MELVILLE MAGIC 16 E-NEWSLETTER

Chairman's Welcome

Today we welcome Cashmere Technical to Gower Park (albeit toGowerNo6)

Cashmere Technical was formed in early 2012 from the merger of Cashmere Wanderers and Woolston Technical, and while this is the first time they have visited under their existing name, one of their heritage clubs from quite a convoluted football family tree Canterbury Woolston holds a very specialplaceinMelvilleUnitedhistory.

In Melville’s debut season in the national league, in 1996 97, we didn’t win a single home game (though did win five away from home) and it was not until the following summer, on November 9, 1997 at Porritt Stadium, that we beat a Woolston team coached by Keith Braithwaite and Martin Stewart 2 1 with goals from Darren Fellowes andRodCoopertonotchourfirstevervictoryatthislevel

And in the process we even surged to the top of the table in the National Soccer League, as it was then known, for a week That’s a high water mark we have yet to revisit.

With renovation work continuing at Gower Park, this is a very tricky time for the club to be hosting national league. The discovery of asbestos in the changing rooms which are under renovation, has only added an extra layer of complication. We ask for your patienceasweworkthroughtrickyhosting

This weekend our U19s are playing at the Napier Tournament, though our title prospects are of course severely diminished by having so many of our U19s active in the national league this summer. Meanwhile, it was tough luck for our U17 Academy team, which missed out on qualifying for their national league finals by a goal difference of 1, after having gone unbeaten in a tough qualifying group, where one of theiropponents,TaurangaCitywerethenationalrunnersup.

Meanwhile, congratulations are due to the U14 Girls Academy, who won the Auckland Unitedtournamentafortnightago,goingunbeatenthroughout.

Congratulationsalsotounder17defenderManaiaElliott,whowasselectedtocaptain NewZealandattherecentlycompletedFIFA U 17WorldCupinIndia.

By now most of you will have caught up with the news that our 1 1 away draw with the Phoenix was our first draw at men’s first team level in 35 matches. However I was chatting with club statistician Ron Anorak the other day and he informed me a dearth of draws was something that seems to occur every 15 16 years for Melville. In 1991 we did not draw any matches at all, and nor did we in 2007, while we were of course againwithoutdrawsinthenorthernleaguepartoftheseasonthisyear

Sam Says

Welcome back to Gower Park for our second home game of theNationalLeagueseason

We return after picking up a valuable point against the Phoenix Reserves in what was a challenging game and trip It was fantastic that New Zealand Football were able to fly us out from Auckland rather than Hamilton (where we actually live) for the Phoenix game. A 6:30am departure by bus from Hamilton, followed by an 11:30pm return is very hard to understand especially when we are constantly reminded by ourgoverningbodythatthisisanamateurcompetition!

Despite that, the lads showed great resolve to come away with a point and I believe it will go a long way towards kickstarting this phase of our season.

The players have continued to work hard over the last couple of weeks. Our energy and pressing allowed us to run over a lot of teams in the Northern League, but against better sides and in hotter conditions we have had to modify some elements of our game. Being more selective with when we press and having a bit more patience in possession, particularly after we’ve just won the ball are two areas that we continue to focus on. While we haven’t had the goal return we would like so far, we have created a number of chances in all of the three games. I have complete faith that as long as we keep attacking with energy and committing numbers forward, the goals will start flowing again very soon

Welcome to today's visitors Cashmere Tech. They are a top side packed with a lot of experience and it will no doubt be another tightly contested match We look forward to thechallengeandhopefullywecanputonagoodshowforyouall.

Enjoythegame!

Wilky

MaxTOMMY(GK)

BraedenQUILTER-PHIPPS

LukeSEARLE

JoeyOMOTANI

HarryCHRISTENSEN-ROSE

LiamHAYES

RyenLAWRENCE

JersonLAGOS

QuintonKIPARA

DylanWILLIAMS

SeanLIDDICOAT

StaffordDOWLING

JoshGALLETLY

RaheemHUNTER

ConorJAMIESON(GK)

Melville on the board in the national league

Melville grafted their way to their first point of the national league season with a 1 1 draw against Wellington Phoenix Reserves at The Cake Tin, thanks to a 90th minute penaltyfromOliverColloty,whichhehadearnedhimself.

