WE AREARE NORTHNORTH SHORESHORE UNITEDUNITED SATURDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER 2017 – KICK OFF 3PM NRFL – RD 22 Fixture OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME OPPOSITION: MANUKAU CITY Tom Speers - Head Coach Welcome back to the Hill which sees us host our final game of the 2017 season. Firstly our huge congratulations to our visitors, Kevin and his Manukau team, who have achieved back to back promotions. This is a great achievement considering how difficult the league was this year, we wish them luck for next year. As it is our final game I’d like to thank a couple of people who have not only supported me but have helped the club massively this year, Tom Bray, Bill Lissington and Ben Wall, without your help this year would have not gone as smoothly as it has, so thank you. Reflecting on the year, even though we didn't achieve our main target, we can still be pleased with our efforts, considering only 3 members of our team survived from the 2016 season, building a new squad and still accumulating enough points to have gone is still something to be proud of. This years league was extremely competitive, and with the young squad we have I’m sure we will only push on next year. I would like to thank all the sponsors for their continued support as without you the club would not be able to run. And lastly I’d like to thank you, the fans, for your support, it has been great to have your backing week in week out and I know the boys and myself have really appreciated it. For the last time, let's fill the Hill and make some noise and finish off the season with a good home win, and 3 more points HEAD COACH ASST. COACH ASST. COACH MANAGER Tom SPEERS Ben WALL Tom BRAY Bill LISSINGTON Darryl Petherick Club Chairman Welcome Manukau City to Allen Hill for the last game of the 2017 season. In 2015 and 16 - 44 points would have been enough, but that doesn’t count for much now. For NSU the season has not produced what we hoped for but Manukau should be congratulated for securing promotion two years in a row. If there is any hope for you that Springs will slip up today then I can only promise Manukau a tough contest from our lads for 3 points. I suppose we can speculate what didn’t go well this season, and maybe we will over a beer or two tonight. But we should look forward to 2018 and decide what we need to do better. What I can say is that Tom S has brought a real passion to NSU - that can’t be denied. He didn’t get much time to get a side together and we got off to a cracking start and an even stronger finish. Thanks Tom for all your hard work, and I look forward to sitting down soon to plan 2018. Thanks also has to go to the team around him. Ben, Bill, and Tom B. Your commitment for this club too is evident. Thanks for 2017. To the players - we have enjoyed watching you, sometimes played every minute from the stands with you. We have seen the passion you too have had for the club and really do appreciate you for it. Enjoy the seasons break, and on behalf of all the supporters we look forward to your return and wearing maroon for the Shore again next year. Lastly I want to thank the rest of the board at North Shore United. The time and commitment you all give is a credit to you. We always set out with the best of intentions - to grow and improve our club for all of its members. Thank you. Go the mighty Shore - lets finish the season with a bang! Re-Development Update In 2012 a small group of us set out to improve the football grounds and facilities on the peninsular. Probably 3 times in those 5 years we have been told ‘yours is the most important project in all of the Auckland region’. We secured the funding allocation about 3 years ago. So why haven’t we succeeded yet? Bureaucracy is what it really comes down to. Red Tape and Bureaucracy. I hate to imagine just how much time we have spent trying to do this. 1000 players across only 3 grounds for training and games is why we wont stop. We have had some progression lately. Yes there are some concept images up in the clubrooms, but we are not over the line yet. North Shore United is close to agreeing on a hybrid surface at the Hill, floodlighting, over 100 new carparks, and infrastructure including change rooms etc. That will support a new club house. The council support this. The neighbours are close, but we are not there yet. For North Shore to truly move forward this development is needed. Not only do we need a surface to play first team football on - we also need more playing and training hours for our kids, youth and social teams. But we are not there yet. If you get a chance to speak to a local politician - tell them what you think. The oldest football club in the country needs to be recognised with a modern day community facility. 1000 players need it more in 2018 than they did in 2012. Darryl Petherick, Steve Browning, Donn Roberts. NSU members and passionate supporters. Facilities 1. One full, one half hybrid pitch with lights 2. Permanent carpark 140 3. Public Toilets 4. New changing rooms 5. New Clubhouse * 6. Perimeter fences come down * Club needs to raise the funds to build the clubhouse. Council fund toilets and changing rooms only. You can help Tell the Devonport Takapuna Local Board that you support this development. Go to the Auckland Council website and complete the 2017 Local Board Plan feedback form. Or email the Local Board members directly. ACADEMY 2017 Paul Harkness Academy Director Welcome back to New Zealand. Last time you were a player for Shore and now you are back in a different capacity, as the Academy Director of NSU. in your time away how do you think Football in New Zealand has progressed? Thank you it's great to be back. It's 16 years ago since I was last here as a player and the biggest thing I have noticed is the quality of the coaching that is provided at all levels of the game. Back in 2001 it was very much volunteers and dad's taking teams and they had only limited knowledge of football and also resources. The coach Education provided now at grass roots is excellent and it is much more structured from what I recall. How have you found your first year in the Role at NSU? It has been busy but very rewarding. At the end of last year I was very much reviewing the situation we are in as a club from top to bottom and planning for 2017 along with Mikey Halliday our Coaching Manager. Once the season started it has been pretty full on with both myself and Mikey out on the grass every evening and working with lots of different teams and coaches so that we can work with all of our members at some point in the season and have a positive impact with them. What is your vision for the future of the Academy and what are the goals you would like to achieve in that time? We would obviously like to follow on from the success of the current Under 15 Academy team and have younger age groups coming through and representing the club at that level. There are some very talented players in the club that we would like to see playing first team football within the next few years and it's my job to ensure they continue that pathway and development into that level and hopefully beyond. What are the most important aspects of Academies in serving the progression of young players in New Zealand football? It's really about improving the players year on year and nurturing the talent in the environment that we create as coaches and as a club. Obviously for the players they want to see a pathway for a career in football and we need to provide that. Personally I feel that creating the person as much as the player is equally as important so that we have decent people who are positive about not only a life in football but also after when they finish playing. How have the Academy teams faired this year? The Under 15 Metro team are currently third in the Metro league with five games still to play. The U15 Conference team are currently top of their league and need four points from their remaining two fixtures to win their division. We also have five players who are aged a year below U15 who are playing up this year and they have been excellent this season. With Tom Speers utilising many young players in the 1st Team, how positive an effect does that have on younger players aspiring for that role and does it reflect how good a system North Shore United can provide? I have made clear my aims for young players in the club to reach first team football when they are ready. It might be when they are 16, 18 or 21, but if Tom believes they are ready then they will play. We want to produce a regular flow of players coming through our system and making the Grade at first team level.