Guildford McCredie Uniting Soccer Club Office Bearers

President's Report

2003 proved to be another outstanding season for McCredie Uniting Soccer Club with strong on field results and considerable growth in player numbers. In 2002 there were 13 teams competing, and in 2003 16 teams. A total of 220 players being provided the opportunity to compete in, and enjoy, a very professional and well run competition in the NSW Churches Football Association. Particular congratulations to the Under 10s, 13s, 14 Reds, 15s and RC1 sides who won various competitions this season.

McCredie Uniting Church continues to provide the opportunity for boys and girls to play soccer each week only through the enormous commitment of time and effort by a small but dedicated team of coaches and managers, referees, canteen operators and other office holders. The thanks of all of us, particularly the players and their parents, must go to these people who give so much to make it all possible. Without the coaches and managers, there would be no teams! If 2004 is to be another successful year for McCredie Soccer Club, there will need to be additional people coming forward to help. I appeal to all parents and friends of players to consider ways in which you may be able to assist. Coaching and refereeing courses will again be conducted early in 2004, but there are other ways in which you can make the load which currently rests on the shoulders of a few, a little lighter - JUST ASK!

I congratulate and thank all who made the 2003 season a reality, especially our hardworking committee. I urge you all to consider what you might be able to do to make 2004 a year of further growth and consolidation for McCredie Uniting Soccer Club.

Mal Hewitt
President

Secretary's Report

In Guildford McCredie Uniting Soccer Club’s fifth season we were able to field nine junior teams: two in the under 14 age group and one each in the Under 15, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9 and 8 age groups, three mini teams, two in the under 6 and one in the under 7 age groups, and four senior teams in the Raahauge Cup competition - a total of 16 teams.

In the 2001 Annual report I wrote that it would be a long time before we would experience the success of that season again. 2003 has meant that it was not such a long wait, as this year’s on field results were magnificent. Our under 6 teams were rarely beaten. The White’s lost only to Fairfield and the Red’s, who accounted for Fairfield with ease twice, lost only to the Whites. Both the Under 10s and 13s were competition Premiers neither losing a game and the under 10s actually winning every game. The RC First Division teams were both minor Premiers going on to the Grand final. In addition the under 12s, 14 Reds and the 9 team were competition runners up. We were champions in four knockout competitions: Under 10, 13, 15 and A Grade. We were also Runners up in the A Grade Knockout where our RC1 team defeated the RC North 1^st team. The RC 1 team also contested the State Cup semi final losing in extra time. In the President’s Cup our Under 10s, 13s and 14s were victorious and the Under 12s were Runners Up.Fantastic results.

And all this in a year when the six a side was cancelled! Oh, what could have been!!

Our club’s growth continues at a phenomenal rate. This year we were able to offer many more children than previously teams in their own age groups. Only the under 11s had a significant number of under age players. Of course the hope next year is that these boys will all return, bring their friends and create an additional team, one to play under 11s again and the other to play under 12s, it was in exactly this way that the very successful under 9s happened this year. We were also boosted by the addition of a whole senior side who joined us and allowed us to create a fourth team. The team and their management were a highlight this year and our club executive is delighted with the success they achieved.

It is likely that next year McCredie will field a Premier League squad following the success of our RC1 squad this year. This will provide our McCredie juniors with something to aspire to and the strength of our juniors coming through augers well for the future success of this squad.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the coaches and managers who took on their responsibilities with enthusiasm and commitment. The efforts put in by these people this year was magnificent and clearly translated into a very happy, contented and indeed successful club in 2003. To the fellow members of the club’s committee I would like to thankyou for your support this year. Unfortunately many people don’t notice that the canteen doesn’t mysteriously run itself, that the nets don’t stay up all week, that newsletters don’t write themselves, and that more than a dozen adolescents are not easily handled on your own for three hours a week. This of course is a very small list of the work done by members of our club - and nobody is paid!!!

The poor weather during the middle of the season not only tested the patience of our team managers, it has also dented the club’s finances. Having three rounds moved away from Everley and having the six a side cancelled, we estimate that we lost somewhere in the vicinity of $2000.

One very exciting thing today for me is the issuing of our first five year service medals. Every year from now on we will do this but only this year will the recipients be people who were associated with McCredie from the beginning (when we weren’t so successful!). These people’s names are at the conclusion of the report and I hope that the same names will appear in five year’s time as they receive their ten year medals!

Every year our club grows and following this year’s results there is little doubt that this will continue next year. This means that we will require even more coaches, managers and other helpers to support this. Coaching and referees courses will again be offered in March and April next year so please consider how you can assist the club. Volunteers are sought now to assist with the running of your club.

Don’t forget that the registration days are the first two Saturdays in February at Granville Park between 9am and 11am or on the first two Sundays in February at McCredie Uniting Church between 12pm and 2pm. Waiting until registration day though is not a guarantee as some of our teams will be endeavouring to register their players today! This is the only way you can guarantee your place as after today new players are also welcome to register. You can register any time by seeing me but remember no registration will be accepted without a $20.00 deposit. Please register early as I would hate anybody to miss out.

Greg Wark
Secretary

Income and Expenditure Statement for 2003

Under 6 Red Team Report

The Under 6 Red team was a team of mixed ability and talent. With four 4 year olds, some seasoned players (with 1 year under their belt) and a new Coach and Manager, nobody was sure what to expect. As the season started, we lost some players, gained a future star goalkeeper, and were often hard put to put a team on the field, but the results achieved by this side speak for themselves.

16 games won, 2 games lost and a for and against record of 66- 39 which would please any Player, Parent, Coach or Manager.

Due to circumstances outside our control, it was necessary to change coaches a couple of games into the season. I would like to take the opportunity of thanking Paul Elliott for his enthusiasm in taking up the role, as well as leading and encouraging the kids as we completed a most successful season. The enthusiasm of the children in this side bodes well for the future of the club.

The Players:

Ali Kassem - One of our "junior" players, Ali showed a lot of enthusiasm at training that sometimes translated into action on the field. This season has been a good introduction to soccer for Ali and I am sure that next year will see improvement with age.

