Ness United & The Southern League

[EISTnWAST]

Sorry I cost you your life savings penfold. When I win my millions on it i'll pay you back.

 

Don't think penfold meant a Heskey type Ballack. No room for billy big boots, and a guy like him has huge boots.

 

The "dream teams" we're mentioning are the U18 sides. If penfold's on the same page as me, he's correctly stated that many Ness junior sides tag themselves like that. I think it says exactly that about a team on a Ness bebo page. [talk of past glories begins] Weel back in da day, whan i wis a young boy, dere wis nae dream teams. Even whan we did a clean sweep o every league an' cup. It wis joost da normal thing fur wis tae be unbeatable, and dere wis nae need tae blow wir ain trumpet. A'body kent we wir da best. [talk of past glories ends] Out of the side I mentioned - who lost about 4 games from U11 up to U18 - only one player ever won the A league, and that was with a different club. Winning 1 or 2 cups in U18's doesn't make you a good side, it means your side is half decent. And as penfold said on a different thread "good junior doesn't mean good senior". Ness are the best example of this.

[BALLACK]

eistandwast,

 

You can't blame us for being confident and looking back on past glories. There was a 10 year gap before us when everyone left ness to play elsewhere. In the past good football players who attended Sandwick School played for Thistle, Scalloway, Spurs e.t.c. We were the first group of Sandwick School boys to come through together and stick with Ness. We changed the general concept that you had to play for someone else to make the Junior county. We had 7 players in the Junior County from ness ALL playing for ness. This never happened in the past!

 

The FACT was we were amazing, unbeatable and everyone knew we were the best. It's no an excuse but there have been some horrific injuries to key players and guys moving away. However, 2014 is the year "the golden generation" will win the title.

 

"Half Decent" my ass.

[EISTnWAST]

Some important facts stated there Ballack, even if i can't agree with some of your opinions.

 

Ness were well behind the times in regards to juvenile football 15 years ago. They had no football at all for this level. This meant that youngsters HAD to play for other clubs, to play organised football, and get coaching. And by the time they were of age for U18's, they had to stay with that club to have a chance of making the county side. Ness had always encouraged these players to come back, and had allowed some talented 14 year olds to be included in their U18's, when they were playing U15's for a different club. At that time the Ness juvenile set-up was considered a joke. And picking a player to come out of that system was almost unthinkable - only a very small number were able achieve it. Youngsters from the Ness were however, able to play some organised football. This was provided by the old schools competition. But about 10 years ago that stopped/was cut-back [can anyone tell me why?], and left Ness struggling to provide any real competitive football. The juvenile set-up was still fairly new, and had yet to bear fruit. But when it did bear fruit, it was like all the tattie fields in the south mainland had been replaced with orchards from France or Italy. A new generation of footballer had been born. The SJFA took notice that the Ness youth system was one of the best in world football, and picked the talented players, whose forefathers had been ignored throughout history. These players, widely acknowledged as "The Golden Generation", had single-handedly changed the face of football for the greater good.

 

Meanwhile, Ness United Football Club still await their first league title since 1966.

[moorit]

Ness were well behind the times in regards to juvenile football 15 years ago. They had no football at all for this level.

 

I've been to a few of the juvenile tournaments over the last couple of years and I was very impressed with the standard of the Ness youngsters. Particularly, I think it was their Under 8's and 10's. They either won or reached the final of all the tournaments they were in. I heard the Under 10's scored a barrow load of goals without conceding a single goal at the last tournament. So maybe in 2020 Ness will be the new Delts ? After all the Delts started in the Works league and got humped most matches.

[BALLACK]

The juvenile set-up was still fairly new, and had yet to bear fruit. But when it did bear fruit, it was like all the tattie fields in the south mainland had been replaced with orchards from France or Italy. A new generation of footballer had been born. The SJFA took notice that the Ness youth system was one of the best in world football, and picked the talented players, whose forefathers had been ignored throughout history. These players, widely acknowledged as "The Golden Generation", had single-handedly changed the face of football for the greater good.

 

That paragraph about the "golden generation" is soo inspriational it has brought a tear to my eye . That bit about the tattie fields had such an emotional and moving effect on me !! GIVE EISTnWAST a knighthood.

[EISTnWAST]

I'm glad you liked it Ballack, hopefully it's the kind of inspiration that can make the "Golden Generation" fulfil their potential. Other wise the history books of the senior team will refer to them as "The Lost Generation".

[penfold]

Its good to be proud of our junior teams achievements both as a club and the individuals themselves, but the fact remains that of the 7 players Ballack quite rightly stated were in the Shetland junior county squad that year, only two started the last game of the season against Unst this year, now there have been injuries and people moving away but the fact remains of that seven only 2 held a regular place in the starting 11, be proud of the past, learn from the mistakes and the success but most importantly look at the road ahead, because if we keep looking back over our shoulders at the past we will forever be tripping up on the road forward and never attain the success that can be gained from doing the hard work that the players and the club need to do to catch the rest of the teams. It wont come easy and there's no doubt some people will fall by the wayside, but others will take their place, as there is no place for players that wont step-up and meet the grade.

