The Central Coast Mariners are to play a couple of fixtures against ACT teams, presumably as part of their pre-season training schedule. They have done it before through Belconnen United and the wonderful MacKellar playing field.
I intend to go to these matches - wouldn't miss it for quids!
But have we missed an opportunity here and who gets to decide which team plays the Mariners?
Canberra FC are obvious starters, no one seems to be able to touch them this season and they harbour ambitions to enter the Football NSW competition, sooner rather than later. Makes sense. Perhaps Belconnen United are playing the Mariners because they are tied up in providing venues / facilities and on that basis it would also make sense. But I doubt you would pick Belco this season, they are not firing on all cylinders just yet. I think the second selection might have gone to that terrific young Premier League team (avec ACTAS players) - Canberra Olympic. Hard to pass them by this season.
And then it struck me - why hasn't Capital Football orgainsed a "Youth Team" to play the Mariners? Why not? There is so much talk about the need for our best Under 17 to 20 mens players to get a pathway to higher levels of Football. I know this is only one match, but why would you let it pass by? Several football tragics called to said something like "what about the " Rockets"! Talk about a pheonix rising from the ashes. When I respond by saying what about a "Youth League type team", they say "Yeh that's what I mean". They say a few other things too but they are mostly aimed at Capital Football's seeming lack of forethought. You gotta wonder.
I don't begrudge CFC or Belco for one minute. I wish my Club had the same opportunity (WVFC just in case I get accused again by CF of having a conflict of interest).
But I am just amazed that we seemed to have missed a terrific opportunity to put together the best of our Youth players to play the Mariners. Potentially an all Premier League Club effort. What a powerful statement that would be, a point of positive focus for the future. And we missed it! Wonder why?
Just a thought!
See you at the matches.
Have you thought that fans in the ACT rarely come out in numbers to watch a local team play football? Let alone a youth team playing football.
ReplyDeleteThe problem in canberra is that the locals would rather watch a rubbish game of rugby league rather than their own local football teams.
Having a youth team p;ay against a full Mariners team would:
1) not get crowds to the game
2) not teach the kids a single team as they would completely struggle against an A-League outfit
3) be a waste of time and resources to have to organise for a one-off game.
Who would people like to watch the most, the very best of canberra or a bunch of kids getting beaten down by men?
If you want to organise such quality games, then go ahead and start up an organisation, build contacts and do it yourself.
Do you even have experience in organising football events or teams? have you ever played football in a high level? what qualifications or experience do you have in saying that it is easy to organising a new team within two weeks?
Greg.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteYour contributionis worthy of some comment.
First - Most people I speak to, including the President of CF agree that providing a competitive developmental opportunity for our talented youth players is essential. The how it will be achieved is the issue to be solved. No creditable playing opportunity on our doorstep is unworthy of our consideration.
Second - we have nothing at this time for our talented youth players. Nothing! CF do not have an active organisational capability, linked to the Clubs that can take advantage of these playing opportunities. Surely you can grasp the significance of this deficiency. It is a porblem to be solved. Were it in place we would be playing that game for sure, because the problems that CF sees as insermountable now would have been resolved. That includes you r concern for the quality of opposition we can provide in any game. Thats the underlying point I am making and I beleive it is well understood by some at CF, if not by you.
Third - Crowds are an irrelevant consideration. No A League Club depends on the gate receipts or crowd attracting capacity of their youth league team. The FFa has imposed touth league teams on the A league franchises for devlopmental reasons. many of us want a not dissimiliar devlopment opportunity for talented ACT youth players. The last time I attended an AIS home game, I concluded they would get mor to a CFC v Belco PL clash on a Sunday at Deakin or Mackellar. But so what. Is there anyone silly enought to suggest that our Canberra United (now we do pay for this team - about $180,000 pa) who get no more than 1,000 spectators to a hame game, are not worthy of this national competitive opportunity. They do not! Most just want the same for our most talented youth mens players, because we will not get an A league team in teh foreseebale future. So forget crowds - it is not a substantive arguemtn on this issue.
Fourth - the key question is this - did we miss an opportunity for talented youth players? Answer - yes, Why? Because we were not organised to take advantage of it or other at this point in time. That's the issue. Speak to it!
Fifth - there is nothing more tiresome than someone who cannot make their case without attempting to disqualify an opinon on our game, as the one who points the gormless finger and says - did you play at the highest level or have you ever organised this or that and so on. A meaningless contribution. Deal with the issues. You seem to have missed the mark so far.