Commonwealth of Baker Park Sports News

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

NWSL Season Review

Brentford Ladies stormed their way to a 3rd title in four seasons as the NWSL returned to a single division format for the first time since 1980, with 20 clubs battling in the 45th campaign of professional women's soccer in Baker Park.

Aside from the champions, the league once again was a balanced affair, with 11 points the difference between 2nd and 9th place. But the loss of four of last season's top 10 clubs to the Conference exposed a bit of a competitive gap. Defending champions Ravens Ladies couldn't overcome a slow start, but managed to earn more points over the second half of the season than any other side apart from the 'B's', although they finished well beaten at the end, 23 points back.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Brentford Ladies FC             38   24  11   3    85   48  +37    83
 2 Newmarket Ladies SC             38   19   7  12    71   56  +15    64
 3 Ravens FC Ladies                38   16  11  11    53   44   +9    59
 4 Linden Ladies FC                38   16  10  12    76   75   +1    58
 5 Southend AC Ladies              38   16  10  12    48   47   +1    58
 6 Clayton City Ladies FC          38   17   5  16    78   82   −4    56
 7 Greenlea United Ladies SC       38   16   6  16    81   77   +4    54
 8 Middletown City FC Women        38   14  12  12    65   67   −2    54
 9 Hamiliton Wanderers Ladies SC   38   14  11  13    68   58  +10    53
10 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC       38   13  12  13    55   60   −5    51
11 Shirley Metros Ladies FC        38   14   7  17    66   70   −4    49
12 Riverside City Ladies FC        38   14   7  17    54   59   −5    49
13 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC    38   13   9  16    62   60   +2    48
14 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC      38   13   8  17    58   63   −5    47
15 E Endborough Ladies FC          38   13   8  17    47   53   −6    47
16 Shiloh FC Ladies                38   11  14  13    54   56   −2    47
17 Leiderkranz Ladies SC           38   11  12  15    75   80   −5    45
18 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC         38   11  12  15    63   71   −8    45
19 Meadowdale Ladies FC            38   10  13  15    62   72  −10    43
20 Jamestown City Ladies FC        38    6  13  19    35   58  −23    31

NWSL All-Star Team

GK: Caroline Gordon, Brentford Ladies
    Mine Flaksenhaar [COS], Newmarket Ladies
D: Leslie Monaghan, Brentford Ladies
   Sarah Foreman, Shirley Metros Ladies
   Tracey Vasillias, Middletown City Women
   Helvetica Scaffoll [NPH], Southend Ladies
   Faith Enzikomibo, Greenlea Ladies
M: Robin Yamakazi [SCT], Brentford Ladies
   Laure Etienne [CMT], Brentford Ladies
   Maria Fernandez, Newmarket Ladies
   Erica Shaw, Shirley Metros Ladies
   Veronica Navarro, Hamilton Wanderers Ladies
F: Missy Tilton, Leiderkranz Ladies
   Alexis Rohrbacher [NPH], Southend Ladies
   Lainey Wadsworth, Ridge Raiders Ladies
   Ouissal Tahar [SCT], Ravens Ladies

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

National Conference Season Review

Crusaders FC ran away with the inaugural National Conference title, a vindication of the club's faith in GM/Manager Donna Brown's vision. Behind them, the rest of the league proved competitive, as just 11 points separated second place Far Hills from 10th place Hannover; Forest Park and Lima City United made a big splash in the FAC Cup, LCU reaching the final 8 and Park falling short one round previously.

At the tail end of the table, a years' worth of hard knocks was mainly to be expected from the clubs that ended up residing in the bottom 10, but by and large supporters turned out in record numbers for several sides that were making their first real step into the professional game.
There were exceptional individual efforts throughout the league--men & women, home grown products & imports, experience & newcomers—demonstrating that mixed-gender soccer is an idea whose time has come.

For the champions, national team standout Amanda Hayes provided solid midfield leadership and developed a partnership with Claudio Reynolds, who came in from New Bremen as a free agent. Sydney Kerwin led the team with 28 goals, Hayes chipping in 16 and Craig Putnam adding 15.
Far Hills got outstanding play from Kelsy Vickers in net, and Simon Alverrez, formerly of Jamestown Rovers, added a punch to the attack, allowing Stuart Colby to tally 21 goals. Hinodjian international Madonna McIntosh showed why some thought she was one of the best signings of the summer.

At Haskins, another NT star, Jessica LeClair, thrived on excellent service from new signee Mandy Thompson, the Drawkian who came in on a transfer from Pasarga, and a strong forward partner in Vaught Carmen from Xanneria.

At Castleford, the Brenecian par of Karen Rove and Heather Slate led the Cherries to a solid 4th place, built on the league's 2nd tightest defense. Rove, a holdover from last season and Slate, a free agent signing for this campaign, combined to provide enough scoring to allow the side to be only one of three clubs that didn't post double digit losses.

Sorenberg Park took full advantage of the continued form of Tim Cassel, who came into the season on the heels of leading the Under-18 National Team to the SWC title. He provided 18 goals while Jimmy Riveria knocked home 20 for Park.

The breakout star among the foreign contingent had to be Lilou Reid, the $9 million signing from Willox Street Pirates in Schottia. The daughter of Brencia's World Cup winners, Jim Reid, the 28 year old became on overnight sensation during the Cup. She scored the first goal by a woman in FAC Cup history, and then carried Lima City on an epic run, scoring in every match in six straight rounds, the first player in history to achieve that feat. Her 9 goals in that 7 match run (there was 1 replay included) earned her the Golden Boot for the Cup, only the second player ever to win not from one of the semi-finalists. For LCU in the league, she added 24 goals, while Rachel Xenophon, her 30 year old Nepharim strike partner, scored 17.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Crusaders FC           42   29   9   4   122   69  +53    96
 2 Far Hills              42   23   9  10   103   67  +36    78
 3 Haskins Blues          42   24   4  14    96   77  +19    76
 4 Castleford             42   21  12   9    86   62  +24    75
 5 Sorenberg Park         42   22   9  11    85   71  +14    75
 6 Great Northern         42   20  14   8   100   79  +21    74
 7 Broadview AFC          42   21  11  10    89   65  +24    74
 8 Jacksonville City      42   22   8  12    74   55  +19    74
 9 Forest Park            42   21   7  14    96   80  +16    70
10 Hannover United        42   20   7  15    91   82   +9    67
11 Ellesmere Woods        42   17  14  11    97   81  +16    65
12 Lima City United       42   17  11  14    90   86   +4    62
13 Pembroke St David's    42   15  10  17    74   77   −3    55
14 Bergholz Caledonian    42   16   5  21    72   81   −9    53
15 Hardun AC              42   14   9  19    80   88   −8    51
16 Mooresville Celtic     42   12   9  21    74   92  −18    45
17 Dalton United          42    8  12  22    37   65  −28    36
18 Liberty FC             42    9   8  25    43   82  −39    35
19 Greenville Twp         42    7  12  23    64   95  −31    33
20 Lower Valley Lions     42    9   6  27    59   89  −30    33
21 Paintersville FC       42    7   9  26    48   88  −40    30
22 Jennings Borough       42    5  11  26    64  113  −49    26

The Conference All Star team reflected the diversity of talent throughout the league:

GK: Perry Williams, Jacksonville City FC
    Gina Dawes, Castleford FC
    Kelsey Vickers, Far Hills SC
CB: Spenser Neilson, Crusaders FC
    Tristan Brand [BRE], Jacksonville City FC
    Miranda Holton, Castleford FC
    Peter Halloran, Great Northern FC
FB: Julie Ackerman, Broadview AFC
    Zilot-Trenj Miz [QUS], Ellesmere Woods FC
    Kevin Burkhardt, Castleford FC
    Adam Truman, Pembroke St David's FC
CM: Daisy Callum, Broadview AFC
    Heather Slate [BRE], Castleford FC
    Amanda Hayes, Crusaders FC
    Claudio Reynolds, Crusaders FC
    Mandy Thompson [DRK], Haskins Blues FC
        
W: Erin Culhane [BRE], Forest Park SC
   Madonna McIntosh [HIN], Far Hills SC
   Katie Deaver, Bergholz Caledonian FC
   Simon Alverrez, Far Hills SC
F: Lilou Reid [SCT], Lima City United FC
   Karen Rove [BRE], Castleford FC
   Sydney Kerwin, Crusaders FC
   Jimmy Riveria, Sorenberg Park
   Jessica LeClair, Haskins Blues FC

Leading scorers
Kerwin (CRU) 28
Reid (LCU) 24
LeClair (HAS) 23
Colby (FHI) 21
Riveria (SOR) 20

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

NSL Championship Season in Review

The Championship was the only league in Baker Park that didn't undergo a significant change ahead of this season, but competition remained close and down to the wire once again.

Learfield FC made a final day leap over 3 clubs to win their second title in 6 seasons. Southend AC were denied the crown by their rival Newport City on the final day, and Dalton Town and Clayton also suffered final day defeats.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Learfield FC              34   15  13   6    61   51  +10    58
 2 Dalton Town FC            34   16   8  10    63   56   +7    56
 3 Southend AC               34   15  11   8    70   53  +17    56
 4 Clayton City SC           34   15  10   9    76   62  +14    55
 5 Eqriquay United FC        34   15   9  10    70   62   +8    54
 6 Shirley Metros FC         34   12  16   6    52   44   +8    52
 7 Hillsborough FC           34   13  11  10    58   58    0    50
 8 New Bremen FC             34   12  13   9    30   25   +5    49
 9 Richmond Station FC       34   13   9  12    38   34   +4    48
10 Asbury Park FC            34   12  11  11    62   62    0    47
11 St Warren City FC         34   11   9  14    66   68   −2    42
12 Corinthians               34   12   5  17    58   78  −20    41
13 Riverside City FC         34   12   5  17    50   57   −7    41
14 Midtown Athletic Club     34   11   8  15    57   64   −7    41
15 Newport City FC           34    9  10  15    57   64   −7    37
16 Marshallton Athletic SC   34    9   9  16    48   59  −11    36
17 Fairport City FC          34    8  10  16    36   46  −10    34
18 Monmouth Park FC          34    7  11  16    57   66   −9    32

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

FAC Cup Review

1st Preliminary Round
East Liverpool 0–1 FC Monroe Central
Brecon Borough 2–0 Griffith Borough Amateurs FC
Mel-Wood FC 2–0 West Alden United FC
Cloppenburg Township SC 2–5 New Harmony
RFCP AC 3–1 Dragons FC
Edgewood Eagles SC 4–4 McIlroy Station FC
Spring Valley FC 3–2 West Oceana Athletic FC
Riverdale United FC 0–0 Deptford AC
Red Wing FC 1–0 White River Twp
Maplewood AFC 5–5 Wagnerfield Kickers SC
Blacksburg Area FC 1–0 Milton AFC
Georgetown Athletic Club 2–1 East Linden SC
Ralston United FC 1–1 New Richmond FC
Alexandria Borough AFC 1–0 Meadowlarks SC
Linden Lions FC 3–1 Old Fort SC
Ridge Raiders SC 2–2 Independent Laborers AC
Battenberg Bruins SC 3–2 Frankenburg AC
Hampton SC 1–1 Charter Twp FC
Mansfield County SC 0–0 Salisbury County FC
Albion Borough SC 2–5 Queens Park FC
Hartley Community Club 2–2 Union Miners FC
West Chester 1–0 Bowling Green FC

Replays
Charter Twp FC 1–0 Hampton SC
Independent Laborers AC 3–3 Ridge Raiders SC (4–3 AET)
McIlroy Station FC 3–0 Edgewood Eagles SC
Deptford AC 2–2 Riverdale United FC (3–2 AET)
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 4–3 Maplewood AFC
Salisbury County FC 2–2 Mansfield County SC (4–3 AET)
Union Miners FC 5-1 Hartley Community Club
New Richmond FC 0–1 Ralston United FC


2nd Preliminary Round
RFCP AC 2–2 Charter Twp FC
Mel-Wood FC 1–1 Andover Borough SC
Jamestown Rovers FC 1–4 East Endinborough AFC
Jaynesville SC 2–3 Deptford AC
Collinsville United FC 3–2 Greenlea United FC
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 2–2 Alexandria Borough AFC
FC Monroe Central 1–2 St John's SC
Jeromeville FC 1–0 Patterson Park FC
West Liberty Rovers FC 1–2 Brecon Borough
Ralston United FC 0–1 ROCK Utd
Westphalia County FC 1–0 Carlisle FC
Blue Aces SC 2–0 Lewistown Town
Salisbury County FC 2–0 Hills & Dales FC
Berwick Rangers FC 3–3 West Chester
Lynchana Borderers AC 1–0 Linden Lions FC
Spring Valley FC 3–3 Forresters FC
Engineers Club 0–1 Blacksburg Area FC
Battenberg Bruins SC 3–3 Kellerville AFC
McIlroy Station FC 2–3 Center Point FC & RFC
Valley View SC 2–1 Queens Park FC
Shiloh FC 3–0 Red Wing FC
Union Miners FC 3–3 Sherwood Forest FC
Western & Southern RR FC 0–0 Georgetown Athletic Club
Independent Laborers AC 3–2 New Harmony

Replays
Forresters FC 2–1 Spring Valley FC
Georgetown Athletic Club 2–1 Western & Southern RR FC
West Chester 3–0 Berwick Rangers FC
Sherwood Forest FC 0–1 Union Miners FC
Charter Twp FC 0–0 RFCP AC (0–1 AET)
Kellerville AFC 1–0 Battenberg Bruins SC
Andover Borough SC 0–0 Mel-Wood FC (1–1 AET) (2–4 pen.)
Alexandria Borough AFC 1–2 Wagnerfield Kickers SC

1st Qualifying Round
Principia SC 2–1 Trinity FC
East Endinborough AFC 2–2 Westphalia County FC
SK Leiderkranz-Turner 0–0 ROCK Utd
Carlisle FC 3–0 Bridgend Metros FC
Kellerville AFC 3–4 Independent Laborers AC
Union Miners FC 0–0 Deptford AC
St John's SC 1–2 Georgetown Athletic Club
Maritime Athletic SC 1–3 Blacksburg Area FC
Lynchana Borderers AC 4–2 State Univ
Eastview SC 1-3 Collinsville United FC
West Chester 4–2 Springfield City
Shiloh FC 0–1 Forresters FC
St Pats AC 3–2 Brentwood Borough FC
Salisbury County FC 2–0 Mel-Wood FC
Brecon Borough 0–1 Ravens FC
Coolville United 3–1 RFCP AC
Valley View SC 0–4 Blue Aces SC
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 0–2 Jeromeville FC

Replays
Westphalia County FC 2–1 East Endinborough AFC
ROCK Utd 2–1 SK Leiderkranz-Turner
Deptford AC 3–4 Union Miners FC


