Drop ten turn and face 58 Cafes you could trust.

Drop ten turn and face 58

Cafes you could trust. It may sound a bit strange but when we were growing up in East London there were certain eating establishments that you just came to trust. Sometimes your parents or uncles /aunts would pass on the knowledge but more often than not just friends would tip you off ‘where to go to get a decent breakfast or bit of dinner’.

Here I’m going to reference just four places that emerged in my younger years but I’m sure mates will remind me of more.

One of the first places that I remember was Marino’s in Lauriston Road, South Hackney. Initially as Primary School kids, then as very early teens we had this shop that did exotic ice lollies  and ice cream out the front window of a cafe. The flavours were unlike anyone we’d tasted. Cola, Beer, Passionfruit, Sasperella and all sorts of fruit juice combinations including Lime, Mango, Pineapple, Strawberry and Coconut. 

Yes, Marino’s was quietly famous in its locality.

Another two well known cafes in East London are Pellici’s in Bethnal Green Road and Arthur’s in Kingsland Road, Dalston. Pellici’s has been around since 1905 and crosses that ‘all day breakfast’ and ‘lunch/dinner market’. It was the sort of eating establishment that was of a much earlier time. Everyone knew it and although the area changed a lot culturally, it remains a symbol of its Italian heritage and when British palates were in their infancy to outside influences. The fact that Pellici’s is within walking distance of Valance Road and the Kray ancestral home provides the reality that some colourful characters had graced its doors.

Arthur’s Cafe was of its time. That time spanned from 1935 and originally was part of a three location business called Tolaini’s which also had Italian heritage. Arthur Woodham had third generation involvement since 1948 in the Kingsland Road premises. Frequented by people wanting good food at fair prices, eating there was an experience in itself. To say that Arthur was a man of routine was an understatement. Anyone daring to ask for items at the wrong time of day, would get short shrift. Almost like an East London, ‘soup nazi’. Thus, chips could not be ordered before 11.30am, while toast couldn’t be ordered after midday. Friends of mine would always try to slip ‘illegal’ items into their order but rarely got past the cut off times on the menu. Arthur worked well into his late eighties as did his wife who did most of the preparation. My classic memory of him was in his white lab coat with a tea towel on his shoulder. 

What has been missed in all this with these cafes is an old tradition of ‘promenading’ on a Friday / Saturday evening where people/couples would go walking along Bethnal Green Road and Kingsland Road, adding eating to the lively late 50’s early 60’s pub scene. In later years a lot of tradesmen and cabbies would provide the main daytime trade. A fourth and slightly different eating place I remember was Peters in Bethnal Green Road which eventually became the Venus Steak House. Peter’s was on the opposite side of the road to Pellici’s and began life as a daytime corner cafe. In the very early seventies the owners started to open up their basement on a Friday and Saturday night. Basic steaks, chops and scampi were the regular fare catering for the pub crowd. It proved so successful that Peter’s moved across the street calling itself the Venus and being run by the son George. In no time they continued to go up market for the locals, buying the premises next door to have a double, then triple,  fronted shop. The food was tasty, the prices reasonable and the Venus continued to educate our underdeveloped taste buds. Nearly got thrown out once when I set the napkins on fire but it all turned out good, my dining experience getting an early start.

Drop Ten turn and face 57

Letters from the edge

My life long friend Johnny Burnham passed away back in 2003. At the time I wrote to his sons Dean and Sean a letter reflecting on the life of their dad Johnny. Here is that letter

​16/12/03

Dear Sean and Dean

My name is Steve Quilty and I am an old friend of your Dad. We both lived in Pownall Road, Hackney and I suppose we knew each other from the age of 12/13.

I spoke to your mum the other day and decided I would write to you both to tell you some small things about your dad when he was growing up.

As you know John was always a fanatical Arsenal supporter but people might not realize but he was also one of the most natural goalkeepers you would see. We played at a place called the’pitch’ near the broadway market, which was actually made of concrete! John was very brave, often diving at people’s feet. Few players would go in on him, helped by the fact that insisted on playing in his steel toe-capped doc martins while in goal! John was continually asked to play for local clubs but preferred to make our lives a misery instead, down the ‘pitch’.

From those early days many familiar names were on the scene.  Most Arsenal supporters but one or two Spurs fans like me. Steven Godber and Neil Battes were local friends who also went to Edith Cavell School, as was Tommy Pascoe, all favouring the reds. By the time we were 14, Seamy Kennedy and Peter Harwood were other boys your dad was friendly with. They were slightly older than us and were from a crowd including John Weedon, Tommy Spencer, Paul from Burma and big bloke named ‘Flood’, all these came from the Shacklewell Lane area of Hackney. As you would expect the slightly more stylish blokes supported Tottenham  - Micky Sullivan being one of them, Micky a true style guru whose clothing sense affected one and all. Ben Sherman and Brutus shirts; mohair suits or trousers; stay press trousers; loafer shoes and big heavy crombie overcoats…..your dad had one with a silk golden hanky chief worn in the top pocket. 1969-70 was the start of both the skin-head era in London and the advent of reggae music which is strange as skins weren’t supposed to be keen on black people at the time. Gradually we transformed to another style called the ‘suade-head look. Your dad still loved his high doc martins and turned up levi’s but started to wear ‘harrington’ jackets as well as green army greens and bomber jackets.

Another  from Seamy’s  crowd was the well known Danny ‘the crutch’ Wiseman who not surprisingly, was an invalid.  He also played football with us down the pitch. Danny liked a drink and was known for driving his three-wheeler on the pavement while pissed.

At a young age we had shocks to deal with. Steven Long who lived next to Peter Harwood was killed at 16 riding his Scooter into a lamp-post….he wasn’t wearing a crash helmet. The night before, about 20 of us, including Steven Long had walked all the way home from Arsenal v Tottenham because we couldn’t get on the 236 bus because of the big crowd. Someone dying so young was hard to fathom.

Your dad got a car quite early…a blue Hillman imp. One night we drove up to watch Arsenal v Leicester in the league cup. They lost 2-1 but Liam Brady had played and scored a cracker in his first game for the gunners. There were five of us in the car but it started to go wrong (clutch) on the way back. John waved down the supporters bus on the motorway insisting the rest of us get home before he drove back to London stuck in second gear. That was typical of John, selfless in all he did.

As you know his own dad died when John was only 14/15 and this literally meant that he became the family bread winner from a young age. He worked nights and weekends for several bakeries including Mays’, Percy Ingles and The Broadway Bakery. He got on really well with my parents and always brought up newspapers, bags of doughnuts and loaves of bread early in the morning when he finished work. He was a hard worker seemingly always covered in flour and dust. I had got a hard time from my parents because your dad was such a battler.  He got me a holiday job at the bakers when I was 15 and I reckon it was one of the hardest things I ever worked at, still having scars from picking up hot bread from the floor!

Later he worked for the Pascoe’s at Pyrock another horrible dirty job he did spraying ‘fire proofing’ into industrial kitchens. Again I helped him for a few weeks and found it too wet and cold. I am sure that both of these jobs did not help your dad’s health over the years.

Tragedy stuck your dad again when Pat died at home. This only made John work harder and my parents tell of how he took on responsibility for the home without a thought. Michelle was very young and Debbie, a teenager, was just starting out with Paul.

Of course it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Our crowd used to go to the Lyceum in the Strand every Monday night – people from all over London headed there. Me and your dad almost won a holiday in Spain one night up there. For weeks the club had given out tickets for a draw. On the last night we were late and got in just in time. However, just as we were getting our money out a bloke jumped the queue in front of us and you guessed it, the bastard got the winning ticket for a holiday for two.  One night going home we waited to get on the number 6 bus at the Strand. As the bus pulled in two groups of blokes disagreed who was getting on first and a massive brawl broke out…luckily we weren’t involved getting on and leaving them to it still fighting  at the bus stop.  Another club your dad loved was the Clanger Bar near Liverpool Street. We danced to people such as Rod Stewart and ‘You wear it well’; ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’ by Jeff Beck and the Israelites by Desmond Decker. Tamela Motown music was also big. A few local reggae stars used to appear live at the Lyceum,  including Judge Dread and Max Romeo. David Bowie was big at the time as were T Rex; Sweet; Slade; Status Quo; Gary Glitter and Mungo Jerry.  Stevie Wonder was popular and a bloke named Eddie Kendrix had a big hit with ‘Keep on truckin’, a record that  Neil Battes loved to dance to. Ike and Tina Turner also had the famous ‘Nut Bush City Limits’ at the time  which got us all dancing.

A bloke named Tony Ryan (another Arsenal supporter) had a car before most of us and used to drive us all over the place including some pubs at Ware in Hertfordshire.

As you know your dad had some pretty strong views on things. “Tube trains…..no way you won’t get me down there, I’ll get the bus” (as long as it wasn’t upstairs). “Lift’s, forget it, I’ll run up the stairs”> Ask your mum what he was like in the high rise at Hackney Wick. I’m not sure how he ever agreed to fly in a plane.

John was mad keen on the actor Michael Crawford who was in comedy as ‘ Frank Spencer’ whose punch-line was “Oh  Betty”, your dad impersonating him well as a party trick.

We were also friendly with a crowd from Upper Clapton in our teens, Neil and Steve were two of the blokes, a girl named Renarta and another called Susan (who was quite sweet on your dad) as well as a bloke named Bernard Auguste.

Your dad was an intensely loyal bloke who often took me out when I was skint. Hackney and Bethnal Green in the early 1970’s had the best pub scene in London. We could literally walk to ten pubs in a very small area; the Queens, the Horns and the Sebright Arms were three we spent time in. The Alexander on the roundabout at Victoria Park Road was probably our favourite. Although Steven Pipe’s mate Terry Loft got hit on the head with a bottle thrown out of a car there one night, and we all ended up at the hospital for hours. Generally it safe though and always packed out. I actually went out for several years with a girl named Denise Lowe who lived next door to your dad in Regents Court, before he moved over to the marshes.

