Andrew Durante

Andrew Durante did the right thing.

Finally, a captain of a kiwi side in an
Australian sports league, saying what's
been happening for years.

Aussie teams cheat.

The Phoenix lost to the Adelaide  United, 3-1
tonight, was a disgrace to the game
of soccer.

Hang your head in shame United, hang
your head in Shame ref and linesmen.

Andrew Durante  is a new hero in my
book, he may get fined and even a ban
but he said what needed to be said.

It's always the kiwi sides that get
the wrong end of the stick.

Hats off to him!

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Wellington Phoenix's New Star

Louis Fenton.

The Wellington Phoenix 2-0 victory over
Sydney was not only amazing for the way
they played, very attacking style, didn't
try to defend for 60 minutes, but for the
rise of a 19 year old kid Louis Fenton.

Louis Fenton is a home grown star, his goal
last night would belong in any league in the
world, it was not just his goal though, he keep
going and going. (oh to have young legs)

This is the start the Wellington Phoenix needed,
an entertaining win, the young players stepping
up, and a real star in the making.

What a way to start the season!

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Phoenix set to Rise

It all depends on Ricki Herbert,
the season will be successful if
Herbert does one thing.

It's more of not doing something
actually, for the Wellington Phoenix
to make the playoffs, Herbert has
to get out of the mentally of thinking
he can hold  a one goal lead for 60-
70 minutes.

Too many times, he has tried this, and
of course when the players have held
a lead for 60-70, minutes, in the final
minute they start to relax and that is
when disaster strikes.

Push players back with 5 to go, not 60
to go.

Time will tell for the Wellington Phoenix,
here's hoping they will join the Breakers
as New Zealand's only team to win an
Aussie comp.

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Wellington Phoenix Wins!

Man I was so close to flying to Wellington for this game,
but in the end I didn't, too many bills to be paid, but well
done to all those who went to the game.

I was really concerned at the end of the first half, at 1-1,
it seems to me that a  Ricki Herbert coached side will
take an early lead and then get way too defensive and
go to lose, and when the Heart equalized I thought the
same thing is going to happen.

Thankfully it didn't, a brilliant second half, full of attacking
football, saw the Phoenix win 3-1.

Hats off to the Yellow Fever people, the loudest bunch
of supporters a team could hope to have.

Can they go all the way and be the second New Zealand
team to win an Australian championship behind Basketball's
Breakers?

Time will tell, in the meantime, enjoy the ride.

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Wellington Phoenix Saved!

Well done to the Phoenix their place in the
Australian A League is secure. Thanks to a
group of seven business men who will overtake
the running of the club from Terry Serepisos.

A big thank you has to be given to Terry
Serepisos for saving the Phoenix, and  we can
only hope he can sort out his financial troubles
because he has done a hell of a lot for New
Zealand football.

So here we are, New Zealand has it's own
professional football club playing in the
Australian League. This is so important
for New Zealand Football and New Zealand
sport, if they were to falter, then it might
as well been, bye bye to football in
New Zealand.

Thankfully the Phoenix are alive and well, and
in about a month's time, the shirts will be off
the crowd will be singing and hopefully the
strikers will be scoring.

Time will tell.

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Herbert Owed $100,000

The most important man in New Zealand sport
is owed, $100 thousand dollars by his club the
Wellington Phoenix, and the lawyers have been
bought in.

Ricki Herbert the Phoenix and All Whites coach
has stayed loyal to all, but like all he has bills to
be paid, I cannot think of a coach from another
code who would stand by his team despite not being
paid what he was promised.

Herbert rightfully has refused to comment.

So where does this leave sport in New Zealand.

The next few weeks is going  to be crucial to
the history of sport in this country, not just
football, but Basketball and Swimming, the
whole landscape might change.

What must happen for the survival of sport
is three things,  First, Herbert must stay on, if he
goes the Phoenix goes and that will be the
end of football in the country.

Secondly, the Tall Blacks just have to make
the Olympics, Basketball will lose funding
and the sport will die, the New Zealand media
 have already started to put the knife in, by
 making use lose home court advantage, we need
 to rise up to this.

Thirdly, NewZealand swimming has to rely on
the swimmers to pull some amazing times out of the
hat,  results will rescue this sport, and we have
some amazing swimmers overseas, doing some
amazing times.