Connor Barkley - Another of our "junior" players, Connor was known for having hot and cold periods on the field. This year has been instrumental in introducing him to team sport and I am sure that he will return next year more focused on the ball and the game

Daniel Jabou - Unfortunately Daniel missed a number of games during the first half of the season but when on the field showed an intensity and enthusiasm that was hard to match. Daniel was one of the strikers that helped the team to achieve the wins that we did.

Hamza Sajadi - Hamza is another player that showed an amazing talent on the field. His ball control was excellent and he was never afraid to get involved and mix it with the opposition. As one of the three main strikers, his goal scoring was also a highlight.

Harrison Lira - Harrison was another of our "junior" players, who enjoyed himself on the field playing with the team.As with Connor, I think that this was a good introduction that will bear fruit in the coming years.

James Elliott - James was the most prolific of our goal scorers racking up 9 goals in the one game. His enthusiasm showed not only by the way he played in our team but also by the fact that he regularly backed up to play for the under 7’s as well.

Keely Sharwood - Keely was one of the main reasons that our against record was so low. Not only did she score a handful of goals for the side, she continually acted in a defensive role ensuring that forwards from other teams did not get an opportunity to get near our goal line.

Nadim Kassem - Another of our "juniors", Nadim started later in the season but turned out to be one of the great finds for the club. His ability in goal was continually tested, and week in week out, he showed an incredible ability in the role with some amazing saves. I hope that next year, he will deem to also play away from this position and gain experience on the field.

Under 6 White Team Report

As the manager I have enjoyed watching a young group of kids eager to kick a ball around the park and have fun, and at the same time improving both in the skills of the game and in confidence.

For most of these boys it was their first year playing soccer, but coach Greg Wark soon had them playing in some sort of positional formation which achieved great results.

Playing 16 matches, with 13 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, 110 goals for and 23 against, it ended up an enjoyable year for the boys.

The Players:

Mahammad Abdul Hamid: It was Mahammad’s second year at the club and he shows incredible talent for his age. He has a high level of ball skills with both feet and runs back to help in defence. He knows where the goals are, scoring an amazing 73 goals.

Ryan Castellarin: It took Ryan a few matches to understand the game and gain confidence. He then started playing as a striker and scored some great goals.

Curtis Ceapa: Curtis played fullback, he loved to run and was always chasing the ball and clearing it when needed.

Alan Guzman: Alan is strongly built and he used it to his advantage. When in midfield he tackled hard for the ball and when he went forward he used his strength to score goals.

Reece Osland: Reece is the youngest player in the team and was very shy at the start of the season - but by the end, he was eating oranges at half time with the rest of the team and I even heard him tell an opposition player during the game "we’re beating you!". Reece always got a couple of big kicks in per game and will be a better player next year.

Samuel Purtill: Samuel was always trying his best every time he played. A good all round player he enjoyed his slide tackles in defence and never stopped running the entire game.

Kerem Sevinc: Kerem always gave his best when on the field. When he was replaced, especially at Everley Mini, it was sometimes hard to find him to get him back on. He would be around the play area, or chasing the girls. Oh well, at least he wasn’t getting cold!

William Wark: William is a very strong defender, with a powerful left foot kick. He would clear the ball well and always tackle hard saving us many times.

A special thanks to all the parents for braving the cold and dark to get the boys to training on Wednesdays, and getting up early on Saturdays to cheer the team on.

Frank Castellarin
Assistant Manager

Under 7 Team Report

After my wife volunteered me as manager for the team, I actually have enjoyed being involved very much. It’s been great to see the boys improve in both skill and confidence and to enjoy the game, whether they win or lose. For a team of largely inexperienced players, they played like true professionals. Our win ratio was a huge 5 wins. The boys played very strongly throughout the year and are to be congratulated for their on field behaviour - particularly in defeat.

Towards the end of season the skills and teamwork began to show through, with the last game of the season the best... Keep up the great effort!

Thanks also to all the parents and friends who supported our boys through the season.

Under 8 Team Report

The u8’s had a very enjoyable season. We started as a combination of the u7 white and red teams with 4 new players, they all got on well together, showing great enthusiasm and excitement at training and during the games. We would like to thank the parents for all their support and help during this season especially on training nights. Our team finished 3^rd on the ladder out of 9 teams. We think that’s a great achievement considering every player, regardless of skill had equal time on the field, this may have cost us some games but that’s what makes Guildford McCredie Uniting different from some of the other clubs in the area, and a big thanks to all the people who run this club, your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed!!

The Players

ALEX: Showed plenty of potential while on the field and helped the team out by being goalkeeper when no-one wanted to.

YONJA: Impressive little back who never misses a beat, rarely does anyone large or small get past her.

JAKE.A: A great fullback who gained confidence as the season progressed and was always enthusiastic at training.

JAKE.M: Progressed well during the year as a Midfielder who consistently kicked the ball out of our half saving many goals, also did an excellent job as goalkeeper.

JASON G: A tireless runner, with more experience will see him become a great Midfielder.

JONATHON: Good midfielder with bursts of brilliance to match the forwards.

KERIM: Did a good job as full back and goalkeeper, with more experience will become a great player.

ROBERT: This was his first season in soccer and was always keen at training and the games and was a great defender.

GEORGE: Improved greatly during the season was always in position, supporting the forwards and was unlucky not to score.

EMMANUAL: Skills improved during the season, he scored a few goals and missed a few, with a bit more speed and fitness will become a good forward, also did an excellent job as goalkeeper.

MARK: Excellent forward who was always in position to score as he did many times, with more team work Mark could have scored many more.

JASON.Y: Outstanding forward and team player, and great runner, tireless in his efforts, who scored many goals.

SHAUN: For his first season in soccer Shaun was outstanding, tireless in attack and Defence running from one end of the field to the other, scoring many goals, he has a great future.

Coach: Sam Eid
Manager: Peter Dunbar

Under 9 Team Report

A successful season in a tough competition. Throughout the season we were often only able to field 10 players but the boys handled the challenge well.