Later in life, when  your dad was married to Janice, he would often ring me when I lived at Highams Park, especially when Arsenal had just beaten Spurs. Even here in Australia he would call and speak for an hour, your mum not knowing until the bill came in.

I hope you didn’t mind me sharing a few memories of John with you.  I know he was very proud of you both. I told your mum the other day that a few months after John had died a strange thing happened to me while I was on my computer. The e mail address book was open with the whole list of contact addresses there in black on the screen. Without me touching anything your dads e mail address suddenly  lit up in blue for two seconds and then faded back to black like the rest of the addresses. I was not scared but felt euphoric that John had made contact with me. Your mum and I agreed that it had been a ‘good thing’ and I regard it as a special moment for me with my old friend John. Your dad is someone I regard as one of my best life friends and I proud that we grew up together in London.

Remember Sean and Dean if you ever come this way to Sydney you are welcome to stay here with us on your travels.

Regards Steve Quilty.

Drop ten, turn and face 56

Drop ten, turn and face 

Quilty’s Football Yarns 56

2018 Back to Back EREA Cups

Season 2018 proved to be an exciting one. A very competitive campaign for our SPX 1st XI football side which finished with a total of 36 games being played. We played in five competitions which included the ISA League and four cups which comprised of the NSWCIS, St Andrew’s, EREA and the SPX hosted, July Cup. Our record was an impressive one winning 23 games, drawing six and losing seven, scoring a total of 114 goals while conceding just 39. Our leadership team consisted of Captain, Andres Nolan and Vice-Captains Dexter Luksich and Nathan Mellino.

In the wash up of our 36 game season we made it to two Semi-Final appearances, went through as unbeaten minor premiers and retained a cup for a second successive season. 

Pre-season

Starting our preparation in early January, our squad began to take shape as we played trial games against various club and school sides early on Sunday mornings in February. By the time we faced Waverley in the NSWCIS Cup first round on 16 March, we had already played six matches, beating club sides HFC Armenia, Manly Vale, Berowra, Saints United and Chatswood HS while losing one game to St Michael’s. The annual Old Boys game saw our 1st XI down both the SPX Old Boys and SPX 2nd XI by 1-0. The squad was coming together well. In our first competitive match of the season we took on Waverley College in the NSWCIS Cup 2nd Round, down on their Astro-turf pitch. SPX debutant Lucas Rainbird had scored with virtually his first touch of the ball, sending home a thunderous free kick, top corner. Stand in keeper performed heroics in the penalty shoot-out to deliver the win, our boys scoring all five spot kicks. Unfortunately, our progress in the competition was halted in the 3rd Round by eventual winners Cranbrook. We went down 4-2 at Oxford Falls to what turned out to be a special Eastern Suburbs outfit who went on to be the eventual winners. 

Canberra Tour

As ever, we went away on tour. We had won EREA Cup in Brisbane in 2017 but in 2018 it was held down in the nation’s capital, Canberra. St Edmund’s were the hosts and we had the exciting privilege of staying at the AIS for the three match days. Teams from the ACT, Queensland, Northern Territory and NSW took part and although the strength of the competition was not as strong as the previous year our boys did everything asked of them winning all four matches convincingly. St Josephs, St Edmunds and St Columban’s at the group stage and then St Columban’s again in the Final.

St Andrew’s Cup at Valentine Park

As is our tradition, we took part in the St Andrew’s Cup at Valentine Park. This has become a very strong pre-season competition. Our first game saw us draw with Riverview before recording 3-0 wins against both Sydney High and St Paul’s, Penrith. In what was a fine semi-final we went down 1-0 to old rivals Moriah College who themselves then fell 1-0 to the brilliant Cranbrook side in the final.

ISA 2018 Season

Rueing that missed opportunity, SPX started the ISA season on fire, winning our first 5 games, including fine away wins at Oakhill and St Pat’s. When the holidays arrived, we were five from five. In order to avoid a three-week break SPX puts on a five team competition called the July Cup. We lifted the inaugural trophy in 2017 but went down this holiday to an impressive Manly U16 side coached by Mr Lacey. Returning to the ISA Competition we then won four more games to make it nine in a row.  The last regular game of the season saw us draw with St Spyridon’s only to face them the following week in the play between first and fourth. In game we ought to have wrapped up we could not put them away, drawing 1-1. As ever penalty shoot outs are not the most satisfying way to resolve matches especially as we lost this one! So there it was, unbeaten ISA minor premiers in 2018 but missing a chance to win the final. Congratulations to St Spyridon’s who went on to beat St Patrick’s in the final, their first ISA win for 22 seasons!

Summing up

Despite this disappointing ISA finish, the SPX 1st XI had a fine season. Our record was an impressive one winning 23 games, drawing six and losing seven, scoring a total of 114 goals while conceding just 39. 

In the wash up of our 36 game season we made it to two Semi-Final appearances, went through as unbeaten minor premiers and retained a cup for a second successive season. 

Our leadership team, consisting of our captain Andres Nolan and vice captains, Dexter Luksich and Nathan Mellino.  All played in the NSWCIS Representative tournament for ISA, as did Matt Davey, Ed Lee, Miguel Ribas, Alex Bain and Jack Berte. 

Looking forward to 2019, I believe that we are finely placed as we have 12 players eligible to back up next year. A big thanks to our Year 12 players who are leaving the college, including top goal scorer Dexter Luksich who got 21 goals in the season. Nathan Mellino leaves us having dedicated an unbelievable amount of time to the SPX 1st XI football cause, playing 108 games over the past three seasons. It has been great working with you all throughout that time. 

Looking forward to 2019 already as we will be competing in the Easter EREA Football Tournament in Brisbane once again.

Mr S Quilty Coach

SPX 1st XI 2018 Record: Won 23, Drew 6, Lost 7      

Statistics: For 114, Against 39 

Scorers: Luksich 21; Mellino and Xeni 14; Cortes-Jones and Cetinich 12; Lee 10 

Awards 

SPX Football Player of the Year Matt Davey

Shahab Kargarian MVP                         Nathan Mellino

Players’ Player Isaac Fong

Coaches’ Award         Alex Bain

Best and Fairest/ Top scorer Dexter Luksich

Captain of Football          Andres Nolan

Winners EREA Cup 2018

Drop ten, turn and face Quilty’s Football Yarns 55 Australia - Opportunities aplenty

Drop ten, turn and face

Quilty’s Football Yarns 55

Australia - Opportunities aplenty

Growing up in Hackney and going to school in Bethnal Green, in the sixties and seventies was always interesting. If you are a basic optimist, you tend not to see adversity. So it was with me. I grew up near Vicky Park, went to a lovely Primary School in Lauriston Road and snagged a place at Parmiters Grammar in Approach Road near the Old Bethnal Green Chest Hospital. We moved from Swingfield House to Laxfield Court in 1966. It was part of the new Suffolk Estate in Pownall Road. Everyone was in a similar boat usually coming from older council flats or out of condemned houses in Shoreditch or Hoxton. We lived in an exotically named ‘maisonette’ up on the second floor. The flat had both an upstairs and downstairs. Class was undoubtedly an underlying element in London society but as an 11 or 12 year old, it wasn’t necessarily at the front of my mind. In later years Hackney gained the name ‘Dustbin of Europe’ which has always made me laugh. I do remember thinking as a kid, thoughts such as, ‘Why do people on TV sound different to me’ and being pleasantly surprised to ever hear my locality mentioned on TV which wasn’t very often! Looking back on our BBC Children Talking; ‘Day trip to Calais’ programme we all sound like ‘Inner London’ children in 1965. 

Upon reflection, it probably said more about the norms of mainstream media at that time than anything else, that made people sound that particular way.  The way you speak was always a differentiator in the UK, not just on a class level but also in a regional sense. Even today when I meet a British person somewhere in the world I can usually pick where they come from within a 20 mile radius. The differences in accent around the UK are immense for such a small place. Living in Leeds, for four years as a student, certainly made me stand out every time I opened my mouth. A particularly dangerous thing especially away at English football matches!

Going to work in the City of London at seventeen years of age had been an eye opener. Financial markets were already undergoing big changes as early as 1973. Stockbrokers were traditionally Public School educated but that was changing. My cousin, Johnny Hill, was a Comprehensive School attendee up until the age of 15.  He went into the City and literally made a million. Not sure whether his school, Cardinal Pole, ever invited him back but they ought to have done. Johnny was a trailblazer in his way by going into a work environment which had long been the domain of a narrow group of ‘well educated’ people with posh accents.

Anyone who has read anything I have written thus far will know that I am a basically optimistic person. Thus, when I recall some situations, that optimism was tested.  I always remember starting on the Stock Market and being told openly by some of the administrative staff that my accent would hold me back. “They won’t allow you to come in and take ‘their’ jobs, you don’t talk the way they do”. Those sad people would not realise that ‘education’ would actually help me get on rather than hold me back. Enrolling for and passing the various Stock Exchange examinations helped me progress in both periods I worked there 1972-5 and 1986-90. Becoming a Registered Representative and Registered Trader stood me in good stead and at the ‘front’ of change. Markets were adapting to new technology and the advent of cockney ‘barrow boys’ as traders became increasingly prevalent. As I have mentioned previously the Stock Exchange certainly tried to hang on to many of its traditions. The archaic language of the market, its conventions and prejudices were really challenged by globalisation. ‘Big Bang’ in 1985 allowed foreign banks and brokers to trade on London Markets. The Americans, especially, without actually realising it, shook up the way things were done. ‘Money’ rather ‘Old School Tie’ becoming a big differentiator. In 1987 we saw a massive rise in the FTSE 100 followed by the October crash. Up until that point ‘life was indeed imitating art’ because cash flowed freely, lunches were long and boozy while bonuses and pay were amazingly high. For a short while, “Greed was good”. By the time I left County Nat West in 1990 I felt the whole Stock Exchange culture had altered forever. Sitting in the ‘redundancy holding room’ in January 1990, I had the realisation that of the eighty people I was with, I was probably the only one to have a ‘fall back’ career, I was qualified  teacher and that is what I returned to once more. 

