The Good Kind of Anti-Climax - Port Melbourne 0 South Melbourne 4

Two things. The first is that Port will feel stooged by the week's events for a very long time to come. Considering that they themselves had done nothing wrong, and that they had earned enough points to apparently secure a finals berth with a week to spare, only to be brought back into the finals mire in such a manner, would be pretty hard to take.

But there's also the other thing. From the little I've seen of them this season, Port have been a very ordinary side. Defensively sound perhaps, but woeful going forward, to the point where they were barely scoring more than a goal a game. That alone doesn't mean they should have missed out on the finals, but in my imagination it did make it easier for me to want to see them eliminated from the finals race.

Indeed, all Port needed was a draw from yesterday's match to make it through to the finals. Yet they were cut open repeatedly by a fired up South, while the home team put in what I would consider one of their standard 'meh' performances.

The first surprise of the day was that captain Brad Norton was dropped for Alan Kearney. A risky move perhaps, but initially there didn't seem to be any issues, except for Gully typically taking the lead at home to Dandenong Thunder, which neither Norton nor Kearney could have done anything about. Tyson Holmes' met Nick Epifano's cross with his head to make it 1-0 to South soon after that news, so while things were on a knife edge, at least we trying to hold up our end of the bargain.

Port started to get into the game towards the end of the half, and had one or two chances, but it all comes down to probabilities. Sure, you could score two goals from three chances (and how many times has that happened against us in recent times), but can you seriously go through a whole season of doing that? After a bit of a surge after halftime, Port were basically done and dusted for this game.

Still, we needed a little bit of luck to make things work. That came after Port's keeper made a save which ended up deflecting onto the outstretched arm of one of the defenders on the goal line, with the ref awarding a penalty. Port's keeper tried to argue the point, but even he eventually had to acknowledge that it was a penalty. Trent Rixon ripped the ball from Luke Hopper's grasp, and put the ball underneath the diving Port keeper to make it 2-0.

"What happens when a journo covers the local game properly."
 Photo: Ian Syson

Soon after, key Port man Lambros Honos was sent off, and when Rixon nabbed his second from a spilled shot, we were through to the finals. The celebration, pointing to our very own stats man and telling him to put that down on the records was pretty clever. For good measure, late on Rixon sent in a wonderful cross to substitute Brad Norton at the back post, who headed home emphatically, adding to his impressive goal scoring tally this season.

So, four goals, a first clean sheet under Chris Taylor - and our first since about round 8 - and a bit of miracle escape from that mid season madness that threatened to tear apart the fabric of the club. Now it all starts again.

Not Steve From Broady's Under 21s Report
Steve decided to go drinking before the game at one of the local pubs, so it was left to me to watch this game. Port had their keeper sent off in unusual and unfortunate circumstances. After a mistake in the home team's defence, a South player collected the ball outside the area and faced a one on one situation with the keeper. Unfortunately, he hit it straight into the keeper. Fortunately for South however, the keeper caught the ball outside his area, and was duly sent off.

Port decided to use and outfield player as a keeper, and South didn't make the most of this until the second half. Indeed they found themselves 1-0 down at halftime. In due time however, South eventually ran over the top of the 10 man Port Melbourne and their inexperienced replacement goalkeeper to win 4-1.

Much of the first half was spent listening to Oakleigh Harismidis. Man, that guy has a complicated home life, but all the best to him anyway. The second half was spent eating jellybeans and some sort boiled kiwi fruit and manuka honey lollies that Gains brought back from a recent trip to New Zealand.

Steve From Broady's Canteen Report
Sunday was the last day of the season in the Victorian Premier League canteen championship, and Port was the last canteen left to rate. Expectations were high at SS Anderson Reserve with the Port souv having some serious potential. The souv was in pita which is always a good start. There wasn't much lettuce in the souv and the meat was good but also not much of it. I give the Port souv an 8 out of 10. With Port missing out on the 10 that means that Pascoe Vale have been crowned the inaugural Victorian Premier League Canteen Champions. I would like to thank all canteens involved this season and can't wait for next seasons championship.

1. Pascoe Vale 10/10
2. Melbourne Knights 9.9/10
3. Oakleigh Cannons 9.5/10
4. Hume City 8/10
5. Port Melbourne 8/10
6. Bentleigh Greens 7/10
7. Richmond 6.5/10
8. Northcote City 3.5/10
9. Southern Stars 2/10
10. Green Gully 1/10
11. Dandenong DQ 

South food truck

• Week 1 - 4.5/10
• Week 2 - 7/10
• Week 3 - 8.5/10
• Week 4 - 5/10
• Week 5 - 5.5/10
• Week 6 - 9/10
• Week 7 - 6/10
• Week 8 - 7.5/10
• Week 9 - 8/10
• Week 10 - 9/10
• Week 11 - 8/10

Final Average Score

• 7/10

90 Minute Celebrities
Even though the view is shithouse, there's something about being behind the goals that makes a game a lot more enjoyable, and part of that something is when the fans decide to pay attention to one or two of the players from the opposing team. The keeper is always a prime target of course, especially in yesterday's case where he wouldn't take his own goal kicks.

