Ness United & The Southern League

[EISTnWAST]

Boy du's maks a good point yunder. Da only team dat might struggle due tae da SL is Ness B.

[BALLACK]

Since Ballack isna biting, I'll ask you here aboot dis een. Better here dan annider thread, cos we might get some honesty here.

 

With the new Bunst set up, do you think they are going down the same slippery slope that Ness did with all the stupid combination teams?

 

I remember playing for Ness/whitedale in 2005, it was great! For the first time we were competing with A-league sides we beat Scalloway, Celtic and Spurs. We drew with Delting and Whalsay. We narrowly lost a cup final on penalties to Thistle. The Ness boys gained experience, confidence and BELIEVED we could beat anyone.

 

However, EistnWast is right. I loved it at the time but Ness United never gained much from it in the long-term. Sorry Bunst but you will be the same when you seperate.

 

I don't bite (only when you bring up the S.L.H.F database).

[EISTnWAST]

I beg to differ on the gained experience part. Boys that were sitting on the bench for Nessdale in 2005 then played a season in the B league in 2006. Those boys have played this season with no A league experience. Sometimes taking a few humpings isn't a bad thing. As for "BELIEVED we could beat anyone', that's just proving my point made along time ago about some players attitude's. It's a shame some players need to play for another team before they can go onto the field of play thinking they can win.

[moorit]

I think a huge part of Delting's success is the team spirit along with the fact that they have 4 really good players.

Ness have generally in the past had 4 really good players, but for various reasons they have chosen to play for other clubs.

 

I am not sure of the current player ability, but there is no reason why the talent in the South mainland should be any less than in the North mainland. After all they have a huge catchment area.

 

I would say if the Ness boys would stick together and play for Ness rather than other clubs as has been happening for the last 20 years , start in the 'B' League , win the 'B' League together, foster some team spirit in doing so, then in a year or so they will have a successful 'A' League team.

 

Ness and Scalloway were the teams to beat in the 60's because of these reasons.

[EISTnWAST]

We already discussed why players didn't play for Ness over the last 20 years. It looks like the problem has been solved for the future [not holding m breath though].

 

Winning the B league is perhaps a good idea, but two problems with that. Ness can no longer enter their first team into the B league. And last time it was attempted they failed miserably, albeit in a very strong B league.

 

I don't think too much can be read into all this catchment area talk. Unst have a big catchment area, but football suffers from the excellent raquet sports facilities they have on the isle. The South mainland also has a similar problem, with the swimming pool, Sandwick games hall, and varied youth projects. There just aren't as many young eens noo-a-days playing fitba. Back in da day I mind whan dere wis dat muckle folk wantin tae play in da multicoort dat we hed tae play 93 a-side...........

 

Nostalgia maybe clouds the memory, but IMO it's a valid point. Playing football just isn't as popular as it used to be. There are too many armchair followers of the game now.

[Stoichkov]

I think its a Scottish problem rather than a Shetland problem. Once kids hit 16, 17, 18 then they can't be bothered to put in the effort to stick with it. There's too many other distractions. I think its good there are plenty of other sports and hobbies for kids to get into when they are primary school age, however i have to say that most alternative hobbies teenagers take up aren't that healthy.

93 a side? That's not too great an exaggeration folks. Scraped knees all round! Do u think multicourt fitba was a good or bad thing Eistnwest? Although i remember it as a good laugh, looking back it wis quite poor for fitba development.

[penfold]

The main problem seems to occur when the junior teams start to play 11 a side football, by that time most clubs would struggle to field two 11 a side teams with subs in this age group, so what happens is that the manager/coach doing his job fields his strongest team and the team becomes fixed, the 10 or so players left over then fill the the 5 subs spots, the ones that rarely get a game start to drift away, what we as a clulb need to do is identify a way to keep the players that don't make the grade intially at under 14's playing some form of organised football until they reach under 18's, one idea was to incorporate the schools in the Ness catchment area into a competition to run through the year with a cup to be donated by the southern league to be played for, you could then spend time coaching as well and that way increase the participation in the area, it would take time to bear fruit but even if it kept players in the game past the difficult years in their development it would be worth it.

[moorit]

I would say if the Ness boys would stick together and play for Ness rather than other clubs as has been happening for the last 20 years ,.....

 

 

 

We already discussed why players didn't play for Ness over the last 20 years. It looks like the problem has been solved for the future [not holding m breath though].

 

 

If the problem has been solved, I look forward to seeing Leighton Flaws in a Ness strip next season.

[BALLACK]

Leighton is a Delting player and will remain a Delting player for years to come. I can't stand people going on about this issue any longer!!

 

If he wants to play for Delting then let him. There is no contract or rule saying he HAS to play for Ness. I think Penfold said earlier in this thread we have to look to the future. Which is true.

 

Don't bring him up again. The issue is finished.

[EISTnWAST]

 

If you read back through all that's been written here, you might understand the situation better. [i understand some people don't want to read all the sharn I've written, but hopefully I have spoken some sense]

I think it's totally unfair and wrong of you to name somebody. It seems as though you want to start a witch-hunt. To bring you up to date, and into the real world, it is Ness United FC's fault that some players have chosen to go elsewhere. I did say that the problem is solved for the FUTURE. You can't blame current (or past) players for not playing for Ness, when the club neglected their needs for years.

