Commonwealth of Baker Park Sports News

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Weiss now hot commodity in coaching circles, talks U18's

by Darrell Anderson
The Exponent Soccer Editor

Tony Weiss was an up and coming FAC age-group coach a month ago. Now he is at the center of speculation in rumors of coaching changes expected in the National Soccer League's off season.

Weiss sat down along with Jennifer Prescott, who served as Assistant Manger to Weiss in the just completed Sporting World Cup which saw the Commonwealth side bring home the FAC's first major tournament trophy in its' history, to talk about the experience of leading the first coed soccer team in the nation's history and coming away as champions in the process.

The Exponent--Tony, Jennifer, first of all, congratulations on a tremendous achievement.
TW: "thanks Darrell, we are all proud of the fact that the team was able to represent the Commonwealth in such a momentous occasion."
JP: "It was a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of such an incredible experience, not just for us but for the entire squad. Even without making the final, it still would've been worth every moment spent,"
TE: "Can you talk a bit about the day of the final and your thoughts and expectations?"
TW: "Jennifer..."
JP: "ha! I was a wreck emotionally. I'm supposed to be the experienced, level headed voice of reason, but I was a bundle of nerves. I got so caught up in the idea that if we didn't win, it would be terrible for the guys and gals. While we were eating breakfast at the hotel, my stomach was churning. Everyone was happy and laughing and so cool, but I was feeling terrible. I had to feign an excuse to go back to my room, and I just sobbed for about 5 minutes."
TW: "She was, throughout the entire time we were there, always the one who was keeping me on an even keel mentally. We spent so much time talking about the right psychological perspective to present the players. I had no idea that she would feel such pressure on herself."
JP: "Once we got to the stadium and the routine of preparing for the match started, I was fine. I don't know why I reacted that way."
TE: "Was there ever a point that either of you thought that the roles should have been reversed?"
JP: "Never."
TW: "every day (laughs). There is so much that the manager has to do that has nothing to do with the actual team. Every minute of the day is so important and you need to know how to utilize your time effectively. She was always there to remind me of little things and to pick up slack when I didn't even realize that's what she was doing."
JP: "I think from the first day, I knew Tony had the capability to handle the job. There were times I thought he was going to ask me how I would handle a situation, and he would instead say this is what I'm going to do, and it was always instinctively the right choice."
TW: "I've always been more involved with training and working with players on technical things, but I think if you are a coach you always have ideas of how you would approach player management situations. I needed Jennifer to be more of a sounding board, and say 'do you think that's the best way to go?' rather than someone I was asking advice of."
TE: "One serious disagreement you had--"
JP: "who was going to pick up the check."
TW: "(laughs) she would never let me buy anything. In Suwkpel, we had a lot of late afternoon lunches with the other coaches and the media, and between her and Fiona (Devlin, of The Sporting Times Daily) I think they paid my share every time."
JP: "actually, the other coaches chipped in to cover his bill once or twice, too. I learned a long time ago if you keep the boss fed, you'll never have to worry about your job. (laughs)"
TE: "and finally, Tony, you're a name that's being mentioned in connection with club jobs that might come open. Do you think that's an avenue you might be pursuing?"
TW: "I don't know Darrell, as I said there's a lot of details you have to be a master of to be a manager of a club and at a club level there are so many other issues that one doesn't have to face when you are dealing with a group of players in short periods of time. If there was someone of her ability to be there to help me, then it might be a temptation I'd think about. But I'm happy where I am at the moment."
JP: "Personally I think he would find his way quickly, he is bright and dedicated. Even I would have to think long and hard about an offer to manage at the club level. I certainly don't have all the answers and I'd probably need a couple of years working at a club as a coach or an assistant before I'd feel ready. The great thing about working for Dave (Carlson) and the FAC is you have the opportunity to learn on the job but with a lot of resources at your disposal and without the immediate pressure that a club manager faces."
TE: "thanks both of you for your time."
TW: "you're welcome Darrell, it's been a pleasure."
JP: "yeah, it's been fun."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Lowell Friedman--"and with the World Cup qualifying close at hand, we introduce the World Cup Show here on CommSports 2, we'll be here 5 nights a week, and of course before and after all the matches scheduled. And I'm thrilled to have as my co-host Karen Stone."
Karen Stone--"Lowell, I'm excited too. After the recent success that teams representing the FAC have had, now comes the real test. 18 matches to determine which teams will make it to the Finals of World Cup EquiStar 80."
LF--"we'll also be joined by guest analysts here in the studio and from all corners to help us break down the matches, the players, the news and everything else."
KS--"and tonight we are happy to welcome an expert panel who will look ahead to how the next few months will unfold and what can we expect from the National Team and tournament in general. So let's introduce, here with us in the CommSports studio--our own, Brad Englehart, CommSports NSL analyst; Charlotte Daniels, CommSports WNSL analyst; our friend Leanne King, from the National Radio. And welcoming in from Coolville, Andy Sloan, of the Journal-Herald and from Riverside, Tomthy Jones, Senior Soccer Editor from The Sporting Times Daily. Thanks everyone for being here."
LF--"Andy, we'll start with you...you were at the center of a controversy in Banija during the Baptism of Fire tournament for some of the things you wrote, and Pamela Scott had a very long and angry monologue during her press conference in reply Do you want to clear up any misconceptions or set the record straight?"
Andy Sloan--"Well Lowell, I would say one misconception is that I am somehow not a fan of Pam Scott or her management style, because nothing could be further from the truth. I've known Pam and have had an excellent working relationship with her all the way back to when she was a college coach, and I have no reason to believe that she thinks I am out to make her look bad. In hindsight, do I wish I had thought a bit more about the tone of the story I did that she was upset about? Of course."
KS--"Andy, you talked about the tackling and physical presence in your story--I'm not trying to put you on the spot--but you can see how even without saying "woman" that someone could infer that you are being unfair--I'm not saying you were--and how that can mushroom out of context?"
AS--"It was never my intention to try and make a case that the women on the National team in Banija were sabotaging the effort or playing poorly relative to the men. And Pam scorched me, and it wasn't until I got back to my hotel and talked to my wife on the phone that it even dawned on me what that story sounded like if you read it in a way like you're describing. I have a wife, 2 sisters and 2 daughters and I wouldn't ever suggest that the outstanding women we had playing for the squad in Banija were somehow creating a situation that was causing problems. It was my wife reading the story to me in her own voice over the phone that I got the gist of what Pam's issue was."
LF--"so she wan't exactly reassuring?"
AS--"Lowell, she did what she always has done, which is to put things into a perspective I might not think about. I've spoken with Pam on the phone since we came back, and I didn't get the sense that our professional relationship is damaged or that she holds a grudge. She said right from the start of the call she was happy to speak with me and that she was prepared to draw a line under the affair that we both could've handled better."
KS--"OK, so Andy, let's move on to the actual results in the BoF and your reactions and I want to bring in Leanne and Charlotte to talk a bit about the fact that the women--it could be argued--carried the side through a large part of the later stages of the competition. Leanne?
Leanne King--"Well Kelly, I want to say to Andy that as long as I've know you, I was pretty sure that you had no malicious intent. And to the question, I guess from a 'girl power' perspective that you are probably right. But I can tell you, was that some sort of conscious thought in the minds of the team while it was going on? Not at all."
LF--"what was the general dynamic of the squad?"
LK--"This was a side that had a huge advantage that the women who were always going to have the chance to play a lot of minutes were the absolute top of the line of the Women's National setup. In fact I personally think that having both Jackie Thomas and Valerie Agahambri in the side together and how that will affect the availability of either of them coming up might come back to be the one vital mistake that was made. I'm told Jackie is going to be in the camp for the qualifying side, and that Agahambri wanted to come but they told her to take a month off. I asked one of the players out of the blue if they thought the male/female balance in the starting lineup was about right, and the response was 'yeah, it's probably just about right. Obviously the women have the better player at about 3 positions'.
AS--"I appreciated your support Leanne, you know I think you are a top notch reporter. And I have to agree with her assessment; on just the relative experience of the roster, it was clear that the women had a huge advantage. I think the other element that might get lost is the fact that in Navarro, Whitestone, and Agahambri, and even the brief appearances by Leslie Monaghan, their pace was such a factor. It will be interesting to see how the current player pool will matchup in terms of forward pace."
KS--"Charlotte?"
Charlotte Daniels--"The objective was to go, take this mix of experience and youth and a few borderline players, plays some matches, come back. But then you get caught up in actually winning the tournament and it distorts the player development angle. I'm sure Pam was having conversations with FAC HQ about how to proceed once they got to the knockouts. The tactics didn't change but some of the fringe players disappeared."
LK--"but you know, Pam wasn't insensitive to that fact. She knew that she was cheating some of the players out of minutes. But none of the backups checked out or got into a mood where they were feeling like they were missing out. Wanting to win wasn't an idea that came down from the office to the detriment of player evaluation. All of the squad understood that once they got past the group stage, it was always going to be a matter of the strongest lineup versus playing people just to get them minutes."
LF--"let's leave it right there for now, and we'll pick up the discussion in a couple of minutes, after this break."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The National Soccer League showed why it is still one of the Commonwealth's most popular spectator attractions in the sporting calendar, as an all time record for goals per game was reached in 2017-18.
The NSL has always had to compete with other professional leagues that encourage high scoring, close competition, but those purists who still buy into the adage that defense wins championships had to be relieved that those clubs that kept the best defensive records all finished with respectable positions in the final table.

