One could argue that I'm here to provide a public service. But at the same time, the AGMs are for members only, so why should we spill all the beans to those who aren't members of the club, or who can't be bothered making the effort to turn up?
Anyway, yes, the Australia Day long weekend was a crap time to host this delayed event, but the turnout was still made up of pretty much exactly the same people you'd normally expect to see, give or take a couple of people on holidays and one or two who slept in and missed it.
Money
The club recorded its first profit since the Brazil adventure. There was no applause for this milestone. A sign of maturity from the members?
Social Club
Will it be ready by the time they want? Have to wait until FA Cup night. Here's hoping for a Brentford vs Luton final.
Women
The club as usual claims progress is being made. I get the feeling that the two parties are still on very different wavelengths.
National Competitions Review
Not much change from the last time we talked about this. The FFV and FFA insist it will go ahead in 2014. Off the record, one proponent suggests that most of the VPL clubs acknowledge this fact, and that they are beginning to at least consider applying for an 'elite' licence. George Koukoulas, who is a member of the FFV men's standing committee, claims the opposite, that most of the clubs are still fundamentally opposed. South claims it is prepared for either eventuality. The FFV comes put with its next stage of recommendations and and possibly bidding process information in two weeks.
Vote Early, Vote Often
An election is due at the next AGM. Unlike all the post-NSL elections, which have seen no rival tickets showing their hand (despite murmurings at the time that there would be), we could see some more action for two reasons.
Firstly, this will be the first elections after the FFV's constitutional reforms which saw players and parents of junior players added automatically to the list of people who can vote. In our case, we have been assured in previous AGMs that these people will only be eligible to run for SMFC and not SMH (the SC got dropped off the end of SMHSC at the previous AGM)
Secondly, there is the obvious dissatisfaction with the current regime shown by former(?) board members George Koukoulas and Lucky Chrisomalidis. Will this be enough to get them to start their own ticket? And who would be on it? Whatever happens, I hope that there is at least some sort of opposition, not because I think the current board are doing a bad job, but just to see a different set of ideas so we can weigh them against what we have now.
Ruthlessness
The club needs to be more ruthless in vetting who is a member and who isn't, and in which meeting they should be in, and if they should in a meeting at all. Having the SMFC and SMH AGMs on separate days seems like an obvious solution to at least one of these issues.
Apparently Melbourne Knights are far more thorough with their arrangements, not even allowing notes to be taken (there goes my question sheet!) and all documents given out during a meeting to be returned at the end of the meeting - and if that doesn't happen, no one goes home. Sounds like another level of fun to be added.
Not Around The Grounds
I was disappointed with the representatives of the football department, when it came to explaining their attitudes towards going to watch other VPL and state league matches.
You see representatives of other clubs at grounds all the time, in their thick, club branded tracksuit jackets. I even made the quip (which got a few laughs!) that I see Heidelberg coach George Katsakis at so many games that I sometimes think he's stalking me.
Yes, I have no life, and that is why I can be seen at 1-2 games a weekend which don't involve South. But I would expect to see South football department people at other games every now and again, instead of rarely. It's not just about scouting players and reconnaissance - it's about being seen mingling with the hoi polloi. It may not mean that we won't be seen as aloof, but at least they'll see us being aloof.
Farewell, Steve O'Dor
The rumour circulating during the off-season has been confirmed - Steve O'Dor has apparently retired, at least from VPL football. Work commitments appear to have taken their toll.
The Best Question
Someone, I assume new to this whole experience, asked about a rumour he read on the internet about whether we were going to take over Melbourne Heart. This is what happens when you let your children read FourFourTwo forums unsupervised.
Showing posts with label Steve O'Dor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve O'Dor. Show all posts
Monday, 28 January 2013
Friday, 23 December 2011
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Rama Rumours Run Rampant
So the story's going something like this.