If these three situations don't go our way, then sport
is dead in this country, the media will be happy
because they can just focus on three sports that
no one cares about, but pays their bills.

My fingers and toes are crossed, because the
whole landscape of sport in NewZealand is
going to change soon.

Fingers crossed it will be for the better.

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Terry Serepisos to sell assets

Terry Serepisos is to sell his assets, he has debt of around
200 million dollars, like the fighter that he is, he hung on and on
but it was probably always going to come this, here's hoping,  he
can make a comeback, what he has given to New Zealand
football can not be repaid, I just hope the tall poppy syndrome
people aren't celebrating.

Also good luck to the Wellington Phoenix who I'm sure will
remain a strong club thru out their owners troubles.

Roll on the new season.

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Wellington Phoenix to move to Auckland?

Say it anit so!

Or all the bonehead moves in sport, this
would have to be the worst, why would you
 move a sports team away from a city that has
 Made that sports team. The Phoenix
are Wellington and vise versa.

They are the most passionate sport supporters
 in all of the  country, but for some reason Frank
 Van Hattum wants to move them to Auckland.

I dont see how he could do this, does NZ Soccer
 have a huge ownership in them???

You also have to ask yourself, why
Auckland? They have never supported
Football, the crowds to the major matches are
 always low.

It's a kick in the face to the good people of
Wellington, and we can only hope that common
sense will prevail.

Time will tell.

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Wellington Phoenix Flying above the Rest

The Wellington Phoenix had a crucial 4-0 win against
Perth in the weekend, and are now in seventh place
fighting their butts off for a playoff spot.

This was a must win game, for the Phoenix who have
had a mix season so far, but with a valuable three points
they might just sneak into the playoffs which start in a few
weeks time.

Lets hope the crowds start coming back for the last few games
5000 people just anit enough.

This week they play the league leaders Brisbane, a win would
really see them on their way and will once again boost Football
in New Zealand.

Fingers are crossed, and time will tell.

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Ricki Herbert to Appeal, NZRFU controls Phoenix Coverage?

Fans are being  urged  to show support for the Wellington Phoenix
coach by wearing a Ricki Herbert mask for the next three games.

Rick who has been banned for three weeks,
(a long time for a coach) for verbally abusing a ref, in
what has to be the worst desicion in a long for the
A League.

Here's hoping there will be ten thousand Rick Herbert's
in attendance. Wellington will appeal the ban, but it's unlikely
it will be overturn, time will tell.

My final thoughts on the game, and this
came to me following the forum, the yellow fever,
was why did Sky Sport NOT show the yellow fever
supporters when the goal got scored, they instead
focus on some little kids.

IMHO the answer is sinister, I firmly believe this has the
finger prints of the NZRFU who is instructing the media to
try and make Football among several other sports look less
exciting by focusing on the less excited people in the crowd.

It may be a bizzare conspiracy therory, but I have seen
it happen  too many times thruout the years to think
it's just poor camerawork.

Someone is behind this, and someone wants
it to happen, so why not the NZRFU?

Just my thoughts.

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Ben Sigmund Scores Last Second Thriller

The Local boy comes good.

Ben Sigmund gave the good people of Christchurch, another
sporting highlight and Christchurch wasn't even playing.

The Wellington Phoenix took their home against Adelaide to
the South Island and 14 thousand people showed up to what
must of been the match of season.

Local Christchurch boy Ben Sigmund sent the crowd into a frenzy,
with last ten seconds left of injury headed the ball into
the goal.

After attack after attack, which the Phoenix should of
scored, all look lost, until the Phoenix were awarded
a corner and there the magic happen.

Here's hopping Terry will take his team to the South
Island more often and here's hoping for more once in
a life finishes that we had on Sunday.

My fingers are crossed.

Time will tell.

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Phoenix Shirts to be Banned during Rugby World Cup?

It seems The Event Management act is going to be taken
very seriously by the folks at the NZRFU. If rumors on
the interweb are true, this act may stop the soccer
loving fans of Wellington wearing thier Phoenix shirts
in town.

Basically at the moment the act states there can be no viral
(Ambush)marketing during the RWC. For examples if Pespi is a
sponsor, and you are hanging out a Coca-Cola beach towel on
your washing line, RWC security officers (who have been given
special police powers for the duration of the tournament) have
the right to come on to your property and seize your property.