The beginning of the season saw many pundits wonder if Learfield FC could duplicate their success from a season ago and leave the other traditional sides in their wake; could Jamestown City and Nor-Dale take the example of North Lima and beat the odds to stay up in their first year in the Championship, and could Asbury Park and Monmouth Park draw on their long histories to arrest their slow descent towards the Second Division? And what of some of the other mid-table stragglers looking to make a move in an increasingly competitive league?

The pre-season predictions bore out the fact that the old guard couldn't be relied on to lead the pace.

1. Dalton Town
2. Ezriquay United
3. Marshallton Athletic
4. Hillsborough FC
5. Clayton City
6. Shirley Metros
7. V & A
8. Learfield
9. New Bremen
10. Monmouth Park
11. Midtown AC
12. St Warren City
13. Nor-Dale
14. Jamestown City
15. Newport City
16. Southend
17. North Lima
18. Asbury Park

This was the climate of the state of the game on the Commonwealth as the season kicked-off.

Matchdays 1-12

The opening weekend of the season saw the champions Learfield held 1-1 at Clayton City, while relegation dark horse Southend earned a point with a brave effort at title contender Hillsborough and Nor-Dale give a scare to another hopeful, Ezriquay United.

Week 2 saw Southend make another statement, this time with an away shock victory of Ezriquay. Two other clubs looking to be in the hunt at the end of the season, Shirley metros and Marshallton Athletic put on an 8 goal thriller at Presidents Park, with the home side coming out the better.

Matchday 3 found Hillsborough taking a bad home defeat to Jamestown City, while V&A dropped a 2-1 decision at home to Metros.

Week 4 was another away day success for Southend at Jamestown and defending champ Learfield was surprised at home by Asbury Park. Hillsborough remained winless in 4 starts with a scoreless draw in Shirley.

Week 5 saw the Metros remain at the top of the table as they tamed the Southend surprise package.

Week 6 found New Bremen getting the measure of Hillsborough with a 2-2 home draw and Monmouth Park countinued to quietly climb the table after a solid 1-0 defeat of Dalton Town

Matchday 7 threw up a new share of head scratchers; battling Nor-Dale held Marshallton 3-3, while St Warren City continued the woes of Hillsborough with a one goal away win. Jamestown City handed Shirley their first loss of the campaign and pre-season favorite Dalton Town slipped to 16th after a home defeat to second choice Ezriquay United.

Nor-Dale got their much deserved first victory with a masterful 2-0 victory over V&A in week 8, which lifted them off the bottom of the standings. Monmouth Park put a strong hold on 2nd place with a 2-0 win against Newport City.

Matchday 9 came soon after and the 'Dale earned another 3 points to send Hillsborough to the foot of the NSL Championship. Meanwhile, North Lima added another performance to draw themselves awa from the relegation battle as they beat the league leaders in Shirley, and Newport continued Dalton's poor run with a 1-0 home win.

Newport's roll continued into the 10th match of the season as their 3-2 win against Asbury saw them rise to second, and Ezriquay United suffered a late blow when North Lima equalized in injury time to split the honors at the Queen Victoria Stadium.

Matchday 11's most important result saw Monmouth go first after another home loss by Hillsborough, and now talk in the capital began to revolve around whether 'Borough would be relegated for the first time in 97 years.

Champions Learfield made sure that no one forgot that they were still defending their title after a 5-1 thrashing of Metros in Week 12 and Nor-Dale once again defied the experts, as the newly promoted side beat their fellow promotion partners Jamestown 3-2.

And so, after 12 rounds, the table looks like this:

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 NewportCity            12    8   1   3    21   17   +4    25
 2 MonmouthPark           12    7   2   3    18   13   +5    23
 3 SouthendAC             12    7   2   3    25   21   +4    23
 4 ShirleyMetros          12    7   1   4    22   20   +2    22
 5 MidtownAC              12    5   4   3    29   27   +2    19
 6 LearfieldFC            12    5   3   4    25   21   +4    18
 7 StWarrenCty            12    5   3   4    25   22   +3    18
 8 EzriquayUtd            12    4   5   3    22   21   +1    17
 9 DaltonTown             12    5   2   5    20   21   −1    17
10 AsburyPark             12    3   6   3    21   20   +1    15
11 MarshalltonAth         12    4   3   5    31   32   −1    15
12 NewBremen              12    4   3   5    13   15   −2    15
13 V & A                  12    3   4   5    13   14   −1    13
14 NorthLima              12    3   4   5     9   11   −2    13
15 JamestownCity          12    3   4   5    16   21   −5    13
16 ClaytonCity            12    2   6   4    23   23    0    12
17 NorDale                12    3   2   7    19   24   −5    11
18 Hillsborough           12    1   3   8     9   18   −9     6

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

matchday 13-24
As the calendar changed, the season entered into its second phase and questions still remained for many of the clubs who were not falling into their place in the pecking order.

Asbury continued Hillsborough's woes with a 2-0 defeat of their neighbors, and North Lima—who had survived their first Championship campaign a year ago with the smallest player budget and roster in the league—showed they intended to stay up again with a 3-0 home thrashing of the defending champs Learfield.

Matchday 14 saw the leaders entertaining the bottom two, with Newport City inflicting another embarrassing loss on 'Borough and Monmouth Park holding off Jamestown City; that left the winners tied for first and Jamestown 8 points ahead of Hillsborough, although still in 17th.

Another matchup of struggling top clubs awaited on matchday 15, as V&A hosted Ezriquay United, but the sides couldn't decide a winner, which left them 15th and 10th respectively.

Week 16 threw up a fair share of surprises, as North Lima blanked Learfield and Midtown AC drew with Newport. Both results allowed Shirley Metros to pull within a point of top spot after their 1-0 defeat of Dalton Town.

The halfway point of the season would not have been most bettors' choice as the round when Hillsborough would earn their second victory, but the 3-1 home win against Ezriquay was just that, leaving United mired in 14th, although to be fair only 6 points from 4th. Also at the foot of the table, Nor-Dale got another well earned 3 points after tallying the only score against Learfield.

Week 18 was highlighted by a 2nd vs 3rd matchup as Metros hosted Newport, and following the 2-0 home win, Metros found themselves back at the top, as Monmouth Park fell 1-0 to the Metros' rival St Warren. V&A came out with a second straight offensive explosion as they put 6 past Midtown, after scoring 5 versus Southend the week before, conceding 2 goals in each match; now on a 7 match unbeaten run, the Coburgs climbed into the top half of the table.

Matchday 19 was notable only for the fact that the results didn't change the order at the top. Monmouth and Newport both dropped points and lost some ground on Shirley.

After having languished most of the season holding up the table, Hillsborough finally rose to 16th with their fourth straight victory on Matchday 20, 5-2 at Jamestown City, with the hosts now taking over the bottom rung. Also climbing, but at the opposite end of the standings, was North Lima who ran out 4-2 winners over Marshallton to move up to 4th.

Week 21 is usually when the title contenders start to pull away and the possible relegation sides have been revealed. But this season has not gone true to form; a 3 match stretch can see your club rise or fall 5 places in a hurry. At this point, positions 4 through 10 are separated by only 3 points, although fourth place 10 points behind the league leaders.

