Penang F.C.

[dwight]

Everybody just a reminder get down to Mt Penang today to watch the boys go around.
Penang at home Saturday 28th June
1.00PM - Reserve grade 3:00 PM First Grade (replay of washout from 14th May)   
Penang FC vs Gladesville Ryde Magic at Mount Penang Sports Complex

Tomorrow - Sunday same times at Gladesville Ryde home ground for Gladesville Ryde Magic - Magdala Park

In regard to next year there are a number of lightning players who will be at Penang
can't go into to many details for obvious reasons, this will strenghten the Penang side in numbers and ability.

 

[From the dug out]

In regard to next year there are a number of lightning players who will be at Penang
can't go into to many details for obvious reasons, this will strenghten the Penang side in numbers and ability.

Can't see how Central Coast Lightning 1st grade will ever make it into the top State League if a rival Central Coast State team poaches it's players.

I'm all for competition, knowing that more players will be exposed to better standards, however when we are milking one to provide for another, than I think it's wrong.

For the Mariners to look into their own breeding ground, it is imperitive that the number 1 team on the Coast other than the Mariners is playing the highest level possible. The Mariners need to take over Lightning so that it can be run properly at (management level). The Mariners know this, the public know this, it's all a matter of time.

If Lawrie wants any of his players getting game time through Lightning eg. (Brad Porter and the likes) than of course he will want his boys playing the best standard possible. We need to have the best breeding ground for the Mariners which means they have to be in the top league.

 

[voice of reason]

In regard to next year there are a number of lightning players who will be at Penang
can't go into to many details for obvious reasons, this will strenghten the Penang side in numbers and ability.

Can't see how Central Coast Lightning 1st grade will ever make it into the top State League if a rival Central Coast State team poaches it's players.

I'm all for competition, knowing that more players will be exposed to better standards, however when we are milking one to provide for another, than I think it's wrong.

For the Mariners to look into their own breeding ground, it is imperitive that the number 1 team on the Coast other than the Mariners is playing the highest level possible. The Mariners need to take over Lightning so that it can be run properly at (management level). The Mariners know this, the public know this, it's all a matter of time.

If Lawrie wants any of his players getting game time through Lightning eg. (Brad Porter and the likes) than of course he will want his boys playing the best standard possible. We need to have the best breeding ground for the Mariners which means they have to be in the top league.

If a player, especially a senior player, wishes to play one season for Lightning and the next for Penang I hardly see how it can be called poaching.  We live in a world where personal choice is the fashion.  Let them play for whichever team they wish.

Unfortunately, this highlights Lightning's view that it has a god-given right to call itself the 'rep' team for the Central Coast.  It is a very arrogant view and one that has led to the long history of maladministration.  It also means that good players are being overlooked by vindictive and one-eyed coaches/selectors.  Few other associations boast only one State League team.  Why should CC be any different.  Penang is the underdog in terms of results but, from what I have seen of its fledgling organisation, drive and determination it is miles better than Lightning.  With a few seasons under its belt and perhaps with a youth side it will be first choice for many local player.  And good luck to them.

Lawrie and the Mariners have a range of clubs in which to field players off-season, including other Super League and Premier League clubs.  From what I hear, there may also be a Budgewoi side in the NNSW SSI League in the future. If Lighting suffer from loss of players and get relegated to Division One, I won't be blaming Penang...I'd look closer to home.

PS...Congratulations to Penang on getting their first points of the season!!!??

 

[dwight]

"Can't see how Central Coast Lightning 1st grade will ever make it into the top State League if a rival Central Coast State team poaches it's players."

The players who are leaving Lightning approached Penang not the other way around, if their was no Penang they would be travelling to a Sydney club, they would not leave if they were happy. !!!!

Lightning won't ever go up to Premier League whilst they are in a financial mess that is one of the main criteria and I would guess to say knowing history of CCF they will stay in SL for ever.

Voice of reason - reserve grade have also one had a win this year and some very close finishes lost a game the other week in the last thirty seconds, also drew with Hakoah nil all in the challenge cup (previously lost to them 12-0 in a trial) big imporvement there.