But the real star yesterday was Port's rightback Peter Roberts, who took a lot of those goal kicks. You may recall that a few weeks ago Roberts was involved with a nasty spat with some Knights fans. For whatever reason, he responded much better to the heckling of the South fans, which varied from several 'fat cunt' chants to songs about how South should sign him up.

30 Second Celebrities
Now the last time I visited Port Melbourne (see the link immediately above), I was given some rather minor grief for not paying at the gate by one of the security peeps, even though I had a valid FFV season pass. This time there were no such issues with security. However, I did cop grief from some Port Melbourne - well, I'd call him an official, but he had no identifying clothing or marking - who I assume thought I had managed to elude the crack security squad at the front gate and got in for free (this actually happened to Steve from Broady at Olympic Village a couple of years ago, by complete accident).

Rather than cause a a fuss, I showed him my card, and he looked at it in wonder and confusion. I moved on, annoyed that I have to cop this kind of attitude which doesn't even happen at Altona East anymore. Lift your fucken game, Port.

MVP Night
Good old Beachcomber, my favourite eatery in the known universe, after the vending machines at Spencer Street Station, of course. The pizza was good, even if it was necessary to eat from the couches because there weren't enough proper tables set up.

For the record, Rixon scored the most goals, Brian Bran won the media team's award, and Peter Gavalas was awarded the Theo Marmaras medal for best player. Steve From Broady also spoke about the VPL Canteen Championship. No mention of a certain blog in that presentation, which considering how hard I tried to save his life by telling him NOT TO EAT THE DAMN HOT DOG at Green Gully in round 1, and having him apparently 'this' close to spewing in my car, is what I consider a small oversight. It's a good thing I'm not bitter by nature and don't hold grudges easily.

In that regard, it was interesting to hear Chris Taylor pay tribute to the work done in assembling the squad to Peter Tsolakis.

Next Week
Green Gully at Lakeside on Sunday evening.

Around the Grounds
I had been roped in to play for a team competing in the SMFC Corporate Challenge. I was told that the starting time was 'around 12', but then that got changed to 9am, and I had to politely decline the invitation. So it was off to Burnley Oval to watch the last round of the State League 2 N/W home and away season. The championship, playoff and relegation spots had already been sorted out, so the match between Fitzroy City and Altona East was really nothing more than a chance for some late season glory (and win bonus).

Altona East's reserves won the opening match 2-1. It was nice to see their regular goalkeeper Nathan Debattista get a go playing outfield, and he even managed to provide an assist for one of Altona East's goals. The seniors finished 1-0 to East, probably the right result after a pretty crappy game on a low key Saturday afternoon.

Pave Jusup vs Football Federation Victoria
Being no legal expert, I will try and keep this as short and simple as possible, with as little ephemeral comment as I can manage.

The mediation session last week having failed to sort out the issues between the two sides, we found ourselves today at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, as the sort of main bout after an under-card of mostly cut and dried taxation cases. The main issue at hand was about the plaintiffs' attempt to try and get this case heard in the Supreme Court rather than in the Magistrates Court.

As I understood it, there were essentially two arguments being made simultaneously by both sides. The first was the legal argument, that is, which part of the law should take precedence in this matter; hence lots of quoting of 'subsection so and so' and arguing about which words and which interpretations of those words should take precedence. I think the main part of the law being dealt with was the Corporations Act, with the plaintiffs trying to argue the point of oppression, and the matter of there being no provision for members of the FFV to call a general meeting under the current constitution.

The second aspect of the arguments was more rhetorical in nature, in the attempts by both sides to frame the issue to their liking. In this case, it was mainly centred around how big this issue between the two sides is. The plaintiffs argued that the dispute encompassed and had ramifications for the whole of Victorian soccer, while those representing the FFV sought to portray it as a spat between the FFV and the VPL clubs, and therefore not worthy of being taken to the Supreme Court.

The lawyer for the plaintiffs spoke at length, while the lawyer representing the FFV spoke for a relatively brief amount of time. The plaintiffs argued that there was a possibility of seeking to wind up the FFV (as part of the remedies one could ask for or have offered in such a situation, and which can only happen in the Supreme Court), as well as to possibly gain access to the very large amounts of information on NPL Victoria held internally at the FFV. The FFV argued that while they did not outrightly oppose the matter heading to the Supreme Court, the oppression case could be held in the Magistrates Court.

The interim result is that the magistrate will hand down his decision on whether the matter will go on to the Supreme Court, on the morning of October 7th, via fax.

Finally, there has been some talk around the traps that these court proceedings will prevent the FFV from announcing the successful licensees for next year's NPL on this coming Monday - I do not know if this is true or not though.

Final Thought
Happy Third Birthday To Football Anarchy!