Emigrating to Australia in 1992 was a breath of fresh air in terms of opportunity. Terrie and I took our two children 3 and 18 months, half-way around the world, to start a new life. The fact that we started off on a caravan park for twelve weeks may be viewed by some as shocking but to me it provided a foundation for valuing everything we eventually got, we certainly benefitted from the experience and numerous work and friendship opportunities stemmed from that place.

When I eventually got my first permanent job out at John Paul II Senior High School, Marayong I fortunate enough to meet one of the main mentors in my life, Don Sykes. In the that first year Don revealed to me a whole possible pathway in the area of Business and Economics. Having studied Economics at Leeds University, worked on the Stock Market and established my own Newspaper based business, made me as qualified as most to teach these subjects. The thing that Don showed me was that in Australia and Sydney in particular, there were opportunities in and around Education. Don Sykes was a multi-published author for Longmans being the ‘Guru’, publishing numerous Business Studies texts over a period of years. One of the first things Don got me involved in was HSC Business Studies marking. This was a lucrative activity for the 350 markers in our subject but just as importantly it was a wonderful ‘educational networking and in service’ activity stretching over two weeks in December. It was usually located at one of the Sydney showgrounds at Moore Park, Alexandria or eventually the Olympic precinct. Marking certainly had a system and more importantly an intangible culture that determined the way our course was to be taught and developed. Like anywhere, there was an hierarchy at marking. Fortunately, in my second year I was made one of the Senior markers who ran a team of twelve teachers based on a particular question in the paper. Working with 350 other teachers on Business Studies marking, certainly opened one’s eyes on the range and styles of practitioners in our subject. The fact that marking participants came to sessions straight after working a full day at school was testing. Marking went from 4.00 – 8.30 and included a full day Saturday. The higher you advanced up the hierarchy the less actual marking you did but conversely you were involved for more days. In 1999 I was selected to be Assistant Supervisor of Marking working with the Supervisor and one other. Our job was to go in a few days early, receive the paper and set up the process which would last another two weeks. I can’t really imagine getting such an opportunity in the UK but in Australia I found that if you could do, what you said you could do, little would hold you back. Following on from HSC Marking I was also appointed to be one of the first Advice Line staff for Business Studies. Don Sykes encouraged me all along to take such opportunities as they arose. Working in a Catholic Systemic School we were users of the CSSA Trial examinations. Thus, when Don suggested I go on the committee that wrote that paper, I keenly accepted. The fact that hundreds of schools used the CSSA trial paper was kudos for John Paul II (and later St Pius X College) that their staff were involved in such academic pursuits in addition to teaching. After a couple of years on the committee I was asked to take over as the paper’s convenor. A role I did for almost a decade. 

Whilst at John Paul II, good friend Paul Czeleski, took me along to Meadowbank TAFE to meet the Dean of Studies. As a relatively new immigrant to Australia with a mortgage a bit of extra work was useful. An opportunity to teach there, arose several nights a week. The courses were electives for Accounting Students, Business Economics or Financial Markets, both of which I was very comfortable presenting. Over the next nine years I did round work trips initially taking in Berowra – Blacktown – Meadowbank – Berowra and then in later years Berowra – Chatswood – Meadowbank – Berowra. This TAFE lecturing experience with adult students gave me an alternative view of my job but was rewarding in a new way. I felt sorry for many of the students on the course because by ‘weeks end’ they were exhausted having already done a full day’s work followed by lectures until 9.00pm. In the early 2000’s I stumbled into a role Lecturing to HSC  Business Students doing commercial revision courses at Sydney University. I had never pictured myself at a lectern in front of 300 people but here I was. The money was useful but the ‘free parking vouchers’ we received for Sydney University themselves possessed considerable currency! Working with Don Sykes certainly shaped my experience of work in Australia. He had opened up numerous academically based opportunities for me. One such role was presenting on Globalisation for the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) down at Knox Grammar. Talking to students is one thing but actually presenting to your peers is something else. I shouldn’t have worried because the talk went well. That is until the end of day bell went at 3-00pm. There I was, with my presentation up on the big screen when suddenly the screen started to disappear up into the roof. It was electronically putting itself away! To make things worse I didn’t realise it was happening until someone at the front pointed it out to me. Fortunately, I only had a bit to go and winged it until the end. Probably the thing I am most proud of with my association with Don is when he asked me to co-author a text book with him in 1999. ‘Case Studies in Australian Business’ was published by Hodder Headline and formed a text to be used in the HSC Business Studies course. It did involve lot of work but enabled me to access my own network of friends and acquaintances in the Sydney business world. Derek Kirk at Top Hat Foods and Danone ; JB at Leica Instruments; Dave Bleasdale at Howard Smith; Paul Ryan at Dow Corning; Anthony Seaegg at Datacom/Microsoft Services; Jim Cronin at Ludowici; Chris Duck at Commonwealth Bank; Craig Burkill at Australian Communications magazine; Paul Squires at SMART research, Ian Johnson at the Hawksberry River Oyster farms and Colin Strang with his connection at Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, all gave us brilliant access and enabled the text book to take shape and ultimately be published. A proud moment. 

Australia has certainly opened its arms to me and my family in terms of opportunity. Terrie has worked for two Trans-National Corporations, both for a period of seven years. Working with the Foods CEO at Unilever and then at Novartis North Ryde, as the Site Manager and prime mover in the transformation of the business across into its $80m new premises on Waterloo Road. More recently she has worked with The SAN Hospital Foundation down at Wahroonga. All interesting jobs where opportunity was offered and taken. Dan has made a teaching career, coming through Macquarie University initially as a History teacher before showing versatility in qualifying to teach in that doyen of subjects, English. Cassie worked for seven years in Nursing Services at her alma mater Sydney University, before getting her Business MBA through that University and is currently an academic writer for Western Sydney University.  Yes, Australia has provided good opportunities for us all. 

For me heading up the Economics Business Commerce and Geography (EBGC) department at SPX for two decades is the best evidence of that. Terrie and I agree. We don’t believe the UK would have offered a chance at the same. It is a hypothetical question but that is what we believe to be true for this Cockney boy and girl away from home. Of course, football coaching opportunities deserve a whole chapter to themselves and eventually that’s what they will get.

http://stevenqoz.blogspot.com/?m=1

Drop ten turn and face 54

Drop ten, turn and face

Quilty’s Football Yarns 54

Two Cup wins

Season 2017 was one we entered with considerable anticipation. For the first time since 2005 we appointed joint captains for the 1st XI, James Kellendonk and Alec Vinci. Both had played for the side previously, James for his third season. As ever we had our full programme of trials and competitions arranged but in this year we had two new ones. The first involved our Queensland tour. Since 2004 we gone up to play either the original Southern Skies Tournament or in later times the re-badged High Energy Tournament. Both involved our squad staying at the wonderful University of Queensland campus and taking on a range of Australian, New Zealand and International sides. Historically we had played teams with players from Africa, Noumea, New Zealand, Malaysia and Korea. Sides also came from every state in Australia including NSW where we regularly took relatively local rivals. This year was to be different because the Tournament was actually one organised by the EREA, again including sides from every state. It also took place in April rather than mid-year..

Kicking off the year we took on the usual range of local club sides and schools. Berowra, Saints Utd and HFC All Age and St Michaels U21’s. We also played Asquith Boys High and St Augustine’s who both play in different competitions to ourselves. Five wins and a draw were a good return as we made ready to fly to Queensland. St Laurence’s were to host the EREA competition and for the first time we stayed away from the University staying in serviced units and providing our own mini bus transport. I’ve never been one to write off coincidence’s but this tour was to mirror that of 2014 in every way.  A great effort by the boys saw us play five games in three days against sides from Canberra, South Australia, Queensland and Victoria. As in 2014, we once again shut out all the opposition, St Edmund’s 

1-0; St Columban’s 5-0; St Paul’s 3-0 and St Patrick’s 1-0 which put us into the Grand Final v St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace, who came from the Brisbane GPS Competition. A partisan Queensland crowd certainly let us know just where their loyalties lie! In what was a very tough match we led the whole game until the last minute when Terrace forced an equaliser. History repeating itself! We were forced into extra time and the penalties only conceding a goal in the last minute of the week, just as in 2014. Adversity and resilience were two of the words that came to mind at the time. The partisan crowd did their best to influence the outcome but midfielder Nathan Mellino stepped up to put away the final penalty and we were the inaugural EREA Cup winners.