2nd Qualifying Round
Forest Park 1–0 Lower Valley Lions
Georgetown Athletic Club 3–0 Greenville Twp
Haskins Blues 1–2 Collinsville United FC
Salisbury County FC 3–2 Union Miners FC
Dalton United 1–0 ROCK Utd
Mooresville Celtic 1–0 Bergholz Caledonian
Hannover United 0–1 St Pats AC
Westphalia County FC 1–3 Sorenberg Park
Lynchana Borderers AC 0–2 Lima City United
Broadview AFC 5–2 Jacksonville City
Far Hills 0–0 Paintersville FC
Great Northern 1–0 Blue Aces SC
Crusaders FC 0–0 Ravens FC
Castleford 1–0 Jeromeville FC
Forresters FC 2–0 Eastview SC
Hardun AC 0–0 Principia SC
Blacksburg Area FC 3–3 West Chester
Carlisle FC 1–1 Ellesmere Woods
Liberty FC 5–4 Pembroke St David's
Jennings Borough 2–3 Independent Laborers AC

Replays
Paintersville FC 0–1 Far Hills
Ravens FC 0–0 Crusaders FC (1–0 AET)
Principia SC 0–0 Hardun AC (0–1 AET)
Ellesmere Woods 1–0 Carlisle FC
West Chester 3–6 Blacksburg Area FC

1st Round
Hardun AC 0–2 Sorenberg Park
Castleford 0–2 Fairport Harbor FC
Georgetown Athletic Club 3–1 Alton Athletic Club
Liberty FC 1–0 North Lima SC
Salisbury County FC 1–0 Maineville Marauders
Forresters FC 2–0 Dalton United
Jamestown City FC 2–2 Ellesmere Woods
Collinsville United FC 1–0 Great Northern
Blacksburg Area FC 1–3 Forest Park
St Pats AC 1–0 Broadview AFC
Lima City United 1–0 Far Hills
Ravens FC 1–0 Mooresville Celtic
Independent Laborers AC 0–3 Linden Woods FC
North Royalton Town FC 2–2 Brentford FC

Replays
Ellesmere Woods 1–2 Jamestown City FC
Brentford FC 0–2 North Royalton Town FC


2nd Round
Ravens FC 1–1 Fairport Harbor FC
Georgetown Athletic Club 0–1 Llewellyn Turnpike SC
Liberty FC 1–1 Middletown City FC
Newmarket Saxons FC 2–1 Meadowdale FC
Sanborn Borough SC 1-0 St Pats AC
Forest Park 3–0 Forresters FC
Sorenberg Park 2–3 Nor-Dale AFC
Linden Woods FC 3–4 North Royalton Town FC
Middlebourne City AFC 1–0 Collinsville United FC
Salisbury County FC 1–2 Lima City United
Jamestown City FC 0–0 Hamilton Wanderers FC
Mansfield C&W FC 1–0 Victoria & Albert SC

Replays
Hamilton Wanderers FC 1–0 Jamestown City FC
Fairport Harbor FC 3–1 Ravens FC
Middletown City FC 3–2 Liberty FC

The competition introduces the 18 clubs that compete in the Championship at Third Round stage, against 14 survivors of the previous 6 rounds. No clubs from below the Second Division reached this phase, but the two dark horse sides came from the National Conference, as Forest Park and Lima City United led the way for mixed gender soccer.

3rd Round
Southend AC 0–0 Midtown Athletic Club
Marshallton Athletic SC 3–3 Lima City United
Dalton Town FC 3–4 Shirley Metros FC
St Warren City FC 0–1 Richmond Station FC
Newmarket Saxons FC 3–1 Sanborn Borough SC
Hillsborough FC 1–1 Corinthians
Riverside City FC 0–1 Asbury Park FC
Fairport Harbor FC 0–2 Middletown City FC
Forest Park 2–0 Mansfield C&W FC
Salisbury City FC 1–0 Clayton City SC
Middlebourne City AFC 3–2 Westwood Sprites
Monmouth Park FC 2–2 Newport City FC
Learfield FC 2–1 Eqriquay United FC
Hamilton Wanderers FC 4–3 Nor-Dale AFC
Fairport City FC 0–0 North Royalton Town FC
New Bremen FC 1–2 Llewellyn Turnpike SC

Replays
Midtown Athletic Club 1–0 Southend AC
Lima City United 2–1 Marshallton Athletic SC
Corinthians 2–1 Hillsborough FC
Newport City FC 2–1 Monmouth Park FC
North Royalton Town FC 0–0 Fairport City FC (1–0 AET)

Fourth Round
Newmarket Saxons FC 3–1 Forest Park
Salisbury City FC 4–5 Lima City United
Newport City FC 2–1 Corinthians
Middlebourne City AFC 0–1 Middletown City FC
Learfield FC 1–0 Llewellyn Turnpike SC
Midtown Athletic Club 5–1 Richmond Station FC
Asbury Park FC 0–2 Shirley Metros FC
North Royalton Town FC 1–5 Hamilton Wanderers FC

A rare occurrence in Cup history, as all eight matches in the Fourth Round were decided on the day, the first time there were no replays in this round in 47 years. Holders Llewellyn Turnpike lost against crosstown rival Learfield, while Lilou Reid knocked in a pair of tallies to help Lima City oust Salisbury City.

Quarterfinals
Lima City United 2–3 Midtown Athletic Club
Shirley Metros FC 2–5 Middletown City FC
Learfield FC 0–1 Hamilton Wanderers FC
Newmarket Saxons FC 2–3 Newport City FC

Four away wins set up a southwestern showdown between Championship and Second Division sides. LCU finally reached their peak in front of the largest ever Cup crowd at the Lima City Stadium, but the fairy tale wasn't meant to go on.

Semi-Finals
Midtown Athletic Club 0–0 Hamilton Wanderers FC (0–0 AET) (3–0 pen.) (at Newport City Stadium)
Newport City FC 0–0 Middletown City FC (1–1 AET) (4–3 pen.) (at Queen Victoria Stadium, Ezriquay)

For the first time in 29 years, the semi-finals were held on consecutive days, rather than on either side of the FAC Women's Cup Final. MAC earned their third consecutive Final appearance, and sixth overall, after a tense match at the Newport City Stadium. Meanwhile, in a reversal of sorts, Newport earned their seventh trip to the Final in backyard of their future opponent in another 120 minute stalemate decided by shootout

Final
Midtown Athletic Club 1–0 Newport City FC (at Keller Field, Belle Haven)

MAC made up for the disappointment of not defending their Championship title by taking the Cup for the second time in three seasons, in the final match expected to be played at Keller Field.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

FAC looking ahead, not in rearview mirror
Frank Armitage
The Mail on Sunday Chief Soccer Writer

In the aftermath of World Cup 84, there is no time to rest for the staff at the FAC Training Center in Birkenfield; there are competitions to prepare for, long term planning to be done, and the continuous development of grass roots soccer and the process that goes into feeding the pipeline for improvement. We recently had the chance to have a lengthy chat with FAC Executive Director David Carlson, over lunch and beyond.

Frank Armitage: Dave, the show must go on, but thanks for taking time to discuss the state of the game in Baker Park today.

David Carlson: I hope you know we are always pleased to make time for you, Frank. Several people from other associations that I had a chance to speak with during the tournament specifically mentioned you and your reporting as one of the things they enjoyed during their stay here.

FA: I think every time we have an interview, you look to find new ways to inflate my ego, but I appreciate the confidence and the passing along of those thoughts. Let's start off broadly with a specific discussion--the performance of the National Team during the World Cup and the lead-up to it.

DC: (thinks for an extended period) Not what we imagined it could be. I'm still a bit hesitant to give a proper post mortem verdict on the cycle, because there are a lot of things that I didn't have time to delve into as they were happening...

FA: Let me interrupt, because you you do seem really anguished by not being able to put a finger on it, so let me re-phrase the question better: the actual Finals, the way the squad performed and the other surrounding elements--not a failure or an underachievement, would you agree?

DC: No, not a failure. We've made it out of the group phase 4 straight times, there aren't that many nations who can claim that. Compare the AOCAF group we had here, when most people thought it was the easiest in that tourney, and the group we had here, that a lot of people called Group of Death, and to survive that and go up against the #1 team. If the situation had been reversed for us and Nephara, they would've played Vilita in the round of 16. Instead, they played one another in the Semi Final.

FA: So, let's walk back to the immediate weeks leading up to the Finals, because things seemed under control, but I just got the sense that Pam (Scott, National Team Manager) wasn't having much fun, that she was almost perpetually aggravated.

DC: I think you've hit the nail on the head. Pam did spend a lot of the time in the preparation stages being frustrated, and a lot of it revolved around her own perception of how she was coaching and working through problems.
I had a long conversation with her the day after the Vilita match. 3-4 hours, right here. At the end of it, I told her to go home, go away, don't come in until I call you. And that was immediately after I told her in no uncertain terms that I believe in her, that she will be the manager as long as I have say-so. But I think needs to get away, recharge and not go into some deep review of what has transpired.

FA: I think the average person, viewing things from outside without the benefit of knowing the inner workings of the squad and day to day stuff, would start to jump to all sorts of conclusions and theories, like they do in other nations where there is always some behind the scenes drama between the star players and the staff...

DC: and that's one of the things that she and I discussed. She kept going back to things about motivation, how she tried almost every type of approach. There's a poor performance, the senior players take responsibility and you think they've gotten the dressing room under control, and there's a good performance and everyone lets up a bit and then you have another sub-par match, so she goes to benching players who maybe aren't playing that poorly, but you want to make a point.

FA: and so on, every action brings about a change, but then it's back to square one with another inconsistent performance?

DC: Exactly. It would make us look like we have a total lack of self-awareness for us to complain "we have too many good players, so we can't get a consistent starting group, and then we are shortchanging people from getting opportunities." I don't know if it makes us sound arrogant or delusional.

FA: It has been a policy of yours that the national team should cast a wide net to find out who can play at the highest level, and now we have this whole huge catch of fish that we can't possibly process and bring back to market without some of going to waste.

DC: I like that analogy, because it does make a good visual. We will almost certainly lose a few more of our National League stars to overseas clubs where they can make better money. Will that mean that some of them will opt out of certain call-ups in order to not burn themselves out so that they can play for their club? Probably. But it doesn't hurt our profile as an association; it might be degrading some of the quality of play, although we've had plenty of clubs bringing in foreign talent to plug gaps.

FA: Shifting gears a bit, I just looked prior to coming down here, and I see that the Under-18 championship is next up on the calendar. I think we might have some interest in that?

DC: (laughs) Nah, I don't think we're going to pay any attention to it this time around [while this interview was going on, the Under-18 squad was in fact training on a field that could be seen from Carlson's window]. But really, we are enormously proud to be the defending champions, and hope that we'll be able to have another good result, even if it isn't a trophy. The field is going to be tougher this time, and we'll have a target on our back. We're lucky that we have so many returning players from the last tournament, so hopefully that experience will come through.

FA: BP have entered the competition five times previously and are the second nation to have won it twice. Are we the best teenage soccer producing nation going right now?

DC: (laughs) Do you want that to be true Frank, or are you just throwing a curveball question in? Banija has a centralized academy system that is pretty sophisticated and Starblaydia take their youth development serious enough that they have the National Team manager in charge, as you well know since she's a friend of yours now. (laughs)

FA: I don't know if we are friends quite yet, I don't even have her in my phone contacts. But, your examples taken under consideration, we're doing something right?

DC: Sure, we've established ourselves among the leading nations in the multiverse that we produce technically outstanding players with athleticism and tactical awareness. Now comes that wild card--are we in the rarefied heights of the multiverse on the basis of our physical talent? Or as a function of having a tactical system that is uniformly stressed at all levels of elite level youth development?
Oh, they say lunch is ready. Why don't we eat?

(continued in Part 2, Monday in The Daily Mail)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Working Lunch? Or Frank getting a Freebie? (Part 2 with David Carlson)
Frank Armitage
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

[Ed. note: Frank thought this headline was hilarious]

I've only ever eaten a meal at the FAC Development Center on one occasion--a buffet spread after the introduction of the squad for the Baptism of Fire.

David and I go down to the main dining area, where the various teams in training, weekend camp attendees, youth team prospects, and the staff take their meals. It is a comfortable room, like a corporate cafeteria although with a muted decor and without the bright overhead industrial lighting.

Frank Armitage: Everything looks delicious and smells wonderful.

David Carlson: We had a cafeteria style service here several years ago, and the food was fantastic, nutritionally correct for players and prepared expertly. [pours water from a carafe into his glass.] But we did a survey of the national teams, all the age group squads, all of the coaches. And you know the number one complaint we found? It didn't look as good on the plate as it did when it was dished out. So we experimented with having the line workers dish everything out on the plates and passing them across, which meant a more limited menu of choices. Turns out, the idea of being served rather than helping yourself raised satisfaction among all the surveyed groups.

FA: Strange how that works, isn't it?

DC: Yes. We asked some dietitians, behavioral psychologists and about 15-20 people at random what the deal was.

FA: I have a guess.

DC: I have a feeling you will be very close to the mark.

FA: (laughs) The feeling, whether it's sub-conscious or more tangible, that someone is taking care of you...the maternal bond if you will, makes a pile of mashed potatoes on a plate seem to be better if someone presents it to you, rather than you spooning onto to your plate.

DC: Cheater! You were a psych major, right? (laughing)

FA: Just a dad. You're about to graduate from that position, am I correct?

Carlson is 57 years old, soon to be a grandfather for the first time; yet he doesn't look a day over 40, possibly due to the fact that he sports a clean shaven head so as not give away anything by the coloring of his hair, although I seem to recall as a player he had a fully medium brown mop.

DC: Yeah, it's very exciting if I'm honest about. It's been Kendra (his wife) and the other girls (daughters Faith [19] and Melanie [17], in addition to the mother to be Leah) that have dragged me into being comfortable with the idea, not that I had any denial to begin with. (laughs)

FA: Which brings me around to a bone I have pick with you; I'm only five years older than you, but I look like I could be your dad. (laughter from Carlson) Obviously, you take care of yourself, judging by this meal you eat healthy, and we have the same number of children. C'mon, tell me what the secret is?

DC: Frank, if I had come across some magic formula for looking young, don't you think I'd have looked to make millions off of it rather than doing this? (laughter)

FA: so let's talk about this delicious lunch we've been eating through the conversation; poached...flounder?

DC: very good. You're quite the man of the world, Frank, I'd love to have dinner with you choosing from the menu.

FA: I like the texture of flounder, and this is a nice lemon butter sauce. Wheat Berry pilaf, but with diced vegetables like a fried rice--onions, carrots, peas. Sweet potato souffle. So is this something typical that you'd have for lunch regularly?

DC: If I'm here for lunch, yeah; I'll have whatever is on the regular menu for the day. If I'm home, or out on the road, I probably give into temptation for less healthy meals.