Eddie Krncevic has stripped the captaincy off Ramazan Tavsancioglu and given it to Steven O'Dor, for reasons which have not emerged yet in any official capacity. Since then, the situation has deteriorated so much that Rama is out of the side altogether. Rama is a free agent and assessing his options - with a return to South under Eddie's tenure almost impossible. Naturally this has set off a massive torrent of support for Rama and a heap of abuse against Eddie Krncevic and the board. But it's never so cut and dried.
Eddie's appointment as coach was not a universally popular one. His previous stint at the club back in the NSL days ended in controversy, with rumours of transfer impropriety, which it must be noted, have never been definitively established in the public sphere. More recently, with his work as a player agent, it has been assumed that he would try and get work for some of his clients, even though as a coach he can no longer be an agent. Bringing over his son Jesse, despite Jesse's undoubted quality as a striker and our desperate need for one, is just another target to aim at for his detractors.
In his first stint as coach at South, Eddie took over after Mike Peterson upped and left for the Football Kingz - Eddie was left with a weakened squad, and after the betrayal of a favourite son, was granted a bit of leniency. For his second stint as as coach at South, Eddie has replaced Vaughan Coveny, whose contract was not renewed. This time will not be easier. Of course, Horsey is a 'club legend', and all sorts of rumours started about how he was treated poorly by the club. All this ignores the fact that the style of football we played was atrocious, regardless of earning enough points to finish in the finals.
Add in the anti-board agendas of several groups, of whom few have had the temerity to actually say something at an AGM, where they did actually attend; the fact that before this situation started, half the Greeks of soccer-forum.net and even some non-Greeks wondered how a 'Greek' club could have a Turk as captain, a tune which has now changed to focusing on the club's apparent betrayal of Rama. And lastly for now, the fact that Rama's uncle was providing sponsorship to the club as well, and it keeps getting worse and worse.
Now if Eddie's goal was to stamp his authority on the team - and I seriously hope it was - he's seriously messed up this situation. If it's merely a case of not rating Rama as a player, Eddie has obviously gone about conveying that message in the worst possible manner, and it has only emboldened those who had him as a marked man even when his appointment as coach was still an internet rumour. It's also interesting to note that Rama has still been appearing at our Hellenic Cup fixtures, while at the same time also acknowledging that the rest of the squad has not risen up in rebellion against Eddie's decisions and processes. Why this is the case, I do not know.
For what it's worth, I like Rama. He seems to genuinely care about the club, has improved his disciplinary record a great deal, and the players generally seem to look up at him. However, there is also the playing side, which I;'ve felt for some time hasn't improved significantly. His crossing is still very poor, which nullifies his effectiveness as an overlapping player. And he's still having difficulty judging balls going over his head, as well as getting dragged towards the middle far too often. But Eddie's also cut James Stefanou and Eddie Cetkin from the side, meaning that experienced defensive stocks are thin on the ground, and that perhaps Eddie's squad management and people skills aren't exactly crash hot.
Should Rama not return this season, will it mean more opportunities for players from our youth squad, such as Josh Colosimo and James Riccobene? I certainly hope so. Krncevic, as coach of Carlton, despite having a large budget for which to purchase high profile players, which he certainly did, also gave opportunities to young players such as Marco Bresciano, Simon Colosimo and Vince Grella. Several young players have been trialled against the lesser likes in the pre-season, and our under 21s did of course cruise to the title last season, playing some attractive football. And isn't this what having sttrong junior sides is all about? Using them to rebuild and replace without needing to shop around?
I'd say this is going to be fun, but it obviously won't be. Once upon a time this club even sacked Paul Wade, who was the Socceroo captain at the time. In part this was because the coach at the time, Frank Arok, felt Paul Wade wasn't up to it any more; and surely an additional reason would have been because Arok wanted to create his own group with new leadership. I hope that this is what Eddie has been aiming for, and that his methods are proven right. Getting rid of a captain and player with several years at the one club is never easy, and Eddie's success and legacy may well rest on this issue alone. The old maxim that no player, no coach and no fan is bigger than the club is about to get a massive work out.
Meanwhile, I'm going to be in my bomb shelter until this thing blows over.
