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