North Shore United fans are in for an exciting season. Going on the evidence provided by their 3-3 draw at home against Mt Albert Ponsonby, Shore fans will see goals the season. Lots and lots of goals. And they’ll be at both ends. With the likes of Jaryd Gray, Chris Bryson, Hector the Spaniard, the big Irish lad and an attack-minded midfield they won’t be found wanting in the Goals For column. Some of their football is...
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One of the bonuses about being a blogger is that you’re not beholden to those pesky deadline thingies that are the curse of a journo’s life. That means I can post this article now and I’m still relevant… (hopefully). Excuses out of the way, I’m glad I made it across to Michaels Ave for Ellerslie’s match against Manurewa. This was a competitive game, even though Ellerslie scored inside the first 90...
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To a country boy like me there’s one thing about Auckland football that stands out, maybe more than anything else: how many football clubs there are and how close most of them are to each other. Ridiculously, fantastically close to each other, particularly on the Shore. Okay, there’s the population base to cater for, but you can literally kick a football from one ground to the next. This proximity clearly gives rise to any...
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Mt Albert Ponsonby got smacked 6-0 at home by Melville United on Saturday April 6. I wasn’t there but Grant Stantiall was. Here are some of his pics from the day’s action. You can follow Grant on Twitter at @thekiwicanary. You can view more pics from this match...
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No-one likes getting spanked. Particularly away from home on the opening day of the season. It’s safe to say this would not have been one of the best days in the history of Waitakere City. It was a decent day for me, however. Oh, and Wanderers too, I guess. But firstly, me. This Saturday was a great father-son bonding afternoon. Nathan, my five year old, accompanied me after being coerced into it with the bribe of a pair of...
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Ngaruawahia drew their NRFL division 1 fixture 1-1 with Melville United on Easter Monday. I wasn’t there but master photographer Grant Stantiall was. Here are some of his pics from the day’s action. You can follow Grant on Twitter at @thekiwicanary. You can view more pics from this match here:...
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The thing about football at NRFL division 2 level is that you’re never really likely to watch a team with eleven footballers on the field. You’ll get bits and pieces of quality, and a handful of gems, but little more. Sure, the players are competitive. Most of them can run around with purpose. And tackle. And head the ball. But rare is the occasion you’ll find a side full of players who actually know what...
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Melville United beat Takapuna 2-0 on the opening day of NRFL division 1. I wasn’t there but master photographer Grant Stantiall was. Here are some of his pics from the day’s action. You can follow Grant on Twitter at @thekiwicanary. You can view more pics from this match here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwicanary/sets/72157633116970142/
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McFetridge Park is a decent place to watch football. Which is just as well, because this match was bizarre for me. I’ve usually been in the technical area, with a stake in whatever game is being played in front of me. Not today, though. And that was kind of nice. If I’m honest, I nearly piked out. The man flu struck and, after a long drive to Auckland, I thought staying in might be the way to go. But then the kids started...
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Okay, so here we go for real with this blogging thing. There’s nothing like the traditional NRFL double-header Easter Weekend football extravaganza with bells, whistles and footballs to get things going for another year. Actually, with only two divisions on offer I thought I would be a little starved. But thankfully some forward thinking club officials thought of me when scheduling their matches, so we have a lot to look forward...
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