Returning to Sydney we had the annua,l two day, St Andrew’s Cup the following week out at Valentine Park.  Wins against St Spyridon’s and Shore followed by a 0-0 draw with Riverview landed us in the semi-final. Unfortunately, we ran into a very strong Oakhill side and went down 2-0. Up until this point we’d actually gone 17 games unbeaten in season 2017. This St Andrew’s Cup defeat sent us into a bit of a form slump because we went down by 2-1 in three consecutive games against St Aloysius; Oakhill and St Spyridon’s in the ISA followed by a NSWCIS Cup defeat to Pacific Hills. Fortunately, our recovery was as impressive as the slump had been worrying, because wins over Chevalier; St Pats, Oakhill; St Andrew’s and St Spyridon’s put us in ISA finals contention all without a goal being conceded! Because our Queensland tour had taken place in April rather than mid-year, it brought about the need for a new Tournament to be arranged by ourselves out at Oxford Falls. The 'July Cup' which was dedicated to my dad who had recently passed away, ‘The Sid Sanderson Memorial Trophy’. Riverview, the Kings School and Sydney Grammar all took part. Three good victories over these GPS sides lift the trophy and set us up well for the ISA run in. An away draw with St Pats preceded two clear wins over St Andrew’s and Chevalier. Finishing second on the ladder we faced St Spyridon’s in the semi-final. In a truly topsy-turvy match we came from behind to eventually win 8-3 booking a place in the ISA Final. 

As I have said multiple times in this series of reflections, we run our Football program a particular way. We have always endevoured to get the best SPX players to play for the college, be they anything from Year 9 to 12, club or Rep players, they are all welcome. In 2017 we went down 4-0 in the Grand Final to Oakhill who were the best team in the competition. We had already faced them in both the St Andrew’s Cup and the ISA regular season. Unfortunately, our co-captain Alec Vinci was down to play for Manly on this day in their finals games. Fight as much we could we were already several goals down by the time he arrived to play for us. In over 20 seasons my luck had usually been good having players available, so am in no position to complain. A quality player, Alec went on to play for the NSWCIS at the All Schools Championship and then captained Central Coast Mariners Youth side after school. Alec is still pursuing what he loves, playing in Germany today. Oakhill fully deserved their victory on the day, but our boys were disappointed not to have got closer. One particular player, Scott Browning shed a tear at the end as a young, Year Ten student. Fortunately for Scott, that bitter memory in 2017 was to be put right in 2019 when he emulated his brother Luke to lift the NSWCIS Cup. Scott himself going on to be currently playing as captain of Sydney FC U20’s. In spite of the ISA Final defeat we had one more game to play because Chatswood High invited us over to be their first opponents on their brand new astro-turf all weather pitch. As ever, we’ll go anywhere for a game!

The ‘management team’ of parents, Heidi, Margaret and Enya had done us proud setting the standard in ISA culinary entertainment and communications. It was also time to say goodbye to media powerhouse Danny John and his wife Tanya. Sam John had put the finishing touches on his families playing involvement at SPX representing the ISA along with Chris Kastropil, Lachie Back, Scott Browning, James Kellendonk Charlie Hammond and Alec Vinci. Danny John had reported on amazing SPX success in his time through Shoot Tackle and Goal. The journalism and photography have been outstanding, while the fanzine itself truly mapped our ups and downs, as one of school football’s best sides of that period. Danny reported on a 2013 ISA win; a 2014 NSWCIS Cup win; a 2014 High Energy Cup win; 2016 High Energy Cup win; and in 2017 wins in both the EREA and July Cups. The gratitude of Simon Yue and I to Danny John is hard to express in words. Communications from Danny were unmatched in schoolboy sport. Finishing season 2017 we had collected two trophies. Co-captains Alec Vinci and James Kellendonk had done a fine job, the latter playing over 100 games for SPX in three seasons. Youngsters Liam Tachjian, Jack Berte, Andres Nolan and Scott Browning had enjoyed playing for SPX and would be stronger for the experience. Nathan Mellino, Andrew Kelly and Diego Cuadros and Matt Hettler said goodbye having played significant roles all season. On the goalscoring front youngster Robbie Leonardi got 14 while Julian Di Ciano got 12 and Alec Vinci 10. Our 2017 top-scorer was Connor Brannan with 20 goals who I rate as the SPX player with the hardest shot in my time at the college. In the wash up our season looked like this:

Played 38 Won 26 Drew 5 Lost 7 Goals for 109 Goals against 35.

Drop ten turn and face 53

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 53

Two finals, a Cup win and taking on International Schoolboy Representative  competition

In season 2016 Chris Woo was our 1st XI Captain and a fine job he did. The squad was a strong one with numerous Rep players. So with this in mind, it is important to consider the sacrifices the boys made because for the school alone they amassed 33 games. As ever we entered the early season St Andrews Cup. This is always a good test because it brings together twelve of the strongest sides in Independent Schools football. This year we started well downing both Barker and Sydney Grammar 4-0 but missed out in the final to a late goal against St Aloysius. Further trials against St Pius Old Boys, HFC Armenia, Riverview, St Augustines, Kissing Point and Sydney High set us well for our opening NSWCIS game against Kings, a game we won well.  Moving on to the start of the ISA competition, we ran up six consecutive wins including 1-0 away wins over both St Pats and Oakhill. A 5-1 NSWCIS Cup quarter final victory over St Philips Newcastle, was apt revenge, for a semi-final reversal against that college back in 2008. Keeper Chris Kastropil was playing for his second consecutive season, while the Di Ciano brothers Alex and Julian an opportunity to play together both making the ISA Rep side. Alex went on with Mitch Whalley to play for NSWCIS, the first time since Daniel Bateup and David Prentice in 2002, that we had we two spots in the squad. Robbie Leonardi, James Kellendonk, Alec Vinci and Chris Woo all turned out for the ISA side.

With the ISA policy of ‘no night finals’, since 2009, the significance of the NSWCIS night matches, has really taken over as that opportunity for SPX to showcase not just its fine, competitive football but also the undoubted school spirit and fanatical support. Thus, playing Moriah College was one such opportunity to shine. A NSWCIS Cup semi-final under lights out at Valentine Park, FNSW headquarters. Moriah were the existing holders of the Cup and my good friend Dome Helene was coach of the side. Oh what a night! Hundreds of SPX students came out to get behind the boys. Our boys were outstanding on the night matching the champion Moriah team throughout. A Pius goal was controversially before the game went into extra time at 0-0. Penalties looked to be the solution until in the last minute when their champion player, Ryan Blumberg, scored a late, late, winner to sink our dream. Ryan was well known to my-self. He had played the previous year in my All Schools Championship winning, CIS side. After this year’s competition he went on to win a place in the International Nike Academy, eventually joining Charlton Athletic in England.

The buzz of the semi final once again demonstrated how far our Football programme at the college had come. The boys had given their all and come so close. Fortunately, we were given a chance to put things right going away to Queensland for the High Energy Cup the following week. 

In the HIgh Energy Cup we eventually prevailed, after going down 3-2 initially to Africa United we got a 9-3 win against African Unity. This was followed by a 3-2 win over Kings which put us through to the final on the second day against the same side. In a tense, pressure filled match our main striker Harry Clay took a sharp chance to seal a tight 1-0 win. Captain Chris Woo and SPX  lifted this Cup for just the second time in 12 years.

 This was to be no ordinary tour because for reasons beyond our control several schools had withdrawn from the tournament and it would be a four team, two-day competition. Resourceful, as ever, we quickly arranged three additional tour matches including one Brisbane side St Laurence’s  who we downed 6-1 and State League outfit Ipswich City Bulls. This was great game against an older side played on Astro-turf and was kindly arranged by old mate and ex SPX teacher Lee Addison. The 2-1 win saw coach Chris Semaan take the field for our side, something the boys enjoyed immensely. 

Returning to Sydney with silverware is always special.

We are proud at SPX of our good standing in the football community. It was very encouraging then when I got a phone call from the New Zealand Schoolboy International side coach, asking if we wanted to play them in a midweek tour game. As any who knows me will attest I will take my sides to play anyone. We had previously taken on the ISA side and the NSWCIS sides providing opposition but this was a whole new level. As it turned out the weather was terrible and we ended up playing the game down on the ‘all weather’ at Miranda. The background to this invitation was that New Zealand had games arranged with Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, NSW Schoolboys and Australian Schoolboys. When the Wanderers dropped out someone told them to ring St Pius X Chatswood. How good is that! In what was a good game we went down 5-2. I pulled in a couple of Old Boys on the night, Dan Makerry, Ben John  and a very young Scott Browning all turning out to help.

While the New Zealand fixture was a high point in the season, our bread and butter, the ISA was to prove a step too far in 2016. A couple of wash outs against SCECG’s and St Andrew’s  meant we had little opportunity to improve our 6 1 and 1 record finishing second. The single defeat had been a 1-0 reverse at home to Oakhill. A semi-final tie at Oxford Falls with St Pats started so well going with us going ahead but going eventually going down 4-1 at the final whistle. Disappointing as this was, we had had a competitive season bringing home silverware from Queensland. Our squad of 17 included; 

Chris Kastropil; Alec Vinci; Jarrod Chater; Harry Clay; Sam John; James Kellondonk; Jake Saunders; Chris Woo; Alex Di Ciano; Julian Di Ciano; Roberto Leonardi; Diego Cuadros-Garrot; Mitch Whalley; Anthony Kelly; Nathan Mellino; Lachlan Back; Daniel Warren

Once again Danny John had kept us all entertained with his brilliant editions of Shoot Tackle and Goal while Rachel Woo captured the key moments in our season pictorially. 

Our record was; Played 33 Won 20 Drawn 4 Lost 9 

For 89 Against 52. 

Goalscorers; Clay 14; Leonardi 12; J DiCiano 7 Vinci 6

Drop ten turn and face 52

Backing up on a season like 2014, or 2012, for that matter, is always a task. Our SPX 1st XI in 2015 certainly put in a full shift playing a total of 36 matches, the first of these in late January and a season running until late August. People may look back on this particular season and judge that in spite of finishing top at the round robin stage, of three competitions, we weren’t able to land the trophy lifting blow, in any of them. In the wash up we had two Grand Finals, a semi and a quarter final and I can proudly say we never died wondering in any of them.