Shirley made a strong statement that the title was their's for the taking, after they smashed Southend 8-4 on day 22. Current holders Learfield moved into the top 4 with a 3-1 win against a Newport side that is losing ground in the race, and Jamestown showed their mettle by gaining a precious point at home to Midtown, allowing them to remain close to Nor-Dale and Hillsborough in the bottom 3.

Week 23 presented a slate of contrasting stories--pre-season favorite Dalton fell at home to Monmouth 2-0; Town now sit 13th, while the winners remained in second, which is seen by many as a reversal of where the two sides were predicted to be at this point. Marshallton Athletic are one of the country's most entertaining sides to watch, but where they would be if their defense was a bit better is anyone's guess. A 3-1 defeat to Learfield meant the "A's" were still the highest scoring squad in the Commonwealth, but also have now allowed the most goals against. By contrast, North Lima who sit a point behind, have conceded only 19 at this point, and Asbury, who are two points back, have a defense that has conceded half as many as Marshallton. And speaking of conceding, Jamestown doesn't appear ready to concede they are returning to the Second Division for next season, as they won 1-0 against Ezriquay, and coupled with Hillsborough's 2-1 defeat to New Bremen—their third loss in a row after their previous 4 game winning run-- jumped back over 'Borough and Nor-Dale in to 16th.

Monmouth Park closed the gap with Shirley to just 3 points with their 2-0 win against Asbury Park and the Metros being held to a scoreless home draw with Jamestown. Matchday 24 also saw Hillsborough and Nor-Dale earn a point apiece to keep the fight to survive relegation close.

And so with 10 games remaining the table looks like this:

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 ShirleyMetros          24   15   4   5    49   36  +13    49
 2 MonmouthPark           24   14   4   6    36   22  +14    46
 3 NewportCity            24   12   5   7    39   36   +3    41
 4 LearfieldFC            24   11   6   7    41   34   +7    39
 5 MarshalltonAth         24   10   6   8    60   57   +3    36
 6 NorthLima              24    9   7   8    25   21   +4    34
 7 SouthendAC             24   10   4  10    41   49   −8    34
 8 V & A                  24    7  12   5    41   32   +9    33
 9 AsburyPark             24    8   9   7    36   31   +5    33
10 NewBremen              24    9   6   9    22   24   −2    33
11 EzriquayUtd            24    8   8   8    43   43    0    32
12 StWarrenCty            24    8   6  10    45   46   −1    30
13 DaltonTown             24    8   6  10    34   37   −3    30
14 ClaytonCity            24    6  10   8    39   40   −1    28
15 MidtownAC              24    6   9   9    47   55   −8    27
16 JamestownCity          24    4  10  10    28   41  −13    22
17 NorDale                24    5   6  13    34   45  −11    21
18 Hillsborough           24    5   4  15    32   43  −11    19

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Matchdays 25-34

The final 10 weeks of the NSL were primarily the story of the top 3 and the bottom 3. With the Champion and the runner-up both earning places in the UICA competitions that the FAC were now eligible for, and only 2 clubs relegated to the Second Division at year's end, upcoming head-to-head encounters were going to go a long way to deciding elation and despair.

And Matchday 25 kicked off the potential deciding chapter with Newport City clawing back into the title chase with a 2-0 home win against Monmouth Park; Shirley Metros couldn't increase their lead at the top as they came up on the short end of a 9 goal encounter at President's Park against Ezriquay United, leaving them only 3 points ahead of Park and 5 ahead of City. Hillsborough took advantage of a Jamestown City loss and a Nor-Dale draw to move into 16th on goal difference, all three teams level with 22 points.

Week 26 saw no changes in table position, but the results proved interesting; North Lima completed their first ever season double over Metros with a 1-0 home win, which moved them up to 4th, while Monmouth and Newport both gained ground, albeit with draws for both. Nor-Dale and Hillsborough also split the points which gave both a 1 point advantage over Jamestown.

Monmouth jumped ahead of Metros on goal difference on matchday 27, with a 2-0 away victory versus V&A, followed by Shirley being held scoreless by 5th place New Bremen. Hillsborough beat Clayton City, who have been on a poor run of form and are now looking over their shoulder at both 'Borough and Nor-Dale, who picked up a vital 3 points against Southend.

The focus on Matchday 28 was on New Bremen, who defeated North Lima to jump ahead of the losers into 4th; Bremen stood 13th just 9 weeks ago but have been the form team over that time. Metros lost 1-0 to their arch-rival St Warren City, but stayed level on points with Monmouth, who dropped a 3-1 decision to Hillsborough. Jamestown couldn't overcome Learfield and Nor-Dale drew with Midtown AC, so 'Borough are now just 1 point behind Clayton, with the 'Dale two points further back and Jamestown now looking like they might be out of the survival race, 5 points adrift of 17th.

Yet as soon as you count a club out, they rise up off the canvas, as Jamestown did in week 29 with a 3-0 win over Nor-Dale and with Hillsborough losing at Dalton, the bottom 4 closed up again. Midtown's 4-1 win against Clayton meant that MAC are getting away from the relegation battle but Clayton remain right in the fight. Southend moved up to 4th, just 5 points back of 1st after their 2-1 home win dropped Monmouth Park back behind Shirley.

With 5 matches to go, many wondered if anyone actually wanted to win the Championship title. Nor-Dale held Metros 1-1, which allowed Monmouth to regain the lead after a 2-1 victory over Midtown. Hillsborough survived a hard fought affair over neighbors Asbury Park to move up one spot to 15th, and Clayton City now looked in danger of being sucked into the Second Division after Jamestown beat them 2-1. The two clubs who looked to be fighting for the title at the start of the year--Dalton Town and Ezriquay United--finally dragged themselves into the top 6 with wins over Southend and Marshallton respectively.

With 4 matches remaining the table stood as follows:

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 MonmouthPark           30   16   5   9    44   32  +12    53
 2 ShirleyMetros          30   15   7   8    54   44  +10    52
 3 NewportCity            30   14   8   8    52   47   +5    50
 4 EzriquayUtd            30   12  10   8    62   55   +7    46
 5 DaltonTown             30   13   7  10    43   39   +4    46
 6 SouthendAC             30   14   4  12    52   58   −6    46
 7 NorthLima              30   12   8  10    30   25   +5    44
 8 LearfieldFC            30   12   8  10    49   46   +3    44
 9 NewBremen              30   12   7  11    29   30   −1    43
10 AsburyPark             30   10  11   9    44   40   +4    41
11 StWarrenCty            30   11   7  12    53   52   +1    40
12 MarshalltonAth         30   10   9  11    70   73   −3    39
13 V & A                  30    7  15   8    49   44   +5    36
14 MidtownAC              30    8  11  11    56   63   −7    35
15 Hillsborough           30    9   5  16    43   48   −5    32
16 ClaytonCity            30    6  12  12    47   54   −7    30
17 NorDale                30    6  10  14    43   56  −13    28
18 JamestownCity          30    6  10  14    37   51  −14    28

Matchday 31 finally brought a bit of clarity to the fight at both ends of the table. Monmouth got an important away win against Jamestown, which pushed City to the brink of elimination, while Clayton gave themselves a bit of margin for error with a 3-0 shock victory in Shirley, damaging the Metro's hopes of finishing top. Nor-Dale also kept their slim hopes of survival alive with a win against fading North Lima, and Hillsborough seemed to finally break free from the basement with an impressive 3-0 win over 3rd place Newport. The last bit of business on the day involved the defending champions Learfield, who were officially eliminated in their quest to repeat by New Bremen.

The final 10 days of the season emphasized the competitive nature of the NSL; Shirley kept a glimmer of hope alive by drawing with Monmouth Park, and Newport City and Southend couldn't decide a winner in the battle for 4th place on Matchday 32. Dalton finally sealed Jamestown's fate with a 2-0 home victory, and Nor-Dale seemed to have made it's final stand after losing at home to New Bremen while Hillsborough guaranteed their safety with a 5-3 thriller over Marshallton.