PODCAST - 3 Years of FA Part 1 hosted by @muzza_85 with special guest @ecpkoko , @TedMulder1 gets a shout out too http://t.co/k5SsAF9M2u
— Football Anarchy (@FutballAnarchy) September 23, 2013

Vale Ian Marshall (12 February 1949-13 March 2012)

With thanks to Roy Hay for providing the news and obituary.

Ian Marshall died on 13 March 2012 in Christchurch, New Zealand after a long battle with cancer. Ian was a key member of the South Melbourne Hellas midfield in the 1970s, playing alongside Jimmy Armstrong, Peter Bourne, John Bedford and Steve Walker. He helped South Melbourne to the State League championship in 1972 and 1974. He was selected in an Australian squad but did not take the field in an international match. From Hellas he joined Juventus and then went to New Zealand, from where his wife, Christine, hailed.

Ian Marshall was born in Ross-shire in Scotland and started his senior career with the local club Ross County in Dingwall. He was spotted by Tommy Docherty when he was managing Chelsea and the ebullient Scottish manager intended to take the young man to London. However a serious leg injury kept Marshall out of the game for some time. By the time he was back on the top line, Dockerty had left Chelsea so the big move never came about, and Ian Marshall played for some time with Rotherham under Docherty. In 1970, however, he made an even bigger move, when he was recruited by South Melbourne. Marshall and Peter Bourne hit it off in the midfield and Laurie Schwab in 1972 wrote, they ‘look and play as if they were brothers’ knocking off league leader George Cross at Middle Park in front of 11,000 fans and rarely allowing their opponents John Gardiner and Kevin Walker a sniff of the ball. South won that game four-nil. The arrival of Jimmy Mackay from Sydney in 1975 probably limited Marshall’s opportunities and he moved on. At Juventus he played with Jim Armstrong, Jack Reilly and Pat Della Rocca. In New Zealand he continued to play and coach and was involved with the national team, the All Whites. He was an inaugural inductee in the South Melbourne Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife Christine, son Callum and twin daughters Alana and Vanessa.

I am indebted to Robert Levene and Jim Armstrong for assistance with this tribute.

The Laurie Schwab and Les Shorrock collections at Deakin

Today I traveled down with Ian Syson to Deakin University's Waterfront campus to be shown around the Les Shorrock and Laurie Schwab collections by Roy Hay. This was part of work being done with the FFV's historical committee, which I'm now a part of, as well as part of work which may help South related historical research.

The collection of photographs and other materials is quite substantial. Most of these photos are in black and white, and date from the 1970s onwards. They are arranged in some sort of alphabetical order, but they are not indexed in any way. Therefore one may find, as we did, a photo of John Kosmina grabbing an opponent by the throat (A-League supporters may note some sort of irony there), but with no identification of said opponent. Still, those obstacles can be overcome by cross referencing with other materials.

More problematic are the complex copyright and ownership rights, which make it difficult for the general soccer public to access and utilise this treasure trove for its own efforts at historical preservation and education. There are few digitised elements of these collections, and unless the ownership and related preservation issues are resolved, the usefulness of the archives may well be restricted to those in academic circles, who can make use of the rules allowing access and creation  of duplicates for research purposes.

Hopefully a mutually beneficial solution can be found.

Murney, Schwab, Nestoridis and International Jewry

So me and Ian Syson went out to Hugh Murney's place today, to talk about Max Sterne, the noted Australian stamp dealer and oldest registered soccer player in the state still going at 80 something (and not the Italian vet who developed an anthrax vaccine), but as sometimes happens we ended up going off on a few tangents, and we got to learn a fair a bit about Hugh's football story. And soccer-forum got a mention as well, for the North Caulfield on Sundays saga, whereby every team that plays against North Caulfield Maccabi must play even their home games on Sundays.

For those like myself, unfamiliar with Hugh Murney, he was a Scottish footballer who came out here to play for Hakoah in the mid 1960s after having played all over the place in Scotland, and then also played or coached at many places, and so I enjoyed having my knowledge of obscure and now defunct Melbourne soccer teams validated, as we talked about Albion Rovers (before the Turks took over), Kew Park Rangers, Sunshine City etc. One of those rare occasions where all that time spent working on OzFootball didn't go waste.

And we also talked about the great characters he's met along the way, Eddie McGuire tucking into a Scottish breakfast at Hugh's pub before the Scotland/Australia game in the 1980s, Manchester United, England and Scotland touring teams, with plenty of stories about drinking and tongue in cheek jokes about the meanness of the Scots and the Jews. And an unprompted bit about Kostas Nestoridis, and him scoring two goals from corners in one game, after having been drinking and playing cards the previous night until well into the next morning. Oh, and Footy Show (co)creator Harvey Silver's involvement in local Jewish football.

There's a hell of a story in there, or at least, hundreds of anecdotes worth collecting and preserving. But he gave us the name of one bloke writing a book, called Michael O'Hara, who's written this bizarre book about his time in MI6, of which the segment I've chosen talks about the great Hakoah side of the mid 1960s, and some other stuff. Fascinating game, Australian soccer.