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FOOTBALL FOCUS ON www.goalweekly.com $4 DUE TO THE BREAK IN TANSEL BASER THE FOXTEL CUP EURO 08 REVIEW FOOTBALL FEATURE ON SIMON WEBSTER THIS WEEK, GW WILL Season 4: Issue 20 Monday 30th June 2008 Supporting all colours and reporting in black and white NEXT BE OUT ON MONDAY 14TH JULY. LIONS POUNCE ON SOUTH! SURPRISE DERBY WIN ENABLES Photo by Peter Kakalias PRESTON TO LEAP OUT OF DANGER IN THE MEANTIME, KEEP UP TO DATE WITH PLUS► ALL THE WEEKEND FOOTBALL RESULTS, BOO, KATSA , TSIGAN, TARTAN TALK, SOCCER HOTLINES & HEAPS MORE! www.goalweekly.com PO Box 142 Port Melbourne 3207 p (03) 9645 1440 e [email protected] www.goalweekly.com Photos by Nome Risteski Goal! Weekly FOOTBALL FEATURE 31 Simon Webster WEBSTER’S A-LEAGUE WISH Bad Breaks Won’t Dampen Simon’s Spirit t’s been a season to forget for Simon a team meeting in the dressing rooms and Webster and it only took two min- Dean told us that he was leaving.” Iutes to unravel. That’s how long had Phil Stubbins moved into the hot seat and elapsed in the round one Division One Richmond finished the season in style, just clash between Keilor Park and Spring- missing out on a finals berth. The follow- vale White Eagles before the 26-year-old ing year started well then results dropped slid in for a 50/50 tackle and snapped the off. Stubbins moved to Adelaide United and tibia in his right leg. Dougie Hodgson took over. He was due to come out of plaster this week “Doug was really good. He’s got his coach- in the hope that he could get back and play ing badges overseas and obviously played a part in White Eagles’ attempt to secure its professionally in England. His training drills Division One status but just on three weeks were great and I have to say that I really en- ago disaster struck again. joyed playing under him.” “I slipped on the tiles at home and broke it But that enjoyment was relatively short- again. Now I’m in plaster for another four lived. Mike Chatzitrifonas was appointed weeks but with any luck I may be able to for the current season and that ushered in a play in Perth in an end-of-season Serbian drastic revamp of the playing squad. It also tournament in October,” said Webster. spelt the end of Webster’s Richmond stint. There’s a grim determination and an exem- “I started the pre-season round about Oc- plary resilience to the way he has approached tober/November and there were a lot of the first major injury of his career. player changes, in fact I think ‘Chatz’ took “I think it’s made me stronger. I still want just about a whole new team to the club. to play in the A-League one day. I haven’t The atmosphere was quite good though and given up on that ambition and I’ll do what- I knew most of the (new) players. I played ever I can to make that dream come true.” in our first game and we thumped Preston He’s had trials overseas, notably in Scotland Lions 5–1. They were the reigning champi- and Malaysia and he trialled along with An- ons so it was a great result for us. ‘Chatz’ tun Kovacic for a spot on Melbourne Victo- dropped me the next week. He said that I’d ry’s roster a couple of seasons back. Kovac- done well but said that that’s just the way ic won the battle for that spot, Victory coach the game goes. Ernie Merrick explaining to Webster that he “When I decided to go to White Eagles (un- wanted a tall defender with a good left foot. der the coaching of his father) there was no But Merrick didn’t rule out the possibility of bitterness. Richmond wanted me to stay but one day having Webster in the squad. I’d decided to go.” “He told me he’d coached my dad at Doveton So just before the Division One season and said you never know, one day he may be started his switch from Premier League was coaching my dad’s son.” effected and Richmond received a $1000 But that only narrows the field down to three transfer fee. Webster joined a side much – Simon and twin brother Scott, the latter changed from the previous season with most now at Oakleigh, and older brother Stu- of the club’s signings coming from lower art, the Richmond custodian. But if breed- leagues while many of last year’s White ing counts for anything then this Webster’s Eagles players joined Noble Park in Provi- dream may come true. Father Stan was a sional Division One