FA: Let's come back around to the...call it the 'customer facing' aspect of the FAC--

DC: (laughs) I think we might start using that terminology. Very impersonal, technocratic.

FA: After a pretty decent climb in the KPB Ranking, we've seemed to level off a bit (falling from 9th to 11th at the end of the World Cup). So has Baker Park reached its natural level?

DC: I think...for this particular point in time, we are probably where we deserve to be. If we were to have a hypothetical round-robin among the top 12 nations in the KPB, where the results of eleven matches were figured in on the same formula as the World Cup, we'd probably still be no higher than we were at the beginning of qualifying for the World Cup.

FA: Have we plateaued as a National Team?

DC: No, because if you look at the players who are coming through right now, who'll be fighting for roster spots in the next 2-3 cycles, we're only going to go forward. There are no shortcuts to winning the World Cup; look at Farfadillis, a nation that has been consistently in the top 10 for a long time, but their name was sort of a shorthand joke for "underachievement". After what they just accomplished, no one will ever mock them again, because they are a World Cup Champion.

(postscript by Frank:
As always, many thanks to the folks at the FAC--Ally LeFleur; Sasha Henderson; the men & women in the Food Services department; Dave Carlson for an enjoyable afternoon; Darren Kirby for letting me eavesdrop on his meeting with the Under-18 squad.)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Weekend 2020
Change in the air at FAC?
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

Commentary, from Belle Haven:

In the business of International level soccer, there is no standing still if you don't want to be left behind. The Football Association of the Commonwealth has seized upon that fact over the past few years as they've made steady, linear progress up the ladder of the soccer elite.

The successes of co-hosting the World Cup, the opening of the BBP Stadium, and the increased exposure of players to foreign leagues are changing the near term future of the governing body in an increasingly rapid way.

National Team manager Pamela Scott has been given a sabbatical leave of an unspecified length, at the insistence of Executive Director David Carlson and indirectly, by the FAC Board; Carlson's concern about Scott's frame of mind following the World Cup shows that he is attuned to stress of being a National Team manager at the highest levels or the sport.
Trevor Richmond certainly never had to endue the same type of self-doubt, based on external forces of expectation and increased visibility; he oversaw the reinvention of a unarguably average, pedestrian national side just as it began to see the fruits of a massive investment & nurturing into the development of young men & women--well, boys & girls really--as soccer players.

Just as the original concerns about the foray into multiverse soccer revolved around questions of too much, too soon & too far, too fast, at this point maybe it's time we looked a the circumstances from the perspective of hitting the ceiling of our national potential, and is there a way to knock through & build upwards?

If Scott walked away from a job that she seemed to be born to do, she would owe this nation not one thing; she has been exceptional in her performance, as well as selfless, loyal, and a paragon of decency & honor. She may not be the National Team manager we deserve, but she's the one we've been damn lucky to have.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

THE DAILY MAIL

Baker Park's largest paper since 1904

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

SCOTT TO LEAVE FAC

BP's most successful boss to lead WC Champs

Search for new boss to begin immediately

Frank Armitage Chris Brock
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer The Daily Mail Staff Writer

Pamela Scott, the Commonwealth's winningest Work to hire a replacement for the vacant
all-time manager, will be introduced as the new National Team managerial post will start in
boss in charge of the Farfadillis National Team earnest as soon as this week, in the wake of
within the next 48 hours, bringing to a close the resignation of Pamela Scott.
a career which has seen the Ezriquay native It is widely expected that the job
lead the FAC's senior playing squads to will attract interest from across the
unprecedented heights during her tenure. multiverse, as the vacancy has many
things going in its favor. continued on A6
Scott will succeed Ichi Tuzzio, who led
the AO nation to their first title in the recently
completed World Cup, co-hosted by Cassadaigua
and Baker Park. continued on A6

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Football Association of the Commonwealth of Baker Park

For Immediate Release:
(Contact Sasha Henderson, FAC Director of Media Relations with further questions)

Statement from Executive Director David Carlson:

I have had the privilege to employ two of the very best managers in the sport in my time here at the FAC, and together with the rest of the staff and the players, we have worked long hours and had our share of disagreements over that time, but we always maintained respect for each other and we always had the best interests of the National Team and the other sides that represent the Commonwealth, at the heart of our work.

That is why I find it difficult to find the proper words and emotions in announcing that Pamela Scott will be leaving her role as Senior Team Manager in order for her to pursue the opportunity to take charge of the World Cup Champions, Farfadillis.

My first order of business when I came to the association was to convince Pam to come in as Women's NT boss, and although some critics wondered if she was the right choice, in spite of her successes over a short period of time, I knew she was the best choice for what we wanted to do here, and she has repaid my faith in her a thousand times over since then. It's because of that faith that I know we would be selfish to not allow her to take a chance to progress up the managerial ranks.

I will let Pam speak on her own behalf as to the circumstances that led her to this decision, but I assure you that we did not have a 'falling out', we did not disagree about anything, and that the FFFF approached us with honorable intent to ask if they could speak with Pam about their vacancy.
On behalf of the Board, Trevor, the rest of the senior staff and of course myself, we wish her only the best of luck, we hope she knows we hold her in the highest regard and with the warmth of friendship. We will miss her company, and that of her family who have been an important part of the FAC family through the years; her husband Brian, and her children Stephanie, Tyler and Maria who we've watched grow up in front of us.

Our loss is Farfadillis' gain, and is a testament to respect we have built among other nations in the sport as to the quality of our coaching and our overall program.

We will of course begin a search for her successor immediately, but we will certainly not replace her.

Statement from Trevor Richmond, FAC Sporting Director:

I knew almost nothing about Pam Scott when I first became manager of the Commonwealth National Team, so I asked my colleague at Jamestown City, Shelly Cornwall, to tell me what she knew. I've never forgotten the very first thing out of her mouth and I think it has held up through the years I have worked alongside Pam—"Not to be trifled with." She has been a straight forward, honest and decisive associate, sounding board, and through the years, close friend to both me and my family.

She has always in her career sought out challenges in unusual places; 10 years overseas at the conclusion of her playing career, learning the craft of coaching; her tenure at Northern Baker Park and her time with Westwood Sprites Ladies, in both cases bringing about tremendous results in a short period of time.

She did the same upon taking over the Women's National team, changing the culture and attitude of a program that had won only 1 match in the previous 16 prior to her first game in charge. She was the natural choice to lead the FAC's first venture into mixed gender international soccer at the Baptism of Fire and she made my own decision to step aside as manager prior to World Cup 83 an easy one, making the transition seamless for players and staff alike.

I am excited for her to get a chance to show her immense talents as a coach with the most recent World Champions, while still sad that we are losing her to a regional rival and that it will interrupt our friendship both in and away from the sport.

My very best wishes go out to her, Brian and the kids on their new chapter in life. Don't forget to think about us here once in awhile.


Statement from Pamela Scott:

I have been fortunate in my life that I've never had to worry about making difficult decisions; there have been plenty of them, but I have never worried about whether I was doing the right thing at the time.

Until today, for this is a decision that could not be taken with pragmatic, decisive self-assurance, because it affects not only me, but hundreds and thousands of others. My family has been my strength throughout my life; my parents & siblings, and now my loving husband and my three proudest youth development projects that call me Mom.

At 26, I walked away from my professional playing career to take on the challenge of going to live abroad, on my own. It was a period of my life I would never change, because it changed me as a person for the better.

Today, I am leaving a job that no one could have enjoyed more than I have; if you were given the chance to design a position that was perfect for you, your lifestyle, temperament, personality, you'd be hard pressed to come close to what I have been honored to have here with the FAC. An employer who wants to do whatever it takes to help you succeed, co-workers who you enjoy being around and subordinates who respect you and make your job easy.

I shouldn't refer to the players I've been delighted to manage as subordinates, because I never considered them as such; as a former pro I understood how much effort they put in to play the sport, and how much extra energy playing for your country requires, along with the additional time spent away from friends and loved ones.

The thousands of you who have invested time and your hard-earned wages to support our National Team have always been a part of my thoughts when we are representing this great nation on your behalf, and I hope we have made you proud by our spirit, dedication and commitment, regardless of the outcome at the end of the day.

The FFFF telephoned me, following receiving permission from the FAC, to inquire about my thoughts regarding their opening for a national team manager. I was understandably flattered that the World Cup winning governing body was soliciting the opinion of a manager from a nation with the sum total of a second and third place to its name for a recommendation.

Although it wasn't clear to me at the time, it wasn't my opinion about someone else for the role that they sought, but in fact my opinion if I was interested in taking the position myself. They explained that they were seeking someone who could provide continuity in their setup in terms of style and tactics and they felt that I checked the all the boxes in terms of my experience.

I asked for some time to think it through, and discussed the pros and cons with my family and several close friends. In the end, I came to believe that the opportunity was one I could not pass up; that doesn't mean I was dissatisfied with the job here, but as a professional you have to be willing to take a chance to grow and reaffirm your self-confidence in the things you do.

I suppose in short, I do not leave with any regrets, I do not leave with any change towards the love I have for my country, for the people at the FAC, my friends and colleagues, the players who have brought me so much joy and satisfaction from being around them and sharing their experiences as we have traveled along this road.

So, to all of you, this not Farewell, simply Adieu for now. I will always remain humbled by the chance to lead the Commonwealth National Team during this time in my life. I thank you all.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Weekend 2020
At the end of the line, a new start
by James Pettiford, Senior NSL Writer

Tucked away on the outer fringes of the Commonwealth's southern frontier lies a pair of sparsely populated communities that have shared a history from nearly the earliest days of the nation.

South-Western Township, centered around the unorganized hamlet called Murlin, and Baker's Fort Township, with the eponymously named village at its' heart, have been a key overland crossing point during the development of Baker Park from nearly the founding of the country. But for all that the two neighboring political divisions share, there is one thing that each place has that they call their own.

The railway station that serves Baker's Fort has a sign that proudly proclaims that it is "The End of The Line"; the stop on the cross country passenger service rail line is the dead end of a spur from the east-west running main track, with 4 scheduled arrivals and departures every weekday, and 2 on the weekends & holidays. One can be in Belle Haven in an hour and 5 minutes, or Newport in 54 minutes from the "the Fort", which is one reason why there is a sizable commuter population that lives in the area.
A few hundred feet from the loading platform, separated by the sidings used for loading freight cars that depart once a day, is Town Lane, the home of Old Fort SC. They've been playing on this spot since 1900, although there hasn't been much for the locals to cheer for. They don't need a trophy case, as a single shelf contains the sum total of hardware the club has earned since they were founded in 1899--the 1925 Belle Haven County Cup, and the 1951 Belle Haven League trophy. The latter win was celebrated by a parade that wound through immediate area and into adjacent parts of Caledonia County, including a detour through Murlin and past the home of their nearest and dearest rivals.

The people in SWT, as it's known to all in this part of the Commonwealth, are not hesitant to remind you that although there is no central village or communal area that would serve as a "business district", they do have a larger population than the Fort does; they also like to make sure you know they have twice as many stops at their station on a daily basis, since they are on the line and not "off on a side road".
It seems like a subtle distinction, but the real modern difference between the two townships is the way they have seen growth over the past 40 years or so. The eastern and northeastern areas of SWT lie closer to Bergholz, to the east, than they do to Baker's Fort. There has been a slow trend toward subdivision and exurban living in those areas, as people working in the factories located in Crestview and southwestern Belle Haven County are able to take advantage of the proximity via Bergholz and the Airport Highway.

Hills & Dales FC was the earlier of the clubs in this neck of the woods, established two years previous--in fact the Fort were a breakaway from the Southern Hills AC that fielded the first organized soccer team here--and of course have always considered themselves the "big brother" in the relationship. They do have a slightly more impressive CV, although it's really not that much a larger haul of silver--four County Cups (1911-20-21-30), the 1939 Central League title and runners-up in the 2008 FAC Trophy. Where their real point of superiority comes is the eleven year stint as charter members of the Conference from 1949-59, the only one of the pair who have ever played in the National League.

It's important to realize at this point that these two communities and clubs are not hostile enemies, locked in a battle for local pride; in fact they share a mutual antipathy and loathing of the bigger clubs in their immediate orbit, have come to the aid of the other when necessary, and even provided additional home field advantage for the occasional visit of a name club in one of the cups.
Yes, they sing songs about the other in teasing fun, have spirited banter during the week leading up to their annual fixtures and then vent their spleens at one another for 90 minutes two Sunday afternoons a season.

But there a bit of nostalgia, wistfulness and sadness in the air heading into this FAC Shield campaign from both clubs; after nearly 120 years, this will be the last time they will face one another on the pitch, after agreeing to merge at the conclusion of this year.

There is of course a long history of neighboring clubs joining forces as one entity; sometimes it was for practical reasons, sometimes it was inevitable due to financial woes on the part of one or the other, in some cases it wasn't really a coming together of equals at all, but the takeover by a larger club of a smaller one. There is fairly lengthy list of former clubs that these two faced annually who were swallowed up over time.

The idea wasn't unique to this period in the history of the two sides. There have been at least half a dozen times--maybe more but the number is as far as anyone can remember--when it has gone beyond the "idle chatter" stage, but nothing like a formal proposal ever came about. It seems a bit strange as well, when you consider an episode from the early years of the rivalry.

In the period between 1915-1918, there were no formal league matches for clubs, only the FAC Cup was contested, and many small clubs suspended their membership for lack of players. When the sport resumed in 1919, clubs that hadn't paid their dues for 3 years, which under the FAC By-Laws would've meant expulsion, were given a grace period of 2 years to come up with a 1/4 share of what would've been due in 1918, on top of the full amount for 1919. This controversial mandate created a ripple effect, which caused enough unhappiness from a large number of clubs that it was rescinded in 1920.

Old Fort struggled to attract members back to the club, partly because of depressed farm prices which hurt the country as a whole, and partly because some men who had left during the war didn't return, choosing to relocate in cities or towns. They couldn't afford the payment for 1919, so they remained in suspended status, and things did not improve the next year.

Hills & Dales should've been fine with letting the neighboring club die off, not only to eliminate competition, but they would be in a good position to take over tenancy at Town Lane.
But the club took a different view, and invited the core membership of Old Fort to a Special Business Meeting in May 1920, to solicit ideas for how to help their rivals get back on their feet.
The result was that the supporters of Dales contributed an extra subscription which ended up being about the equivalent of 40 full memberships in Old Fort, which combined with their own memberships was enough to afford the FAC payment and served to spur on a further membership drive that provided enough startup capital to get the club through until the 1921 season began.

No one at the Fort ever forgot the help that was provided for them, and at other times throughout their history, have made efforts to help other clubs in financial peril. The fact that the sides will combine 100 years after they combined to save Old Fort makes the joining together more poignant.