As has been written elsewhere, 2014 had been the culmination for a squad which had travelled together across many seasons at SPX.  Because of this it meant that in 2015 we only had six players surviving from the previous year, involving eleven new players coming in. We made ourselves very busy playing 17 games by the end of April. Captain, Ben John was playing his third year of very successful 1st XI football, and along with his right-hand man, Vice-Captain Alex Drake, they had won the ISA Championship, Queensland Cup and the NSWCIS Cup in that epic 6-1 victory over Barker.

In 2015 our two-day St Andrew’s Cup campaign saw us make the final with wins over St Aloysius, Sydney High and Oakhill. In the event we went down 3-1 to a well drilled Waverley side, our only loss in those 17 matches. Our ISA competition began in May with four good wins over SCECG’s St Andrew’s, St Spyridon’s and Oakhill, quickly followed by a win and a draw over St Pat’s. Looking good we defeated Redeemer College in the NSWCIS Cup before stumbling in the Quarter Final to Newington College. Fortunately we had little time to dwell on that result because we jetted off to Brisbane for the High Energy Tournament. Wins over Pembroke of Adelaide, Clairvaux of Queensland came either side of two hard fought wins over the two African club sides who were competing. Brisbane has a large refugee community from various African countries, two of which competed regularly in the High Energy event. As is the way in a whole week of tournament play, attrition can play a role. In spite of topping the classification rankings we did not make the final. Early on we had comprehensively downed Barker College but facing them in the Semi-final we went down 2-1. With just a third-place finish at stake we lifted to defeat St Peter’s of New Zealand finishing with a win.

Returning to Sydney we ran off three quick ISA victories over SCECG’s, Oakhill and St Andrew’s earning a semi final spot against the Men in Black of Strathfield. A 2-1 win was enough to avenge our exit at the same stage the previous season. We were in the ISA final against Oakhill College. As unbeaten Minor Premiers we went into this match in good shape. In normal time the two sides played out a 1-1 draw with extra time also failing to deliver a result. Ominously their keeper had had a blinder in the match. In the shoot-out both keepers including our Greg Frelingos, were amazing. Seven of the first eight kicks taken were saved before we hit the post and ended up losing the shoot-out 2-1!

At the time many people voiced their opinion that this was an unsatisfactory way to decide a season long competition. As much as I hate to lose, I couldn’t complain because my sides have won Championships a number of times in exactly that way! JPII in the MCS in 95’: SPX in the ISA 09’; SPX in the NSWCIS Cup in 12’; SPX in the Queensland High Energy Cup in 14’ and SPX in the NSWCIS Cup in 19’. In addition, we have generally been very successful in shoot outs generally. You have to take the good, with the bad. As they say in Israel, “Sometimes for me, sometimes for you”.

In 2015 our parental support was amazing. Anyone looking back at the media offerings I have put up in this series of Football Yarns over the years, couldn’t fail to notice the professionalism added by Danny John and Rachel Woo. Simon Yue and I often celebrate the media help we have had across the seasons by parents and teachers. Neil Chapman, Roula Ravenscroft and Matt Stearn, Rachel Woo, Antonio Saraceno and Andrew Giles all contributing to the visual history of our 1st XI. Danny John creating, our very own Magazine, ‘Shape, Tackle and Goal’. Danny’s commitment to keeping players, parents and coaches aware of happenings around our season was awesome. Nick Refenes finished the season as our top goal-scorer with 25 while young striker Harry Clay got to 21 before a season ending injury. Ben John and Alex Drake the leadership team deserve special mention. They had played since Year 10 and we calculated that they had played at least 113 games for the SPX 1st XI in that time, winning 83, drawing 19 and losing just 11. An achievement unlikely to be registered in any other school sport or at any other school in Football.  Many of our SPX players at this time quietly told me that they were always thankful that Ben played for us! His commitment to the cause being scary. I always reminded Alex that he was the calm player in the family, his brother Matt from 2007 was also a very committed player like Ben! Great servants Daniel Makerry, Luis Facchin and Luke Browning all finished up, the latter going off for a successful scholarship sojourn in the USA,  studying and playing football at American University in Washington DC.

For me personally 2015 was a great season at the Schools Representative level. I was fortunate enough to work as the Coach of the NSWCIS Opens side in the All Schools Championship. Working alongside Steve Fochesato of St Pats and SPX old boy Simon Aitkin, we led the side to win the Tournament and be crowned Champions for the first time in over twenty seasons. Anyone who knows this NSW Schools competition would be aware that the NSW State Schools usually dominate proceedings with their two sides. In a strange aligning of fate, I had actually won this tournament previously, 21 years earlier in 1996, while working with the NSWCCC squad which include both Nick and Leo Carle.

Our 2015 All Schools Championship win was delivered by what was the best side I have ever coached in my career. In a way I wish I knew beforehand how good they would be, an amazingly talented team. In a team of champions we had three Lachlans’, Roberts, Hughes and Scott. The former played for Australian schoolboys, the middle one for Sydney FC and the latter for Western Sydney Wanderers. Ryan Blumberg, the skipper went on to win a Nike Scholarship and play in the UK with Charlton. In the tournament we were unbeaten but the most memorable game was that verses the NSW 1 side who we downed 5-2 after trailing 2-0! Another great season of football memories

A copy of our NSWCIS team game in the NSW All Schools win v NSWCHS I is here on YouTube

https://youtu.be/NduKWimJzp0

Drop ten, turn and face. 50 Quilty’s Football 50 St Pius X 1st XI Football 2013 ISA Champions

Following on from a record breaking side, in a record setting year, is invariably difficult. Our 2013 St Pius X 1st XI Football team were faced with exactly this challenge and may I say from the outset they made a wonderful attempt at doing just this.

As ever we started early, very early. Our first trial match took place on February 10th less than two weeks after our return in Term one. For the next six Sundays we played an array of sides from both club and school backgrounds.

We played ten trials in all before the end of Term One. Notable victories included a 2-1 win against Riverview, a 5-3 goal fest against Northbridge U18’s and a 3-1 win over St Augustine’s who no longer play ISA football. Other tests included a 2-2 draw against a strong CAS side down at Knox and a full blooded 5-5 draw with the SPX Old Boys team. Our only defeat in Term 1 was a surprise 0-2 reverse to St Aloysius on a quagmire pitch at Tyneside. For the punters amongst us, SPX don’t go so well when the centre circle is muddy!

As in previous years we participated in the two day St Andrew’s Cup competition down at Oakhill College. In a tournament which included twelve of the top Independent School sides we placed 5th despite only suffering one reverse. This placed us in the Plate final where we defeated Barker 1-0. We had beaten GPS opponents Shore and High while winning a 4-3 thriller against hosts Oakhill.

Our return after the break saw us defeat the Kings School 4-2 on their historic ‘Wanderers Oval’ which was the acknowledged site of the first ever football match played in Sydney in 1880. Measuring ourselves against GPS and CAS opponents is always a good test.

These 16 trial matches played by SPX 1st XI set us up well for the ISA season. Regular competition wins were recorded against Redlands 3-0; Chevalier 3-0;  St Andrew’s 4-1; Redlands again 5-0, Chevalier again 3-0 only being punctuated by a hard fought 1-1 at home to St Patrick’s College. Before the end of Term Two we also managed a 5-0 victory against Hills Grammar in the CIS Cup Competition where we were current holders.

As we came to the half-way point of the year we headed off up to Brisbane to participate in the annual Southern Skies Tournament. Four staff, Simon Yue, Leisa Proc, Richard Lacey, Steve Quilty and sixteen students made the journey and we spent a week away playing sides from Sydney, Brisbane, Country Queensland and for the first time opponents from French Caledonia. The whole week format enabled us to play 8 matches in all. In the opening round robin we downed Sydney Grammar 2-0; Shore 2-0; Barker College 1-0; Scots College 2-0; and previous year’s winners St Peter Claver 5-0, with our single loss coming against the French Caledonians by 1-0. This was a great match allowing our players to experience a style of opponent who was quick, skilled and tricky. As things emerged later, these South Pacific boys won the whole thing with their energetic play that won the hearts of everyone who saw them. Unfortunately for us, progress was not to extend beyond the semi-final stage because although we had comprehensively accounted for them earlier on, we were thwarted by Scots College in the semi-final, the game finishing 0-0. In the ensuing penalty shootout we were beaten missing out on a chance to play a final against the French Caledonians. We finished 3rd overall beating CAS based Barker 4-2. Captain Nicholas Morabito and Lachlan Pollett were named in the Team of the Tournament.

In spite of our disappointment at falling over at the penultimate stage we returned to Sydney ready and prepared for the second half of the ISA season.

Once again we produced some fine performances. Wins over Oakhill 3-1; St Andrew’s 10-0 and Oakhill 2-1 were again punctuated by a 2-2 away draw with St Patrick’s College.

St Pius 1st XI  were again thwarted in a penalty shoot-out when drawing 2-2 with Knox Grammar. Oh what might have been! We led here until virtually the last minute and good opportunity to retain the CIS Cup was gone.

As is the way in football we were soon made to refocus because we were also in the semi-finals of the ISA Competition. Oxford Falls the venue and a comprehensive 3-0 victory over St Andrew’s saw us reach the ISA final for third year in a row.

As are the vagaries of Finals football as ISA Minor Premiers we were actually required to play our ISA Final against Oakhill out at their facility! This had indeed been the situation in 2012 when we won the Premiership the previous season.

On a warm afternoon the Grand Final was played at the unusual time of 3.00 O’clock in the afternoon. Several hundred supporters were on hand to witness a tense affair.  After twenty minutes of tight chanceless football striker Claudio Rosano announced his entry into the match with a cracking strike from his first touch of the ball! Just when St Pius X looked likely to add to this score Oakhill pounced on a hesitative defence to equalise just before the half time break.