South-East. good player in Scotland, a great player in “I think the main thing for us is to stay up,” Australia and has proven to be one of the said Webster. “And I’m confident that we best coaches in Victoria. can. We’ve had some good results.” But Simon Webster started playing football as a Saturday’s 1–0 loss away to Langwarrin five-year-old with Doveton’s under-7s and doesn’t help matters. Ironically, Webster can count current Glasgow Celtic and Soc- watched the contest propped up by crutches ceroo striker Scott MacDonald and Joey Di as his old mate Ovcin nabbed the winner. Iorio among his junior teammates (Author Webster’s rehab should be in full swing note: hopefully the many Doveton support- Springvale White Eagles star Simon Webster pictured in the Langwarrin clubrooms after shortly after the plaster is removed. It will ers who quite rightly keep pointing out to Saturday’s clash, complete with crutches and a right leg in plaster. involve learning to walk properly again, me that MacDonald is not just an ex-Cran- plenty of weights and swimming. bourne player have been appeased.) scored for the Dumfries-based outfit from During his stint at Pines one of his team- “It’s the only injury I’ve had really but it’s Stan Webster was coaching that under-7 his now customary full-back position. mates, Boris Ovcin (now at Langwarrin), just made me determined to get back and I team, indeed the father–son combination It was back to Cranbourne until his father signed with Penang. Webster headed to want to play in Premier League again. Okay, endured throughout Simon’s junior career. was appointed coach of Frankston Pines. Malaysia hopeful of joining him but even maybe I’m getting on in age but maybe one Their liaison yielded two Super League “Yeah, I just followed the ‘old man’ again though Penang wanted him to sign he day I can even play in the A-League.” titles, the under-14s with Doveton then the but I had four good seasons at Pines. We got couldn’t stand the weather or the food so It’s that never-say-die attitude that is a hall- under-15s with Cranbourne and it was at the to the grand final of the Premier League (in back to Melbourne he came. mark of the way he goes about his football. latter that Simon Webster made his senior 2003) only to go down 1–0 to Gully. When As part of coach Dean Hennessy’s quest to If some of that could rub off on his team- debut in a Division Two clash as a 16-year- you look back on that season then look at secure Richmond’s Premier League status mates and they could take it into every con- old. where Pines are now it’s really sad. One in the 2006 season he lured Webster to the test left in what is looming as a bitter rel- In late 1999, early 2000, Webster trialled year they’re up, the next they’re down. It’s Kevin Bartlett Reserve outfit. His transfer egation struggle, Springvale White Eagles in Scotland unsuccessfully. He had roughly a shame. They’re still one of the strongest fee from Pines was $2000. would have little to fear. four weeks at Kilmarnock and two sessions sides on the peninsula but increasingly it’s “Dean told me that he liked solid, strong at Celtic but the only trial match he partici- getting hard to hold onto the decent play- players and I had a good pre-season there. By Craig MacKenzie pated in was with Queen of the South and he ers because other clubs are paying more When results started going against us and money.” Dean was sacked it was a shock. We had Photo by Darryl Kennedy Issue # 20 Monday 30 June 2008 Goal! Weekly SOCCERSOCCER HOTLINESHOTLINES 3 [email protected] ON THE (SILK) ROAD TO ‘10 This week’s line-up Soccer Hotlines 3 Socceroos’ Favourable World Cup Draw Australia has drawn Bahrain, Japan, Qatar Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO, Ben - most recent match: 21-07-07 (D1-1, lost 3-4 Pines v Blues 5 and Uzbekistan in its round 4 qualifying Buckley, said that FFA will do all it can to ensure on penalties) - AFC Asian Cup 2007, qtr final matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be the Qantas Socceroos qualify for the 2010 FIFA Eagles v Suburbs 6 held in South Africa. World Cup. BAHRAIN South v Lions 7 “We will have to work hard to achieve qualification P2 W2-D0-L0 but it will be a good test for us,” according to the “It’s a truism, but nonetheless true.