From an outside perspective, the merger of the two looks both natural and unnecessary at the same time; although they toil in the depths of Shield, both are on solid financial footing. There are thoughts that combining forces will allow for a more aggressive long term strategy that could lead them into the League, along with being able to upgrade their youth development. But with the emergence of Bergholz Caledonian in the National Conference, and opportunities that its academy can provide over a H&D-Old Fort amalgamation, perhaps a different model will need to be considered.

None of the practical realities of a new club have been ironed out--what to call the club, whether they should continue to play at Town Lane or Beechtree Common in Murlin, club colors, etc.--but one thing is clear, the End of the Line has the potential to become the jumping off point for a new era of soccer in southwestern Baker Park state.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Season Preview—NSL Championship

Last season, Learfield FC catapulted themselves from fourth to first on the last day of the season to earn their 4th National League Championship. But there still seems to a bit of a southwestern tilt to the season tables over the last few campaigns, as Southend AC, Ezriquay United and Richmond Station all finished in the top 10; and although defending champs Midtown AC finished 14th, they did win the FAC Cup for the second time in three seasons. Only Newport City continue to confound the experts with seasons where they play half the schedule masterfully, and the other half terribly.

No other region in the country can boast the depth in quality clubs that the lower river currently possesses, and with the inexplicable fall of Monmouth Park for the second time in three seasons, the second largest city, Endborough, will have no representative in the top flight, and New Bremen will be the northernmost outpost of the Championship.

The term's new boys, Hamilton Wanderers and Sanborn Borough bring in an interesting element to the party which may help with the absence of much drama in the capital area; Wanderers have specifically targeted their dormant rivalry with Clayton City as one of their main motivations going into the season, and SanBo have made a large push to draw ticket buyers from areas in Belle Haven County that they haven't courted in the past. With Far Hills now coed and V&A still mired in the 2nd Division, the marketing gurus at the Caledonian Stadium think they might be able to siphon off some support.

Of course, this further highlights the fact that Hillsborough have not been able to take advantage of the absence of the Coburgs; they seem to have developed a kind of benign trench warfare on both their other fronts with Corinthians and Asbury Park.
All three clubs miss the energy and edge that the Belle Haven derbies against Victoria & Albert brought; during their FAC Cup Third Round draw and subsequent replay last season, Corrie & Borough fans sang about their success in the competition relative to their missing in action rivals.

The southeast also is in need of a spark of excitement, and the loss of Fairport City to relegation is just the start; since their back-to back titles, St Warren City have been fairly pedestrian, with 8th and 11th place finishes, while Marshallton Athletic are in a transitional mode and Shirley Metros seemingly have enough to challenge for the title, but can't shake a tendency to cough up leads late in matches. Riverside City are looking to build up enough consistent performances to stay in the division for another year.

At the end, there is Dalton Town, who surprisingly have been one of the most consistently solid sides in the Championship over the past several seasons. Their final day heartbreak, losing to New Bremen when they were in the pole position, was just another example of both their class and bad luck. It was the second time in 3 seasons they lost the title on the final day, and it marked the fourth time in five seasons they finished in the top 5.

The continued efforts of clubs to bring in fresh talent from other nations in the multiverse transfer window are bringing a wild card previously unknown to the Championship; additionally, as foreign clubs pick off home grown players to ply their trade in stronger leagues overseas, there is now a trend to bring in young prospects from other nations to strengthen academy talent levels, with the hope that the newcomers will make rapid improvement under a different training regimen and spur other players in the academy system to develop at a faster rate.

The current changes mean that the the National League is a work in progress, where the end results might not become evident for a few seasons down the line.

One additional factor that will affect the season is the return of international club competition after a hiatus; the new IFCF structure will be similar to the previous UICA tournaments that were open to qualification by Baker Park clubs, albeit with different designations. Learfield will compete in the IFCF Champions League, where they will be placed in the 2nd Preliminary Round to begin; Clayton City, Dalton Town, and Southend will participate in the IFCF Challengers Cup, which replaces the Globe Cup. CC and Southend will start in the 1st Preliminary Round while Town will get a bye into the 2nd Prelim Round.

The champs will also take up the league's spot in the AOCL, the Final of which will take place at the BBP Stadium in Belle Haven, and Midtown will represent the FAC in the Cup Winners Cup.

Predicted Order of Finish:
1 Dalton Town
2 Ezriquay United
3 Shirley Metros
4 Learfield
5 Hillsborough
6 Midtown
7 Southend AC
8 New Bremen
9 Corinthians
10 Asbury Park
11 Sanborn Borough
12 Clayton City
13 Newport City
14 Marshallton Athletic
15 St Warren City
16 Hamilton Wanderers
17 Richmond Station
18 Riverside City

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

A visual primer on the NSL Championship Division

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

NSL 2nd Division Season in Review

The final 2nd Division table in no way tells the story of the season, as Llewellyn Turnpike raced away from the pack over the final third of the campaign to earn a spot in next year's Championship with 4 matches to spare. North Lima relied on their defense--the best goals against average across all four National League divisions--to grab the second spot away from Victoria & Albert and Middlebourne City and a return to the top flight after a four year absence.

Turnpike sat atop the table early in the season, then fell behind V&A through much of the middle part of the fixture list before the relentless pace of a 15 match unbeaten run wore down the Coburgs; even the 3-0 defeat to North Lima to snap that streak was tempered by the fact that other results guaranteed that the Oceana club would make only it's second ever appearance in the top flight, their previous 8 season run between 1956-63 being the high point of a 30 year "Golden Age" for the Double L's.

At the foot of the standings, Fairport City crashed to a second consecutive relegation, while Brentwood made a cameo appearance and will return to the Third Division after only 1 year.

Pld W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Llewellyn Turnpike SC    38   21  10   7    86   71  +15    73
 2 North Lima SC            38   20   7  11    44   28  +16    67
 3 Middlebourne City AFC    38   18   7  13    75   73   +2    61
 4 Victoria & Albert SC     38   16  12  10    82   64  +18    60
 5 Monmouth Park FC         38   18   6  14    83   74   +9    60
 6 Jamestown City FC        38   17   8  13    75   71   +4    59
 7 Nor-Dale AFC             38   14  14  10    79   68  +11    56
 8 Linden Woods FC          38   15  10  13    81   77   +4    55
 9 Westwood Sprites         38   15  10  13    70   68   +2    55
10 Brentford FC             38   14  11  13    78   71   +7    53
11 Mansfield C&W FC         38   13  13  12    57   56   +1    52
12 Middletown City FC       38   13  10  15    75   74   +1    49
13 North Royalton Town FC   38   13  10  15    65   65    0    49
14 Newmarket Saxons FC      38   13   9  16    60   66   −6    48
15 Bridgend Metros FC       38   12   9  17    70   84  −14    45
16 Meadowdale FC            38   11  12  15    53   60   −7    45
17 Alton Athletic Club      38   11   9  18    73   85  −12    42
18 Salisbury City FC        38    9  11  18    56   64   −8    38
19 Brentwood Borough FC     38    8  13  17    55   74  −19    37
20 Fairport City FC         38    8  11  19    45   69  −24    35

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

National Conference Season in Review

The second year of mixed gender squads saw a rapid improvement of many clubs from the previous season, but in the end, Crusaders FC captured their second consecutive crown--the first repeat champion in the history of the division, as well their fourth overall, pulling them into a tie with neighbors Red Wing FC and Union Miners FC from St Leon.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Crusaders FC           42   25  10   7   107   64  +43    85
 2 Great Northern         42   25   7  10   105   78  +27    82
 3 Sorenberg Park         42   24   7  11    90   64  +26    79
 4 Jacksonville City      42   22  11   9    92   62  +30    77
 5 Haskins Blues          42   22   9  11    95   80  +15    75
 6 Lima City United       42   19  10  13   106   90  +16    67
 7 Far Hills              42   20   7  15    83   78   +5    67
 8 Hannover United        42   18  11  13    79   65  +14    65
 9 Ellesmere Woods        42   17  13  12    84   70  +14    64
10 Forest Park            42   17  10  15    71   77   −6    61
11 Bergholz Caledonian    42   17   9  16    75   75    0    60
12 Broadview AFC          42   16  12  14    88   78  +10    60
13 Castleford             42   15  13  14    63   52  +11    58
14 Dalton United          42   17   5  20    41   56  −15    56
15 Jennings Borough       42   14  12  16    56   64   −8    54
16 Hardun AC              42   13   9  20    80   94  −14    48
17 Lower Valley Lions     42   12   6  24    57   86  −29    42
18 Paintersville FC       42   10  11  21    59   83  −24    41
19 Pembroke St David's    42    9  14  19    81   99  −18    41
20 Greenville Twp         42   10   8  24    58   80  −22    38
21 Mooresville Celtic     42    8   9  25    58   90  −32    33
22 Liberty FC             42    7   7  28    48   91  −43    28

Liga B Cup--Blue

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

3rd Division Season in Review

Coolville United showed strength in dominating the season to win the 3rd Division title, in the playoff over Carlisle FC, who will make their first ever appearance in the second tier of BP soccer next season.

East 
 1 Coolville United		 40   26  6   8	  117  74   +43  84
 2 Greenlea United FC		 40   24  4  12   101  79   +22  76
 3 Ravens FC			 40   22  9   9    98  80   +18  75
 4 Kellerville AFC		 40   20 10  10   100  77   +23  70
 5 St Pat's AC			 40   17 11  12    83  72   +11  62
 6 Lewiston Town		 40   17  7  16    67  63    +4  58
 7 Fairport Harbor FC		 40   14 16  10    62  54    +8  58
 8 Jamestown Rovers FC		 40   16  9  15    65  66    -1  57
 9 Forresters FC		 40   14 12  14    37  40    -3  54
10 West Liberty Rovers FC	 40   15  7  18    45  55   -10  52
11 East Endinborough AFC	 40   15  6  19    99  97    +2  51
12 Eastview SC			 40   11 12  17    71  81   -10  45
13 Patterson Park FC		 40   12  8  20    75  93   -18  44
14 Mansfield County SC		 40    9  9  22    59  81   -22  36

West
 1 Carlisle FC			40   19   9  12   66  54 +12  66
 2 Trinity FC			40   16  14  10   90  77 +13  62
 3 SK Leiderkranz-Turner	40   16  11  13  103  88 +15  59
 4 Principia SC			40   16   8  16   55  56  -1  56
 5 Maineville Marauders   	40   15  11  14   66  60  +6  56
 6 Andover Borough SC		40   15  10  15   69  68  +1  55
 7 ROCK Utd			40   15   7  18   78  87  -9  52
 8 Blacksburg Area FC		40   14   7  19   69  86 -17  49
 9 Sherwood Forest FC		40   13  10  17   60  76 -16  49
10 Maritime Athletic SC	        40   12  13  15   73  77  -4  49
11 Springfield City		40   11  13  16   45  51  -6  46
12 Westphalia County FC	        40   12   9  19   68  87 -19  45
13 Collinsville United FC	40   11   9  20   59  79 -20  42
14 Western & Southern RR FC	40   12   5  23   57  88 -31  41

Playoff Final (both clubs promoted to the 2nd Division)

Carlisle FC 2–2 Coolville United (2–2 AET) (3–4 pen.) (at BBP Stadium, Belle Haven)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

FAC Shield Season in Review

Shiloh FC won the 69th FAC Shield, the club's third title which pulls them into a tie with Forest Park for most all time.
The Eastern section saw a battle among seven clubs attempting to claim the top two places, and the final seasons for two long time rivals and neighbors, Old Fort SC and Hills & Dales FC, who will merge to form a single club for next season.
The Western section was a story of West Chester FC marching through nearly unimpeded, although they were unlucky to have to face a Valley View side who were on a strong run of form in the semi-finals.

East                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Dragons FC                34   19   5  10    69   44  +25    62
 2 Valley View SC            34   18   6  10    74   54  +20    60
 3 Engineers Club            34   17   8   9    69   51  +18    59
 4 Union Miners FC           34   17   7  10    64   55   +9    58
 5 East Liverpool            34   16  10   8    40   25  +15    58
 6 Lynchana Borderers AC     34   16   8  10    70   64   +6    56
 7 St John's SC              34   16   7  11    46   41   +5    55
 8 Center Point FC & RFC     34   17   4  13    70   64   +6    55
 9 McIlroy Station FC        34   15   7  12    40   38   +2    52
10 New Harmony               34   11  11  12    36   38   −2    44
11 Meadowlarks SC            34   12   7  15    50   59   −9    43
12 Hills & Dales FC          34   11   8  15    52   60   −8    41
13 Charter Twp FC            34    9  12  13    55   66  −11    39
14 Maplewood AFC             34   11   6  17    67   78  −11    39
15 Milton AFC                34    7  12  15    55   69  −14    33
16 Old Fort SC               34    8   7  19    50   70  −20    31
17 Red Wing FC               34    6  13  15    47   57  −10    31
18 Riverdale United FC       34    7   8  19    59   80  −21    29

West                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 West Chester              34   20   7   7    88   57  +31    67
 2 Shiloh FC                 34   17   9   8    68   58  +10    60
 3 State Univ                34   14  12   8    56   47   +9    54
 4 Blue Aces SC              34   15   8  11    54   52   +2    53
 5 Hampton SC                34   15   7  12    34   29   +5    52
 6 Jeromeville FC            34   13  12   9    58   45  +13    51
 7 Battenberg Bruins SC      34   14   8  12    56   52   +4    50
 8 FC Monroe Central         34   13  10  11    36   38   −2    49
 9 West Alden United FC      34   13   9  12    49   48   +1    48
10 Jaynesville SC            34   13   7  14    61   71  −10    46
11 Berwick Rangers FC        34   12   9  13    43   44   −1    45
12 Ridge Raiders SC          34   13   6  15    76   79   −3    45
13 Brecon Borough            34   12   8  14    54   61   −7    44
14 East Linden SC            34    9  12  13    45   45    0    39
15 Edgewood Eagles SC        34   10   8  16    35   44   −9    38
16 Linden Lions FC           34    8  11  15    78   88  −10    35
17 Independent Laborers AC   34    8   9  17    59   74  −15    33
18 RFCP AC                   34    7   8  19    28   46  −18    29

Playoff Semi-Finals
1st Leg
Valley View SC 0–0 West Chester
Shiloh FC 1–0 Dragons FC

2nd Leg
West Chester 1–1 Valley View SC (1-1, Valley View win on away goals)
Dragons FC 3–2 Shiloh FC (3-3, Shiloh win on away goals)

Playoff Final
Shiloh FC 1–1 Valley View SC (1-1 AET, Shiloh win 5–3 on penalties)
(at BBP Stadium, Belle Haven)