Coach Sam Wilkinson said for Melville it was a case of a point gained rather than two pointslost

“It was one of those games where the result far outweighed the performance,” Wilkinsonsaid

“For a lot of the time we came across as a team which was low on confidence and werescramblingtogetagoalandgetapoint”

He described Phoenix as well organised and athletic, and well suited to playing on a bigpitch

“We were better defensively in the first half but they got on top in the second half and scored after we made a series of errors. But to the lads’ credit, they never give up. Even we we are not at our best, we don’t go missing and by the end we possibly could haveevensnuck*it.

“We know we need to be better, but it was an incredibly long day 17 hours for one gameoffootball.”

Wilkinsonwashappywiththeendeavoursofhisbackthree,SeanLiddicoat,AaronScott andLukeSearle,whohehadputtheheatonmidweekforanimprovedperformance

He hadtaken a gamble on starting StaffordDowling, who was undera cloudwith a foot injury,butwasviewedastheMelvilleplayermostsuitedtothewideopenspacesofSky Stadium.Dowlingwasforcedtocomeoffathalftime.

In goal, Max Tommy made one stunning first half left handed save from a header Josh Galletlypickedupacaution.

If Melville hardly ever do draws, Phoenix are more regular with this their second on the trot.

Wilkinson said Cashmere’s 0 3 loss to Olympic helped put Melville’s previous loss in context,thoughviewedCashmereassolid,experiencedopponentsthisweekend.

WellingtonPhoenix1() MelvilleUnited1(Colloty90'+1pen)

Melville United: 1 Max Tommy (GK), 3 Aaron Scott (c), 4 Luke Searle, 5 Campbell Brown (7. Harry Rose), 8. Liam Hayes, 9. Ryen Lawrence, 10. Jerson Lagos (19. Raheem Hunter),12.OliverColloty,14.SeanLiddicoat,15.StaffordDowling(11.QuintonKipara) Subnotused:20ConorJamieson(GK),2 BraedanQuilter Phipps

Michaela breaks out of the shadow of Jimmy the Phys

Michaela Clark has been named as Melville’s 2022 women’s premier player of the year at the end of her first seasonwiththeclub

With a decision made not to announce the men’s first team prize winners at this stage because they are still playing national league matches, there was extrafocusonthewomen’sawards

There was laughter when women’s first team coach Tarena Ranui announced the women’s player of the year award and observed that most club members still probably best knew Michaela as “the girlfriend of Jimmy The Phys” (club physio)

these woke times, particularly given the consistent performing 24 year old right back was not present to speak for herself

However Jimmy the Phys later said it was completely in order and even talked up the criticalroleheplayedinconvincingClarktojoinMelvillefromWanderers “Allmydoing,”hefizzed.“Yes,Ibroughtherhere.”

Ranui underlined the importance of players such as Clark in building a new look Melvilleteam,whichultimatelyfinishedfourthintheWaiBOPW League.

“We had a lot of young players coming up but we had to also go and find a lot of old playerstobringback,”Ranuisaid.

“By the end of the season we had used over 30 players, and six goalkeepers I was thinking of having an award for goalkeeper of the year because there were so many ofthem,butranoutofspaceonfacebooktobeablytolistitonapoll

Ranui noted Melville had 38 girls playing in an U14 tournament at the weekend and an U16 girls team that finished second in its league, while the U15s were currently leadingatournamentinAuckland.

“We have have taken on the big clubs and are doing really well, with coaches coming through.

“But it is not an easy journey. We’ve chosen the toughest possible way to go and do thatbutwehavedoneittherightwayandoverthenextcoupleofyearsIthinkwewill starttoseethebenefitsofthewholefemaleprogramme.

“Obviously we have the World Cup next year and we are pretty excited by that, but I justhavetospecialmentiontoourolderplayers.Theyare,like,22.

It’s been tough but in the end we took points off all but one club and were the only team to beat Otumoetai and we played some really good football in amongst it. But wecouldn’thavedoneitwithouttheoldgirlscomingback”

Ranui noted that some of these “old tolerance for the first time, while with somerealgems

One of these was Rylee Mardon, who was named young player of the year Ali Galletlywasnamedplayers’player.

“She played every minute of every game, even with a broken toe at the end and was an absolute legend. Probably out of everybody she had the toughest social job in that most of her friends were in the other group but she kept showing up, and withoutherweweren’tfielding11players.”