 

The seeds of the new attitude can been seen already, where players are actually phoning the manager to ask what they need to do to push into the squad or the starting 11, or why they were dropped, which until now never happened, there are still the folk who pleep and moan and everything is somebody else's fault not theirs but they are in the minority, where before they were in the majority.

 

Arguing about which junior team was best or who's fault the dark ages in Ness Uniteds history were, wont win games next season, hard work more training and effort will, and if the players do that and still it doesn't work then fair enough its the set-up as whole.

[EISTnWAST]

 

Arguing about which junior team was best or who's fault the dark ages in Ness Uniteds history were, wont win games next season, hard work more training and effort will, and if the players do that and still it doesn't work then fair enough its the set-up as whole.

 

Exactly penfold. Not something that I can comment on so well, because i'm not as familiar with the situation as you are. I tried to touch on that with these comments......

 

 

Meanwhile, Ness United Football Club still await their first league title since 1966.

 

I'm glad you liked it Ballack, hopefully it's the kind of inspiration that can make the "Golden Generation" fulfil their potential. Other wise the history books of the senior team will refer to them as "The Lost Generation".

 

A good player and a good team only think about past achievements to motivate them to win something again. And the current side don't even have 1 cup to their name that they can win again. Compared to the team of '66 this team is nothing. I've spoken to players from the '66 team and, although they were proud of what they'd achieved, it really wasn't a big deal to them. The success in juniors can be talked about when the players are saying "weel it wis good tae win da league in 2014 efter a 58 year wait. But da neest 3 seasons whan we did back tae back clean sweeps o aw da trophies wis better. But dan du kens, hit wis nae big deal. It wis laek dat fur wis in da juniors as weel".

[BALLACK]

We argue about it for a laugh with the young players. It's a good way of getting team spirit going with the younger players because we are a club from seniors all the way to under-8s. We want Ness to win in all of the younger age groups and win more than us because it will lead to a stronger senior side and brighter future.

 

 

It's that time of year again when the dreaded statement from Ness players is said "i'am going to get fit for next season". They go for a couple of jogs then think "sausage dis". Then it's "i'll get fit efter XMAS", "i'll get fit after up-helly-aa", Then it's "i will be fitter when i start playing in da highland fuels".

 

If penfold wants a new era,attitude and approach then new training methods must be introduced instead of Just 5-a-side training one-twice a week at Sanwick. I think the competitve 5-a-side winter league is a good start Also, Ness should maybe introduce extreme fitness training methods to get our boys into shape and flying for the new 2008 season. Soo much can be done from now till April. I can guarantee the Delts will be training hard this winter. From what Penfold is saying then Ness have a new ethos, which is great.

[Baxter]

In my lowly lowly opinion ness utd could have a team capable of challenging for 4/5 in the leaguea and have a steady cup run (perhas even a win). But what they seem to lack is the commitment which other teams have.

 

Hopefully ness will still be in the league next year and will make a bigger push towards the golen end...

[EISTnWAST]

Everybody's opinion is welcome Baxter. The only person who will abuse you is Ballack. But that's nothing to do with the thread, it's just him

 

Anyway, I think for once our German friend is due some praise for this post.

 

 

It's that time of year again when the dreaded statement from Ness players is said "i'am going to get fit for next season". They go for a couple of jogs then think "sausage dis". Then it's "i'll get fit efter XMAS", "i'll get fit after up-helly-aa", Then it's "i will be fitter when i start playing in da highland fuels".

 

He only ever comes to Shetland for 30 minutes at a time, when his private jet is re-fuelling at Sumburgh, on his way to his private hide-away in Iceland. But he's clearly heard enough to be in tune with the attidude of the Ness players. He's even copied the philosophy himself this season

I am loving the anonymous "quotes" in this thread. I can picture the individual who I think would say each one

 

Looks like Ballack is as sceptical as me penfold.

[Wheesht]

The poll question leaves me nowhere to place my vote - kinda like a general election ballot actually!

 

They have the potential to be both, but at present are neither.

[EISTnWAST]

This isn't a general election. Your own vote can't do you any personal damage. And nobody knows how you voted.

 

It's simple. Decide which one they are more like.

 

So stop sitting on the fence Wheesht, and cast a vote.

[penfold]

Ballack, is right, all im saying is there is now no excuse's left for those who won't put in the effort, cant blame the southern league because there is none, can't blame a lack of POTENTIAL talent because as has been argued here there are players who have represented Shetland junior football at most age groups in the squad, won't be able to blame the lack of opportunity to train as there has been training booked to work on core fitness, as well as competitive 5-a-sides, won't be able to blame the fact the manager didn't tell people what was needed because he told us all and our league position doesn't lie, so if it falls down next season all its down to is lack of individual application to the simple requests made of the players and the fact as Ballack states the players who want to play at the top level not getting their priorities right.

[Wheesht]

 

So stop sitting on the fence Wheesht, and cast a vote.

 

I can't because they are neither.