Justin - Had the pleasure of coaching him last year and he continues to improve. We built our defence around Justin as sweeper and he did not fail us. With his ability to read the game and judge his tackles he was instrumental to our success.

Deniz - Another great defender whom I coached last year. He would have preferred a more attacking role but understood that what he did was best for the team. His deft tackles as left back and runs up the flank were great.

Eloy - A newcomer to the team who played centre back for the majority of the season. His energy to move out from defence to counter attacks with his solid tackles was essential. He was pivotal in our successes; especially against St. Michaels.

Hayden - Another newcomer to the team. Towards the end of the season he found his position in right back. His clearances were perfect and the position allowed him the extra space for his strong runs.

The above four boys were our regular defenders who we all depended upon. As with any kid they would have loved to score the goals but understood that it was a team effort to get the ball in the back of the net. So I would like to once again thank them for their understanding.

Trung - Another newcomer to the side who joined us later in the season. He was our left winger and he fitted well into the side. His speed for our counter attacks caused havoc for the oppositions’ defences. He even scored his first goal on his birthday.

Dhanushan - Played up an age which we were very grateful for due to our low numbers. He was our right winger with his strong runs. As he grew in confidence so did his ability in front of goal. Expecting big scores from him next season.

Billy - One of our midfielders who I coached last year. He also played up front during the season. When he got the ball and cleared it he was great. He did this at the start of the season and was rewarded with a goal.

Mohammad - Another of our midfielders who I coached last year. He played well throughout the season. He also helped out with our defence.

Mohammod - Being the new guy he was nicknamed Moe to avoid confusion. Played central midfield with a few runs up front. He fitted well into the team and was always eager to get in and tackle for the ball.

John - A great new enthusiastic player. He was always strong in midfield with both his defensive tackling and his powerful runs. Unfortunately, he missed quite a few matches while overseas including our Presidents Cup play-off.

Ethan - A great utility player who I also coached last year. He played in a number of positions when we were short on numbers but showed genuine ability in the last matches as our lone striker. His ability to hold up the ball or run with it was great. Expect some more goals from him next year.

Would also like to thank the parents for helping out when necessary. Without your assistance and encouragement throughout the season we would not have achieved what we did. Also, I would like to thank Miro and Margaret for their assistance as manager. They were great throughout the season and took care of everything. They were always there for the kids and it was most appreciated by both coach and parents.

I would like to thank our support players. Keely Sharwood from the Under 6’s played for us on a regular basis which we were grateful for. We would also like to thank the Under 8’s for their help, especially Mark Balaz and Shaun Borg. We appreciate their courage playing against older and bigger players.

Due to our low numbers and the coaches ‘slight’ bias we focused on defence this year. We packed central midfield to stop our opposition controlling the game and our counter attacks were based on our strong runs down the wings with a finishing cross into the middle. This was a conservative approach that worked well throughout the season for us. Finally, since we had no designated goalkeeper the boys all took a turn at it which we are all grateful for.

It was a pleasure to coach the kids through such a successful season. Making the Presidents Cup playoff is evidence of our success. Unfortunately, despite being in the opposition’s half all of that match we were unable to score. We then lost to an unlucky golden goal which was unfortunately the opposition’s first attack against us.

We may not have won any trophies but for such a small squad to hold their own against stronger teams with depth it was encouraging. I certainly hope everyone plays again next year.

Phil Rafter

Under 10 Team Report

Firstly, as coach of this squad since 2001, I’d like to say that we’ve finally done it! We are the CHAMPIONS! In last year’s annual report I predicted that we would win the double this year. I was wrong, we won the treble and the only thing that could stop us winning everything was cancelling the 6-a-Side which we won last year. This means we currently hold all 4 titles.

Amarvir Singh - Played a very different role this year than past years. His role was not only to score goals but to set them up for fellow team players and everyone loves his partnership with Wahid. He always played his heart and soul for the team, even coming back in defence when games were tight. He truly deserved to lift the President’s Cup for us.

Anthony El Hessen - It was his first season at playing soccer. But that didn’t stop him putting in 100% effort. Always did what he was told, also set up a few goals in the season and improved which each game.

Cihan Yorulmaz - Played in the centre of midfield and loved to take players on with style. He gave a lot of balls to the strikers which they loved and knocked in a few goals. Played excellent in goals when Dale couldn’t be goal keeper.

Dale Atkin - Our number one choice keeper and the reason why we only let in a few goals all year long. Often was bored in goals because the ball hardly came to him so he played as midfield as well.

Dharshan Sriranjan - Our sweeper and captain and what a good job he did. Also the reason why teams couldn’t score against us, he cleans everything up in defence and I can’t remember once all season a player going past him.

Emilio Chalhoub - Our right full back and did a fantastic job at it, it was like he’d been playing this position for years but this was his first year playing as right fullback. Most improved player from last year.

Joe Haddad - Ran his guts out this year. Did a great job in running the whole length on the field a number of times a game and played excellent in the Knock Out Final. Joe also scored a great hat-trick against Wentworthville which ended 6-0, all because of him playing the best game of his life.

Kyle Sharwood - Was our left fullback and he knew how to play it. When we were in danger there would be Kyle with his big clearances up the field - and the strikers loved it.

Nabil Zainal - Was in centre midfield and improved a lot from last year. Taking on players and looking for a pass. Also helped out in defence, never being scared to tackle.

Nanthan Borg - Was great this year and had a great understanding with the rest of the fullbacks, helping them out when they were in danger. Also not afraid to take the ball upfield and take on players and scored a beauty against Wentworthville.

Rodney Keep - He just keeps on improving each game and each year. Got involved a lot this year in tacking at the right time and passing and setting up for the strikers. Always giving it all he has - 100% effort.

Steven Balaz - Was great in playing midfield and often helped out in defence and is one of the best players I have seen to win back the ball for us. Had the game of his life in the Knock-Out Final.

Thomas Naing - Was outstanding and was our right midfield and attacking midfield. He loved the right flank and used to his ability to score his goals and set up a lot. Great eye for goal and good at taking corners.