Eddie Krncevic has stripped the captaincy off Ramazan Tavsancioglu and given it to Steven O'Dor, for reasons which have not emerged yet in any official capacity. Since then, the situation has deteriorated so much that Rama is out of the side altogether. Rama is a free agent and assessing his options - with a return to South under Eddie's tenure almost impossible. Naturally this has set off a massive torrent of support for Rama and a heap of abuse against Eddie Krncevic and the board. But it's never so cut and dried.
Eddie's appointment as coach was not a universally popular one. His previous stint at the club back in the NSL days ended in controversy, with rumours of transfer impropriety, which it must be noted, have never been definitively established in the public sphere. More recently, with his work as a player agent, it has been assumed that he would try and get work for some of his clients, even though as a coach he can no longer be an agent. Bringing over his son Jesse, despite Jesse's undoubted quality as a striker and our desperate need for one, is just another target to aim at for his detractors.
In his first stint as coach at South, Eddie took over after Mike Peterson upped and left for the Football Kingz - Eddie was left with a weakened squad, and after the betrayal of a favourite son, was granted a bit of leniency. For his second stint as as coach at South, Eddie has replaced Vaughan Coveny, whose contract was not renewed. This time will not be easier. Of course, Horsey is a 'club legend', and all sorts of rumours started about how he was treated poorly by the club. All this ignores the fact that the style of football we played was atrocious, regardless of earning enough points to finish in the finals.
Add in the anti-board agendas of several groups, of whom few have had the temerity to actually say something at an AGM, where they did actually attend; the fact that before this situation started, half the Greeks of soccer-forum.net and even some non-Greeks wondered how a 'Greek' club could have a Turk as captain, a tune which has now changed to focusing on the club's apparent betrayal of Rama. And lastly for now, the fact that Rama's uncle was providing sponsorship to the club as well, and it keeps getting worse and worse.
Now if Eddie's goal was to stamp his authority on the team - and I seriously hope it was - he's seriously messed up this situation. If it's merely a case of not rating Rama as a player, Eddie has obviously gone about conveying that message in the worst possible manner, and it has only emboldened those who had him as a marked man even when his appointment as coach was still an internet rumour. It's also interesting to note that Rama has still been appearing at our Hellenic Cup fixtures, while at the same time also acknowledging that the rest of the squad has not risen up in rebellion against Eddie's decisions and processes. Why this is the case, I do not know.
For what it's worth, I like Rama. He seems to genuinely care about the club, has improved his disciplinary record a great deal, and the players generally seem to look up at him. However, there is also the playing side, which I;'ve felt for some time hasn't improved significantly. His crossing is still very poor, which nullifies his effectiveness as an overlapping player. And he's still having difficulty judging balls going over his head, as well as getting dragged towards the middle far too often. But Eddie's also cut James Stefanou and Eddie Cetkin from the side, meaning that experienced defensive stocks are thin on the ground, and that perhaps Eddie's squad management and people skills aren't exactly crash hot.
Should Rama not return this season, will it mean more opportunities for players from our youth squad, such as Josh Colosimo and James Riccobene? I certainly hope so. Krncevic, as coach of Carlton, despite having a large budget for which to purchase high profile players, which he certainly did, also gave opportunities to young players such as Marco Bresciano, Simon Colosimo and Vince Grella. Several young players have been trialled against the lesser likes in the pre-season, and our under 21s did of course cruise to the title last season, playing some attractive football. And isn't this what having sttrong junior sides is all about? Using them to rebuild and replace without needing to shop around?
I'd say this is going to be fun, but it obviously won't be. Once upon a time this club even sacked Paul Wade, who was the Socceroo captain at the time. In part this was because the coach at the time, Frank Arok, felt Paul Wade wasn't up to it any more; and surely an additional reason would have been because Arok wanted to create his own group with new leadership. I hope that this is what Eddie has been aiming for, and that his methods are proven right. Getting rid of a captain and player with several years at the one club is never easy, and Eddie's success and legacy may well rest on this issue alone. The old maxim that no player, no coach and no fan is bigger than the club is about to get a massive work out.Meanwhile, I'm going to be in my bomb shelter until this thing blows over.
