‘Drop ten, turn and Face.’ Quilty’s Football Yarns 23

‘Drop ten, turn and Face.’ Quilty’s Football Yarns 23

Season 2000 for the SPX 1st XI was outstanding making three Grand Finals and being crowned Champions in two. Writing in the school magazine at the time I said. “Traditions take time to build while team spirit, a precious commodity, does not come in ready made bottled form”. Proud to say that even as we entered the new century we were establishing ourselves as a side other teams outside the ISA were keen to play. In 2000 we went with a seventeen man squad, something many people found hard to fathom but we made it work. Our skipper was Richard Cuthbert returning for a third season and gaining recognition through both ISA and NSWCIS Representation. Adam Demasi and Michael Mastroianni make early positive family entries into the annals of SPX Football history while brothers Andrew and David Prentice had a great season securing lifelong family football memories in a thirty match season. Our keeper Vanya Jakovljevic was truly a giant and remains our only custodian to ever score a goal kicking directly from his hands, down at St Aloysius. Having eight players back up from the 1999 ISA Grand Final side meant we certainly had a rich vein of experience. Somehow, we were again allowed to ‘double dip’ entering both the NSWCCC and NSWCIS Cups. Obviously the competition convenors didn’t talk to each other! Our NSWCCC run went as far as the Quarter Final with wins over Gilroy and Holy Cross Ryde before going down 2-1 to Oakhill. My lasting memory of this game being me giving our whole squad a serve after going down to the Castle Hill boys.

The inaugural Sydney Cup (St Andrew’s Cup) was played out at Pagewood. This was a two-day tournament involving many of the bigger Sydney football schools. Clear wins over Shore, Newington, St Andrew’s and a 1-0 win over St Pats in the Semi Final set us up to play fellow ISA school St-Paul’s Grammar, in the Final. Determined to make amends after our NSWCCC exit we took it out with a relentless 7-0 win. 

With two cup competitions resolved with a win and loss we moved on to play in the NSWCIS Cup. Reflecting on this particular NSWCIS Cup competition, it was probably one that got away from us. We beat Redeemer college 7-2 in a replay then played a very unusual Sunday fixture down at Knox running out 3-2 winners. This was probably our game of the season, especially as Pas Vaccarella scored a header from the halfway line! Then in the Quarter Final an amazing comeback against St Aloysius is also worth recounting. Trailing 0-2 I asked the referee how long we had left, his answer being seven minutes. Hearing this I went three, then two at the back, piling players into the forward line, in some crazy 2 3 5 formation. Fortunately, we scored, kicked off and scored again. Turning to the referee I asked him ‘how long’. To my surprise he said twelve minutes! ‘Shit or bust’ as they say I left it as it was, we were so on top. Eventually the game went to penalties where we won 5-4, Vanya making the vital save. Without time to take a breath, two days later we were back playing again out at Strathfield, this time in the Semi-final verses the ‘Men in black’. This game also finished all square at 0-0 and once again we took the tie in a penalty shootout, again 5-4. We were in the final! It’s not often I have regrets around football but upon this occasion I had two. Firstly, I didn’t make enough of the game and occasion. The school didn’t quite understand what an achievement making this Independent School Cup Final truly was. We had a few supporters out there but not the hundreds of ISA Finals. My other regret in this tie was failing to take the side across to see the magnificent NSWCIS trophy before the match. It may sound silly but it is a mistake I have never made again. In the game itself at Valentine Park verses Trinity Grammar we were dominant but somehow failed to capitalise conceding a solitary deflected goal. We had missed out.

Returning to Chatswood we resolved that we would win the final competition that remained. Our own competition the, ISA. Rarely do sides get such quick opportunities to make amends after losing finals but here had exactly that chance. Before the Trinity defeat we had compiled a good ISA record only suffering a single defeat to St Patricks, big wins over Chevalier, St Andrews and St Spyridon’s plus a heart stopping 4-3 victory over SCECG’s. The goals had been scored largely by attacking quartet Adam Demasi, Shahab Kargarian, Geoff Baker and Chris Toole. Amazingly by the time we got to play St Patricks in the ISA Grand Final were up to the fifth seasonal meeting between the two sides. 

Once again the crowds turned out at Christy Park on a cold one. Captain Richard Cuthbert knew our seventeen man squad would need to be at its best and SPX got off to fine start after just five minutes as Kargarian came in from the left to convert with his right foot, 1-0. As ever the game was finely balanced as St Pats came back strongly and eventually equalised after 30 minutes. The teams going in level at the break. With the teams looking at the possibility of extra time Michael Radovnikovic produced a moment of magic on the right then crossed for Year Ten youngster David Prentice to coolly finish from close in, 2-1. In spite of several close calls SPX held on to the finish for a memorable win and the colleges second ISA Championship in three years. Centre back Will Jeremiasse generously took the whole squad and parents back to his parent’s home for a celebratory party. The weeks went by and the squad were rightly celebrated at the college and ten players getting rewarded with ISA representative honours. Our Football program was going well and had solid support from regular referees Ron Cuthbert, Paul Parkes and Mike Texier. Mark Campbell and Bill Gleeson ensuring we had a strong coaching and management team.

Unfortunately, as many reading this will know, this story has a tragic conclusion. Our Year Eleven Vice Captain, Shahab Kargarian sadly lost his life just a few weeks after the Christy Park night in question. His parents Roy and Ruby were served a blow no one should ever have to endure in losing their son Shahab. The college was rocked to its core, with his close friend and fellow player, Blake Wickenden, to the forefront in the memorial / commemoration events that took place. Twenty years have now passed since this brilliant young man Shahab passed away. At SPX our Most Valuable Player in the First XI is fittingly awarded the ‘Shahab Kargarian Award’. The ISA Competition also honours his lasting memory by awarding the Player of the Grand Final, ‘The Shahab Kargarian Medal’.

This cruel juxtaposition of  joy and despair left a lasting impression on the school and on the football community. Vale Shahab Kargarian.