 

If we are very very lucky, we might one day see Leighton Flaws in a Ness A shirt. I hope he would be welcomed into the club just as Kenny Malcolmson was. If he did choose to do that, it would be because he is a Ness man through and through, as most of us know he is. People like you only discourage players of such class from turning out for the club.

I have serious doubts that you even know Leighton, or have had a serious conversation with him before.

 

 

This was directed at moorit. I started it before BALLACK posted. I will let him off with his ill-advised rant, because we have come to expect that from this particular ex-football player. We want discussion. Especially when i can set some people straight

[Frankie]

There just aren't as many young eens noo-a-days playing fitba.

 

There are between 20 and 25 that go to Ness U8 training, and probably the same numbers at U10's training. So there are more than 40 six to ten year olds going to Ness training.

 

If this level of interest can be kept into the older age groups then things look good for Ness.

I do know that last years U10's were a very talented group and did very well at the competitions.

The key to it is having adults willing to put in the effort . Athletics and Table Tennis have proved that recently.

[penfold]

I see we are back to the what if's and the why nots again, I understand peoples interest in the perceived reasons for our failure to be up there consistantly over the last 20 years, but arguing about it won't solve it, regards Leighton Flaws he is a player that ANY club in Shetland would want to have in their senior team not just Ness utd, two years ago we spoke to him in the closed season and had frank discussions with him he chose to play his football for the future at Delting, I personally bear him no grudge, he took the decision he thought best for his footballing career, as I may add any player of his level does get over it he is not the only player in Shetland not playing for his "local" team.

 

What we as a club have done since we spoke to him, and are trying to do because it is not a done job yet is to look at what we need to do today as a Club to keep or entice players of his caliber in the Club, arguing on problems of the past will not bring this about.

 

BALLACK du needs tae be home mair in the summer cos we miss d skill and witty banter, maybe not in that order though.

 

EistnWast du needs to get the eastern promise program up and running so we can tap in to the eastern market.

 

Moorit du just needs tae let it go and come on board for the big push.

 

Stoichkov we need to rebuild d fae da feet up and get d on the road to recovery.

 

[BALLACK]

This was directed at moorit. I started it before BALLACK posted. I will let him off with his ill-advised rant, because we have come to expect that from this particular ex-football player. We want discussion. Especially when i can set some people straight

 

I train twice a week and play twice a week unlike you EISTnWAST. Not bad for an "ex-footballer"! "ill-advised rant" i hardly think it was a rant. Considering you agreed with me that Leighton should be allowed to play where he wants. I may add that he's the best player in Shetland and i think he's quality. I want him back but it will NEVER happen.

 

I will give you some credit for not starting a sentance with your classic line "Back in the day". Back in the day.................we used jumpers for goalposts, we were fitter, we had a better attitude towards ness, we played till it wis dark e.t.c

 

Maybe i should start writing endless drivel like EISTnWAST to get my point accross.

[JohanofNess]

The main problem seems to occur when the junior teams start to play 11 a side football, by that time most clubs would struggle to field two 11 a side teams with subs in this age group, so what happens is that the manager/coach doing his job fields his strongest team and the team becomes fixed, the 10 or so players left over then fill the the 5 subs spots, the ones that rarely get a game start to drift away, what we as a clulb need to do is identify a way to keep the players that don't make the grade intially at under 14's playing some form of organised football until they reach under 18's, one idea was to incorporate the schools in the Ness catchment area into a competition to run through the year with a cup to be donated by the southern league to be played for, you could then spend time coaching as well and that way increase the participation in the area, it would take time to bear fruit but even if it kept players in the game past the difficult years in their development it would be worth it.

 

Gadzooks I can't believe I'm saying this but Penfold is spot on

 

Having experienced the total lack of interest my school had in football and the total lack of pride in our team it was refreshing to go and play for a team outside of school that realistically could have fielded two full under 13,14 and 16 sides such was the amount of players that went. I took more interest in football because the coaches could see that once a youngster finds his place on the pitch and can see he is a member of a team he improves as a player.

 

That and jumpers for goalpost every night all summer from 6pm to half 9 with 15 a side at the peak and headers and volleys when there was only 8 of us. Ahhhhhhh nostalgia.

[EISTnWAST]

 

Good tae see du's finally takin a nibble at da bait. Even if I did have tae tell you off for agreeing with me.

 

I was just offering an explanation as to why the catchment area doesn't mean as much as folk think it does. It's boys that are about 15 years old that we need to encourage to keep playing. There's plenty of other things for them to do. Maybe an early introduction to men's football would help. Some kind of league that wouldn't be too serious. We could have it played between differents areas of the South mainland. Saturday night would be a good time to play. Any suggestions for a name for the league?

 

Or just do the thing penfold said. Where did you find that posted at Johan? I totally missed it

 

 

I hope when the new season begins penfold can use this forum to give pre-match pep talks. The one today was insirational.