In a stop start second half tension seemed to be influencing the flow of the game until Rosano snuck in with a deft touch to put St Pius X back in front, 2-1. Oakhill were now down a man and were wilting on the big pitch. Vice-captain Luke Capra soon put the game beyond down with an unstoppable drive from 20 yards. At last St Pius X were beginning to play their confident possession based game and could have extended their lead but for some brave keeping from the Oakhill custodian. 

Relief was the most tangible emotion for everyone at the end of the ISA Grand Final. In a season that had involved 38 matches we had secured a major trophy, the ISA Shield was ours for the second successive season, the first time we had achieved this. Captain Nicholas Morabito was Player of the Season, while Claudio Rosano was named the ‘Shahab  Kargarian’ most valuable player in the game by the final by match officials.

Another great season alongside  fellow coach Mr Simon Yue in season 2013. It is brilliant working with him. 

Goalscorers: 

Rosano 21; Esposito 15; Olivieri 14; Morabito, Bersee 8; Desa, Drake 7; Capra 5 ; Richardson 4

The team : Lachlan Pollet (goalkeeper), Greg Bayer (right back), John Chapman (centre midfield), Adrian Prieto (centre back), Will Richardson (left back), Nicholas Morabito (centre back), Joel Olivari (attacking midfielder), Luke Capera (right midfield), Jayden Milat (centre midfield), Alex Drake (right midfield), Nick Bersee (attacking midfield), Claudio Rosano (forward), Joe Esposito (forward), Tom Higham (left midfield), Chris Desa (left midfield) and Ben John (centre back).

Drop Ten turn and face 51

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 51

2014 NSWCIS Champions and Queensland High Energy Cup Winners.

Having experienced two fantastic seasons since returning as 1st XI coach in 2012, it was difficult for me to believe that our 2014 team could surpass those efforts, but on some counts, I think they did. A key difference was that this was ‘my team’, I had coached them at both U14 and U15 level, in two ISA Grand Finals, winning one and going down in the other. John Chapman had been the skipper in both of those seasons and in 2014 it would be no different.

As ever, our preparation was early and testing. Six early Sunday morning games pitted us against a range of school, youth and All Age teams. Mt Colah, Thornleigh, Hornsby Heights and St Augustine’s provided stiff opposition but probably none more so than the Berowra Premier League team with whom we drew 2-2. An equally tough draw with Knox, set us up well to defeat St Aloysius 4-1 in the NSWCIS Cup 2nd round, after a bye. It was clear from early on that our balance of quality and depth was special. Almost all of the sixteen-man squad, had Rep experience and we had a good number of Year 12 students returning for a second season, as well as two players having played 1st XI since Year 10. A key factor, as mentioned, was the inclusion of John Chapman to be skipper, because he had played for me in 2010, 2011, 2013 and now 2014.  We knew each other well!

In a first for SPX, we held, through Donna Patterson and the SPX Football Club, a World Cup Luncheon out at Dalton House. Several hundred, parents, players, staff and members of the public were treated to fine food as well as a great deal of insight into Australian football by Socceroo’s Ange Postecoglou.  Former Socceroo and Man Utd keeper, Mark Bosnic and Brett Emerton were also there. In a publicity coup we also had Fox sports Andy Harper with Mel McLaughlin as a very professional MC in a stellar event. Looking back having the opportunity to launch our season with that of the Socceroo’s was amazing. Their target being to reach the World Cup final stages and ours to win every piece of silverware we played for!

It was disappointing then that our St Andrew’s Cup campaign in April spluttered to just a sixth- place finish, after wasteful finishing. Fortunately, in going down 2-0 to Barker we did learn an important lesson we would benefit from later in the year. The immediate consequence of this disappointment was the opportunity to put things right with a 2-0 win over St Spyridon’s in the NSWCIS 3rd Round on the Astro turf. As luck would have it, Illawarra Grammar then forfeited the next game and we found ourselves into the Semi-finals., St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, would once again be our opponents out at Hensley Athletic Park.

The ISA is our own competition. We were reigning Champions the past two years and made great start at defending it once again. Wins over Oakhill 4-0, St Andrew’s 5-1, SCECG’s 14-1, Oakhill 2-1 and Chevalier 5-1 got us off to a flier before a 2-2 with St Patrick’s broke our winning streak. However, the undefeated run set us up nicely for the St Joseph’s Semi-final, out at a rain-soaked Hensley Athletic Park. Once again, as in 2012, the Joey’s media department facilitated a comprehensive summary of their lead up games in the competition. A full video recording of the 2014 semi is included here once again. On the night the game was tight. Fear of making an error stymied free flowing football. Several hundred supporters turned out providing brilliant support. Then when extra time was looking a distinct possibility, young Alex Drake rose to flick home what proved the winning header. This earned us a final spot against Barker College and a chance at redemption for our St Andrew’s Cup reverse. At the final whistle, team relief was tangible with John Chapman leading the side to the crowd who rendered a great version of the Edmund Rice hymn with gusto. We were at the half-way spot in the season and we had another NSWCIS Final to relish.

Comfortable in this knowledge, we headed off for the Queensland-based international High Energy Youth Cup Tournament in Brisbane. This was a competition we had competed for over a decade, without winning the main final, just twice lifting the Plate. We knew the task ahead was a big one. This year the sides hailed from New Zealand, Country Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney and also, an  African youth side. These competitions are usually a test of attrition, stretching through the week. It was a massive achievement for SPX 1st XI to run off six consecutive wins without conceding a goal on the first three competition days. Clairvaux 7-0; BBC 2-0; Shore 2-0; Scots NZ 3-0; St Peter Claver 4-0, African Youth 1-0. The key victory was against the African Youth side. Here was probably our toughest test against an opponent who was physical, athletic and very unpredictable. Coming out on top 1-0 was a fine performance by our boys. We were ranked 1st of the ten sides and earned a Semi-final spot against fourth placed Sydney side, SHORE. Goals by Refenes and Esposito gave us a comfortable 2-0 victory and a Grand Final rematch against Queensland side Sir Peter Claver. As expressed previously, these tournaments are well run and friendly. Making a final against a Queensland side is something else. State of Origin in just another guise. The tournament this year was out at Mitchelton Sports Centre. This facility has multiple fields but the main one, in the middle of the precinct is only used for the final. Sub-consciously, through the week you are mentally working towards a chance to play there. On the 2014 Tour we earned that right.

On a large, dusty pitch at the Mitchelton Football Centre, the game proved to be a messy one. With way too many free kicks punctuating the flow. SPX gradually worked its way into the game, going ahead with a fine finish from Claudio Rosano. Half time came and went but we could not add to our score. Claver hung in doggedly. Then, just 15 seconds from the end, we conceded our first goal of the whole tournament to send the match into extra time. Conceding so late was heart-breaking. We now needed to stabilise and go into extra time. In this final we made a point in the clutch moments, of getting the group well away from the crowd, enabling ourselves to get some clear thoughts. In the circumstances our decision was key.  We steadied, extra time proving inconclusive and we went to penalties. The shoot out swung both ways: we missed early but keeper Greg Frelingos gave us the chance to win, saving after Claver had also missed. Then up stepped Ben John to calmly score the winning kick and the High Energy Youth Cup was ours! Celebrations were immense, SPX winning the Queensland Competition for the first time. A comical story, was told afterwards. Ben John had had no idea of the significance of his kick, with regard to the shoot out result. He calmly slotted his kick away and was engulfed by a Sea of SPX, Blue and Gold!

Returning to Sydney our boys were so happy. They had made SPX history and brought home the Cup from Queensland. Arriving home there was no time to rest on our laurels because we had St Pats and Barker within just three days. The ISA fixture with St Pats saw us lose 2-1 but most agreed at the time that it would steady us for the NSWCIS Final. And it did. Oh what a night!

With many SPX supporters in the crowd of 400 we made the worst start possible in the final, conceding in the first minute! What followed next has gone down in the annals of our football history. We worked hard and drew level by half time, with a penalty from John Chapman. This brought us back on level terms but no one could have foreseen what came next. We absolutely overwhelmed the opposition in the second half. The final score of 6-1 in no way flattered our side. Their keeper, Tom Heward-Belle plays for Sydney FC nowadays, didn't have a bad game but his defence had no answer. We were NSWCIS Champions for the second time in three years. Claudio Rosano scored four second half goals in a brilliant performance. It was the crowning moment in a season where he represented NSWCIS and scored a record 50 goals! 

Having won the NSWCIS Cup, we returned to our own ISA Competition. Three clear victories over St Andrew’s 5-2, Chev 2-0 and SCECG’s 8-0 enabled us to wrap up our third consecutive ISA Minor Premiership. We led the final ladder by 5 points with a record of 8 wins, 1 Draw and 1 defeat; scoring 48 and conceding 10 goals.

It was thus a big disappointment when we went down to St Pats who had finished 4th in the regular season by 2-1, in a classic game at Oxford Falls. Both sides played very well, but in the end, ‘The Men in Black from Strathfield’ prevented us from adding a record third competition to a stellar season. 

Our big cup win qualified us to represent NSWCIS at the All Schools Championship and this was an honour. In a new format, the winners of the Independent, Catholic and State Knock out Cup’s came together in a ‘Champion of Champion’ event down at Seymour Shaw Stadium. We literally drew the short straw in having to play consecutive matches, the second being against Westfield Sports High who were fresh and just off their air-conditioned bus! In the first game we led 1-0 against Holy Spirit Bellambi, had a second disallowed and probably should have won the game. In the event, we gave up two late goals to geo down 2-1. In the second game we found it very tough against Westfield. On the back-foot, we trailed 2-0 at the break. To our boys’ credit we dug deep second period and had to very near misses with he keeper beaten. Conceding a third late goal was disappointing but we fought so well throughout. Westfield also beat Holy Spirit 3-0 becoming deserved Champions. This alma mater  of Harry Kewell, Jason Culina, Alex Brosque and Aaron Mooy, are always the Australian Schools’ benchmark. 