All four semi finalists promoted to the 3rd Division

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

National League Cup in Review

1st Leg
Mansfield C&W FC 1–2 Andover Borough SC
Patterson Park FC 2–1 ROCK Utd
Alton Athletic Club 1–1 Forresters FC
Eastview SC 1–2 Greenlea United FC
Westphalia County FC 0–1 East Endborough AFC
St Pats AC 2–0 West Liberty Rovers FC
Middlebourne City AFC 0–1 Nor-Dale AFC
Brentford FC 2–0 Maritime Athletic SC
Mansfield County SC 1–1 Blacksburg Area FC
Carlisle FC 0–1 Springfield City
Fairport Harbor FC 0–1 Maineville Marauders
Collinsville United FC 2–0 Western & Southern RR FC
Kellerville AFC 0–1 Newmarket Saxons FC
Jamestown Rovers FC 2–1 Lewistown Town
Linden Woods FC 1–0 Meadowdale FC
SK Leiderkranz-Turner 2–1 Principia SC

2nd Leg
Andover Borough SC 3–5 Mansfield C&W FC (Mansfield C&W wins 6-5)
ROCK Utd 0–0 Patterson Park FC (Patterson Park wins 2-1)
Forresters FC 1–2 Alton Athletic Club (Alton Athletic wins 3-2)
Greenlea United FC 1–4 Eastview SC (Eastview wins 5-3)
East Endborough AFC 0–1 Westphalia County FC (tied 1-1, East Endborough wins 4-2 on pens)
West Liberty Rovers FC 0–2 St Pats AC (St Pats wins 4-0)
Nor-Dale AFC 1–1 Middlebourne City AFC (Nor-Dale wins 2-1)
Maritime Athletic SC 2–3 Brentford FC (Brentford wins 5-2)
Blacksburg Area FC 0–2 Mansfield County SC (Mansfield County wins 3-1)
Springfield City 0–2 Carlisle FC (Carlisle wins 2-1)
Maineville Marauders 1–0 Fairport Harbor FC (Maineville wins 2-0)
Western & Southern RR FC 4–3 Collinsville United FC (Collinsville wins 5-4)
Newmarket Saxons FC 2–4 Kellerville AFC (Kellerville wins 4-3)
Lewistown Town 2–2 Jamestown Rovers FC (Jamestown Rovers wins 4-3)
Meadowdale FC 4–3 Linden Woods FC (tied 4-4, Linden Woods wins on away goals)
Principia SC 1–2 SK Leiderkranz-Turner (Leiderkranz wins 4-2)

1st Leg
Bridgend Metros FC 3–3 Brentford FC
Carlisle FC 0–1 Nor-Dale AFC
Salisbury City FC 3–2 Sherwood Forest FC
Middletown City FC 0–1 Victoria & Albert SC
North Royalton Town FC 3–2 Patterson Park FC
Monmouth Park FC 3–4 Mansfield C&W FC
East Endinborough AFC 0–1 St Pats AC
Mansfield County SC 4–2 Collinsville United FC
Brentwood Borough FC 3–7 Linden Woods FC
Alton Athletic Club 3–3 Fairport City FC
Jamestown City FC 3–3 SK Leiderkranz-Turner
Trinity FC 1–3 Coolville United
Kellerville AFC 2–1 Eastview SC
Westwood Sprites 4–3 Maineville Marauders
North Lima SC 0–0 Llewellyn Turnpike SC
Jamestown Rovers FC 1–2 Ravens FC

2nd Leg
Brentford FC 1–1 Bridgend Metros FC (tied 4-4, Brentford win on away goals)
Nor-Dale AFC 0–1 Carlisle FC (tied 1-1, Nor-Dale wins 6-5 on pens)
Sherwood Forest FC 2–3 Salisbury City FC (Salisbury City win 6-4)
Victoria & Albert SC 0–0 Middletown City FC (Victoria & Albert win 1-0)
North Royalton Town FC 3–3 Patterson Park FC (North Royalton wins 6-5)
Mansfield C&W FC 1–2 Monmouth Park FC (tied 5-5, Mansfield C&W win on away goals)
St Pats AC 4–2 East Endinborough AFC (St Pats wins 5-2)
Collinsville United FC 1–1 Mansfield County SC (Mansfield County wins 5-3)
Linden Woods FC 4–1 Brentwood Borough FC (Linden Woods wins 11-4)
Fairport City FC 1–2 Alton Athletic Club (Alton Athletic wins 5-4)
SK Leiderkranz-Turner 1–2 Jamestown City FC (Jamestown City wins 5-4)
Coolville United 1–0 Trinity FC (Coolville United wins 4-1)
Eastview SC 0–1 Kellerville AFC (Kellerville wins 3-1)
Maineville Marauders 2–0 Westwood Sprites (Maineville wins 5-4)
Llewellyn Turnpike SC 1–1 North Lima SC (tied 1-1, North Lima wins on away goals)
Ravens FC 1–0 Jamestown Rovers FC (Ravens win 3-1)

1st Leg
Coolville United 4–4 Alton Athletic Club
Brentford FC 0–0 Salisbury City FC
Linden Woods FC 2–2 Kellerville AFC
Nor-Dale AFC 1–1 North Lima SC
Maineville Marauders 3–3 Ravens FC
Victoria & Albert SC 3–1 St Pats AC
Mansfield County SC 3–4 Jamestown City FC
North Royalton Town FC 0–3 Mansfield C&W FC

2nd Leg
Alton Athletic Club 2–2 Coolville United (tied 6-6, Alton win on away goals)
Salisbury City FC 1–0 Brentford FC (Salisbury City win 1-0)
Kellerville AFC 1–2 Linden Woods FC (Linden Woods wins 4-3)
North Lima SC 0–1 Nor-Dale AFC (Nor-Dale win 2-1)
Ravens FC 3–2 Maineville Marauders (Ravens win 6-5)
St Pats AC 3–3 Victoria & Albert SC (V&A win 6-4)
Jamestown City FC 2–3 Mansfield County SC tied 6-6, Jamestown City win on away goals)
Mansfield C&W FC 2–3 North Royalton Town FC (Mansfield C&W win 5-3)

1st Leg
Alton Athletic Club 1–2 Ravens FC
Nor-Dale AFC 2–2 Mansfield C&W FC
Linden Woods FC 1–1 Jamestown City FC
Salisbury City FC 1–1 Victoria & Albert SC

2nd Leg
Ravens FC 0–1 Alton Athletic Club (tied 2-2, Ravens win on away goals)
Mansfield C&W FC 2–0 Nor-Dale AFC (Mansfield C&W wins 4-2)
Jamestown City FC 1–0 Linden Woods FC (Jamestown City wins 2-1)
Victoria & Albert SC 1–3 Salisbury City FC (Salisbury City win 4-2)

1st Leg
Jamestown City FC 0–1 Mansfield C&W FC
Salisbury City FC 3–3 Ravens FC

2nd Leg
Mansfield C&W FC 3–3 Jamestown City FC (Mansfield C&W wins 4-3)
Ravens FC 1–3 Salisbury City FC (Salisbury City wins 6-4)

Salisbury City FC 2–1 Mansfield C&W FC (at BBP Stadium, Belle Haven)

Salisbury City won the National League Cup for the second time in their history, in the first Cup Final played at the BBP Stadium in Belle Haven, in front of a Cup record crowd of 70,026.

They will claim the FAC spot in the Vilitan Cove Invitational

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

FAC Trophy in Review

Frankenburg AC 2–1 Charter Twp FC
Independent Laborers AC 0–3 Blue Aces SC
Spring Valley FC 0–0 Riverdale United FC (1–0 AET)
New Richmond FC 2–3 Center Point FC & RFC
Georgetown Athletic Club 0–1 Hampton SC
Union Miners FC 4–5 East Linden SC
White River Twp 2–0 Battenberg Bruins SC
Jaynesville SC 1–3 McIlroy Station FC
Alexandria Borough AFC 0–0 Salisbury County FC (1–2 AET)
Hills & Dales FC 3–3 Ralston United FC (4–3 AET)
Mel-Wood FC 2–1 Albion Borough SC
Berwick Rangers FC 2–2 Maplewood AFC (3–3 AET) (4–2 pen.)
Brecon Borough 1–0 Queens Park FC
Edgewood Eagles SC 0–1 West Oceana Athletic FC
Hartley Community Club 2–0 Bowling Green FC
West Chester 6–0 Cloppenburg Township SC
Griffith Borough Amateurs FC 0–0 Wagnerfield Kickers SC (0–2 AET)
New Harmony 0–1 Old Fort SC
Red Wing FC 2–3 Meadowlarks SC
Deptford AC 2–4 Milton AFC
St John's SC 1–2 FC Monroe Central
RFCP AC 3–0 Linden Lions FC

East Liverpool 0–0 White River Twp (1–0 AET)
Frankenburg AC 0–3 Blue Aces SC
Dragons FC 3–4 Brecon Borough
State Univ 0–0 West Alden United FC (1–2 AET)
Meadowlarks SC 0–0 East Linden SC (1–0 AET)
Center Point FC & RFC 4–2 Old Fort SC
RFCP AC 1–0 West Chester
FC Monroe Central 4–1 Hills & Dales FC
Engineers Club 4–2 Shiloh FC
Milton AFC 1–0 Spring Valley FC
Mel-Wood FC 0–1 McIlroy Station FC
Lynchana Borderers AC 1–1 Valley View SC (1–3 AET)
West Oceana Athletic FC 1–0 Ridge Raiders SC
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 3–0 Hartley Community Club
Hampton SC 0–1 Berwick Rangers FC
Jeromeville FC 2–2 Salisbury County FC (2–2 AET) (2–3 pen.)

Milton AFC 3–2 West Alden United FC
Berwick Rangers FC 0–1 Wagnerfield Kickers SC
East Liverpool 1–0 West Oceana Athletic FC
Engineers Club 0–0 Meadowlarks SC (1–1 AET) (4–5 pen.)
Center Point FC & RFC 3–2 Blue Aces SC
Salisbury County FC 1–3 Valley View SC
FC Monroe Central 0–0 McIlroy Station FC (0–0 AET) (5–4 pen.)
RFCP AC 0–2 Brecon Borough

Meadowlarks SC 2–1 Brecon Borough
East Liverpool 4–2 Center Point FC & RFC
FC Monroe Central 0–0 Valley View SC (0–0 AET) (4–5 pen.)
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 2–2 Milton AFC (2–3 AET)

Valley View SC 2–0 East Liverpool (at Christian Lindquist Stadium, Coolville)
Milton AFC 2–5 Meadowlarks SC (at Olympic Ground, Mansfield)

Meadowlarks SC 2–3 Valley View SC (at BBP Stadium, Belle Haven)

Valley View captured the 98th FAC Trophy, the first in their history, in front of 64,370--the largest crowd to witness a match between two clubs from the FAC Shield.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

FAC Women's Cup in Review

Jamestown City Ladies won their 3rd FAC Women's Cup in the last 10 years, a credit to first year manager Kelly Bradbury's rebuilding job.

First Round
White River Women FC 0–1 Newport Ladies FC
St Warren FC Women 1–0 Triad Rovers SC
Suburban Ladies SC 2–5 Newmarket Ladies SC
Riverside City Ladies FC 3–2 Hamiliton Wanderers Ladies SC
Shirley Metros Ladies FC 2–3 Mansfield Ladies SC
Jamestown City Ladies FC 3–2 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC
Southend AC Ladies 2–0 Clayton City Ladies FC
Greenlea United Ladies SC 1–0 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC
Mel-Wood FC Ladies 2–5 Leiderkranz Ladies SC
E Endborough Ladies FC 1–1 New Richmond FC Ladies
Brentford Ladies FC 3–1 Linden Ladies FC
Ravens FC Ladies 1–0 Shiloh FC Ladies
Queens Park SC Women 1–1 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC
Georgetown Athletic Club Ladies 2–2 Middletown City FC Women
Salisbury County FC Ladies 2–4 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC
Meadowdale Ladies FC 3-2 Nor-Dale Ladies AFC

First Round replays
New Richmond FC Ladies 2–1 E Endborough Ladies FC
Westwood Sprites Ladies FC 2–1 Queens Park SC Women
Middletown City FC Women 2–1 Georgetown Athletic Club Ladies

Second Round
Leiderkranz Ladies SC 4–2 Ravens FC Ladies
Ridge Raiders Ladies FC 4–3 Meadowdale Ladies FC
Jamestown City Ladies FC 1–0 New Richmond FC Ladies
Southend AC Ladies 3–0 St Warren FC Women
Newport Ladies FC 0–0 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC
Brentford Ladies FC 2-1 Mansfield Ladies SC
Middletown City FC Women 1–2 Riverside City Ladies FC
Greenlea United Ladies SC 3–3 Newmarket Ladies SC

Second Round replays
Westwood Sprites Ladies FC 1–0 Newport Ladies FC
Newmarket Ladies SC 1–0 Greenlea United Ladies

Third Round
Ridge Raiders Ladies FC 0–1 Southend AC Ladies
Jamestown City Ladies FC 4–2 Newmarket Ladies SC
Leiderkranz Ladies SC 3-1 Riverside City Ladies FC
Brentford Ladies FC 0–2 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC

Semi Finals
Jamestown City Ladies FC 2–1 Leiderkranz Ladies SC
Southend AC Ladies 3–2 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC
(both matches played at BBP Stadium, Belle Haven)

Final
Southend AC Ladies 1–4 Jamestown City Ladies FC
(at BBP Stadium, Belle Haven)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Women's NSL Season in Review

The Women's National League restored a balance of power in the title race from the previous season, as the clubs adjusted to the second year of a single division format.

Southend AC Ladies 3–3 Leiderkranz Ladies SC
Linden Ladies FC 3–0 Hamiliton Wanderers Ladies SC
Clayton City Ladies FC 3–0 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC
Meadowdale Ladies FC 3–1 Riverside City Ladies FC
E Endborough Ladies FC 1–3 Newmarket Ladies SC
Middletown City FC Women 2–1 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC
Brentford Ladies FC 2–3 Shiloh FC Ladies
Jamestown City Ladies FC 1–0 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC
Ravens FC Ladies 5–2 Greenlea United Ladies SC
Shirley Metros Ladies FC 3–5 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC

Opening day saw the defending champions, Brentford Ladies, surprised at home by Shiloh; Ravens got an early advantage over their rivals from Queen Anne Township, Raiders got off on the right foot against Metros, and Southend came from behind to share the points with Leiderkranz.


Clayton City, Shiloh, Linden Ladies and Newmarket made it two from two, while Metros, Hamilton and Riverside all remained winless after the first seven days of play.
By matchday 3, every club had earned at least a point, and the first midweek fixtures saw CC and Shiloh drop their first points in a pair of low scoring draws, while Greenlea climbed to third with a third straight win.

Brentford Ladies made their debut in the IFCF Liga B Trophy, as they hosted Schottic side The Warriors in the first leg of the 3rd Preliminary Round. The visitors left with a hard fought single goal, setting up a chance to take the tie with a similar performance two weeks later.