The penultimate round brought closure to the title race; Monmouth Park were confirmed as Champions after they handled North Lima 4-2, even as Shirley were winning 2-0 over Dalton, which guaranteed Metros the runners-up spot. Clayton City drew away with New Bremen and coupled with Nor-Dale's gallant win at St Warren meant the last relegation spot would come down to the final day. Jamestown gave their fans one final performance to savor as they outlasted Asbury Park 4-3, while the final Belle Haven derby of the season saw V&A and Hillsborough slog to an uninspired 1-1 stalemate which summed up both clubs' seasons.

On the final day of the season, much of the nations' soccer attention was focused on the National Team's progress in the Baptism of Fire, but still one issue remained to be decided--would Clayton City or Nor-Dale be joining Jamestown City in the Second Division next season. The champions-elect Monmouth Park slumped to a final day home defeat to New Bremen, while Dalton and North Lima tied at 1 apiece and Newport couldn't find a winner against Jamestown, meaning there would be a 4 way tie for third place on 53 points, Southend joining the quartet with a final day win over V&A. But Clayton controlled their own destiny and came through with a 3-2 home victory over St Warren, which meant that Nor-Dale's result was a moot point, although the fact they dropped their final match against Learfield was a bit of an anti-climax.

So, the final table for the NSL season:

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 MonmouthPark           34   18   6  10    52   37  +15    60
 2 ShirleyMetros          34   17   8   9    60   50  +10    59
 3 DaltonTown             34   15   8  11    51   44   +7    53
 4 NewportCity            34   14  11   9    54   52   +2    53
 5 NewBremen              34   15   8  11    35   33   +2    53
 6 SouthendAC             34   16   5  13    61   64   −3    53
 7 EzriquayUtd            34   13  12   9    67   60   +7    51
 8 LearfieldFC            34   13   8  13    55   54   +1    47
 9 NorthLima              34   12  10  12    33   31   +2    46
10 MarshalltonAth         34   12   9  13    81   85   −4    45
11 StWarrenCty            34   12   8  14    58   59   −1    44
12 AsburyPark             34   10  12  12    52   52    0    42
13 V & A                  34    8  16  10    56   53   +3    40
14 Hillsborough           34   11   7  16    54   54    0    40
15 MidtownAC              34    9  13  12    63   72   −9    40
16 ClaytonCity            34    8  14  12    54   57   −3    38
17 NorDale                34    8  10  16    46   58  −12    34
18 JamestownCity          34    7  11  16    42   59  −17    32

Monmouth Park will be the first club in the history of the FAC to compete in the UICA Champions Cup and Shirley Metros will participate in the Globe Cup. Monmouth will also be the league representative in the Atlantian Oceana Champions League competition.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Monmouth to lead the way to UICA participation

by Oliver Stanley
The Post Soccer Correspondent

Monmouth Park FC will follow up their 8th NSL championship season with the Commonwealth's first bid to participate in the UICA Champions Cup competition.

Park will be joined in UICA competition with NSL runners-up Shirley Metros, who will be entered into the Globe Cup for non-champions of eligible leagues.

Monmouth have been drawn in the First Preliminary Stage against FC Porto, the champions of New Lusitania and the Algarves, with the first leg played at Porto. Monmouth have made application to play their home fixture in the competition at Scotland Stadium at the University of Endover, having decided that their Bridewell ground not suitable.

The Park are assured of at least 4 matches in the UICA; should they fail to advance from their match against Porto, they will join Metros in the Second Preliminary Round of the Globe Cup.

The scheduling means that Monmouth will have to make several decisions on players who are out of contract and who they will be bringing in to replace those departures in a very short period.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The Second Division season had many storylines, but the final chapter saw two of the Commonwealth's traditional Championship Division sides make their return to the top flight after uncomfortable exile. Westwood Sprites and Corinthians FC ended the campaign tied on 66 points, but Sprites claimed the trophy by winning both tiebreaks, goals for and goal difference. However, at the midway stage, it didn't appear that the title would come down to the final day, or even the final week. Sprites were 11 points clear at the top after round 19, but inconsistent play through a stretch of 9 matches allowed Corinthians and Newmarket Saxons to close ground, though Saxons were forced to settle for third, 5 points back. It was a sweet vindication for both the promoted clubs, who have always prided themselves on developing players through their outstanding youth systems.

At the foot of the table, victories one the final day of the season were not quite enough to see Great Northern and Riverside City overtake Sanborn Borough or Fairport City in the fight against relegation.

Final Table

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Westwood Sprites FC      38   19   9  10    84   68  +16    66
 2 Corinthians FC           38   18  12   8    73   60  +13    66
 3 Newmarket Saxons FC      38   17  10  11    60   47  +13    61
 4 Middlebourne City AFC    38   15  14   9    45   36   +9    59
 5 Brentford FC             38   14  15   9    60   56   +4    57
 6 Middletown City FC       38   16   8  14    74   66   +8    56
 7 Meadowdale FC            38   16   8  14    75   72   +3    56
 8 Coolville United         38   14  13  11    51   41  +10    55
 9 Hamilton Wanderers FC    38   16   7  15    74   73   +1    55
10 Salisbury City FC        38   14  11  13    59   61   −2    53
11 Mansfield C&W FC         38   13  11  14    46   47   −1    50
12 Llewellyn Turnpike SC    38   12  13  13    60   60    0    49
13 Jacksonville FC          38   12  11  15    36   46  −10    47
14 North Royalton Town FC   38   10  15  13    56   63   −7    45
15 Richmond Station FC      38   10  14  14    56   60   −4    44
16 Linden Woods FC          38   10  14  14    64   71   −7    44
17 FairportCityFC           38   11  10  17    59   67   −8    43
18 Sanborn Borough SC       38   11  10  17    45   58  −13    43
19 Riverside City FC        38   11   9  18    60   69   −9    42
20 Great Northern FC        38    9  10  19    52   68  −16    37

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

David Blake: "Welcome to the post game show on CBC2 Soccer Night. Alongside Alan Lilly, Aiden Donnan and Charlotte Daniels, I'm David Blake. Let's get a quick thought on the final result, a 1-1 draw on the road in Newmanistan. Aiden?"

AD: "Under the circumstances, I don't know how they can be unhappy with the result. They've basically stolen a point from a pretty decent side without really playing anywhere near the level they can."

DB: "Charlotte?"

CD: "I can't think of reason to disagree with Aiden, for a change. (laughter) Whitestone's goal was just a fantastic piece of instinctual play, I think they looked completely different after she came on, although I wouldn't say Igiekhume played poorly, but she changed the dynamic on the right side."

DB: "Alan?"

AL: "yeah, I agree. I think one of the things we've been able to really come to understand throughout the Baptism of Fire and now tonight is that the women are on a par with the men technically, but...and maybe it's just this particular group of women...they seem to have that extra half step of pace. Trevor has always valued speed and quickness in the midfield--"

CD: "and so has Pam..."

AL: "right, but I think when you're comparing the wing play and the central midfield against the types of fullbacks and defensive midfielders that Baker Park have faced, it's clear that the extra half step has made a huge difference in how quickly they can into attacking positions."

DB: "So, quickly, Player of the Match? Charlotte?"

CD: "ummm, DiPietro. 87% passing, 7 for 7 on tackles and 4 for 5 headers won. Playing out of position really."

DB: "Alan?"

AL: "Hartline, solid game, made some big saves to keep them in the match."

DB: "Aiden?"

AD: "hmmm, I was gonna say Whitestone, but I think I'm going to agree with Charlotte. (CD: "wonders never cease!") DiPietro. The kind of performance you need in the middle of the park. Ohler brings those numbers nearly every time, and for him to be playing that spot without much previous match experience...yeah. Definitely"

DB: "and with that lets bring in Mark Tolbert, live from the stadium for a final thought. Mark, an important match?"

MT: "well David, I think it remains to be seen how important it will be until we get down the road aways, but I think relative to coming out with a loss, with tough home matches ahead, it is probably good for the confidence of the squad. If they had shown a bit more cohesion through the first half a win might have been in the equation. But lets take things one match at a time and start to really get into pros and cons after the next outing."

DB: "thanks Mark, and that's all we have time for tonight on CBC2 Soccer Night. For all of us here, goodnight."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Karen Stone: "Hello, welcome to the World Cup Show, tonight on CommSports 1, alongside my partner Lowell Friedman, I'm Karen Stone. We've reached the halfway point, and there's plenty to talk about."