Melville director of football Sam Wilkinson said he saw a lot of parallels in the women withwherethemen’steamwereatin2017

“It does take time to grow and each year you get stronger, so you’ve got the toughest year out of the way so keep doing what you are doing,” he said “I thought in the secondhalfoftheseasonyouwereoutstanding.”

While men’s first team award winners were not named, Wilkinson offered a big thank youtoeveryonebehindthescenes.

“The fact the first team has had a pretty good year this year goes well beyond the players and the direct staff. There is so much work that goes on in the background. Onbehalfofthefirstteamplayersandstaffthankyouallforyourefforts

“I’d also like to make mention to you all as supporters as well. I think in terms of home and away matches this is easily the best in terms of how we have been supported It means a great deal. I think back to the Wanderers game here and think it was easily thebestatmosphereI’veseeninalocalgameinalong,longtime.

“Isaidtosomeoneduringtheyear,evenifitisjustthreeorfourMelvillescarvesinthe corner at an away game it does make a difference and give the lads a lift and in some ofthosetightgamesithasjustpushedusovertheedge Itdoesn’tgounnoticed"

Wilkinson collected the coach of the year award for the fifth time while his first team stafftookthetwootherbigclub wideawards.

Seamus Marten was named Club Person in recognition of a big workload, where he is pretty much working between two beats as first team manager, and a management committee member Chairman Wayne Batespaidtributetohisformerteammate.

"I played alongside Seamus for a couple of northern league matches in 2005, before his journey in football took him to the far more rarefied atmosphere of postings with Oceania and NZ Football, and it has only been in recent years that we have come to appreciate hismulti facetedinputandabilitiesatclublevel

Apart from being first team manager, he serves on the club committee, now looks after the matchday programme, is the person to blame for matchday music, and indeedwasthemajorforcebehindsettingupourtemporarysupportinfrastructureon Gower6.Seamushasquicklybecomeapillarofourclub."

It marks a club career recognition high for Marten, who made his first team debut as goalkeeperawaytoWestAucklandin2005.

The Club Personality award was shared between new first team assistant to the manager,DannyMilner,andnewclubsecretaryPeteLawrence.

ButWilkinsonalsonotedtheinputoffirstteamstaffwhodidn’twinagong

“Mouch (Neil Mouncher) has bounced in and out with his scathing, cutting feedback which has helped keep our young squad grounded Jimmy the Phys kept us healthy and also brought Michaela which was a huge, huge benefit to the club. Harry (Trethowan) was the perfect foil for my constant misery and negativity with his almost ignorantpositivityandhasbeenreallygreataroundtheyounglads"

"Thanks are also due to Zeya Hussaini as reserve team coach. I know he winds people up, but he also gets through a power of work and has been left with a really big group thisyearsowanttogivehimashoutout.”

Wilkinson, who is standing down at the end of the season, reflected how his first game as Melville coach was against Waitemata on Gower 2 in 2017 with five players from thatfixturestillinthesquadtoday

“Also, of our first team regulars there are six who were part of the Melville U14 group thatyear

“To see them starting to just not feature but do really well is a really good blueprint for the club going forward, combined with looking after good senior players who care abouttheclub”

A joint “Service to Melville” award was bestowed on Wayne Bates and Jamie Strange for their intense work in championing facility development plans at GowerPark

And a new award Melville Supporter of the Year was introduced with the inaugural winner being 14 year old Lily Allen, an academy player who has also been a regular feature on the sideline at firstteammatches.

Medals (sponsored by club captain Pep Wheatley) were presented to the Melville MightyAs

2022TeamAwards

Epics

Player:KatieBarker

Players’Player:MerleneNewport

Mostimproved:ZoeGaskell

Squadmember:PippaJacques

Women’sReserves

PlayerofYear:KaitlynSheary

Players’Player:KaitlynSheary

MostImproved:JordynWatt

Women’sFirstTeam

PlayerofYear:MichaelaClark

Players’Player:AliGalletly

YoungPlayer:RyleeMardon

OldBoys

PlayerofYear:MervWilliams

GoalofYear:MikeStewart(Donkey)

SquadmemberBruceTimings

BDivision

ClubAwards

Women’sGoldenBoot

JacquiMcInally(10goals)