The champions bounced back in their next fixture with a 3-1 win over Llewellyn Turnpike, while Greenlea snuck into the top spot in the table with a solid 4-2 home win over Sprites.
Ravens moved up to a tie for second with Greenlea on MD 7, while Brentford climbed to fourth ahead of the next international away match.

The trip to New Belfast was seen as a gauge to determine the relative strength of the NWSL against one of the better leagues in the multiverse; although the Schottic Premier League had lost a bit of its luster following a hiatus from the international scene, and The Warriors were currently in the division just beneath it following the resumption of the competition, there is still a wealth of talent and quality sides to make this a litmus test for Brentford and the league. However, a 70th minute equalizer for the home side meant that a 1-1 draw on the night showed the BP side and league were no pushover, the 2-1 over both legs meant that the B's would not advance.


Two clubs looking to establish an identity squared off on matchday 8, as Leiderkranz hosted Shiloh, who had lost 3 straight after their strong start. The home side came out ahead by a single goal, but still remain an enigma to observers; the third season of Rachel Byrne's tenure is being looked at as measure of the Brencian manager's impact, as the club have been inconsistent for long stretches during that time.

At the quarter pole of the season, it looked like a two horse race, as Greenlea and Clayton continued to roll through the opposition, with Ravens and Brentford just off the pace.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Greenlea United Ladies SC       10    8   1   1    30   21   +9    25
 2 Clayton City Ladies FC          10    6   4   0    24   13  +11    22
 3 Ravens FC Ladies                10    6   2   2    27   17  +10    20
 4 Brentford Ladies FC             10    5   4   1    22   15   +7    19
 5 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC       10    5   3   2    22   17   +5    18
 6 Linden Ladies FC                10    5   2   3    29   24   +5    17
 7 Newmarket Ladies SC             10    4   2   4    16   19   −3    14
 8 Meadowdale Ladies FC            10    3   5   2    20   18   +2    14
 9 Southend AC Ladies              10    4   1   5    14   15   −1    13
10 Leiderkranz Ladies SC           10    3   4   3    17   19   −2    13
11 E Endborough Ladies FC          10    4   1   5     9   11   −2    13
12 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC         10    3   2   5    19   22   −3    11
13 Shirley Metros Ladies FC        10    3   2   5    26   29   −3    11
14 Middletown City FC Women        10    2   5   3    13   16   −3    11
15 Shiloh FC Ladies                10    3   1   6    14   19   −5    10
16 Jamestown City Ladies FC        10    3   1   6    20   23   −3    10
17 Hamiliton Wanderers Ladies SC   10    2   4   4    12   16   −4    10
18 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC    10    2   3   5    14   23   −9     9
19 Riverside City Ladies FC        10    2   2   6    20   27   −7     8
20 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC      10    2   1   7    21   25   −4     7

From matchday 11 until the winter break was where the stories of each club developed more fully, as some maintained their position, while others saw their form rise or drop.
Westwood Sprites had stumbled badly out of the gate, losing 7 and drawing one of their first 10 matches, but by Christmas they had climbed into 9th with only 1 defeat in 9. The Hinodojian midfielder Angelina Lundqvist jump started the Sprites attack during this period, and Joanna Chancellor found her touch once again in front of goal.

On the opposite extreme, the afore mentioned Leiderkranz side and East Endborough took precipitous dives; for L-T, 6 losses and 5 draws showed a disturbing trend, as they were outscored 22-8 in the defeats, and only a 4-4 final skewed the numbers in the other matches, where there were two scoreless and two 1-1 contests, while the E's hard a hard time scoring early—only 9 tallies in the first 10—then found offense while the defense allowed opponents to reply with 2 to every goal earned.
Southend AC, Linden Ladies, and Ridge Raiders also cooled off after early decent results, while Llewellyn Turnpike and Shiloh climbed up from the bottom 6 to 10th and 9th, respectively.
Middletown City, Hamilton Wanderers, Riverside City and Jamestown City all held down spots in the lower half of the standings, but remained stable through the first half.
Newmarket, Shirley Metros and Sherwood Forest provided the tail end of the chasing group at the top, while Meadowdale slipped a few spots from the pack due to the play of other sides rather than any real problem on their part.


The second half of the season sees the makeup of rosters changed by the addition of players who have completed their collegiate careers in the fall. Among the notable signings was Greenlea picking up Kelsey Whitman, a 21 year old forward from Cassadaigua who played for the Under 21 side in the DiBradini Cup, while her DBC teammate, midfielder Heather Barrick joined Ravens Ladies. The pair got a firsthand taste of the rivalry right out of the gate, as the sides played to a 1-1 draw in front of an overflow crowd at Queen Anne Park. Shiloh completed the double over Brentford, snapping the B's 18 match unbeaten run (10 wins, 8 draws).

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Greenlea United Ladies SC       20   12   6   2    46   36  +10    42
 2 Clayton City Ladies FC          20   11   6   3    46   28  +18    39
 3 Brentford Ladies FC             20   10   8   2    43   29  +14    38
 4 Shiloh FC Ladies                20   11   3   6    35   27   +8    36
 5 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC       20   10   4   6    42   34   +8    34
 6 Ravens FC Ladies                20    9   5   6    45   36   +9    32
 7 Newmarket Ladies SC             20    9   3   8    41   42   −1    30
 8 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC      20    8   4   8    45   38   +7    28
 9 Shirley Metros Ladies FC        20    7   6   7    43   47   −4    27
10 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC    20    7   6   7    30   36   −6    27
11 Meadowdale Ladies FC            20    6   8   6    41   41    0    26
12 Linden Ladies FC                20    6   5   9    47   52   −5    23
13 Jamestown City Ladies FC        20    6   4  10    42   45   −3    22
14 Middletown City FC Women        20    5   7   8    38   42   −4    22
15 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC         20    6   4  10    44   46   −2    22
16 Riverside City Ladies FC        20    6   3  11    36   45   −9    21
17 Southend AC Ladies              20    6   3  11    26   32   −6    21
18 Hamiliton Wanderers Ladies SC   20    4   8   8    23   29   −6    20
19 E Endborough Ladies FC          20    6   2  12    24   37  −13    20
20 Leiderkranz Ladies SC           20    4   7   9    34   49  −15    19

A certain amount of fixture congestion also takes place in the early stages of the New Year, as the FAC Women's Cup also gets underway, and none of the top 8 clubs made a significant move in the table heading into the final 10 matches of the campaign, with only Llewellyn Turnpike making a jump to 7th ahead of Newmarket.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Greenlea United Ladies SC       28   15   9   4    60   49  +11    54
 2 Clayton City Ladies FC          28   14   9   5    66   46  +20    51
 3 Brentford Ladies FC             28   13  10   5    65   50  +15    49
 4 Shiloh FC Ladies                28   14   6   8    53   42  +11    48
 5 Ravens FC Ladies                28   13   7   8    58   44  +14    46
 6 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC       28   13   5  10    54   46   +8    44
 7 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC    28   12   7   9    46   46    0    43
 8 Newmarket Ladies SC             28   12   5  11    56   54   +2    41
 9 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC      28   11   7  10    62   54   +8    40
10 Hamiliton Wanderers Ladies SC   28    9  10   9    36   38   −2    37
11 Meadowdale Ladies FC            28    9   9  10    55   57   −2    36
12 Shirley Metros Ladies FC        28    9   8  11    51   61  −10    35
13 Southend AC Ladies              28   10   4  14    41   47   −6    34
14 Jamestown City Ladies FC        28    9   6  13    51   53   −2    33
15 Middletown City FC Women        28    8   8  12    52   58   −6    32
16 Leiderkranz Ladies SC           28    8   8  12    53   70  −17    32
17 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC         28    8   5  15    57   60   −3    29
18 Linden Ladies FC                28    7   8  13    62   73  −11    29
19 Riverside City Ladies FC        28    8   5  15    46   60  −14    29
20 E Endborough Ladies FC          28    7   6  15    33   49  −16    27

Back to back losses to Newmarket & Southend put Greenlea in a bind as the rest of the title chasers closed in ahead of matchday 32, with a battle of top versus bottom of the table facing all the contenders. Rachel Byrne's tenure in University Park looks almost certain to be nearing an end as Brentford beat Leiderkranz, a result that left the home crowd in an unforgiving mood; Greenlea was in nearby Lindenwood, where they were able to grind out a 2-1 victory; Clayton City—the only side in the top 7 not playing away— hosted Ridge Raiders and cruised to an easy three points, while Ravens Ladies couldn't find a goal against East Endborough and Shiloh fell to a rampant Hamilton side that has won 9 and drawn 2 of their last 13 matches.


The very next matchday brought a return to normal service for Greenlea, as they beat Clayton, while Jamestown City were knocking off Brentford, which stretched to gap back to 7 points at the top. Ravens and Sherwood Forest both slipped past Shiloh, who have struggled of late and dropped a 2-0 decision at home to Southend, who have quietly risen from the bottom 5 to 10th since the midway point.

The leaders slipped badly in their penultimate home fixture, falling to East Endborough, while Raven, Brentwood and Forest all gained ground.
The title was all but won on matchday 36, with Leiderkranz defeating Ravens while Brentford & Clayton could only come away with a single point in their respective matches, meaning only CC could equal Greenlea's 67 point total, but United's 19 victories were a mark that couldn't be surpassed.

It was only left to present the trophy, and the defending champions were the opponent, but the 5-2 win was not an anti-climax to a stellar year for Greenlea, as they captured their 2nd Women's NL title in the past 7 seasons, a fitting conclusion to the career of the retiring captain, former national team standout Faith Enzikomibo.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Greenlea United Ladies SC       38   20  11   7    82   67  +15    71
 2 Clayton City Ladies FC          38   17  14   7    85   65  +20    65
 3 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC       38   18  10  10    78   59  +19    64
 4 Ravens FC Ladies                38   17  12   9    73   55  +18    63
 5 Brentford Ladies FC             38   16  13   9    84   72  +12    61
 6 Westwood Sprites Ladies FC      38   16  10  12    78   64  +14    58
 7 Newmarket Ladies SC             38   16   9  13    82   75   +7    57
 8 Shiloh FC Ladies                38   16   9  13    61   57   +4    57
 9 Hamiliton Wanderers Ladies SC   38   15  11  12    61   55   +6    56
10 Southend AC Ladies              38   16   6  16    61   63   −2    54
11 Leiderkranz Ladies SC           38   14   8  16    80   97  −17    50
12 Shirley Metros Ladies FC        38   12  12  14    72   80   −8    48
13 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC    38   13   9  16    59   72  −13    48
14 Meadowdale Ladies FC            38   11  14  13    76   80   −4    47
15 Middletown City FC Women        38   12  10  16    70   77   −7    46
16 Jamestown City Ladies FC        38   11   8  19    68   76   −8    41
17 Riverside City Ladies FC        38   11   7  20    63   78  −15    40
18 E Endborough Ladies FC          38   10   9  19    45   63  −18    39
19 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC         38   10   8  20    79   84   −5    38
20 Linden Ladies FC                38    9  10  19    74   92  −18    37

Liga B Cup--Blue


Hamilton took the most points in the second half of the season (39), followed by Leiderkranz (34), thanks to a closing 5 match winning streak, and Southend & Westwood Sprites (33).

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

NSL Championship Season in Review

There were no final day heroics or drama in the Championship season for a change, mainly because the season provided all the drama necessary, as New Bremen FC captured the National League's top division crown for the first time in their 104 year history.
They did so with the division's stingiest defense, which has been their calling card for several season now, with 26 of their 34 fixtures decided by a goal or less, including a stretch of 12 straight during the middle of the campaign; 16 clean sheets kept made up for the side's offensive shortcomings, as nearly a quarter of their season output occurred in the first 4 matches.

At the bottom of the table, Corinithians and Richmond Station suffered late season collapses to find themselves relegated to the 2nd Division for next year; Corries were only able to gain 9 points over the course of the second half of the season, while Station only managed 3 points over the final eight matches to end their four season stay in the Championship.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 New Bremen FC             34   18   5  11    36   29   +7    59
 2 Asbury Park FC            34   15  10   9    66   60   +6    55
 3 Dalton Town FC            34   15  10   9    56   47   +9    55
 4 Midtown Athletic Club     34   15   8  11    59   50   +9    53
 5 Hamilton Wanderers FC     34   15   6  13    40   39   +1    51
 6 Clayton City SC           34   14   7  13    65   68   −3    49
 7 Shirley Metros FC         34   13  10  11    48   34  +14    49
 8 Marshallton Athletic SC   34   14   7  13    56   54   +2    49
 9 Southend AC               34   13   8  13    47   50   −3    47
10 Learfield FC              34   13   8  13    45   41   +4    47
11 Newport City FC           34   13   7  14    53   52   +1    46
12 Riverside City FC         34   13   6  15    43   50   −7    45
13 Sanborn Borough SC        34   11  10  13    60   63   −3    43
14 St Warren City FC         34   11  10  13    55   53   +2    43
15 Eqriquay United FC        34   12   6  16    44   48   −4    42
16 Hillsborough FC           34   10  12  12    44   48   −4    42
17 Richmond Station FC       34   11   5  18    36   51  −15    38
18 Corinthians               34    8   9  17    51   67  −16    33

Champions League--Blue
Challengers Cup--Green

Relegated--Violet

As for the return of international club competition, it was mainly a forgettable adventure for the various sides involved.

Defending league champions Learfield opened up with a tie in the 2nd Preliminary Round of the IFCF Champions League against Ko-oren's Miradela GD, cruising 2-0 at home and earning a 1-1 away draw to win 3-1 on aggregate, to put them into the 3rd Preliminary Round against United Philibiscostal of Omerica; 'Field stole an outright away win in the first leg and settled for a tame draw in the return leg in Oceana to win 5-4.
A spot in the CL Group Stage awaited Learfield, with Apox's Oldem Knights the only thing standing in their path, and although they repeated the first leg heroics of the previous round, a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Learfield Park meant that the consolation would be a place in the Challenge Cup Group Stage.

Could any of the three qualifiers for the Challenge Cup join the champs? Clayton City began with a 1st Preliminary Round matchup against Hajduk Vuckosavijeica and immediately found themselves in a hole after a 2-2 first leg result heading back to Terre Septentrionale, where they proceeded to go out 4-2 on aggregate.
Southend AC also had a two-legged tie in the same round, as they faced Loxthorpe Rovers from Flavovespia, but had an easier time than CC, scoring twice in both legs and advancing 4-1.

Dalton Town entered at the 2nd Preliminary Round, drawn against Sevilha FC from New Lusitana, and held on to a scoreless away leg after a 3-2 win in Dalton.
Southend came up against Dynapolis United and were held to a scoreless first leg at Old College Park before dropping the return in Cobrio 2-0.