LF: "That's right Karen, and with us here in the studio to break it down, Timothy Jones, Senior Soccer editor for The Sporting Times; Brad Englehart, CommSports NSL analyst and Leanne King from the National Radio. Thanks to all of you for being here."

KS: "So let's work backwards a bit. This last match, everyone expecting a walk in the park, 3 points and happy faces all around. But it all goes wrong...how? Brad?"

BE: "I can't really point to one single thing. Trevor didn't just throw out an afterthought starting XI, and he certainly didn't look to play close to the vest."

LK: "If I can jump in for a second. You're going against a side that has very little to play for at this point. You show up and there's a sort of disinterested crowd--full marks to North Dajao. They brought 400 supporters and it would've been a bit like a library without them--but on sheer talent and ability alone, this shouldn't have been close."

BE: "And Leanne's spot on. If the situation is battling in the middle of the table for every point, you've got a full house and an atmosphere that is conducive to playing all out. A safe second place, not as compelling to fans here."

TJ: "I want to expand on that, because you saw players who are solid and experienced and they just sort of lose concentration and next thing the ball is in the back of the net. If Trevor was one of these managers who ran everything on fear and intimidation and kill or be killed type of man management, I think it's a different result. But I don't think you have as cohesive and productive a national team setup. Dave Carlson and the rest of the people at FAC aren't wringing their hands and getting anxious."

LF: "Now that the qualifying has reached the halfway point, do you think that there will be some turnover on the roster? It was said at the beginning that there would be an evaluation of the current playing squad at this point. Do you see big changes ahead. Brad?"

BE: "I think there is going to be a group of players who are going to released back to their clubs, because some of the people on the roster have been on national team duty non-stop for awhile. And Trevor is wanting to see some interplay among the current roster and some of the players who were on the Baptism of Fire squad but were given time off during this first phase. He is really keen on seeing Valerie Agahambri and how she can fit into the forward line."

LK: "Yeah, Valerie is the 'X factor' at the moment. Trevor has an idea of how she is going to slot into an attack with Coverstone and Salih, or Ashcroft. Jackie Thomas' injury, although not that severe, is going to give him the opening to bring Agahambri into the squad, and I expect that she is going to be put into a role that opens up options in the attacking third for herself and for whichever of the other forwards she's paired with."

TJ: "I'm interested in how the midfield is going to be adapted. There's been a lot of mix and match and for the most part, it has been the most flexible part of the lineup. No one has played so poorly to be considered expendable, but I think there are combinations that Trevor would like to see that will require him to switch veterans out, which will look questionable. But we know that Pam Scott and some of the other staff coaches have been deeply involved in player evaluation, and if it appears that there are squad members who have basically earned their spot on a final roster, then some of them will probably be cut loose for the time being."

KS: "So you're saying there's not going to be changes because of poor showings but rather that new players will come in place of established performers?"

TJ: "Yes, I think there are people on the fringe right now that the national team staff want to see in serious competition, and they will be the ones who come onto the roster for the second half."

LF: "Let's stop right there and take a break, and we'll be back on the World Cup Show after these messages."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

"that's the headlines for this hour. This is Benjamin Davis, and now back to Leslie Van Horn and Gary Sexton for the second hour of The Weekend Sport Show on the National Radio Overnight."

Gary Sexton: "Thank you Ben, and this is The Weekend Sport Show...and Leslie, another thrilling night for the National Team in the World Cup Qualifying, a 2-0 win against Newmanistan at Sportsman's Park."

Leslie Van Horn: "I don't know if I'll feel this way in couple more hours, but it was just an electric night, and I'm happy I got the chance to experience it in person. I think it says a lot about die-hard fans to have a huge turnout for a match after the disappointment of the previous round, and how much difference a really vocal, involved crowd makes."

GS: "There was some issue taken with the whole interest level of supporters at Hillsborough, which, really if you want to be honest, is not a terrible place to enjoy any kind of game. Football and club matches there are generally pretty good days out."

LVH: "I mean, yeah. I've always had fun at the Hill, going back to college days. I think there was a bit of an embarrassment factor that drove the crowd out tonight, and the early evening kickoff, a beautiful night, all of that made a big difference."

GS: "Lets have a chat with the hostess with the mostest, our own Leanne King, reporting live, I'm sure from her luxury townhouse in Holland Park, Leanne?"

Leanne King: "Gary, have you forgotten that we work for the National Radio Corporation?"

GS: "I try to forget it every day Lee"

LK: "(laughter) Hi Les. Guys, the post match mood was a lot different tonight than it was the last time the National side played. And I get the sense that some of the new additions to the squad have changed a bit of the tone of training and the overall attitude in the dressing room. Not on a better or worse basis, but simply on a difference in personalities and relationships among different cohorts of players."

LVH: "Hi Lee, it was great to be able to spend time with you tonight. Do you think that some of these personality changes are a reflection on some of the players who were on the Baptism of Fire squad now coming in and getting reacquainted with the players already in training?"

LK: "Sure. These aren't specific issues that have to do with jealousy or egos. But it's clear that Valerie Agahambri and Erica Shaw, and Evan Ashcroft and Ali Salih and Ian Coverstone, have a comfort level that's not easy to replicate across different groups of players where there is 3 or 4 years age difference."

GS: "I know that Trevor Richmond and the coaching staff said that they were releasing players back to their clubs to make room for the new additions, is there something else we should be reading into these specific changes?"

LK: "No. Faith Enzikomibo and Tracey Vasillias have basically been on National Team duty for 6 months, and Jackie Thomas too, even though she was released back because of her injury. Alex Sandoval has been transferred to a foreign club as has Nick Haller, one reason he wasn't brought back into the team. DiPietro and Patel are going to be safe picks down the road for international duty. So there are legitimate reasons to let them all go back to club duty for now."

LVH: "Lee, that's all the time we have for now, thanks for coming on after a long day for you."

GS: "Yes, thanks for all of your usual stellar work Leanne."

LK: "my night maid is here now Gary, so I'll be retiring in short order. (laughs) Thanks guys."

GS: "Leanne King, always great to have you. And we'll take a break now, on National Radio Overnight."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Last season will probably go down in league history as one of the most balanced competitions ever contested. Five teams--Middletown City, Jamestown, Ravens Ladies, Great Northern and Far Hills--went into the last 2 weeks of the campaign with a chance to steal the title. In the end, Midd City came through and provided another example of the strength of their development academy for women. 16 of the 23 players on the roster were home grown and the clubs' willingness to splash out the cash for Annabeth Westmoreland on transfer from Ridge Raiders probably nudged them across the finish line.

It will also be noted as the last season in which the top stars were consigned to playing for the Women's National Team only, after the success of the mixed sex sides that won the Under 18 World Championship and finished runners up in the Baptism of Fire; the level of play should only continue to improve as women are able to hone their skills against their male teammates and coed opponents internationally.

For the first time, a NWSL club has signed a pair of players from a foreign league as Far Hills Ladies look to get over the hump; they picked up 18 year old keeper Saoirse from Sukutora Sussa in Dainer, along with a teammate from the same club, 29 year Nashira, a veteran defender. Several other clubs made inquiries into bringing on free transfers from UICA affiliated leagues, but none of them pulled the trigger. But you can surely expect the rest of the league to keep a close eye on how the newcomers fare with the Jillies.

At the opposite end of the table, it was also a closely run contest to see who would survive the drop; in the end it was a huge disappointment for Clayton Ladies and an almost surreal sense of fate for Forest Park as Sherwood Forest and Brentford survived their own missteps to stay up. Shiloh Ladies and Newmarket return to the top flight looking to bring their own youth revolutions to the fray.

In the second division, Ellsmere Woods and St Steve's will need to regain their sense of purpose after a campaign that saw both spend time in the promotion places. Southend made a huge comeback to pip St Steve's to 4th place, and should probably be considered a favorite based on closing form alone. Further back, Meadowdale punched above their weight all season and Caledonia Ladies, who thought had made enough progress to be in the promotion race til the end had to settle for tenth.