Our 2014 season consisted of 38 matches in all, with 29 wins 5 draws and 4 defeats, scoring 137 goals conceding 38. These were truly shared around and while Claudio had his half ton, Joe Esposito had 20, Refenes 13, Chapman and Bersee 10 with Desa and Drake scoring 7. For all the statistics Simon Yue and I often stand and reflect on what we had helped create. Danny John and Neil Chapman truly brought us into the modern media age with amazing material to work with. Donna, Chris Semaan, Simon Aitken and Leisa Proc all played their part in a monumental season. My lasting memory of that 2014 season is actually a photograph of our Hensley Athletics Field Final crowd.  It involves the team with their backs to the camera facing the grandstand. Not seeing the faces makes it distinctly SPX in a bigger sense. Special, and what I call ‘SPX Eternal’

Joeys NSWCIS Semi 2014

https://youtu.be/IXy5tvXdGnU

Drop ten, turn and face. Quilty’s Football Yarns 49

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 49

Season 2012 was a brilliant one for SPX 1st XI. For me it was a return to coaching the side after two seasons away and for the first time for many years, I was unfamiliar with any of the players. Working with Simon Yue we both agreed that there could only one player chosen as captain. Luke Sullivan. Luke had played the previous season along with Will Richardson, Christian Barker, Lachlan Pollet, Tommy Matic, Peter Kastropil and Ben Haughton. Three players came up from the 2nd XI, Danny Guerinoni, JC Di Manno and Mitch Cook, while Greg Bayer, Jayden Milat, Joel Olivieri and Adrian Prieto graduated from the U16’s. We also persuaded three quality players, Nick Morabito, Tommy Higham and Luke Capra to play for SPX for the first time. We had a super squad. Being able to go 14 or 15 players deep, in terms of starters, is a special position to be in. Many of these players also played Rep football. I particularly recall the early Sunday morning when player dad Dom Morabito, came to watch Nick play a pre-season trial for us. At the end of the game he came across and just nodded saying “Yep, we want him to play”. A good choice all around because Nick went on to be our ISA winning Captain in 2013.

In a season which was to stretch to 38 games we played all comers early on Sunday mornings, coming an early cropper v Northbridge U20’s and then the SPX Old Boys by 3-2. Wins over Wakehurst, Mt Colah, Kings and Redfield’s set us up for the St Andrew’s Cup, but it was washed out! Straight into ISA competition we had an early set back losing 3-2 to St Pat’s. Wins over SCECG’s, Chev, St Andrew’s and then SCECG’s, again put us back on track. Two NSWCIS Cup wins against Broughton Park and a thriller shoot out win against Riverview, was followed by another ISA win over St Andrew’s. These victories, setting us up well, for our Queensland Tour in July. 

The Southern Skies tournament again saw us stay at the University of Queensland, St Lucia. Five consecutive wins over Sydney Grammar, Clontarf, Clairvaux, Kings and New Zealanders, Bethlehem College, was a great start. As ever there is always super competition on tour and we lost our last group match 5-2 to John Paul College of Queensland.  This was a heavyweight opponent which as ever, included multiple Korean academy players. We still went through to the semi-finals by virtue of our 5 and 1 record. Over the years we have had many battles with Sir Peter Claver school from Queensland. This game, in 2012 was a great contest that went to penalties after extra time. Captain Luke Sullivan stepped up for the fifth kick but unfortunately rattled the crossbar and we were out! Devastated, he was to have a shot at redemption later in the year.

Returning to Sydney we still had two competitions to pursue. Two ISA draws with Oakhill and Chev were interspersed with a 3-0 NSWCIS Cup over old bogey team, Trinity, placing us in the semi-finals.  ISA wins followed over Oakhill and rivals St Pats who we took apart, 5-1 at Oxford Falls. By the time we played St Joseph’s in the semi we were already looking good for silverware.

A funny story preceded this Joey’s game. One evening I came across a series of their games on YouTube. They actually had a media unit that produced quality highlights packages of all their GPS and NSWCIS Cup games. The several hours I look to analyse their set up, was time well spent, because it revealed their preferred formation and most dangerous players. On a magical night out at Hensley Athletics Park, at East Gardens, we made a strong start and raced to a 2-0 lead. Then in a repeat of the 2009 ISA Final, we inexplicably gave up two goals in four minutes. Into sudden death extra time we went. Then, up stepped Peter Kastropil in a ‘clutch’ moment, to drive home a free kick from distance and we were in the NSWCIS Final. I made a point of thanking the Joey’s Media unit and a copy of the semi-final game is included here at the end. Our final opponents were another GPS side, Newington College.

Returning to our own ISA Competition we were too strong in the semi-final for Chev, winning 5-0. Things were shaping up well and we came up against Oakhill in the ISA Final out at their place. While it is nice that that college puts on the Finals day, it pales as a venue in comparison to Christie Park and its Night Finals! Controlling only what we could control we took on Oakhill knowing that if were patient for long enough they would probably lose their discipline. Going a goal down we saw a calm Peter Kastropil step up to score an equalising penalty right on half time. This set up a pressure cooker atmosphere, second half, and ‘as predicted’ Oakhill lost their cool. Our 2012 side were tough cookies. Several, including goalkeeper Lachlan Pollet, actually played Rugby after our morning games, also for SPX. It was no surprise then, when fellow dual sportsman Tommy Higham shifted numerous opposition players to volley home the winner. We were ISA 2012 Champions! Our boys probably celebrated long and hard Saturday night but had a NSWCIS Final to play just three days later, again out at Hensley Athletics Park, at East Gardens. 

A big vocal SPX crowd came out to help us pursue history that evening. We had lost in both the 2000 and 2010 NSWCIS Finals against Trinity and Joey’s but were determined to make it third time lucky. The final v Newington was tight, tense and inconclusive. We had largely dominated but they had the best chance. Extra time came and went and once again we found ourselves in a penalty shoot-out. Keeper Lachlan Pollet did his bit saving a kick. As I wrote at the time, “Karma had certainly made a note of our Captain Luke Sullivan’s football movements this season, because here, once again, he was entrusted with taking the last kick in the shoot-out, just like in Queensland!” Luke calmly slotted his spot kick and we were NSWCIS Champions! Things had now come full-circle, Luke had put the wrong right, being brave enough to step up having failed in a similar situation in Queensland. That is what leaders do.

At SPX we had a lot of success over the years but both Simon Yue and myself are agreed that this was the game which put us firmly on the map in NSW Independent School Football. We went on to contest the NSW All School ‘s Championship going down on penalties after a 1-1 draw with NSWCCC Champions St John’s, Dubbo. Over 350 sides had entered these NSW Competitions and we had classified third, a great achievement. 

Our record for the season being Two Championship wins and a Cup final defeat boiling down to 

Played 38 Won 24 Drawn 8 Lost 6

Personally, I had the satisfaction of completing a long range double of the NSWCCC Cup in 1995, and NSWCIS Cup in 2012. These being the top competitions in both the Catholic and Independent systems.

https://youtu.be/IXy5tvXdGnU

Joeys Semi video

http://stevenqoz.blogspot.com/?m=1

Drop ten, turn and face. Quilty’s Football Yarns 48 A new beginning, SPX U14’s and U15’s

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 48

A new beginning, SPX U14’s and U15’s

Having originally arrived at SPX in 1997, I took on the dual role of 1st XI Coach and Football Convenor, the latter, for four years. As I have written elsewhere SPX at this time had its sporting tradition very much ensconced around Rugby Union. The Grandstand at Oxford Falls faced the main pitch which was the Rugby 1st XV Field. While Rugby had at least eight qualified Rugby coaches we in Football had no more than two. With all this in mind I made the decision then, to concentrate my main energies at the top end of the school. Our students had an obligation to play two terms sport a year and this could include Basketball, Squash, Cricket or even Debating. There was no compliance pressure to play Football nor Rugby. In the next 14 years I worked as coach of the SPX 1st XI and in truth the college piggy backed off the Rep club system in terms of player skill development. If we had had a collection of qualified football coaches, things could have been different but as stated we did not. In practice it meant that although SPX ran 14-16 teams many of our better players played externally with Rep sides, coming on my own radar later, usually in Year 10. Between 1997 and 2009 we won the ISA Championship four times and the St Andrew’s Cup twice, appearing in a total of eleven finals, including the NSWCIS final. After that tumultuous ‘last ever’ night final at Christie Park in 2009, I decided to step down as 1st XI Coach and take on a new challenge coaching a younger side, the U14’s.

Season 2010 proved to be an exciting one for the SPX U14 football side, led by John Chapman. While possessing a squad of undoubted talent, the gods of competition decreed that a range of obstacles would be placed in our way to test the resolve of the players, parents and coaches alike. In the event all was well in the end and the U14’s finished as ISA Champions for 2010.

In many ways 2010 was a fresh start for the U14’s. Different coaches sometimes see different things in the same player, and this was certainly the case this year as four boys came up from the B side in 2009 to play for the A’s. Many players were asked to play new position and indeed our captain John Chapman, was expected to move from the midfield into sweeper. The sheer diversity of size and athleticism among players meant that it took a while to discover a formation/system to suit the group. In the end we went with the highly unorthodox 3 - 6 -1 system which placed striker Leon Warren up front on his own. Leon finished as our top goal-scorer in 2010, many goals where he had literally run clear from friend and foe alike, to score.