The RWC security officers will be workers from various security
companies.

This is scary, because if these officers see three
or four phoenix fans walking around town in their Phoenix
shirts, and they are within 3khm of a stadium, that Officer
has the right not to only to confiscate the shirts, but to
make a citizen arrest.

The NZRFU may deemed other code be in direct violation
of the act.

Now you would think, the NZRFU wouldn't go to that level,
but with whats been happening in the past few months in the
build up to next years cup, I think the rumors going around
are worth listening too.

This will lead to serious trouble, and might end
up embarrassing this country. I only hope if a
incident like this happens early on, the media
will be all over it.

I anit holding my breath though.

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New Zealand's Greatest Ever sporting Victories

In the weekend, New Zealand had one of its greatest
sporting victories ever, when we beat Serbia 1-0 in
a football match. Serbia who are ranked 15th in
football, couldnt match the skill of New Zealand who
are ranked 78th.

It got me thinking, what are the greatest sporting
victories New Zealand and its sport people has ever had.

IMHO, its the following.

1: The New Zealand mens basketball team, making the semi finals of
the world basketball champs in 2002, we werent even suppose to
qualify for the tournament, yet we made the semis. The most
amazing game of basketball I have seen in my life, was when
we played China and we made Yao Ming looked like a amateur.
This had to be the most special time ever in NewZealand sport.

2: New Zealand making the football cup in 1982 for the first time.
We were a team of amateurs, yet we shocked the world making the
cup which only included 24 teams at the time. We also broke
a ton of records along the way. At the world cup itself we even
scored two goals.

3: New Zealand beating Serbia 1-0, how can a team ranked 78th in
the world beat a team 15th. Thru heart, thats how, we probably
played the greatest game of football, any New Zealand team has
played and it lead to a riot by Serbia fans, Smeltz's goal will
surly go down as the greatest New Zealand goal ever.

4: New Zealand making the 2010 world cup. Its been a 28 year
drought but we did it, we played a team of multi millionaires,
who were funded by a Billionaire Prince, which lead to Fallon
and Paston becoming household names in New Zealand forever.

5: 2004 Olympics, New Zealand faced the world champs in
basketball, and won. Serbia and Montenegro couldn't match
our shooting and defense in the last quarter as we came from
behind to win. Bookies wouldnt even take a bet on the game
before the match. Once again our basketballers shocked the
world.

Lets hope there are many other great kiwi moments to come
in the future.

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Peter Green is Corrupt

There is only one word for it. Corrupt.

Peter Green has to be corrupt. Those who witness the
Wellington Phoenix, beating cheated out a sport in the
final of the A League, must of been shell shocked
afterwards with what Peter Green said to
the Phoenix Players.

It was bad enough that the Ref, missed offsides, and diving by
the Sydney team. It was bad enough that he called nearly every
legal tackle, illegal by the Phoenix, it was bad enough that
the Sydney goal was allowed to stand, but he has now been caught
out lying about it, and that goes beyond a normal Refs mistake.

When Sydney player Payne punched the ball into the
net, both linesmen said they didnt see it. Phoenix
player went up to Peter Green who told him, "I missed it"

Then at Halftime, Durante went up to him again and this time
the Ref said it was "Ball to Hand"

How can he know if he didn't see it? It must of
taken him 15 minutes to come up with an excuse.

For myself this is a smoking gun, its one thing to misread
a handball, its one thing to not see what happened
on the field when everybody else did. But to change
your story like that, proves that you are making
it up, and that you are a cheat and IMHO it must mean that
you are corrupt.

I hope FIFA launches a full investigation into Peter Green.

I ani't holding my breath though.

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Can you Believe it?

Who would of thought it?

A game of soccer in Christchurch could get 19 thousand+
people.

Wasn't even an international, but a club game, that didn't
involve Christchurch.

The Wellington Phoenix must now make this an annual fixture
with Adelaide, to bring soccer to Christchurch.

The night was a 100% success, they double what they thought
they would get, the crowd was singing and chanting, the
game was tense, people of all ages were enjoying themselves.

This is what sport is suppose to be about, the local
council has spent $50 Million dollars of the rate payers
money, so they just cant use this venue for one sport, they
must bring soccer to Christchurch as much as they can.

The sporting public here deserves more and we now have
a venue to enjoy.

So fingers crossed.

Oh by the way Wellington won the game!

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