Ange's Panachaiki Adventure Update

The lower divisions in Greece haven't started their league seasons yet, but they have kicked off the Greek Cup, and Ange's Panachaiki mob have started off their campaign with a nice 3-0 win at home against fellow Third Division side Egaleo - that's the team Fernando De Moraes had a trial at some time ago if you remember. 

As per Supermercado's request

The following audio clip shows what anyone who is not part of the new football cabal is up against. It's from a couple of years back at least, but as certain people have found out this past week, not much has changed in that time.



How about that stunned silence?

ZOMG! South Melbourne Futsalroo action!

While searching for information on the Futsalroos for Ozfootball - by the way, check out the new improved interface, update your links if you have to - I found this infornation from the 1989 Futsal World Cup. Look how many South players aree involved! Ok, they weren't all South players at the time, some were there, some had gone,

Australia's 1989 Futsal World Cup squad. Were they even called the Futsalroos then? And is that SBS commentator Tim White as coach? Though it's a bit of a longshot, does anybody out there have article, photos, or anything of the our boys in action in this tournament?

1 Jeffrey OLVERE
2 Alan DAVIDSONE
3 Steven JACKSONE
4 Robert HOOKERE
5 Oscar CRINOE
6 Paul TRIMBOLIE
7 Robert DUNNE
8 Jason POLAKE
9 Warren SPINKE
10 Kenneth MURPHYE
11 Zarko ODZAKOVE
12 Ernest TAPAIE

Coach: WHITE Tim (AUS)

Has Micky M been signed for next season?

Strange rumours with more than a hint of truth to them are saying that coach Micky M hasn't been signed up for next season... that's the where twice validated information ends... as for possible replacements, current Coburg, former Preston Lions championship winning coach, as well as former Socceroo and South back to back championship squad member Goran Lozanovski. Personally I hope that Micky M stays on, and am concerned that he apparently hasn't been signed on for next year. I hope I'm wrong, but if not, the board better lift their fucken game.

Co-written piece in todays NKEW.... I think

There should be a piece that is credited as co-written to myself and James Belias in today's Neos Kosmos English Weekly. It's about the A-League expansion and such, not very interesting. What is interesting is the protracted story of how the article came to be. That you'll have to ask me about in person. And you may not find it interesting either, as it has to do with this phase of my life. Anyway, keep an eye out for it if you're some kind of fanboy.

Not bad for a first try

It's structurally unbalanced and uses the sigma in the wrong places, possibly deliberately (it should be where the 's' is, not the 'e' in my honest opinion), but credit where it's due, this is pretty good considering it's come from a Victory fan, in my books not usually noted for their stunning use of humo(u)r.

For those wondering when I will start declaring my position on the whole Sexy FC bandwagon, the answer is, soon enough.

On direct hits and referrals

I've just found out that this week on my little counter's webpage, that I can view the source of search engine referrals. Admittedly, most of my traffic comes from direct hits (ie, loyal readers who have us bookmarked), but there are some weird ways that people have found their way here. I won't name names, but keep it up people, very entertaining hobby I've found myself.

Boutsi's Queensland Adventures

FourFourTwo magazine continuing their recent South Melbourne obession by hooking up with one of the more controversial characters the club has seen in its 49 years. Myself, I don't hate the bloke as much as some others, but karma - if you believe in it - seemed to sort him out in the end. Apparently a really nice bloke though.

Boutsy's A-League V NSL Verdict

Women's team getting stooged hardcore

Disturbing news has come to hand recently, that the women's team will be relegated, despite not finishing in the bottom two. Earlier this year Eastern Lions withdrew, their results were withdrawn, with the natuiral assumption therefore that they and whoever finished 11th (whoich was alamost certain to be GSL, and it was) would also get relegated. Not so apparently. GSL will be joined in State League 1 next year by South, who were overtaken by Keilor squeezing out a win last week, and therefore seeing South slip to tenth. The club will apparently fight the decision, but people aren't holding out much hope for a reversal of the decision. It's an absolute disgrace in my opinion, especially since it was quite obvious that GSL and Eastern Lions were by the worst teams in the competition thsi year.