Town were to face Energija Chernovets in the 3rd Prelim Round and fell to a single away goal at Park Lane before dropping the second leg in Siovanija & Teusland 2-0.

The Challenge Cup Group Stage saw Learfield drawn in with La Nueva Avenida of Farfadillis, Atletico Augusta of Darmen and Eura's Revolutionaries; a pair of losses to the latter meant that 'Field were denied from advancing, ending the NSL's involvement for this season.

Midtown AC earned their way into the revamped Cup Winner's Cup, and started out against Dinamo Vitebak from Filindostan; MAC slumped to a 3-2 defeat at home and were comprehensively beaten in the second leg 4-2, to make the aggregate scoreline 7-4.

Crusaders FC were the first entrant from the NSL into the Vilitan Cove Invitation, and were matched against Vilitan side Makosile United. After dropping the away leg 1-0, Cru's looked to slip past in their half of the tie, but a 2-1 defeat saw them eliminated.

In the AOCL, Learfield were placed in a preliminary playoff ahead of the group stage against Likewell Kirk FC from Demot. They got an important away victory in the first leg, but succumbed again at home 2-0 to go out. It was a disappointing end, as the FAC had won the rights to the Final of the tournament, which saw Valanora's Raynor City outlast Mriin's Maal Dragons at the BBP Stadium in Belle Haven 2-0 in extra time, after a scoreless 90 minutes.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

FAC Cup in Review

1st Preliminary Round
Cloppenburg Township SC 1–2 Center Point FC & RFC
New Harmony 3–1 Ralston United FC
Jaynesville SC 0–1 Hampton SC
Old Fort SC 3–1 Riverdale United FC
Georgetown Athletic Club 1–0 RFCP AC
Blue Aces SC 1–0 Union Miners FC
Edgewood Eagles SC 1–0 Deptford AC
Meadowlarks SC 3–3 Linden Lions FC
Maplewood AFC 2–4 New Richmond FC
Mel-Wood FC 0–0 Milton AFC
Battenberg Bruins SC 4–5 Independent Laborers AC
East Linden SC 1–0 Berwick Rangers FC
Griffith Borough Amateurs FC 0–0 Queens Park FC
West Chester 0–1 White River Twp
Albion Borough SC 5–2 Salisbury County FC
Alexandria Borough AFC 1–0 Spring Valley FC
Frankenburg AC 0–1 Bowling Green FC
FC Monroe Central 1–0 McIlroy Station FC
Hartley Community Club 0–1 Red Wing FC
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 2–1 Hills & Dales FC
St John's SC 3–1 Brecon Borough
Charter Twp FC 1–2 West Oceana Athletic FC

Replays
Linden Lions FC 1–2 Meadowlarks SC
Milton AFC 3–1 Mel-Wood FC
Queens Park FC 3–1 Griffith Borough Amateurs FC

2nd Preliminary Round
Principia SC 1–1 Meadowlarks SC
Milton AFC 2–2 Valley View SC
Shiloh FC 0–0 Western & Southern RR FC
Engineers Club 3–1 East Linden SC
Edgewood Eagles SC 1–2 Carlisle FC
Red Wing FC 0–0 FC Monroe Central
East Liverpool 0–1 Georgetown Athletic Club
Old Fort SC 0–1 Alexandria Borough AFC
State Univ 3–3 Patterson Park FC
Jeromeville FC 3–2 Bowling Green FC
White River Twp 0–1 Eastview SC
Forresters FC 1–2 Collinsville United FC
Kellerville AFC 4–1 Center Point FC & RFC
Andover Borough SC 2–5 Greenlea United FC
Ridge Raiders SC 4–1 Blue Aces SC
West Liberty Rovers FC 2–2 Lynchana Borderers AC
ROCK Utd 3–2 St John's SC
Hampton SC 0–2 Springfield City
West Alden United FC 0–2 Lewistown Town
West Oceana Athletic FC 4–1 Independent Laborers AC
Dragons FC 0–1 Albion Borough SC
New Harmony 1–0 Queens Park FC
Mansfield County SC 2–1 New Richmond FC
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 1–1 Blacksburg Area FC

Replays
Meadowlarks SC 0–2 Principia SC
Valley View SC 1–0 Milton AFC
Western & Southern RR FC 3–1 Shiloh FC
FC Monroe Central 2–1 Red Wing FC
Patterson Park FC 1–2 State Univ
Lynchana Borderers AC 1–0(AET) West Liberty Rovers FC
Blacksburg Area FC 2–0 Wagnerfield Kickers SC

1st Qualifying Round
SK Leiderkranz-Turner 3–1 Western & Southern RR FC
Lewistown Town 1–0 Jeromeville FC
Ravens FC 4–1 Blacksburg Area FC
Eastview SC 1–0 Carlisle FC
State Univ 0–0 New Harmony
Engineers Club 2–3 Valley View SC
Albion Borough SC 0–3 Principia SC
St Pats AC 2–4 East Endinborough AFC
Fairport Harbor FC 2–3 Kellerville AFC
Ridge Raiders SC 0–3 Mansfield County SC
West Oceana Athletic FC 1–0 Sherwood Forest FC
Collinsville United FC 1–5 Coolville United
FC Monroe Central 3–3 ROCK Utd
Springfield City 4–3 Lynchana Borderers AC
Maineville Marauders 3–2 Trinity FC
Jamestown Rovers FC 3–2 Georgetown Athletic Club
Westphalia County FC 2–3 Greenlea United FC
Maritime Athletic SC 0–0 Alexandria Borough AFC

Replays
New Harmony 1–0(AET) State Univ
ROCK Utd 5–5 FC Monroe Central (5–5 AET) (3–1 pen.)
Alexandria Borough AFC 3–2 Maritime Athletic SC

2nd Qualifying Round
Crusaders FC 1–2 Jacksonville City
Ravens FC 1–1 Mansfield County SC
Eastview SC 2–1 Dalton United
Haskins Blues 3–0 Kellerville AFC
SK Leiderkranz-Turner 0–0 Greenlea United FC
Mooresville Celtic 4–3 Lewistown Town
Forest Park 0–2 Lower Valley Lions
Broadview AFC 0–2 Jennings Borough
East Endinborough AFC 0–2 Alexandria Borough AFC
Ellesmere Woods 3–1 New Harmony
Maineville Marauders 2–4 Pembroke St David's
Lima City United 0–0 Paintersville FC
ROCK Utd 1–2 Principia SC
West Oceana Athletic FC 0–1 Castleford
Far Hills 2–0 Liberty FC
Springfield City 0–0 Hardun AC
Jamestown Rovers FC 1–3 Bergholz Caledonian
Valley View SC 2–3 Hannover United
Coolville United 3–3 Greenville Twp
Sorenberg Park 1–3 Great Northern

Replays
Mansfield County SC 1–0 Ravens FC
Greenlea United FC 3–2 SK Leiderkranz-Turner
Paintersville FC 2–6 Lima City United
Hardun AC 2–1 Springfield City
Greenville Twp 2–1(AET) Coolville United

1st Round
Hannover United 4–0 Alexandria Borough AFC
Linden Woods FC 2–1 Great Northern
Mansfield C&W FC 1–2 Jacksonville City
Eastview SC 1–3 Alton Athletic Club
Mansfield County SC 0–3 Greenville Twp
Jennings Borough 0–2 Haskins Blues
Bridgend Metros FC 1–1 Bergholz Caledonian
Meadowdale FC 2–2 Far Hills
Hardun AC 2–0 Pembroke St David's
Principia SC 2–1 Lima City United
Lower Valley Lions 1–2 Middlebourne City AFC
Brentwood Borough FC 2–1 Newmarket Saxons FC
Greenlea United FC 2–6 Castleford
Ellesmere Woods 2–3 Mooresville Celtic


Replays
Bergholz Caledonian 2–0 Bridgend Metros FC
Far Hills 1–2 Meadowdale FC

2nd Round
Hardun AC 2–3 Nor-Dale AFC
Principia SC 0–0 Castleford
Westwood Sprites 3–2 Linden Woods FC
Hannover United 1–2 Salisbury City FC
Jamestown City FC 1–2 North Royalton Town FC
Haskins Blues 1–2 Brentwood Borough FC
Victoria & Albert SC 1–1 Middletown City FC
North Lima SC 1–0 Meadowdale FC
Jacksonville City 2–2 Mooresville Celtic
Middlebourne City AFC 3–0 Greenville Twp
Alton Athletic Club 2–1 Bergholz Caledonian
Llewellyn Turnpike SC 2–2 Brentford FC

Replays
Castleford 1–0 Principia SC
Middletown City FC 2–2 Victoria & Albert SC (2–2 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Mooresville Celtic 3–7 Jacksonville City
Brentford FC 0–2 Llewellyn Turnpike SC

3rd Round
North Lima SC 2–1 Jacksonville City
Asbury Park FC 2–4 Brentwood Borough FC
Dalton Town FC 0–1 Shirley Metros FC
Eqriquay United FC 1–2 Westwood Sprites
Marshallton Athletic SC 2–3 Middletown City FC
St Warren City FC 4–2 Salisbury City FC
Castleford 2–2 Llewellyn Turnpike SC
Corinthians 4–4 Newport City FC
Hamilton Wanderers FC 2–1 Richmond Station FC
Middlebourne City AFC 1–0 North Royalton Town FC
Alton Athletic Club 2–3 Fairport City FC
Nor-Dale AFC 0–5 Clayton City SC
Sanborn Borough SC 0–0 New Bremen FC
Learfield FC 4–2 Monmouth Park FC
Hillsborough FC 1–2 Midtown Athletic Club
Riverside City FC 2–0 Southend AC

Replays
Llewellyn Turnpike SC 3–1 Castleford
Newport City FC 1–1 Corinthians (1–1 AET) (4–5 pen.)
New Bremen FC 2-1 Sanborn Borough SC

4th Round
Learfield FC 1–1 Middletown City FC
Hamilton Wanderers FC 4–1 Llewellyn Turnpike SC
Riverside City FC 1–1 Shirley Metros FC
Fairport City FC 2–1 St Warren City FC
Westwood Sprites 1–0 North Lima SC
Corinthians 1–3 Clayton City SC
New Bremen FC 1-0 Brentwood Borough FC
Middlebourne City AFC 2–2 Midtown Athletic Club

Replays
Middletown City FC 0–2 Learfield FC
Shirley Metros FC 0–1 Riverside City FC
Midtown Athletic Club 1–2 Middlebourne City AFC

Quarterfinal
Learfield FC 3–3 Middlebourne City AFC
Clayton City SC 2–3 Riverside City FC
Fairport City FC 3–1 Westwood Sprites
Hamilton Wanderers FC 0–1 New Bremen FC

Replay
Middlebourne City AFC 2-1(AET) Learfield FC

Semi Finals
Middlebourne City AFC 5–3 Fairport City FC
New Bremen FC 1–2 Riverside City FC

(both at BBP Stadium, Belle Haven)

Final
Middlebourne City AFC 3–2 Riverside City FC (at BBP Stadium, Belle Haven)

Middlebourne won the FAC Cup for the second time--to the day of the 25th anniversary of their previous victory--in front of 73,295, a record crowd for the FAC Final

Cup Winners Cup--Blue

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2020
The Last, Long Goodbye
by James Pettiford, Senior NSL Writer

At the end, it was fitting conclusion for the thousands of supporters who were crammed into Town Lane—clearly the Chief Fire Marshall turned a blind eye this one time—which provided a final story for the history books.

Engineers Club began the final afternoon of the FAC Shield season 3 points behind Dragons FC in second place, with Valley View and East Liverpool hovering one point back; the Eastern Section of the league had been a battle between 7 clubs for most of the second half of the year, along with Union Miners, Lynchana Borderers and Center Point.

The hosts had made a strong push to not finish in last place in their final campaign, and had in fact played a part in how the battle for the top two positions would end up; 3 weeks earlier, Old Fort had defeated Center Point 2-1, which left the hosts in a three way tie atop the table, with the other 4 clubs all within 3 points of one another.

Back at the beginning of the season, the schedule makers at the FAC had obliged the request from Old Fort, and Hills & Dales to be permitted to play their final matches of the season at home on the final match day; there had a preliminary plan to have Old Fort play their match on Friday night, with H&D playing in the afternoon on Sunday, to which the governing body agreed as long as there were no implications to the final standings involved in either fixture.

As the weeks passed and the race stayed close, there was a decision made to tentatively switch the fixtures, with the visit of Red Wing to Beechtree Common now scheduled for the Friday, and the Engineers-Old Fort match shifted to Sunday.

On the penultimate weekend, Dales got into the act of playing spoiler, as they claimed their final away win, 1-0 over Miners, effectively eliminating the St Leon club from a chance for promotion; the home supporters were gracious in defeat, however, as they paid tribute to the visitors, a gesture both Dales and Fort grew accustomed to at the tail end of the season.

The final Friday night match televised on the CommSports2 cable network had implications of its own, although not at the same level as the battle at the top. Red Wing were the visitors and sat two points behind Old Fort in 18th place, meaning a victory would push them past Fort ahead of the final day. The Chief Fire Marshall of South-Western Township was also willing to overlook the capacity limits of the ground, as all manner of temporary seating was utilized and standees were 4-5 deep around the perimeter.

A commemorative photo of the two starting XI's together preceded the kickoff, but unfortunately for the majority of the supporters, the occasion seemed to a bit too much for the home side, Wings ending up with 3-0 victory; the traveling supporters unfurled a banner before the final whistle which read, "Old Fort H&D Never Forgotten".

After a short post-match exchange by the teams, the supporters took to the pitch, where they bellowed out club chants before they took up several rounds of the club song, set to the tune of "Over There", in which they were joined by a sizable contingent from the Fort.

In the day between, attention turned towards Baker's Fort, where the two clubs had made plans for a festival type gathering just outside the town, within walking distance of the ground. Two large tents were erected, and a carnival-style midway filled in the space between them. It was reminiscent of a festival, rather than the end of 115 years of history, but the mood was intentional and for a purpose, according to Old Fort Chairman Richard Cox.

"We made it clear from the first announcement that this wasn't a death, it wasn't losing our clubs forever. Tony (Blevins, H&D Chairman) and I have stressed that we should all be proud of the history that these communities share, how we are opponents, but certainly not enemies. We feel that this should be real celebration of the fact that two clubs of our size have lasted as long as we have, in an area of the country where there isn't untapped potential for new support. Together we will be stronger, but we won't erase what came before."

Randi Worthington and her son Neil have come for the weekend from Riverside, but not for a routine last away day of the season. "My dad grew up here, but lived all of his adult life in Riverside Heights and was a season ticket holder for Wings, but he always remained true to The Fort. We would come down at least once a year, because of family here, so growing up I remember a lot of trips to Town Lane or the Common. It was this one"—she points to the teenager next to her—"who said we needed to come down, to represent grandpa for the last match. Unfortunately the husband couldn't get time off from work, so it's just us, but we're staying until tomorrow, even if we don't get into the match itself."

