New club puts hand up

 

Teo Pellizzeri

December 3 2008

Shepparton News

An answer to North Eastern Soccer League's senior team shortage is in its own back yard.

The committee for a new Shepparton-based North Eastern league club this week officially submitted its application to join the league in time for next season.

Yet to be named, the club is tossing up titles such as the Kialla Lakers or Red Devils, it hopes to play its home games at Vibert Reserve.

Ultimately the league and its existing clubs will decide if the new team joins the competition next year, if it does then a new men's seniors, reserves, under-16, under-14, under-12 and potentially junior girls' team will take to the field.

The inspiration for the new club was borne out of necessity, players in McGuire College's Shepparton Junior Soccer Association teams were getting too old for the competition and needed somewhere to play.

McGuire soccer administrator Danny Lythgo set about attempting to set up a new North Eastern league club and got interest from the Iraqi, Afghan and Congolese Shepparton communities.

With more than enough players already attached to the club across its age divisions, Lythgo said the new team would be a diverse unit and not identifiable by any one minority.

``We feel that we will get the support of the wider community to offer more chances for more people to participate in soccer,'' Lythgo, the club's interim secretary, said.

``Most of our players will be drawn from recently settled refugees who have moved to our area and are looking for a future.

``We will promise strong leadership and demand the highest expectations of player and supporter code of conduct for members and supporters of our club.''

Deo Musafiri is the club's interim president, if it does participate in the league next year its men's seniors will be coached by Ali Al-Hilfi, under-16s by Mohammed Saleh, under-14s by Derrick Bwhiambi and under-12s by Lythgo.

The club hopes the league will adjust its junior girls' division to under-15s which will enable it to field a team, with a view to fielding an open women's side by 2010 or 2011.