End of Shoot! Magazine

Admittedly I was never a huge magazine buyer of any type, and haven't given a stuff about the EPL for a while, but this piece on Bolosepako on the demise of the once great Shoot! Magazine left me feeling a little sad and nostalgic, taking me back to the days where I'd flick through my cousin's stack during the very early 1990s. Oh, and those wondeful cardboard league tables with the tiny club info cards which would slot into the various spots on the table... halcyon days.

Download or listen to the Les Murray interview

SEN interview with Les Murray on the whole Southern Cross thingamabob. I haven't listened to it, have no intention of doing so, but you might enjoy it if you missed it. Thanks to our resident Mac-wielding friend for supplying the grab.

A bit of nonsense from Southpole

Cmon Hellas Forza Hellas Takes Top Award 

August 27, 2008 03:19pm 
"CMON Hellas, Forza Hellas" has taken top honors at the annual Clarendon Corner Chant of the Year Awards, commonly known as the Chanties. "Cmon Hellas Forza Hellas" edged out "South Melbourne Perom Perom" to take this years Chant of the Year. 

"I have to thank Clarendon Corner for this award, especially SouthPole" said an excited Cmon Hellas Forza Hellas. "I was the brain child of SouthPole. At first when he chanted me at Young & Jacksons people laughed, but he persisted with me as he was the only one who saw my potential". 

Experts say the short and passionate bursts of chanting was part of the reason why "Cmon Hellas Forza Hellas" got up as well as the wild punching action that accompanied the chant. 

Others to take out awards were "Poutsa pali poutsa pali O E O E" for best Greek chant. "South Melbourne Perom Perom" made up for its disapointment in coming second in the main event by winning the Most AWOL Chant While Drunk title and Greeksta took out the Best Groin Thrust award, completing his hattrick in this category. 

When asked how he felt about it all he said "Hey man, Southern Cross is fucked, were NEVER gonna make the A-League man, the FFA dont want us". 

It was a great night had by all and the after party went into the early hours of the morning.

Les Murray on SEN talking about the Southern Cross bid

Tonight, 6:20pm or thereabouts. If you're not too chicken (I admit that I am) might be worth a listen. There may be a recording made by a Mac-wielding South fan, but don't depend on that if you're keen.

Two Great Scottish Names Join Southern Cross Bid Team

Scroll down to the bottom

Meanwhile, Schwab's predecessor at Melbourne, Paul McNamee, has been appointed interim CEO of the Southern Cross FC consortium, which is bidding for the second Melbourne franchise in the A-League.

The group, which plans to base the club at the newly refurbished State Athletics Centre at Albert Park if it is successful, but play matches alongside Melbourne Victory at the new stadium at Olympic Park, has also engaged SBS broadcaster and soccer identity Les Murray as "football ambassador".

Meanwhile, the crew at Southern Cross, who have an address and phone number now by the way, are starting to come out of their turtle shells and make some noise. But what kind of noise does the hiring of Les Murray and Paul McNamee make? Les Murray does not command the respect he once did - indeed, he and SBS, in their simultaneous peddling of an anti-A-League and 'NSL, what was that?' party line over the last few years, have just about alienated most football supporters in some way or another. One local football philosopher made the comment that either he's been doing everything right, or charting the only course possible. Personally, I reckon Les didn't know what to do. SBS was no longer the centre of attention, their core 'wogball' audience was no longer being represented, and Foxtel had what the newbreeds wanted, and perhaps more importantly, how they wanted it. Spotlessly clean, and relentlessly upbeat.

And for all the praise that Murray gets from traditionalists, one can't but help remembering SBS's pro-Sydney, anti-everywhere else but especially Melbourne agenda. With Johnny Warren already being beatified by the newbreeds - and it not mattering one iota that the enormous complexity of the man has gone missing in the process - is Murray looking for something similar? To feel loved, or at least respected, as he once was? Because even SBS's centrepiece football show, The World Game, is on at a time when most people are going to or from VPL games, or are watching A-League contests either in person or on the idiot box. What is it exactly that the Southern Cross bid team think he will bring as an 'ambassador'?