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
A hearty congratulations to...
Our under 21s who sealed the championship weeks ago, but keep on keeping on regardless. Now, it's fair to say that much of the opposition is of a poor standard, but you can only beat with who's put up in front of you, or something. And the squad is like, young, too, which gives one a minor, cautious hope for the future. Their only loss thus far was in the very first game against the NTC. So here's to the under 21s, for going one better than last year, winning our first under 21 title since the 2004 NSL Southern Division youth championship. We went on to lose 2-1 to Canberra Deakin, the Northern Division winners, who featured one Nathan Caldwell (and for us, Steve O'Dor), sidelined for almost two seasons now. Is he ever going to come back?
Friday, 9 July 2010
Highlights from Altona game
A different commentator, a few goals, perhaps a little downhill skiing. Interviews with the usual suspects as well as debutant Jason Ricciuti.
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Welcome to Jazz Club - Nice
Whoa. This week's edition of SMFCTV has taken a turn I didn't quite expect. The combination of commentary and music makes it sit halfway between an Aural Text spoken word beatnik piece (wonderful Triple R programme which I had the honour of being on last year) and The Fast Show's Jazz Club skits. Some other things worth noting, maybe:
- Steve O'Dor's nickname must be livewire or something similarly suitable.
- There's a weird light on Joe Keenan's head, which often illuminates his right ear.
- Vaughan Coveny endorses pitch invasions! Ok, that's probably a bit disingenuous from me.
Friday, 18 September 2009
Four South players receive state team call up.
Congratulations to Joseph Youssef, Ramazan Tavsancioglu, Steven O'Dor and Laura Spiranovic have all been selected to represent Victoria in the 125th anniversary matches to be played up in Newcastle against a Northern New South Wales Soccer Federation side. Too bad the poor soccer folk down here in Victoria can't get to see a Victorian state team take the field on their own turf unless it's to provide scouting opportunities for the Victory.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Think about the possibilities...
You can be in a photo, taking your place underneath an ex-A-League law student of Hungarian descent, and next to some kid who deserves more game time and the captain.
You can meet the players outside of a nightclub/mosque/courtroom setting.
You could get some exercise you fat lardo, by warming up with the players.
You sit in the dressing room. Michael Michalokopoulos' spittle dusts your forehead as he urges the players on to great heights - or berates them for their inability to even downhill ski properly.
You sit on the bench. You can either have a good old fashioned chinwag with the fringe players, or stand next to the coach (if he lets you) and pretend you were a certain former football director. Earplugs recommended, but are not included in this prize.
You eat dinner, putting back in the calories you lost waddling around Bob Jane Stadium in the pre-match warm up, and then some. Awesome.
And just in case no one believes you when tell them of your awesome adventure, you'll be filmed and your face plastered all over the internet, on smfcTV as part of a special feature dedicated to you.
If you want to be in the running for this experience, head to the ebay listing, which was at $91 last time I checked, and place your bid. If I had money and there was no running involved, I'd give it a go. But me and running haven't agreed with each other for a long time. Sad but true.
You can meet the players outside of a nightclub/mosque/courtroom setting.
You could get some exercise you fat lardo, by warming up with the players.
You sit in the dressing room. Michael Michalokopoulos' spittle dusts your forehead as he urges the players on to great heights - or berates them for their inability to even downhill ski properly.
You sit on the bench. You can either have a good old fashioned chinwag with the fringe players, or stand next to the coach (if he lets you) and pretend you were a certain former football director. Earplugs recommended, but are not included in this prize.
You eat dinner, putting back in the calories you lost waddling around Bob Jane Stadium in the pre-match warm up, and then some. Awesome.
And just in case no one believes you when tell them of your awesome adventure, you'll be filmed and your face plastered all over the internet, on smfcTV as part of a special feature dedicated to you.