Wahid Kaka Ali - The striker everyone loves to have. He knocked in a lot of our goals and the winner in the President’s Cup Final. He loves to stay on the last man and in the box and loved to take on players and score. He didn’t just score but always wanted to play a great one-two with Amarvir.

This year the results were as follows:
League - 13 Games, 3 Bye’s , 13 Wins, 56 Goals For and 3 Against
Knock-Out - 3 Games , 3 Wins, 10 Goals For 2 Against
President’s Cup - 2 Games, 2 Wins, 7 Goals For and 1 Against
Total - 18 Games, 18 Wins, 73 Goals For and 6 Against.

These results speak for themselves.We won every game and we played with style. It took 7 games for the first goal to be scored against us and the Lidcombe coach came up to me and said I’m so happy to be the first to score against you.We won that game 4-1. Teams were happy just to score against us let alone beat us - at that, they had no chance.I’m so proud and happy and couldn’t wish for anything more from this year. All the boys put their heart and souls into every game and they deserved what they achieved.

The defence I always trusted and they did their job only letting in 6 Goals in 18 games fantastic well done, Dale, Nathan, Kyle, Emilio and Dharshan. The midfield did their job helping in defence and attack and setting up a lot of goals and scoring them as well. The midfield consisted of Rodney, Steven, Nabil, Cihan, Joe, Anthony and Thomas. The strikers were just the best to watch, the way they scored their goals, there was a lot of team play and some screamers, well done Wahid and Amarvir.

I like to say a special thank you to Teresa Keep who was Manager for the team this year for helping me in the year. From the match card, to the report of the match, taking players to games, and a lot more. Also to all the parents and friends who help out and cheered the boys on this year it was all worth it in the end.

Don’t miss out next year boys and parents cause we are going to repeat this but much better in style. Don’t forget boys you get what you deserve - the trophy’s not McDonald’s HAHA.

Coach - Borce (Bobby) Sugarevski

Under 11 Team Report

2003 was a tough season for the Under 11’s, but to their credit, the boys never stopped trying. We may have lacked the attacking skills of some of the other teams, but the effort was always there.

The same can be said for the parental support for the team, even though our season did not reach any great heights, it was pleasing to see the parents and families supporting the boys week after week.

The Players:

Antoine Mouawad - played most of the season up front and usually made the most of his limited opportunities. He is probably better suited to the midfield and has the potential to develop into a skilful soccer player.

Aymon Toufali - rotated throughout the season between the midfield and goal keeping duties, carrying out both tasks with great enthusiasm. A great team player who never complained when the going got tough.

Dia Alrekabi - held our defence together on many occasions. He constantly stopped attacking raids and his booming, clearing kicks often got us out of trouble. He has a desire to play up front, but his size and skills make him a natural defender. His attendance at training was outstanding.

Ehab Jodeh - is an animated player who has more skill than he gives himself credit for. Usually playing in the midfield or the backs, he also did a couple of stints as goalkeeper and surprised everybody including himself, with some magnificent saves. Ehab missed part of the season when he went on holidays overseas, but made it back in time for the last game.

Jawad Sajadi - could be aptly described as 'Mr Perpetual Motion'. He virtually ran himself ragged every game. Usually playing in the midfield he would bob up everywhere attacking, passing and defending. A very skilful and dedicated player who often copped a lot of rough stuff but never complained or retaliated.

Joseph Joseph - must have enjoyed his soccer this year because he always had a smile on his face. Could probably improve his game by running a bit more and talking a bit less.

Michael Chami - played most of the season in the backs and proved to be a reliable defender. He may have lacked speed but he learned to position himself well to challenge the attackers and get away some good clearing kicks.

Patrick McGoon - developed into a strong defender throughout the season. His defence around the goalmouth was extremely effective and he saved us on a number of occasions.

Pierre Mereb - played up front for most of the season and had some exciting moments. He scored a couple of great individual goals using his deceptive speed to outrun the defence. He has the ability to develop into an effective striker.

Rammy Sader - Like most of the other boys, always wanted to play up front, but his style of play and skills make him more suited to the midfield or backs. Concentrating his efforts in these positions will improve his game immensely.

Sam Barrett - is a great defender who likes to take the ball upfield, however he must remember to drop back afterwards. Sam’s size intimidated opposition players and he usually used it to great advantage. He occasionally filled in as goalkeeper and always kept extremely well.

Terry Koutzas - played much of the season in the midfield. Week in, week out he was always eager in attack and backed it up with scrambling defence. He is a great team player who always puts in 100% effort.

Timothy Tanyous - proved to be a great utility player who filled in most positions on the field. Whether in attack or defence he always tried hard and displayed some good ball skills.

Although the results weren’t there this year, all of the boys got on really well with each other and seemed to enjoy themselves.

We hope to see everybody back next year for a much more successful 2004 season.

Under 12 Team Report

This team was one of the club’s original three junior teams and despite being the most consistently successful side we are yet to win a competition. We have been runners up in competitions, President’s Cups, a knockout and a six a side.This year was another good one.We lost just two competition games (both to the eventual Premiers Carlingford) and were beaten in the Knockout and President’s Cup Final also by Carlingford. On three of these games we were beaten by just a goal and in extra time in the Knockout. SO CLOSE!!

I would like to thank Guven for his support and his preparedness to referee whenever needed.I would also like to thank the parents who supported their boys at the games and who assisted in transporting the boys without lifts.We have always boasted good spectator strength and I’m sure the boys appreciate it.

Our team shaped up with Tim in goals.Tim is becoming very solid and safe between the posts and whilst he appreciates a canter at left half every once in a while he is enthusiastic about getting the yellow shirt on when our goals are likely to be tested.

Our team has always been built from the back - if the other team doesn’t score we can’t lose.We may not score as often as some other teams but we certainly don’t concede many. Toufic is he rock at the back.He had a fantastic year cutting off many attacks. He’s not as quick as some but his ability to catch and tackle the quickest, most skilful players is testament to his ability to read a game and his technique.If Toufic misses them, Steven will nail them. Very quick and very strong Steven is in the best half dozen players in the comp. Next year he’s going to push forward a bit because I think he could be a potent goal scorer as well as a brilliant defender. It might seem a bit greedy but we also have John in defence.For most teams he would be their best player as he chases down everything, tackles well and is developing a good passing game. Chafic rounds out our defence. Chafic disposes of the ball better each year and is cool under pressure a handy attribute for a defender.