As for Paul McNamee's involvement, while that has its more obvious and dare I say, more tangible benefits, in terms of his contacts and networks built over a large period of time, his experience in his other sports administration endeavours don't give me the same sense of peace of mind that others have seemed to have pounced on. For starters, while he did do a good job in managing the Australian Open - particularly in getting the big name players to come down here - it has to be said his job was helped by a resurgance in Australia's tennis playing stocks, which has disappeared now. Not forgetting that the Open is under the increasing threat of being shipped to the more lucrative Asian market, though what anyone would be able to do about that is debatable. And then he had a stint at the other Australian Open - the golf one - well, that was bound to end badly, with even most golfers figuring out that it's deadly broing game to watch, either in person or on tv. His Melbourne stint, all four months of it ended up with him doing not much at all, what with Jim Stynes always seeking to replace whoever was in there. Still, he's been around the block a few times, he must know something; and goodness, football knowledge is hardly an essential quality of the new regime, otherwise would Murray's standing as a icon/commentator/guardian be as low as its ever been?

So is this me just trying to talk down the whole operation? After all, why are we - oops, Freudian slip there - I mean why are Southern Cross resorting to such tactics, especially the heightened public relations campaign, while the other mob, which allegedly includes former South president Greg 'Chaos' Kaias, keeping their cards so close to their chests? As usual, what do they know that Southern Cross don't? Time will be the great judge on all that they do, and time is a harsh and lousy judge most of the time, kinda like those ancient Athenian war veterans who were required to be on juries so they could get their injured veterans money and who mostly fell asleep during the trial of Socrates.

South of the Border to slow down the pace a bit

Since mid-February of this year, South of the Border has been providing daily doses of news, views, scandal and random bits of as it happened nostalgia. Not one day missed (ok, maybe one, but that was more a screw up with the post-dating-publshing system). But now the season is over, and so the main source of mirth and content - the games, duh - are no longer around to nourish the blog. 

So after a few mandatory episodes where we clean up after ourselves - hand out the South of the Border awards, look ahead to next season, etc. - the blog will be slowing down. That's not to say however that we'll be stopping altogether. There's the wonderfully wonderful Southern Cross bid which will rear its head in the press again until it gets knocked back and we can all go back to not having hope once more. There's the Lakeside redevelopment saga, which is kinda interesting in that it's probably the only thing that can save the club. There'll be, eventually, pre-season trials and friendlies, news about players leaving (but not necessarily coming -that gets made official in January 2009). Hell, even the Socceroos will be starting their World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign, which may or may not rate a mention. Oh, and there's also my Hattrick team, Juniper Hill, currently in their first season, but hopefully on the way to bigger and better things sooner rather than later.

So, like I said, not going away on holiday, just slowing down, so hope to see you guys around, especially when we celebrate the blog's 1st birthday in December. If anyone would like to contribute anything in the mean time, be my guest, especially season reviews and 2009 wishlists, serious or not, it's all cool. And I bet you all missed The Autumns reference in there. Typical.

Free at last! Free at last! Praise Science, we are free at last! Frankston Pines 1 South Melbourne 3

Came from behind to take the points, and now we can all do something more productive with our weekends.

Time to say goodbye

Deano farewell vid, as done by Doc. Some good stuff in there, some good stuff left out, but Deano seemed to like it, as did everyone who's seen it, and that's the important thing. He won't be keeping today by the way, I think Sardelic will be in that role.

Respect for those that got there first

Southern Cross Football Club

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.

Just when you thought it was safe to go to Frankston...

... you could very well see Deano playing this week! For you see, current South number 1 Tomislav Tomich has been called up to the Victory for three weeks to be their number 2, while their number 2 and one time South number 1 Mitch Langerak replaces their number 1 and one time South benchwarmer except for five games Michael Theoklitos. Got it? Good. Anyway, I reckon they should give th gig to the kid from the ressies Stefan Sardelic, seemed to know what he was doing the few times I've seen him, Which is more than can be said for the rest of the under 21 squad unfortunately.