So, let's have a look at how the national media think the women will shake out:

First Division
Jamestown Ladies
Far Hills
Middletown City
Ravens Ladies
Castleford
Great Northern
Llewellyn Turnpike
Haskins Blues
Ridge Raiders
Shiloh Ladies
Brentford Ladies
Sherwood Forest
Leiderkrantz Ladies
Greenlea United
Newmarket Ladies
Broadview Ladies


Second Division
Ellsmere Woods
Southend Ladies
Forest Park
St Stephens Ladies
Shirley Metros
Riverside City
Caledonia Ladies
Clayton City
Linden Ladies
Westwood Sprites Ladies
Lima United
E Enborough
Meadowdale Ladies
Hamilton Wanderers
Lady Crusaders
Lynchana Ladies

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The NSL Championship enters a completely different approach to how clubs will look at success this season. Following on from the first appearance of clubs from the Commonwealth's top league in the UICA's Champions Cup and Globe Cup, as well the regional AOCL, the FAC have confirmed it will enter the full compliment of clubs into future UICA events.

Last season was a difficult campaign for the pre-season favorites; Dalton Town spent much of the season fighting to stay in the middle of the table before a late season streak saw them come home third, and Ezriquay United also struggled for consistency through much of the first 2/3 of the schedule before they finally slotted in with 7th place.

The major story that captivated supporters was the struggle of Hillsborough, who seemed destined to be relegated for the first time in 97 years. They fought with clubs at the tail end of the standings for a great majority of the season, before finally gaining 7 wins in their last 10 matches to finish 14th, level on points with their rivals Victoria & Albert, who had an up and down season of their own to contend with; they drew nearly half (16) of their league matches and had they found a way break the deadlock in just 5 of them, they would've been third.

At the end, it was Monmouth Park that came up with the answers to the title puzzle, as they pipped Shirley Metros by just a single point. Newport City had been a part of the battle as well, but faded late, and ended up in a logjam with Dalton, Southend and New Bremen.

Unfortunately, Jamestown City and Nor-Dale couldn't put together enough inspired performances that had given their fans much hope during the relegation fight to sustain their place in the Championship, although neither was officially down until the final 2 matchdays.
They will be replaced by two clubs who are no stranger to top flight soccer--Corinthians and Westwood Sprites.

The questions that remain at mid-table clubs will find answers that will impact this season's course. Marshallton Athletic need to find defensive structure to offset their offensive prowess, St Warren, Asbury Park and Learfield all need to overcome a tendency to leak goals at inopportune times, and North Lima and New Bremen will be looking to get a bit more offense to turn a few close losses into victories.

The pre-season predictions:

1. Ezriquay United
2. Shirley Metros
3. Victoria & Albert
4. New Bremen
5. Monmouth Park
6. Dalton Town
7. Hillsborough
8. Newport City
9. Southend
10. Learfield
11. St Warren City
12. Corinthians FC
13. Marshallton Athletic
14. Westwood Sprites
15. Midtown AC
16. North Lima
17. Clayton City
18. Asbury Park

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The start of the 2nd Division season will likely see the beginning of a trend that has been hinted at over the last few seasons: a much clearer divide between the smaller provincial clubs and the larger city clubs that have traditionally had bigger followings and better availability to talent and money.

The example of last season's promoted sides brings the problem into full view. Westwood Sprites and Corinthians FC have long been known for their player development through youth. They benefit from the location within the Metro area to be able draw upon a much wider pool than clubs like Jacksonville and Newmarket Saxons have access to.

Taking Saxons' third place finish out of the equation, the top 12 consisted entirely of city teams and and below them, the small outlying clubs mainly made up the numbers at the bottom (again, the exception being relegated Riverside City and financially strapped Fairport City).

Only 10 points separated Middlebourne City in 4th and Llewellyn Turnpike in 12th after the final day of last season. But the Pike were only 6 points clear of Sanborn Borough, who narrowly averted the trap door that Riverside and Great Northern fell through into the 3rd Division. Replacing those two will be Crusaders and Alton AC, which will tilt the city/town/borough divide in the league even more towards the urban centers (although it does stretch the comparison when you attempt to call the Double A's a "city" club). Like wise from above, Nor-Dale and Jamestown City return after one season in the Championship, although they appear to have contrasting near term futures; 'Dale have the player resources that they have cultivated few a years now and probably were promoted a year too early, while J City might need a complete overhaul as a good chunk of their core will now be going on their 4 season in the 5 playing in this league.

and with that, a look at the pre-season predictions:

1. Middlebourne City
2. Middletown City
3. Coolville United
4. Nor-Dale
5. Meadowdale FC
6. Newmarket Saxons
7. Hamilton Wanderers
8. Brentford FC
9. Llewellyn Turnpike
10. Mansfield C&W
11. Salisbury City
12. Richmond Station
13. Jamestown City
14. Crusaders FC
15. Jacksonville FC
16. Alton AC
17. North Royalton Town
18. Sanborn Borough FC
19. Fairport City
20. Linden Woods FC

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Gary Sexton: "And hello, welcome to the Weekend Sports Show on National Radio Overnight, I'm Gary Sexton."

Leslie Van Horn: "and I'm Leslie Van Horn. So, anything interesting happen this past week Gary?"

GS: "hmmm, I got around to finishing up the clear out of my garage."

LVH: "which you've only been doing for about 3 months. congrats. But this isn't the weekend home chores show."

GS: "oh yeah, you meant what happened in sports."

LVH: "generally. c'mon, even as cynical as you are, you had to admit that was pretty exciting the other night."

GS: "yeah, I do have to say we were all pretty excited at Chez Sexton. It was something I don't think anyone will forget for a long time. The kids were jumping around and screaming at the final whistle."

LVH: "oh I bet that was a great scene. My kids are a bit older than yours, but they were still pretty stoked. I had to keep reminding them that it didn't matter if it wasn't a win, as long as we didn't lose by more than a goal. I think as a parent it was great to share something like that with them."

GS: "yeah Les, it's one of those things that you can share with your children--especially for people like us who love sports and love covering games--that's like taking them to their first game of your favorite team and getting them hooked. I remember to this day the first sporting event my old man took me to, Endborough Eagles versus Mansfield at Rogers Stadium. I was probably 9 or 10. Great memories."

LVH: "my brother was usually the one who did that kind of stuff with our dad, but then one day out of the blue he said 'do you want to go see the games at the Ex?' which I knew were the Metro women's basketball semi-finals, I think it was the last time they had the Metro tournament at the Ex Building."

GS: "what was that like? I've only ever heard stories about the Ex. Is it true it smelled like animal manure?"

LVH: "I was 12, and it was one of the most surreal places I'd ever been to up to that point. I remember it smelled a lot like my grandparents cellar. Musty and damp. Not like manure. And the lighting of course was concentrated towards the middle of the building. so if you were in the corners or up high in the bleachers it was like nighttime. And they had the fans of the four teams sectioned off. The first game was UC and Valley, which was a big deal because Valley never got past the opening round. I think it was the first time in like 25 years they'd made it to the last four. And the other game was UBP and Belle Haven."

GS: "were you into basketball at that point?"

LVH: "oh yeah. I'd played for 3 years at that point and I liked watching it on TV. both men's and women's college and the NBL. It was my number one sport to watch."

GS: "so did you have a team you rooted for when you there?"

LVH: "no, because of course I was only dreaming about playing for EC. (laughs)"
GS: "and who could blame you"
LVH: "And my dad went to Coolville for college, so he didn't have any real affinity for the Metro teams. I did, deep down hope that Valley would win in their game, because of course they were big underdogs. But it was just one of those special afternoons, dad and I talking about basketball like equals."

GS: "see, it is something magical about sharing moments with your kids around sports. And you can do it with other things too. I took Ashlynn to see the Commonwealth State Ballet last year, because she loves dance, and it was just a fantastic thing to see your child in love with something."

LVH: "oh Gary, you surprise me every week. That's fantastic. Great for Ashlynn."

GS: "now you will see me in a whole new light Les. (laughs)"

LVH: "lets take a break and come back in 2 minutes, this is National Radio Overnight."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Leading up to week 1 of the Championship season, the NSL's first foray into the UICA club tournaments took center stage; Monmouth Park were drawn into the First Preliminary Round of the Champions Cup against FC Porto, from New Lusitania and the Algarves. The first leg was played at the Estadio de Dragao, and saw the home side come through 3-1, although Park were encouraged by their away goal, seeing an opportunity to advance. The return at Scotland Stadium on the University of Endover campus did not go as expected as Porto settled for a scoreless draw which saw them progress.