In the central midfield Patrick runs the show.I am a big wrap on Patrick as he keeps our team clicking along in position, to the plan and with a very even temperament.When Patrick is not there we falter.John Paul most often played central midfield with Patrick and can be like a fly in the opposition’s ear with his speed and determined tackling.Mat played in the midfield often too and this year he developed more than the previous four years that he has played. Mat has terrific ball skills and when used at the right time can dispossess an opponent and set up our forwards in a couple of easy motions.Right half was Alex, a new player to our squad. Alex quickly became a valued team member and great fun.A terrific sense of humour and a developing player he scored in a trial match and but for a hand ball would have landed one in a game too. Ramy also played at right half and was also a new player.Ramy did bag a goal before heading off to Lebanon. Unfortunately I believe Ramy broke his leg in Lebanon (I certainly know how that feels!) and I hope he is recovering well. Left half was the ever reliable Rabur. Rabur has terrific skills and a terrific team attitude. This is part of the reason why, while being one of our strongest players, he is yet to bag a goal in his two years with us. Rabur is always prepared to pass the ball and he does this better than most.

Up front Caner was a standout. I imagine that all our opposition teams tell their fullbacks to watch Caner closely. They still couldn’t stop him bagging nearly 30 goals, a terrific effort.Good skills, fast legs, determined play and an intelligent reader of the game, Caner is a precious player for any coach.We welcomed Cem back this year after two years away from us and he quickly fitted back into the team working well up front with Caner and Rabur.

Two other players have not yet been mentioned and this is because they had the very difficult job of fitting in where required. Vaashnal and Ahmad were definitely not shuffled around because they can’t play, quite the contrary.Both these guys gave 100% no matter what position. Ahmad is a goal scorer but also tackles ferociously and intimidates the opposition. His clearing kicks from defence are enormous and he passes well.Vaashnal played magnificently during the President’s Cup at right back neutralising the opposition’s left wing. During the year he also worked well with Caner up front and played many games in the central midfield.

I genuinely hope that these boys return next year to build on the team work they have developed and the individual skills they are mastering. Four of these guys will be receiving 5 year service medals today and there should be six more next year, a terrific record.

Well done guys, see you next year.

Greg Wark
Coach

Under 13 Team Report

Enjoying the game is always our first priority in playing any sport - and this is more so with team sports such as soccer as there can be no greater fun or reward than sharing experiences with friends and families. I can confidently say that this was achieved by the under- thirteen team this year. The support the boys have shown each other through the season and the respect they have earned from each other is a delight to see. To capitalise on the strong season of last year and seek to improve our standing in the competition was the second goal for this year.Certainly that was achieved.Then Coach George threw in one more goal - to go through the season undefeated. Well!

Once again we saw good support for the team from a strong band of parents, brothers, sisters and friends, and lots of cousins! (especially for the Presidents Cup - Cihan). Plenty of loud and enthusiastic cheering from the followers helped spur the boys on, particularly in games where we came from behind to win.All lead to an enjoyable season.

Our highlights for this season include;

• Undefeated all season
• Knockout championship winners
• Minor Premiers - 8 points clear of the next team on the ladder
• President’s Cup winners.

We had been looking forward to fielding two strong teams in the six a side competition with the manager harbouring the secret desire of witnessing them playing one another in the final. However that did not eventuate when the weather intervened to cause that competition to be cancelled this year.

Special congratulation to coach George Helou on achieving so much with the boys. I am sure George is very appreciative of the way in which the boys combined together as a great, responsible team, as it has also been my honour to have been able to help such a wonderful group of boys enjoy their sport.WELL DONE TEAM for your efforts, I hope you enjoyed it all as much as I enjoyed watching you all.

THE SEASON

A few changes occurred in the team from last year with several players leaving and some new ones welcomed. Happily the newcomers quickly fitted into the groove.Yehia Ammoun returned after a year’s absence to add his speedy attacking spirit and goal sharking ability to the forward line. Also bringing rare skills, enthusiasm and ability to the team were Ibrahim Kassem, Jonathan Minn and Walid Yassine, and Jason El-Youssef who also played with us two years ago.

Our first game showed we were a force to be reckoned with when we won 8-1 even though still a little rusty. Cihan maintained most of his skill and speed from the previous season, obviously having done some work to keep fit through the summer, with Yehia, Bassam, Nathan and Walid also joining in the goal scoring. Our defense showed just how strong it is during the next few games, with Rhys showing solid, reliable and skilled defensive work and taking home the player trophy by being best player in three games.So strong was our defence that by week four we had conceded only two goals while scoring 19 ourselves!Even though the opposition was usually stopped well short of the goal Joey continued to refine his skills in goals but found a good home as a strong defender at full back also. Kiril maintained his ever reliable strength and confidence to be the pivot of the midfield. It is a mark of the determination of Eddy that he was able to step up and fill the gap left when Kiril departed for overseas. Weeks four and five were to see our first clashes with our chief opponents at the top of the ladder, Wentworthville and Blacktown. Although being held to a draw against Wenty, we trounced Blacktown in a reversal of last year’s Presidents cup with a five-nil win. Cihan played in goals in this match and Nathan stopped frequent attacks to be best player, while Kiril was forever pushing the ball forward as was Jonathan.In the draw against Wentworthville we had our first really tough game of the season and but for a minor hiccup just before full time we should have had a win. All boys played well with Jason showing good defensive skills.

From this point on we went from strength to strength winning every week and progressing through the knockout competition in great strides. Round ten saw a great day with a 3-2 win over Blacktown in the morning and a 5-1 defeat of Wentworthville in the afternoon in the knockout. Every boy had a superb day with Bassam scoring four goals for the day and Ibrahim and Yehiascoring 2 each. Jonathan, Rhys, Walid and Eddy were breaking up the oppositions attacks and sending the ball back to the forward line with regular ease and all earned special congratulations. Mohammed earned mention for the way he quickly jumped into the game when on the field.