Men’sGoldenBoot:

OliverColloty/SeanLeadley(14goals)

ServicetoMelville: WayneBatesandJamieStrange

SupporteroftheYear:

SpecialAchievement:

CoachoftheYear:

Personality:

ClubPerson:

MVPDylanTubman

Playersplayer:AnthonyTownsend Squadmember:LachlanBrown Goal/Saveoftheyear:AnthonyTownsend

Nobs

PlayeroftheYear:RhysLegate

PlayersPlayer:GregHobson

PatrickSwayzeGhostAward:RajNaidu

MightyAs

PlayerofYear:DevonWilliams

Players’Player:BenWheatley

SquadMember:BradBeucker

MostImprovedBradBeucker Federation

PlayerofYear:JamieWalker

PlayersPlayer:JamieWalker

U23s

PlayerofYear:JacobEngland

Squadmember:MakahaVieiraGall

Celebrating 50 years

There will be much success and the occasional disappointment to reflect upon whenMelvillehostsits“Celebrating50Years”weekendfromNovember4

Fifty years is not a huge lifespan in terms of community sports clubs these days, with anumberofentitieswellintotheirsecondcentury

Melville’s inaugural 1975 senior team: Back row, from left: Bob Owens (coach), Tony Tatler, Alan Chapman, Roger Salisbury, Garry White, Steve Randall, Chris Hoyle. Front: Blair McKenzie, Sean Mullaney, Dave Nichols, Mark Townley, Eric Scott, Glen Buckland.

But what is remarkable has been the qualitative progress of the Melville club within that time frame, emerging from the depth of Waikato social divisions to the national league and to two Chatham Cup finals and the forging of an academy programme which is beginning to produce international players in their own right Along the way Melvillehasalsowonthenorthernpremierleaguetitlein1995and2009

Fiftieth celebrations kick off with a “Meet & Greet” evening at Gower Park on Friday November4(entry$10)from7pm

Saturdayeventsonthecelebrationweekendwillincludethe2003ChathamCupfinal team reconvening to play a match at Gower Park, a game between two Melville Over 50teams(Celebrating50),andawomen’smatch.

Feature of the weekend will be the Saturday night celebration dinner at Claudelands Events Centre (6pm) where speakers will include first team captain and former All White Aaron Scott, and club life member Steve Owens (son of club founder Bob Owens) while a band, Decibel, has also been booked for the evening (Tickets are $100 and MUST be booked prior to October 28 see elsewhere on the website or emailtimings5@outlookcom)

Melville historian Ron Anorak noted that when Melville AFC took shape as a senior club in 1975 (from 1972 74 it was just juniors) there were more than 40 other existing clubs ranked ahead of them within what is now the Waikato Bay of Plenty Federationregion.

By contrast, as of this month, Melville are the highest ranked club in terms of senior men’s performance within the WaiBOP federation, have well established clubrooms, the best club owned floodlighting in the Waikato, and arguably the best performing youthacademy.

Waikato football was in relatively good heart when Melville District Schoolboys was formed in 1972. Hamilton AFC won the northern league that year and in a playoff for a national league berth twice drew with Wellington Diamond United before losing 2 1inadecidingthirdmatchplayedatWanganui.

Elsewhere on the Hamilton football landscape Claudelands Rovers were in northern league division 3 and Frankton Railway were in northern league division four Other Waikato northern league clubs were Huntly Thistle (Div 2), Tokoroa (Div 3) and Horotiu's Affco Rangers (Div 4) Waikato had 38 senior men's teams and 148 junior oryouthteams.

When Melville finally qualified for the northern league in 1982 the landscape was remarkably different. While Melville United is today contesting the northern premier (and national) league, Melville's opponents that season were: Taumarunui, Turangi, Waiouru, Otumoetai, Whakatane and Taupo, all missing from the northern league maptoday.

Since the northern league was founded in 1965, Melville has been one of just four clubstohavetakenthepremier(orDiv1titlepriorto1984)titleoutsideofAuckland, the others being Tauranga City United, and the now defunct Hamilton AFC and Waikato FC (which in 1987 controversially “leased” Claudelands Rovers’ northern premierleaguespotasaprivateentity).

REMINDER: Your dinner bookings must be made urgently, there can be no sales on theday.

Funding Partners

Club Partners Academy Partners