FC Porto 3-1 Monmouth Park Estadio de Dragao, Porto (51,000)
Monmouth Park 0-0 FC Porto Scotland Stadium, Endborough (24,400)

The opening week of the campaign generally doesn't serve as a barometer of the season as a whole and it is difficult to put results in their perspective until several rounds have elapsed; Learfield were the big scorers on the day, putting 6 past Clayton City while Midtown AC spoiled the return of Westwood Sprites to the top flight with a 3-1 away win. Corinthians, the other promoted club from a season ago, made a winning start to their return, 1-0 over New Bremen.

Rounds 2 & 3 are traditionally back to back in the same week and this led to a problem for Monmouth and Shirley Metros as they prepared to compete in the Second Preliminary Round of the Globe Cup; each faced a first leg match away and for both it meant 3 matches in 7 days time.

To the credit of both clubs, they came through the stretch in relatively good shape; Metros stood 5th in the table after their second league away victory and earned a 2-2 draw with the Hinodejin side Kanshiro Lapunnies, while Monmouth earned an away win and a home draw to sit only a point behind Shirley in an eighth place tie, and earned a scoreless draw against Cavecia Sports Club from Olaster.

There were patterns beginning to take shape after the results of round 4. New Bremen had only a single goal to their credit through their first four losses and Hillsborough seemed to have made a huge leap of improvement from the season before when they fought against relegation for the majority of it, their loss to St Warren notwithstanding.

Clayton City, who had conceded 12 goals in their first three league contests somehow managed to hold Monmouth Park to just a single tally, while scoring two of their own; and the inability to win matches rather than drawing kept V&A's point total far lower than it maybe should've been a year ago, and the problem seems to have carried over, as they currently had 3 in their first 4 games.

Following round 5, it appeared that the title chase was forming around an axis centered on northeastern Belle Haven and southwestern Ezra; neighbors Hillsborough & Asbury Park and bitter rivals Newport City & Southend held four of the top 5 spots. Metros and Monmouth Park had inauspicious performances ahead of both clubs' home Globe Cup matches in the midweek—Monmouth dropping another home match and Metros salvaging a sloppy point at Ezriquay.

There was certainly a carryover, as Park slumped to a 3-0 drubbing by the Olaster club and Metros squandering advancement with a late concession against the Hinodejins, allowing them to win the tie outright 4-3.

Shirley Metros 1-2 Kanshiro Lapunnies (3-4 agg) Presidents Park, Shirley (25,000)
Monmouth Park 0-3 Cavecia SC (0-3 agg) Scotland Stadium, Endborough (22,600)

Clayton City was the story of round 6 after they moved up to 7th with their third straight victory, this time over Asbury Park 3-1. Having conceded 12 in their first 3 matches, CC had surrendered only 5 since then. Southend continued to be the only unbeaten side left, a draw the only blemish on their report so far.

Round 7 was shaping up to be an important day, as third placed Hillsborough hosted the leaders Southend and Newport and Clayton met to try and break out of the log jam of clubs between 3rd and 10th place; in both cases no change came about as both matches were drawn and only Dalton Town made a significant move as they pulled within a point of Southend, and Town were scheduled to host Southend on the next matchday.

Matchday 8 also was highlighted by the derby between Corinthians and Asbury Park, which turned out to be a 10 goal thriller at Ellis Park Commons, with the visitors winning by 6-4; another high scoring affair came in West County as Clayton saw their 4 match unbeaten run end when their early season defensive frailties returned as Marshallton put 5 past the CC keeper and left with a two goal victory that pulled Athletic up to a tie for fourth with Asbury. The defending champions continued to struggle to find consistency as they dropped another 3 points at home to Newport.
However, the top of the table clash was again anti-climatic as the sides settled for a point each as the pack approached the quarter-pole.

By Round 9 a year ago, much of the talk was about the struggles of Hillsborough, one of the country's oldest and most successful clubs. This season, Borough have made a turnaround and following their victory on this day, were just 4 points from the top as the leaders Southend and Dalton both drew once more. Now the talk is about the other big Belle Haven club who find themselves in the same scenario. Victoria & Albert FC slumped again, this time to Midtown AC and have only a single victory on the campaign, causing much discontent among their supporters. Their woes are only half that of their fellow cellar dwellers New Bremen, who have scored only 5 in their 9 matches and are staring relegation in the face if they cannot find scoring soon.

In round 10, it was a case of don't count anyone out. There was a change at the top as Dalton Town took over 1st place after a win against Shirley and a Southend loss—their first of the year-- to who else...New Bremen. North Lima continued to have the stingiest defense in the league, their 1-0 win against St Warren making it 5 clean sheets, yet they too have their problems with generating offense, as they have been shut out 4 times already. Monmouth Park's early season struggles continue as another draw finds them only 3 points above the relegation slots in 15th.

New Bremen earned a second straight win in week 11, and V&A was a goal better than Southend in a 7 goal shootout at home, which allowed Asbury Park to jump ahead of the Stationmen. Ezriquay United slipped behind V&A into 17th following their home defeat to Monmouth; United are another club having struggles with consistency as they are dropping points weekly after being one of the title favorites.

Hillsborough surged into share of first place at the one third mark of the season in Round 12, becoming the first team to score more than 2 goals against N Lima this year in a 4-3 away victory. The defending champs climbed back into the top 10 with a 1-0 win against St Warren and in a matchup of the highest scoring and worst defensive teams in the league, Midtown AC bested Clayton City in another 7 goal affair, the third of the day as Newport City and Marshallton also went for the lucky number, with Newport edging Athletic.

Only 10 points separates first place from 17th, so there is still much to play for as the clubs head into December.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Hillsborough FC           12    6   4   2    28   21   +7    22
 2 Dalton Town FC            12    6   4   2    25   20   +5    22
 3 Southend AC               12    6   4   2    20   17   +3    22
 4 Midtown Athletic Club     12    7   0   5    31   29   +2    21
 5 Newport City FC           12    6   2   4    24   20   +4    20
 6 Asbury Park FC            12    6   2   4    20   15   +5    20
 7 Westwood Sprites          12    5   4   3    16   16    0    19
 8 St Warren City FC         12    5   3   4    16   14   +2    18
 9 Monmouth Park FC          12    4   5   3    13   12   +1    17
10 Marshallton Athletic SC   12    4   3   5    23   23    0    15
11 Clayton City SC           12    4   1   7    28   35   −7    13
12 Eqriquay United FC        12    3   4   5    19   21   −2    13
13 Shirley Metros FC         12    3   4   5    18   19   −1    13
14 North Lima SC             12    3   4   5    11   12   −1    13
15 Corinthians               12    3   3   6    21   27   −6    12
16 Victoria & Albert FC      12    2   6   4    19   23   −4    12
17 Learfield FC              12    3   3   6    18   20   −2    12
18 New Bremen FC             12    3   2   7    11   17   −6    11

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Round 13 got the busy holiday period underway and Southend took advantage of their co-leaders dropping points to regain the top spot. In the lower third of the table, Shirley Metros and Corinthians are getting pulled down into the fight with North Lima and New Bremen, while Ezriquay United seem to have gotten a bit of breathing room.

Matchday 14 was when the horserace at the top of the table got a bit more crowded; victories by Newport City and Asbury Park saw both clubs find their way into the battle as 6 clubs are separated by just 3 points.

The final 3 rounds of the first half of the season are compressed into a 7 day stretch and can make or break a club with a small squad. Matchday 15 ended with 5 of the top 6 on the losing end of the scoreline while Midtown AC leaped in to first place on the back of the league's highest scoring side. The losses at the top also have opened the door for St Warren, Westwood Sprites and a rejuvenated Monmouth to close the gap.

On round 16, deep seated rivalries and unusual results were the rule of the day. Hillsborough dropped a 1-0 defeat against neighbors Asbury Park and Dalton Town drew with their main rivals from Oceana, Learfield. After holding V&A scoreless in both matches a season ago, North Lima made it a third straight blanking against the Coburgs. While the 3 points were not enough pull the Norsemen off the bottom, it gave their support hope that a change in fortune might be around the corner.