The middle of the season saw some challenges with some of our players away, forcing us to play with less than a full team on a few occasions - although from the score you wouldn’t have known it.With eight players only we managed a 6-4 win over Carlingford Uniting. Mohammed and Jason stepped up to the task well to keep us on our winning way.

Our next challenge was the knockout final, played against St Matthews Baulkham Hills. We warmed-up in the morning by defeating Wentworthville 6-3 after trailing 2-1 at half time, with Walid outstanding in defence. Although St Matts started strongly we were able to dominate in the second half to take the championship with a 6-2 victory. Joey earned a mention for himself with some mighty work in goals with Romy starring in both defence and attack- even scoring a goal.It was impossible to name a best player as the whole team excelled. Blacktown gained some sense of satisfaction in our last clash of the season by holding us to a 1 all draw, but with the season drawing to a close we were not overly concerned as we were maintaining our no-loss record.

Then came the President’s Cup.What a game!The players were showing the signs of a long season and were battling to find form early. Wentworthville were kicking with the breeze (breeze - it was almost a gale at times) and gained the early advantage by scoring first.It was heartstopping to see a high shot by Ibrahim hit the crossbar and then have Yehia miss with a header from the rebound.Cihan then had a clear shot but managed to hit the side post and watch with disappointment as the ball refused to roll in the goal. However another shot by Ibrahim from outside the square hammered home and gave us a 1 all half time score.A hard fought second half against a determined opposition made for an exciting game before Bassam scored to give us victory. Romy made a name for himself with a terrific game in defence and in attack - a really gutsy effort.

Errol Henderson
Manager

Under 14 Red Team Report

We have had a very exciting season. To see so many players return to our club after a one or two year break was great. It was just a shame that we had to split into to two teams. But it also proved very exciting when we had to play the other Under 14 team.

We got off to a shaky start losing our first game of the season. This later came back to haunt us when we were watching the end of year points score so closely to see if we made it into the President’s Cup.

The Under 14’s Red didn’t take long to get their teamwork together, proving a very hard team to beat. It was only when sickness hit our team towards the end of the season that we thought we had missed our chance at the President's Cup.

It was a shame that the Six-a-side Competition was cancelled this year as we thought that we had an excellent chance of winning.

Knock-out

Once again our first knock-out game was against Lidcombe.Our team played exceptionally well.It was a really hard game and the score was two all at full time. This meant we went into extra time and Lidcombe scored the first goal and won the game.

President's Cup

This was like a dream come true. Anyone that had been talking to Robert would have known how closely he was watching the scores to see if we had made it. When we received the results of the second last round we realised that we hadn't made it. Then on the Friday night before the last game we received a phone call from Greg informing us the results of the last week’s round was wrong. This meant we had to win the last game of the season to make the President's Cup. We did win this game and anyone that was at that game would tell you how hard and how well this team played. It was one of the best games they had played. We then went on to meet Lidcombe at the President's Cup. What a game this was, once again it was a really hard game, in windy conditions, but our team kept their cool and played the game showing great teamwork.Howkar scored the winning goal, the final score was 1 - nil. Congratulations, you should all be very proud of your efforts.

Players

Bilal Ghoneim - This was his fifth season with us.He had exceptional footwork and often frustrated the opposition with it. Bilal was also one of our faster runners and a good support for the team.

Erdem Bolat - This was his third season with us.He has shown great improvement this year and was able score goals even with his head.

Fernardo Sanchez - This was his second season with us.Once again he was a valuable member of our team.He was able to out run the opposition and he also showed improved ball skills.

George Azzi - This was his second season with us.He has shown improved ball skills throughout the year, running down the opposition on many occasions. Once again he showed good sportsmanship.

Howkar Talabani - This was his first season with us.He fitted into the team well and often scored goals including the winning goal in the President’s Cup.

Jasvinn Singh - This was his fifth season with us.He was a very valuable team member.He always showed great sportsmanship and was one of our top goal scorers and a great all rounder.

John Zhou - This was his first season with us.He was a very valuable team member, he was also able to out run the opposition and backed up as goalkeeper. He also showed good sportsmanship.

Raddad El Sleiman - This was his second season with us, with a year’s break in between. He showed improved ball skills but unfortunately suffered a few injuries and sickness.

Remzi Temel - This was his second season with us.He showed improved ball skills and teamwork.He also scored many goals.

Sinan Kucukakca - This was his first year with us.He showed good sportsmanship and we saw his ball skills improve throughout the season.

Toni Strasshofer - This was her third season with us.She showed great determination and was never afraid to tackle the opposition.

Yusuf Temel - This was his second consecutive season with us. He was an enthusiastic and passionate player. He had a dream of winning the ‘cup’ and it happened.

Wayne French - This was his fifth season with us.He had an exceptional season in goals saving many difficult shots, and continually improved his goal keeping skills.

This has been one of the most exciting and enjoyable seasons so far and it shows in the final results.

On behalf of Robert and myself I would like to thank the parents and family members who have supported the team this year and look forward to seeing you next season.

Helen French
Manager

Under 14 White Team Report

Well it was 'win some, lose some' this season for this brand new team, and what a season it has been. We started off with 13 players, with two leaving before the actual games even started and one ending up in hospital just a couple of games into the season. So we were short of players for quite some time.Within our team we had ten new players with at least half of them never having played soccer for any clubs.Our boys quickly became accustomed to each other making it easier to play as a team. The most significant thing I found was the fact that the boys had a lot of respect for each other and they enjoyed their games whether they lost or won, which is what team spirit is all about. Hopefully the boys can come together as a team again next year, and next season will be a terrific season for the boys.

Andrew Djo - A new player to the clubwho had never played soccer for any other club previously. There were some great defending skills from this right back but with a little extra confidence he’ll be even better.