 

[From the dug out]

I think we are better of getting an A grade team together, so to speak rather than a B grade (lightning in it's current division) and a F grade (Penang, if that is the case of how many divisions their are between the two teams).

Regarding the coment of Lightning 1st graders wanting to play for Penang FC a find that laughable. . I will endevour to get Johny's 1st grade list of names this year and will wait with baited breath to see a single name in the Penang colours next year.

Hey.... and you can bag Lightning if you want, I agree with you... from my 1st post I have stated my dislike for their mannagement so you will not upset me their. I'm not associated with either club....thank god.

Don't get confused between a State League player....and a player playing F grade thinking that they are State League player.

How many divisions lower are Penang FC than Lightning any?

 

[kevrenor]

How many divisions lower are Penang FC than Lightning any?

Two!

Lightning are also two below HAL

 

[dwight]

The point is due to financial predicaments lightning will always be playing super league no higher, so sorry you won't get your "A" grade team your after.

From what I understand u 20's and first grade from CCF were all going to walk a few weeks ago due to discontent.

Make no mistake there are some very talented players playing in conference league
and yes it is a lower grade of football than super league in the past some of the conference league teams played in super league. John 'Jockey' Buonavoglia is playing for Balmain is top scorer in the league and they currently are running second or third. 

Andre the reserve grade coach at Penang is currently playing Premier League for Bankstown and months ago he was playing HAL.

What do you mean by this. ?  " I'm not associated with either club....thank god. "
What problem do you have with Penang. ? Tony and his people have done a lot of work and whether you realise it or not a new rep club has to start in Div 1 and work it's way up. 

Correct voice of reason ' Unfortunately, this highlights Lightning's view that it has a god-given right to call itself the 'rep' team for the Central Coast.  It is a very arrogant view and one that has led to the long history of maladministration. "

"perhaps with a youth side" Yes in 2009. 

 

[From the dug out]

Ok, sorry if I have insulted anyone from Penang FC, not my intentions to get personal.

I am comimg from a different angle and will try to explain my thoughts!

If Penang FC was to be a team on the Central Coast, where would they fit in, do you think? be honest?

On top of MPL?
Middle of MPL?
Bottom of MPL?
Top of Division 1?
Middle of Division 1?
Bottom of Division 1?

I know it is impossible to compare apples for apples...so, try and base your decision on any trial games that you may of had or your player list (eg: which first grade team on the coast did your players play for last year and where did they finish up on the table?)

I know you can talk from a team gelling point of veiw, but then again so can anyone.

 

[mariners4ever]

IMHO they probably would be middle of the MPL with this year's squad

 

[Paolo]

IMHO they probably would be middle of the MPL with this year's squad

imho they would be nowhere near that and would honestly be closer to bottom half of div 1

 

[BrisRecky]

(Herbs..after catching the game on the weekend) :  played with Harry last year and he looks to be one of the stars of first grade. #4 Tim Cohen ? .. and own opinion Div 1 looks about right.. and predicting top half of conference next year for penang.

 

[Wilson]

I am thinking long and hard about putting my two cents worth in on this subject.....  I can state with out any hesitation that the coast can not support two teams playing in the State league, in the past it could not and in the future it will not. Macquarie slash mingara, The central Coast Coasties, Central Coast United have all been and gone. Even teams with Andrew Clarke, Damien Brown, Phil Moss, Matt Lowe, Darren Smith, Josh McGuire, James Monie, Troy Halpin, Matt Bingley, Nigel Boogard Do I have to keep going......
Even teams that had some of these guys in it battled relegation, WHY YOU ASK

 

[kevrenor]

I am thinking long and hard about putting my two cents worth in on this subject.....  I can state with out any hesitation that the coast can not support two teams playing in the State league, in the past it could not and in the future it will not. Macquarie slash mingara, The central Coast Coasties, Central Coast United have all been and gone. Even teams with Andrew Clarke, Damien Brown, Phil Moss, Matt Lowe, Darren Smith, Josh McGuire, James Monie, Troy Halpin, Matt Bingley, Nigel Boogard Do I have to keep going......
Even teams that had some of these guys in it battled relegation, WHY YOU ASK

Money, and coincidentally or not - poor administration

 

[Wilson]

Yes poor admin. And the local league should also be more supportive, the local league should at least be semi pro!!!