If you want to be in the running for this experience, head to the ebay listing, which was at $91 last time I checked, and place your bid. If I had money and there was no running involved, I'd give it a go. But me and running haven't agreed with each other for a long time. Sad but true.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Three South players in VPL Bushfire Squad
If the title doesn't make any sense to you, it's a little bit like this. The FFV and Melbourne Victory have organised a little bushfire fundraiser match at Olympic Park tonight, with a selection of VPL players set to play a rep game that more than the people of Tianjin and highranking FFV flunkies will get to see. South's Ramazan Tavsancioglu, Joseph Youssef and Steve O'Dor have been named in the squad, though with Youseff getting injured and only completing half a game on the weekend, one doubts he'll get up for this game. South of the Border is undecided on whether it will attend.Photo: A Mazu Temple in Tianjin, a likeness of which was to be constructed outside Olympic Park for this match, but which was abandoned when funds became scarce after the FFV had a certain civil matter go against them in tremendous fashion.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Yarra Park never stood a chance
Looks like the collective amnesia has shifted from South Melbourne United to Yarra Park Aias. I'm sure in another 50 years we'll sort that out too. I've ordered the jersey Rama is wearing, but hopefully the other two become available for purchase as well, seeing as how there has been a fair bit of interest in the Hellenic strip in particular.
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Stevie's staying, Stuey's going
News from the official site is that Stevie O'Dor has been signed up for another couple of years. Anecdotal but more or less confirmed news is that Stuart Kelly's going home.
Saturday, 23 August 2008
MVP Night recap
Good night... shame about all the people who didn't go, but the people who did, including the women's team contingent, made it a more than worthwhile evening. Deano got a nice frame/gloves thingo from the supporters, which was nice, well done to those responsible. Stevie O'Dor won the senior award, Srdjan Stefanovic won the under 21 team award. Laura Spiranovic took out the women's senior award from her sister Amelia, Niki Cook the ressies, and Hannah Jankewicz (spelling?) took the thirds. The Clarendon Corner awards went to Robbie Wynne for the under 21 player and Ramazan for the senior award. Good time by had all.
Friday, 13 June 2008
Round 17 - South Melbourne vs Oakleigh Cannons
Last time they met
Round 4, 2008, at Jack Edwards Reserve
Oakleigh Cannons 1 South Melbourne 0
South showed plenty of spirit, but could not pull back an early goal conceded from a failed clearance. Late chances for South were impeccably denied by Cagalj in the Cannons goal.
Preview
A big day for South as they wine and dine everyone and try to make seem certain something which as yet is only in principle. Anyway on the field these two teams never let anyone down, and this week should be no exception. Expect free flowing attacking football, with a bit of bite to it. Oakleigh isnt the team of old... a little less skill perhaps (though still plenty in the bank) but a hell of a lot more fight in them. MacNicol and Kelly play against their old team just a couple of weeks after former in particular was made to earn his passage back to Lakeside. Lagana, who has been brilliant for Oaks this season will miss the game through suspension, while Steve O'Dor will be fired up in his 50th game for Hellas. I'd like to say South'll take the points but I reckon we';re not quite there yet. If we can get 4 points out of the next two games, it's long step towards challenging for the finals.
Round 4, 2008, at Jack Edwards Reserve
Oakleigh Cannons 1 South Melbourne 0
South showed plenty of spirit, but could not pull back an early goal conceded from a failed clearance. Late chances for South were impeccably denied by Cagalj in the Cannons goal.
Preview
A big day for South as they wine and dine everyone and try to make seem certain something which as yet is only in principle. Anyway on the field these two teams never let anyone down, and this week should be no exception. Expect free flowing attacking football, with a bit of bite to it. Oakleigh isnt the team of old... a little less skill perhaps (though still plenty in the bank) but a hell of a lot more fight in them. MacNicol and Kelly play against their old team just a couple of weeks after former in particular was made to earn his passage back to Lakeside. Lagana, who has been brilliant for Oaks this season will miss the game through suspension, while Steve O'Dor will be fired up in his 50th game for Hellas. I'd like to say South'll take the points but I reckon we';re not quite there yet. If we can get 4 points out of the next two games, it's long step towards challenging for the finals.
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