Christopher Lapardin - Also a new player to the club, Chris had a rather bumpy start to the season having to have his appendix removed and then having to heal for quite some time before he could play. As a left midfielder he passed the ball with great skill and did have a number of times where he almost scored. Well done Chris.

James McManus - Playing for his second season with the club James knows his soccer well. He is a great defender and attacker and boy can he boot those balls!Ouch! I would hate to be the ball, hope to see you next season James.

John Semialjac - Johnny ‘sneaky feet’ was a striker for the team.He attacked the ball with great skill and often would appear from nowhere with the ball heading straight for goal.Good on you John.

Maher Gergie - Little Maher was also a new player and was known to be quiet but deadly. He defended and attacked and can’t be underestimated. Hope to see you playing again next year Maher.

Nathaniel Koroma - Playing for McCredie for his second season Nathaniel is a great player and also another great kicker who on a number of occasions got himself some goals. He is a skilful attacker and defender.

Ozhin Salih - Ozhin was a new player and came mid season.To our delight he showed a lot of talent in the games.Thanks Ozhin for coming when we most nedded you.See you next season.

Raymond Kpaka - A new player to McCredie, Raymond was one of the star players of the team. He is absolutely fantastic with the ball and also scored a few great goals.See you next season Raymond.

Richard Fares - Enthusiastic Richard playing for his second season loves his games and this showed in the way he played. Richard played right midfielder and was excellent attacking and defending, scoring a couple of our goals.  Keep up the enthusiasm next year Richard.

Rocky Naing - Another new player, the captain and star player.Rocky is a fantastic player and showed us some excellent ball skills throughout the season. He also scored quite a number of goals for the team.

Roger Wehbe - Another new player Roger showed great sportsmanship and although quite was deadly. Some really good ball skills developed during the year and next year he will be even better.

Vano Rafik - Vano came towards the end of the season, but as soon as he hit the field he was off and roaring. He shows a lot of initiative and I know that next season he will improve even further.

Waleed Wehbe - Last but not least this player (another one new to the club) was our keeper and saved many goals.Not just a talented keeper he showed great kicking skills and we’re depending on him stopping those balls from getting through again next season!

I would like to thank Musa Canli, the coach of the team for giving up a lot of his time and showing the boys what soccer is all about.Thanks also to Joe Yildirim for stepping in as relief coach while Musa left us all alone and had a great time in Turkey! Also thanks a million to William Naing (Rocky’s dad) for giving up his time as well to coach that extra night.Thanks for your support. Finally a huge thankyou to the parents for taking the time to bring your boys to training and the games. There could not be a team without your boys.

See you all next year.

Paula Camelo
Manager

Under 15 Team Report

18 Games : - 7 Wins, 6 Losses, 2 Draws, 2 Byes & 1 Washout

The above tally says it all - we had a much better season this year than last year. The team basically stayed the same, only losing 2 players and gaining 3, so our core group stayed together, knew each other’s play and it showed in their games. Our 3 new players slotted in well and each added their own particular skill to the team. We also acquired a new coach this year which gave us some stability after the tough time we had last year.We started the season exceptionally well; winning our first 5 games convincingly, but then probably became a bit complacent and finished the season not quite so well.

The highlight of the season was definitely the Knock Out Competition with us beating the minor premiers and eventual President Cup winners in the first round in an exciting game that went to extra time and then winning the final in another nail-biting game. It was a well-deserved win - we would have beaten any team that night.

Special thanks once again to those parents and relatives who helped with transporting the team to and from the games - we only had to play short a few times this year, which was a bonus.

Our Players this year were:-

Frank Cetinich - Frank’s size certainly intimidates the opposition and he used this to advantage when on the attack.

Ibrahim Al Zeidy - always looking to score goals and using his skills to out manoeuvre the opposition.

Ibrahim Urasli - a new player to the team who fitted in nicely to the midfield and was solid in defence when needed. Also capable of scoring some good goals.

Kassim Al-Mal-Ki - another new player to the team who scored some great individual goals. Always on the move, Kassim showed great skill with the ball.

Mark Chami - is not a fast runner but always tries hard as a back, saving quite a few goals from being scored through sheer determination.

Marwan Gergie - played as a winger this year and came close to scoring quite a few times. Always tried his best.

Mazen Gergie - a big improvement in Maze’s game this season. Always put in a big effort and was a very determined defender.

Megan Warwick - Played goalkeeper this season and certainly showed she wasn’t afraid to take on the opposition when they were on the attack, saving many a goal when the defence was lacking.

Michael Atkin - "Mr All-Rounder" - Michael again showed his skills as a defender who was always ready to go on the attack. Made some good breakaway runs this season and was always where we needed him to be.

Robbie Dagher - "Mr Defence" - Robbie was always our last line of defence. His big clearing kicks certainly got us out of some tight spots during the season. Was excited at scoring a goal this year and certainly deserved it.

Ross Siozos - missed quite a few games this season but when he was there was a force to be reckoned with. His speed certainly outpaced many an opposition player.

Shane Tekyildiz - always on the move and in the thick of things. Shane just keeps improving and was unlucky not to score more goals. Always tried to read the game and was an inspiration to the rest of the team.

Jamil Houcher - a late addition to the team, Jamil proved quite capable in the midfield and will certainly improve with more games - a quiet achiever.

Raahauge Cup North Report

RESERVE GRADE

What a year! It was the first time these boys have played together as a team and to make the semi finals was an excellent achievement.We played well against the top teams (particularly beating Wentworthville who were the minor premiers) and average against the lower teams.

Losing Abdul for most of the second round was very disappointing and our defence suffered. Ben did a terrific job in the last few competition games being switched to the backs to build up our defence. I am of the opinion that if we played to our potential, with all players available, we could have won the competition.

I would like to thank all the players for their support.It was a pleasure being their manager and I hope all players return to the club next year. Finally, I would like to thank Big Musa for his support in team selections, Iain Houlford, Matthew Dixon, Big John Donnelly and Ian Warwick for backing up from first grade and Joe, Little Musa, Dennis and Gavin for staying back for first grade and for running the line.