A feature of ISA football is the omnipresence of competitive St Pat’s sides in the competition. We drew with them early on, but the vagaries of the weather meant we were not to see them again because they went down to Oakhill in the semi-finals.

We defeated SCECG’s 1-0 in our semi-final at Macquarie University on a day when injuries had decimated our rank’s, but we came through in a must win situation. A lasting memory of 2010 for me was how Joe Espositio, who was also playing Reps, seemed to turn up every week with a different person giving him a lift on to his next engagement. But turn up he did and although at times it looked like we might not make the finals, through hiccups to sides like St Andrew’s, make it we did. 

One of our defeats in the regular season had been to Oakhill by a clear 5-1. Facing them in the Grand Final was an interesting prospect. Turning around such a score-line was an immense challenge but that is exactly what we did.

On a brisk morning at Castle Hill we took on the Minor Premiers on their own turf.  In a tense but goal-less first half we matched Oakhill. On what was a large pitch we gradually got on top, Striker Leon Warren led the way with the opening goal against our opponent’s from Castle Hill.  Captain John Chapman marshaled the defence well, to ensure there was no way back for Oakhill. Two further strikes from midfielder Joseph Esposito wrapped up the match for a thoroughly warranted victory. 

As coach in 2010 this proved to an enjoyable experience for me having worked with the 1st XI for 14 seasons previously. 

Squad 2010 ISA Champions.

John Chapman; Ben Sullivan; Zac Sullivan; Pat Mcmanus; Darcey Patterson Thomas Aposhian; Darian Hargreaves; Joe Esposito; Tim Matevski; Harry Morten; Leon Warren; Lachlan Fuller; Danisha Ediriwira; Gabe Liucci; Oliver Baiel; Andrew Silva; Jake Keen.

Rolling into Season 2011 the SPX U15 squad strengthened considerably. Christian Desa came across from Rep football as did Nick Bersee and Claudio Rosano. Once again, our side SPX team was really competitive, if lacking a bit of size. In what was another wet season with much disruption, the ISA finals were actually staged at Oxford Falls for the first and only time. SPX U15’s had been runners-up in the regular season to St Pats but made the final after beating St Spyridon’s in the semi. Chapman’s boys battled bravely on the big pitch but went down to a good St Pat’s side by 3-0. 

If things had gone to plan, I would have taken this side on to U16 in 2012. However, the football gods once again decided to intervene. The current 1st XI Coach, Paul Hamam, decided to leave SPX and go south to Melbourne to get married. After two seasons away from the 1st XI I returned to work with Simon Yue at the beginning of a golden run for college football.

Coming back to the senior side I was aware of most of the available players, after all, I’d continued to tour Queensland with them in 2010 and 2011. They had reached the NSWCIS final going down to St Josepth’s 3-2 and an ISA final losing to St Pat’s. As I have said before, 1st XI football at SPX, treads a fine line by encouraging the Rep players to also play for the college. This involves a heavy workload as at SPX we regularly play 35-40 games a season. We carry a large squad of 18-20 players, precisely because of that. Training/playing commitments for everyone are an ongoing series of negotiations and accommodation. We had made it work for 15 seasons. Thus in 2011, when I heard that several players had let the side down at semi-final time, I had an opinion that I shared with the Headmaster. At this time, it wasn’t my side, but I was asked what should happen to those two or three players. My solution was simple. Punish them once. Don’t roll on grudges into the following seasons. That is was actually happened. They paid one price in terms of school honours, and by the time I took over in 2012 they were back in the fold. One of the players in question was Luke Sullivan, a natural leader and in 2012 he became my 1st XI Captain, in one of our best teams and seasons ever.

Drop ten, turn and face. Quilty’s Football Yarns 47 North London Derbies

Drop ten, turn and face.

Quilty’s Football Yarns 47

North London Derbies

Monday morning 1.30am  here in oz, the alarm goes off and the house is awake. Short prayer thanking the gods of Foxtel and we are ready to tune in to 'the derby' Tottenham v Arsenal. This is the game that brings both sets of supporters to life.....twice a season, everything is on the line. 

My dad Sid took me to a reserve game against Arsenal in 1963 where legend Bobby Smith was trying to get some fitness. All I remember was that he sat on the ball and burst it!

Yes, this is a fixture with which I have a long association. The first League derby I went to was at Highbury on 8th Mar1966.....45 years ago:) My late cousin Peter Speed had taken me. It was a night match and the crowd was 51,000. We were standing in the clock-end with the Spurs fans. Me, being a small eleven year old, my cousin stood the whole game with me on his shoulders! On a cold evening with mist swirling around the floodlights I fell in love that night with the excitment. This for me would always be 'the derby' game.

The following year I returned to Highbury again and on a bright September Saturday afternoon watched from the North Bank as my side were hammered 4-0! Regardless of the competition this game always meant a lot to everyone. I lived on an estate made up of 300 flats and it was true to say that the kids there were roughly split 50 / 50 in their support...there were very few glory hunters back then supporting sides located in the cold harsh north.

In 1968 we were drawn in a two legged League Cup semi-final the first being at Highbury. The two legs were a fortnight apart and it was necessary to get tickets for the games. What did we do? Set out @ 5.00am to queue up with thousand of supporters stretching right around the ground ....first at Highbury and the week later the same at White Hart Lane. Tickets secured we were treated to a great two matches losing 1-0 in the first and only managing a 1-1 draw at home. As is often the way in football Arsenal managed to miss out when clear favourites losing to tiny Swindon at Wembley 3-1, Don Rogers the hero.

Even though I 'd not seen the great Spurs double side other than in the FA Cup final on TV, I knew that we were the only club to achieve the League/ Cup double in modern times. It was pretty distressing then to realise that in season 1970-71 Arsenal had the chance to emulate our achievement and half of this at White Hart Lane! On the Monday I was desperately hoping my boys would stop them from becoming champions at at our place. It was a school day with a 7.30 evening kick off. Even my school had realised what an important day it was and allowed a group of us to leave at 2.00pm to go to the game. For some reason the game wasn't made all ticket and even though we set out mid-afternoon, Tottenham was packed when we got there, so much so that the queues were out along Tottenham High Road. There we stood for half an hour the queue hardly moving. Eventually we saw that people were walking past the queue and cutting in further up. We jumped out and joined the surge into the Park Lane. For some reason I had worn my heavy crombie coat to the game and as we closed in on the gate the crush became unbelievable. Yards from the turnstile, scarf strangling me and coat being like a straight-jacket I told my mate I had to give up and escape the crowd. We were devastated. Somehow, as we wandered further down the lane, we came across a turnstile with just a tiny queue paid our money and we were in! Oh what a night. There we were in our end, the Park Lane but Arsenal had been allocated half of it. The game was a frenzy but in spite of pressing their goal continually we couldn't score. Then it happened, they scored through a Ray Kennedy header and there we were in the middle of a massive Arsenal celebration winning the league at our ground:( 

On the following Saturday I went out to watch the Arsenal / Liverpool final as a neutral. Charlie George did his part to win it for the gunners and they had won the double.

Not all the games betwen these two sides are remembered for the result. When we played at Highbury the season before the kids from round our way, Arsenal and Spurs had walked almost the whole way back to London Fields after the game. The little low decker 236 bus had been so packed on the way home we decided to walk. It's hard to imagine rival rival supporters going to games together nowdays but that's what we did back in 1970...only splitting up at the ground. This particular night walk was memorable for a very sad reason. One of the Arsenal supporters, Steven Long, 16 was to die tragically two days later. He crashed his motor scooter into a lamp post in Bethnal Geen and was killed instantly. For all of us the lasting memory was walking home with him from Highbury that night.

Tottenham / Arsenal matches are like some perpetual conflict going on in Valhalla. Regardless of league position they are unpredictable. In March 1987 we played them in the League Cup semi-final. Back then there were replays and this tie went to a third match at White Hart Lane. To Tottenham's lasting embarrassment they went off too early! Leading 1-0 with a few minutes left the announcer started giving details of where /when the Spurs fans could purchase their cup final tickets! Of course this was a fatal mistake and in last minute Arsenal equalised and then wen on to win in extra time.....fail!

This game can have all the highs and lows of life. One year (Dec 78) at an all ticket Tottenham / Arsenal match me and a mate got tickets for the Park Lane end which had been allocated to the gunners fans. What made things worse was that it was the game that they hammered us 5-0, Liam Brady running riot. There we stood as the Arsenal celebrated each goal....eventually we went to the police and asked if could be let out and into the Spurs area. They said no! You knew you had tickets for the wrong end but still came in. Worse still, the Arsenal fans around us heard what was said and we spent the rest of the game very uncomfortably trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. 

What comes around goes around they say and in April 83 we absolutely smashed them at our place also by 5-0! A tiny Spurs player named Terry Gibson terrorised them throughout and it was probably one of my top derby experiences. 

The FA Cup semi -finals of 91 and 93 also provided the extreme emotion reserved for derbies in this case with the stakes being an FA Cup final place. The elation and devastation here remain in the memory for all true supporters of these clubs. 

As I share this Spurs / Arseanal blog, it really came home to me that two of my longest and best friends are no longer here to share banter. Johnny Burnham and Tony Fuller were two fantastic people I grew up with.....went to many derbies with ....and miss every day:)

All this said, it is the last match you played that gives the bragging rights. After a long long period of failing to beat Arsenal we have started to even up the record. We won at their place in 2010 with a great comeback 3-2 win and drew the return at WHL 3-3, so for last season we came out well.

The game on Sunday sees many pundits making Spurs favourites after Arsenal's patchy start to the season. I wouldn't take a lot of notice of the betting. It really is in the balance and I see it as a 50/50 proposition. Regardless of the outcome I'm sure I will be hearing from both sets of supporters during and after the game. Come On You Spurs!