 

[Bladesman]

Not sure where the money or enough quality players are going to come from the make the local league semi-pro. 

Club players are already paying far over the odds to play to cover the financial woes of Soccer Australia, Football NSW, Central Coast Soccer without having to put their hand in their pocket for a lot of mediocre players in the local league.

Until the FFA step in and the people that run football  at the state and local levels are their employees and report to them then we will continue to have a game run by lots of well meaning people without the necessary skills and those their own agendas rather than everyone working to one master plan.  Just look at the debacle with the introduction of the small sided games.

To quote Einstein - Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

So far it appears that only the FFA are doing things differently and look at the results World Cup qualification, Join Asian Confederation, A League success.  We need to continue on the clear out and restructuring all the way down to the local associations before we will see any significant change.

 

[From the dug out]

The reason why I ask where Penang FC would be situated is a pathetic question really, regardless of where, this is where I am coming from!

1) We have 22 clubs on the coast, (23 if this Northern Alliance comes into play). Of these 22 clubs, 10 play in MPL, 8 in the 1st Division with 4 not even being able to field a first grade or a reserve grade side. If it is opportunity you are after, there is a mile of room to manoeuvre, to satisfy your standard.

2) If it's a location thing, than Kariong is across the road from you, and have struggled since day dot to have an impact at 1st grade level (nothing personnal Kariong).

3) To come from the angle that Lightning are arrogant, is not for me to defend. I am coming from the angle that hey, we have all these vacancies all over the coast at the top level and yet we still want to leave our area thinking that the grass may be greener on the other side.

4) Penang FC, Northern alliance and who ever will be next, are not the right options for our game to prosper on the coast. It's like bringing the Newtown Jets back into the NRL when they are over populated with clubs that are going by the way side.

5) CCF think that because % have increased over a period of time the game is going places, when in actual fact it's not (at a senior level). I'd like to see the % growth for 1st and Reserve grade only. It's easy to hide these figures behind 5,6,7 and 8 year old numbers. Every year we are adding AA teams to the scenario, currently AA8's. Senior rego has doubled in numbers in the last 10 years and yet we still cannot get 22 strong teams on the coast. Remember, we are I think the 3rd or fourth biggest association in NSW with over 1,000 teams and yet, at a club level, they are not filtering through.

6) The 4 biggest clubs on the coast are Kanwal, Terrigal, Kincumber and Killarney (not in any particular order). Of these, 3 are in 1st Division with the four struggling to stay in the MPL, so rego numbers don't = 1st grade satisfaction.

For our state team to prosper, we need the best players on the coast trialing. Regardless of the name (Lightning or Penag FC) their should only be one until we can proove otherwise at club and state level, with what we have currently got

 

[dibo]

hopping into someone else's discussion with no local knowledge is dangerous - but here goes:

what about the coasties plying their trades with sydney based state league clubs? i'm sure there are a fair number, and isn't building up a second state league presence a good thing to entice some of them back?

of course the longer term aim should be to have lightning in NSWPL, and penang as high as possible, but having two teams is not in itself an incredibly dumb idea.

 

[Wilson]

Well said Dug...And I will state it again, we cannot support two teams!! end of story, we have the precedence###And back then we had no Mariners we did not have the Thunder and eighty five Million coaching clinics being run by every man and his dog.. Yes football is getting bigger, yes more people want to play, yes the socceroos made the world cup and yes we can go and watch the circus every second week at blue tongue... But we do not have the infra-structure to accomodate all this succesfully...We will have our little suprises but no long term sustainability, It reminds me of the shambles that is country Rugby League and most NRL clubs in general..We started with an 8 team A league because WHY

 

[dibo]

^^^
que?

 

[Wilson]

There were too many teams from the one area in the old National League...and it filtered down..to the State Premier League and then to Super League...The Coast has struggled to support one team let alone The Mariners-and their 20's, The lIghtning and their 20's, Penang FC and their ressies.  Plus keep the standard of the local premier league and division 1 at a decent level..It cannot and will not ever be done