The Worthington's were not the only out of towners here for nostalgic reasons; Geoff Carroll came from Oceana for the H&D match and was able to come away with a special souvenir from the night. "My maternal grandfather played for Dales when they were in the Conference (1949-1959) and as it happens, the last match of the 1955 season was at home against Red Wing, who were already relegated, but Grandad scored a goal. He's probably not going to be with us much longer, so I wanted a piece of the turf, which I'll plant on his grave when the time comes."

The number of tickets sold and collected for the final match of Old Fort SC at Town Lane will probably remain a mystery for all time; at a point 10 minutes prior to kickoff at 2:20 pm, admission was a matter of $7 paid to a collector at the General Admission gate and then being offered two directions to travel, hustled by stewards to areas behind ropes.

Just as had occurred 42 hours previously, a group photo of the starters and the officials together was followed by the whistle to start the match.
There was really only pride on the line for the side in claret & silver—the Red Wing victory meant that they now were in 16th place, with Fort only a point ahead of Riverdale United, who were facing Union Miners. The worst case scenario would mean that a last place finish would be the final chapter for the club.

The wall of noise emanating from the crowd spurred the home side into a determined resistance against an Engineers side looking to advance from the Shield for the first time in 40 years.
But it took only one lapse in concentration to provide the break the away side needed, and at halftime, it looked as though Fort would disappoint the crowd in the same way Dales had on Friday.

The urgency and enthusiasm of the crowd resumed following the break, and the players on both sides fed off the intensity, but as the minutes ticked away, the soccer gods in their capricious ways had only one outcome in mind on the day; an 81st minute equalizer raised the decibel level, and caused a small scale intrusion onto the pitch, which was quickly corrected by those around it before the police were needed.

Now the tone changed, as Fort knew the result would be to their advantage, while Engineers knew they now needed all the points; the contest became a battle of the opposing sides attempting counteract the other's obvious tactical aims.

At the final whistle—the final, final whistle for these supporters under the conditions they had known all of their lives—a draw was close enough to a victory, especially for a club that has seen more than its share of defeats, and the crowd made a slow, tidal advance on the central part of the pitch while the players and coaches concluded their congratulations and commiserations; in fact, the visiting side was clapped off by those closest to the tunnel to the dressing room.

In their disappointment, the EC supporters who had come from Endborough—most of whom had been welcomed warmly in the leadup to the match—unfurled their banner: "Old Fort SC 115 years of Fair Play & Friendship", which received a loud and sustained reception.

The time had come to bring the weekend to a close, and as the supporters at Dales had sang their club's song, the home crowd joined together in 3 large circles that stretched the length and width of the pitch—with many of the Dales crowd and others who had come for the day who were neutral, respectfully forming a circle outside of the others—joining together arm in arm to sing the simple and poignant hymn that had been a part of the club for more than 80 years:

"Carry me, carry me,
back to my old home.
Carry me, carry me,
back to the Old Fort.
Back to the Old Fort,
back to my old home,
carry me, carry me
back to the Old Fort."

Following three verses of that, the Dales supporters moved inward to join with their neighbors, friends, relatives and longtime friendly rivals, with many warm embraces and expressions of good will, and then the finale—even the Engineers Club section were invited onto the pitch to participate—the crowd were led into "Auld Lang Syne".

It was a fitting conclusion to an emotional season, week, day; a fitting conclusion to the history of two clubs that reminded us that community is sometimes bigger than championships.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Commonwealth National Team begins New Era
Lee Armbruster
The Daily Mail Staff Writer

There will be a monumental change in the structure of the Commonwealth of Baker Park National Soccer Team following on from the hiring of Ichi Tuzzio, the World Cup winning manager of Farfadillis, who replaces Pamela Scott in the job that she left to replace him at the helm of the Farves National Side.

Tuzzio becomes the first foreign manager to the lead the FAC's squad in the country's history, and where Scott & Trevor Richmond worked together with FAC Executive Director David Carlson to streamline and amalgamate the National Team setup with the Technical and Player Development side of the association's mission, the new boss will concentrate on the Senior NT squad only, along with his assistant Friekder Dandalleion.

The pair are outsized presences as soccer royalty in their home country, not only for their achievement in bringing the World Cup 84 title to Farfadillis, but as key members of the first generation of players who were instrumental in leading the nation to AOCAF titles and qualification for the World Cup on a regular basis.

Shortly after his retirement, during the celebrations of Farfadillis second AOCAF Cup win, Ichi Tuzzio was tragically shot in an attempt to mug him. He lost the ability to walk, but managed a miraculous recovery over the years which saw him able to walk with the help of a cane. This event motivated him to start his managerial career.

He led Buyan to qualification in World Cup 80 via the playoffs—in similar fashion that Baker Park qualified on their debut—and returned to Farfadillis for the next WC cycle to take charge of his own nation's NT squad.

FAC Director Carlson gave a brief outline of how the search for a new manager came to pass.

"Obviously we had to separate our feelings & emotions regarding Pam & the circumstances around her departure. I sent an e-mail to all of the FAC Staff saying that we would take 15 days to distance ourselves from the immediate aftermath. You want people not having their thinking colored by their personal feelings.
We then started right from the top, discussing Trevor's inclination at resuming the post; Will (Barnard, Assistant NT Manager), Tony (Weiss, Senior NT Coach), Hailey (Reinhart-Zavaros, also a Senior Coach), Jen (Prescott, U21 co-Manager) & Liam (Sullivan, U21 co-manager), along with Darren (Kirby, U15/17/18 co-manager) & Zoe (Montgomery, U15/17/18 co-manager), were all brought in to give their honest views.
These are the people who have been the backbone of the FAC over the past several years. We believe in all of them, we trust their opinions. They are the people who have their fingers on the pulse of our up & coming talent."

Trevor Richmond picked up on the thread from there. "We had overwhelming interest from people across the country, and the multiverse. How many managerial jobs open up among the top 20 national sides where there is a realistic opportunity that someone from outside a small pool of candidates will have an honest shot? I was tasked by Dave to handle the inquiries from overseas candidates, and to compile a short list of 3-5 names. Could we have selected one of the senior staff, promote from within? I believe we could have. But were we going to select a national team manager to fill a role that Pam occupied, or were we going to hire someone to concentrate solely on the senior NT squad? "

That's where the process began, and it took a decidedly unusual path from that point.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tuzzio himself made enquiries via a few different channels; in Baker Park there was obviously a huge separation between the success of sport results & the rest of everyday life.
He booked a five day holiday package trip to Belle Haven, with a major discount for a 2 day/night weekday reservation at the Huntington Plaza Hotel.

He sent word to Richmond via one of those contacts that he would be in the country for a few days, and perhaps he could have a tour of the FAC Training Center while he was here?

"I called Dave and asked him, relative to the search, what would be a scenario he could imagine that would be so ridiculous, no one would believe it, a candidate so out of left field that it would make perfect sense, but not make sense at all? He threw out Ázëwyn Fëanáro's name, I said even crazier and he came up with Jim Reid (the former manager of Brenecia who led that nation to the World Cup title, whose daughter currently plays in Baker Park), and then I said, you're on the right track, but think supremely crazy. He said Bøb Übermanager. Then I mentioned that Ichi Tuzzio was coming to the country for a holiday, and wondered if he could have a courtesy tour at Birkenfeld."

Carlson's side of the story reflects his own sense of amused surprise. "I absolutely thought Trevor was pulling my leg, and started to wonder why he (Tuzzio) would be trying to play it coy. If he was interested in the job, surely we would be thrilled to speak with him about it. I suppose maybe he thought we wouldn't hire from outside, but he just wanted to have an informal chat about the opening."

In the meantime, Richmond relayed back to the Farve manager that it would be a great honor to have him as a guest, and to call to arrange a convenient time & day during his visit.

The two FAC men then sat down to brainstorm approaches to the "informal" interview. One consideration was whether they should lay out the job as strictly being in charge of the NT, and reconfiguring the rest of the structure of the organization in such a way to leave Richmond as the main conduit between the manager and the rest of the staff.
They came to the conclusion that this would probably be the way he would want it anyway, as the way the FAC was integrated was an outlier in multiverse soccer.

A call was made to the Farfadillis consulate to inquire whether someone might be available in case there was need for a translator for a guest, but it was decided that one would not be needed.

The intermediary was deemed unnecessary for any further communication, and Tuzzio himself spoke to Richmond on the Monday morning ahead of his arrival in Belle Haven two days later.
The visitor outlined his itinerary for the five days, and Richmond explained that he would be happy to be available to show the guest around, and to arrange any transportation needs Tuzzio might require during his stay.

They agreed to have dinner that Wednesday evening and spend part of the day Thursday sightseeing before heading to Charter Township on Friday.

Tuzzio offered up from the start of their conversation over dinner that he wasn't exactly sure why he was doing this, since he really hadn't considered taking another national team job; after all, how do you follow up winning the World Cup for your own nation?
But when Pam Scott was hired to lead the team he pushed and drove to the title, he thought that he should at least learn a little bit about why she was the one that the FFFF selected. He admitted that it was a bit embarrassing that he didn't know anything about a fellow AO nation that had the presence that Baker Park did in the sport.

Richmond assured him that there was nothing to be embarrassed about; he said he hoped that Tuzzio would learn a little bit about the nation and the people, even if that's all that came out of the trip. He also said that he wished that he'd known a little bit more about Tuzzio's interests, so that he might've been able to arrange something that the visitor would enjoy.
They talked about the game generally, people they knew in common, about Tuzzio's playing career relative to Richmond's. They adjourned to the bar (after Tuzzio picked up the check without Richmond having a chance to do so first), where they talked more about tactics and systems generally—Richmond thinking to himself that Scott would be in her element here—and Tuzzio asking a lot of questions about the move to mixed gender squads. They finally called it night around 10:30 pm.

"I don't know how much walking is comfortable for you, Maestro (Trevor had called him that earlier just as a joke, but Tuzzio seemed to respond to it positively), but I thought we'd take a look at the new stadium, and maybe just a short visit to Parliament House. You can judge how you're feeling as we go. Oh, also I hope you don't mind if I bring my two boys along, as they would love to meet you and they are at that age where they are high-strung, but really interested in learning everything they can." Tuzzio said he had no objections to any of those plans and they set a time for 9:30 the following morning when Richmond would meet him with a car.

to be continued...

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Lee Armbruster
The Daily Mail Staff Writer

It's uncertain how many of his countrymen are eager to listen to Ichi Tuzzio tell stories about his international playing career for Farfadillis, but Jason and Robbie Richmond were apparently the right audience to hear about his exploits in leading the Farves to AOCAF titles and World Cup qualifications.

The sons of FAC Sporting Director Trevor Richmond have met many greats of Baker Park's past, but this was the first chance they had to meet and spend time with a Hall of Fame player from the past from another nation.

The three locals accompanied Tuzzio on a full day of in-town sightseeing; a trip through the Tunnel and a look around the BBP Stadium, followed by a swing past Rosenau, over to Victoria Square, Charter House, then Parliament House, where a special tour guide was on hand--Prime Minister Rebecca Schoenlien--who invited the group to a short lunch in the Ivory Dining Room at PH.
After an abbreviated walk through at the State Museum, they returned back to the South Bank via the POW Bridge and Tuzzio took his leave ahead of the trip to the FAC Development Center the following day.

The drive out to Birkenfeld gave Richmond a chance to explain why the facility was situated so far away from city, an overview of the various functions housed there, and the staff who operated from the offices there, as opposed to the main HQ downtown.

He also explained the rationale behind the existence of Prince's Charter Township (although it has almost always through history been referred to without the 'Prince's' appellation), as an extra source of income for the Prince Regents of long past times.

Following an extensive tour of the grounds and buildings, David Carlson came into the picture and the three men sat down over lunch; the meal and the conversation were light, until finally Richmond crossed over to the unspoken issue at hand.

"Maestro Tuzzio, I have enjoyed our time together over the last couple of days, and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to introduce you to Baker Park. But, I think the bottom line question that David & myself have is--are you interested in the job of national team manager? Because we certainly would continue the discussion into more substantive areas while you are here."

Tuzzio smiled with genuine amusement, and a bit of self-conscious regret. "If I had come to the country without any interest in the opening, just on my own idea to have a holiday, I certainly feel like I might be begging the two of you for a chance to have interview after the last two days."
All three of them laughed, and the older man continued, "I had no real idea of how to make an inquiry for a job that was held by the person who replaced me. It looks like a straight swap, and I'm not sure if it is a fair one, as you get the short end of the bargain."

At that point, they made a decision to adjourn to Carlson's office for further discussion; he and Richmond gave a brief background of how the FAC arrived at where it is currently--long term commitment, singularity of vision and trusting the process. "Obviously, when we started out shortlisting candidates, we had in mind someone who would be a long-term hire. But World Cup winning managers don't come knocking on your door every day." Richmond sat up a bit straighter on the couch.
"Dave, Pam, and myself built up what we have today, we share equal credit because we all did equal work. We never imagined during World Cup 80 that we'd be in the top 10 in as short a period of time as it's happened. We're at a place where we need to really make the last push to get up among the real contenders for the title, because we don't think treading water is a long term plan."

Tuzzio held up a finger to signal he wanted to interrupt. "I've read about the work you've done here, how you emphasize technical development and your age teams perform at a high level. I would not want to interfere in that, as I don't really know much about youth training. But I am very impressed with your current playing squad, because they are coming into the peak of their careers."

They talked about how the organization would be re-structured, and how the relationship--if it came to pass--would be for the entire cycle, and then a further decision to continue on after that.

"You do understand, Maestro, that you have pre-empted the interview process, as we have only just gotten down to the names of our top targets. I hope you'll give us a couple of weeks to get through our process before we make our final decision?" Carlson had picked up on Trevor's use of the honorific, so decided he would utilize it here.

Tuzzio was quite impressed with these men, who were completely different from the ones who held similar positions in the FFFF. "Gentlemen, I am humbled that you have welcomed me to your facility, humbled by the warmth and goodwill I have experienced over the 2 1/2 days. Trevor, your boys were excellent company yesterday, I almost wanted to ask you if I could come to your home."
The men shook hands and then Richmond & Tuzzio rode back to the city.

"I hope you won't be offended if the driver makes detour to take me home?" He paused for a moment and resumed. "Actually Maestro, you are certainly welcome to come to my home, it would be our pleasure. I don't know if this the right time to surprise my wife with an unexpected guest, but I would love to have you for dinner tomorrow evening? If that works for you?" The two arranged the details, and by the time they come to a stop in front of the Richmond home in Broadmoor Borough, the details had been sorted.

"Again, feel free to use the car service as you might need. And we will look forward to seeing you tomorrow." They shook hands again, then the luxury sedan pulled away.