John Houlford
Manager

FIRST GRADE

In our first year with the churches competition and the club, we set out to achieve 3 things. Number 1 was to have fun. Number 2 was to give 100% effort each game and number 3 was to at least make the semi finals. All 3 were achieved. Our team comprised of 2 different age generations comprisingof 16 players of which 11 were 17 and 18 years of age. The rest made up of old timers who were there to nurture, guide, teach, protect the younger players (or maybe it was the other way round).

For our young players this was there first year playing senior soccer for which they handled each game with great maturity and more than matched the speed and toughness of there opponents. Ifthey stay together as a team for a few more seasons, they have the potential to win many competitions. As for us old timers, we did find the pace of the game little quick, but if you take into consideration that we were playing against players half our age, I believe we gave a good account for ourselves.Highlights of the year were making the final of the night competition only to be beaten by the clubs first grade team in what was a very exciting game, and as well as making the Semi final for our competition in our first year in the club.

In conclusion, we had a successful happy season all thanks to the manager of managers John Houlford. Thankyou John for all the phone calls, follow ups, tending to our bumps and bruises as well as suppling Barb with a good washing machine & washing powder (thanks Barb, behind every great man there has to be a great woman).And we all know that given enough beers John will say yes again to manage us next season.

Raahauge Cup Division 1 Report

Well this year was a strange year. It began with the return of most of last year’s squad, the addition of about ten new guys from our newspaper ads and a whole team of 18 year olds.The decision was made in February that we would strive to create four teams, two Raahauge Cup squads.This decided, the players had to be separated, never easy.It was agreed that last year’s squad would remain intact and the young guys would play first division in the lower grade with the new guys playing as their reserve grade.You can read about the RC North squad elsewhere but the RC 1 squad went on to achieve two minor premierships, two grand final births, a Knockout Championship and a State Cup Semi final. Unfortunately neither team could win their grandfinals.

The strange part was that despite having 27 players registered we in reality played with a squad of 20 players, very rarely more.Remember this is for two games.This was due to a number of last year’s squad deciding very late to withdraw and our tendency to give all the new players to the other squad to ensure their success. How we achieved what we did with just 20 players is bizarre, but it also probably explains our disappointing grandfinals, as other teams got their acts together for the big one and we stumbled along as we had all year. Next year a much greater level of commitment will be demanded of players wishing to participate in the Premier League and clearly a boosting of player numbers.

Nonetheless an outstandingly successful season was had and we had some great fun. We remain a melting pot of languages and soccer styles - Turks, Kurds, Peruvians,Macedonians, a Bulgarian, a Liberian, a Greek, a Fijian, an Irishman and the odd Aussie!And our Chinese mate will be back next year.

Reserves were held together at the back by Scuba, Hakki, Goksel and Ricardo. Hakki was outstanding sweeping in reserves and backing up each week as the first grade goal keeper.The reserve grade keeping duties were shared between Mick, Sez and Pece who all helped the reserves out before playing on the field in firsts. In this way we managed with fewer players. The reserves midfield this year, like last year, dominated the matches.Tito, Moyses, Ebrahim and Nick controlled the play.The difference from last year was the ability of the defence to keep the opposition out and the forwards to finish the opportunities created by the marauding Tito and co. Ebrahim’s pace out wide was also a difficult thing for many of the opposition sides to handle, particularly later in the game.Up front Bobby was the focus and he was joined by many members of the occasional supporting cast. The other thing that helped was the number of reserve grade goals scored by first graders making the odd guest appearance on the field.   

In firsts Hakki was the most significant difference to past seasons.We had in Hakki a goalkeeper who instilled confidence in the rest of his team. Our defence was at its strongest when Phil swept behind, Steve, Jose and Geoff.Suspension and overseas trips meant that just two of these players would play in the semis and final and the disruption this caused to the team is a lesson to us all to behave ourselves and plan our holidays thoughtfully!! After some fiddling we settled on Carlos and Moises in the central midfield and Mick and Sez out wide. This combination a new one for us worked a treat. Carlos wins everything and Moises had a very strong season.Up front Greg and Pece teamed up and while Greg got off to a goal scoring flyer it was Pece who really showed the way, scoring at greater than a goal a game in the second half of the season.

A point of interest is that our lack of player numbers allowed us to give some junior players some experience of senior soccer. Raymond Kpaka was the first, but he was followed by Bilal Ghoneim, Yusuf Temel, Jasvinn Singh, Kassim Al-Mal-Ki and Ibrahim Al Zeidy.Bilal played on a number of occasions and Ibrahim actually played reserve grade in goals, doing so well that he then kept for first grade on the same afternoon. In all of the games that these boys played, we lost just one.

I would particularly like to thank Phil for his assistance in managing the team this year it was much appreciated.  Managing means more than contacting guys and selecting teams.It carries with it responsibilities often not understood by the players you are managing and in Phil’s case also involved picking guys up, dropping them off, accompanying them to judiciary and paying an astronomical phone bill. Bobby and Carlos too helped out by contacting guys, getting messages through and getting guys to the games.

Again thanks to our Associate refs Scuba, Phil and Steve and to our two new additions this year in Bobby and Tito.  In this competition it is a requirement that each squad provide qualified referees to act as linesmen. It is not easy to find people willing to sit the exam and take on the responsibility on Saturdays.

I certainly look forward to seeing you all back next year and to you all bringing mates! The more players we get next year the more likely we will be to put a competitive Premier League squad together.

Greg Wark
Manager

Club Trophies

Five Year Service Medals

Under 6 Player of the Year

Under 7 Player of the Year

Under 8 Player of the Year

Under 9 Player of the Year

Under 10 Player of the Year

Under 11 Player of the Year

Under 12 Player of the Year

Under 13 Player of the Year

Under 14 Player of the Year

Under 15 Player of the Year

Runners Up Senior Player of the Year

Golden Boot (Most Goals)

Williams Shield - Junior Player of the Year

Adem	Caner	Hickmat	Wahid	Amarvir

McCredie Shield - Senior Player of the Year

Steven	Peter	David	Sunil	Pece

Final Points

Club Goal Scorers

Career Goals - Current Players

Club Achievements