The final matches of the first half of the campaign mark the annual 2 week break from league play, and holiday cheer was a fleeting commodity up and down the league. Midtown AC were in a joyous mood, after having suffered their first draw of the season the round before, they became the first team to reach 10 victories. Hillsborough were not as cheery after a 3-3 stalemate at home to Newport, but were counting their blessings that they were in a much better position than they were at the same stage a year ago, when they had only just earned their second win of the campaign in this corresponding round. At the other end of the spectrum, Dalton Town were in no holiday mood following their 3-1 defeat at Ezriquay, their 7th match in a row without a victory, a streak which has seen them fall from first place to 11th in that period. And Learfield, North Lima and New Bremen shared the basement, although they do have nearly twice as many points that the aforementioned Borough had when they were at the bottom last term.

The second half of the season began early for the champions, Monmouth Park, as they now had a third competition to compete in, the AOCL. They were again consigned to a 2 legged qualifying tie, this time against Redemption Joshuyo from Aji No Moto, with the first leg away. Park seemed to have regained some of their consistency as the season has progressed since their Globe Cup exit, and they came away with a solid 1-0 victory in Joshuyo City ahead of the return match at home a week later.

Matchday 18 began a few days early as Monmouth and V&A played their league contest on the Sunday previous, Park coming out on top 1-0; the big movers on the regular program of matches were St Warren City now up to third after a strong 4-1 win over Ezriquay United. North Lima continued Dalton's woes, although they gave up 3 goals for only the second time this year, they found the touch to get 3 of their own to salvage a point. Another club losing touch with the leaders is Hillsborough, after their 3rd loss in 4 matches dropped them to 8th place.

Monmouth hosted the 2nd leg of the tie with Joshuyo at Scotland Stadium in Endborough and got an early goal, which added to the away goal in the first leg was all they needed as the match ended again 1-0 and saw Park advance to the Group Stage.

Redemption Joshuyo 0-1 Monmouth Park Joshuyo City, Aji No Moto (n/a)
Monmouth Park 1-0 Redemption Joshuyo Scotland Stadium, Endborough (24,000)

Round 19 was a story of streaks; Dalton's 3-3 draw at St Warren was their 9th straight winless match and Hillsborough & Westwood Sprites also drew, the Hillmen now gone 5 matches without a win. New Bremen surprised Asbury Park for their second straight victory to move them into 14th. And after an extra two days, Monmouth Park recorded their 5th straight 1-0 victory in all competitions over Learfield, which left the losers at the bottom of the standings while the champions moved into third.

The draw for the Group Stage of the AOCL threw up a massive test for Park; Tihon Tide from Chromatika, the defending champions of the competition, Lonngeylin Coast from Vilitia and Rosaria United from Esham were the opponents in Group B that Monmouth would have to face twice each. The first 3 matches would be 3 consecutive weeks, and after a two week break, the return matches would also take place over 3 consecutive weeks, adding to the fixture list that was already looking a bit heavy.

Matchday 20 saw St Warren City take over the top spot following their 3-1 victory at Midtown AC, becoming the fourth different club to lead the Championship this season. Dalton Town defeated Clayton City for their first win in 10 matches, but Hillsborough's winless streak is now 6 after another draw. Westwood Sprites seem to have hit their stride now they are back in the top division; with a 2-0 win at Southend, Sprites are up 6th only 3 points back of St Warren. And Monmouth's string of 1-0 victories came to an end in the AOCL, although they had an opportunity to extend the feat in league play, but North Lima found a late equalizer which left Park in 3rd. Meanwhile Asbury Park inflicted another derby loss on V&A, which sees the losers now bottom of the table once again.

Speaking of the AOCL, Monmouth got their competition started with a home match against Rosaria United, the Eshan champions at Scotland Stadium. Although they were tied at halftime, the experience of the visitors shone through and Rosaria left with a 3-1 win.

Round 21 is the last matchday before the 3rd round of the FAC Cup, and the last in January, which means a heavy schedule awaits for the shortest month of the year—7 matches at a minimum in 26 days. St Warren extended their lead at the top as they also extended Hillsborough's slump to 7 games without a win. Marshallton Athletic ended New Bremen's 3 match winning streak which has seen the Brems pull away from the relegation fight for the moment. Ezriquay United have quietly moved up the table and now stand seventh after a win over Southend. And Monmouth still shows spirit in the fight to retain the title, a 3-3 draw with Clayton keeps them just 3 points behind St Warren.

The second matchday of the AOCL saw Park travel to meet the defending tournament champions, Tihon Tide in Chromatika. Although Tihon were without their star signing from a season ago, the enigmatic Schottia striker Corinne Martel-Burns, who has moved on, they still showed the class that has made them one the multiverse's top sides. Park made it difficult for the Tide, but a 1-0 win to the hosts was probably as close to a victory that Monmouth could hope for.

Matchday 22 had a fair share of controversy; North Lima were livid with the referee after a claim for a penalty was turned down, which would've salvaged a point for the Norse, V&A supporters jeered their side after it gave up a 2-0 lead to Marshallton, who scored 3 in 12 minutes to set the frenzy of hatred off, Learfield and Newport played to a 0-0 tie which was marked by pushing and shoving and 6 yellow cards. Meanwhile, Hillsborough lost 3-0 at home to Midtown AC, their 8th match without victory and wins by New Bremen, Corinthians and St Warren meant that there wasn't much movement in the table.

AOCL matchday 3 involved Lonngeylin Coast from Vilita visiting Scotland Stadium, and it was clear from the start that Monmouth Park was clearing feeling the effects of playing so many matches with so little time off in between. The Vilitan side cruised to a 4-0 win, the final whistle almost releasing a sigh of relief from the Park's supporters who remained to the end. A two-week break is just what the club need as the domestic season heads for the home stretch.

Round 23 had a bit of everything, including an 8 goal draw between Midtown and Southend, Dalton winning for only the second time in their last 13, which came over Hillsborough, extending their winless woes to 9. Corinthians beat Monmouth Park 1-0 and North Lima seem to be teetering on the brink after they lost once again 2-1 to Newport, dropping them 4 points behind both Metros and Learfield, who both happened to pick up 2-0 away victories just when they were needed; Metros surprising their rivals in St Warren and Learfield besting a dangerous Marshallton side.

In the week of the 24th match of the season, it must've seemed as if a vacation had been given. No midweek contests meant the clubs had a full six days rest. Every time Dalton think they can get on a winning streak, they find themselves back to square one, as they dropped a 2-1 home decision to Corinthians, who seem to have gotten their own stable footing in the top division reestablished. Southend heaped misery on Hillsborough for the 10th straight match, while V&A finally gave their fans a bit to cheer about as they beat Ezriquay 4-3, which got them off the bottom of the standing for at least a week. That also meant that Shirley Metros were being sucked into the relegation battle, a 3-0 home loss to Midtown not what they hoped to follow up their previous victory with.

And spare a thought for Clayton City now 9th after a 4-3 win against Ezriquay United—after the first 3 matches they had conceded 12 goals, and lost all 3, but since then have a goal difference of +8. Should they end up with a positive difference or at least a narrow deficit, you'd have to give their manager some credit for MOTY, wouldn't you?

With 10 matches to go, here's your standings:

Pld    W  D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 St Warren City FC         24   13   4   7    43   32  +11    43
 2 Midtown Athletic Club     24   12   4   8    56   48   +8    40
 3 Westwood Sprites          24   10   8   6    29   30   −1    38
 4 Marshallton Athletic SC   24   11   4   9    47   39   +8    37
 5 Asbury Park FC            24   11   4   9    41   37   +4    37
 6 Southend AC               24   10   7   7    33   32   +1    37
 7 Corinthians               24   11   3  10    42   46   −4    36
 8 Monmouth Park FC          24    9   9   6    28   27   +1    36
 9 Clayton City SC           24   10   4  10    50   54   −4    34
10 Dalton Town FC            24    8  10   6    48   46   +2    34
11 Eqriquay United FC        24    9   6   9    44   42   +2    33
12 New Bremen FC             24   10   2  12    27   28   −1    32
13 Newport City FC           24    8   7   9    41   45   −4    31
14 Hillsborough FC           24    7   7  10    41   45   −4    28
15 Learfield FC              24    6   9   9    33   33    0    27
16 Shirley Metros FC         24    7   5  12    32   36   −4    26
17 Victoria & Albert FC      24    5   8  11    41   49   −8    23
18 North Lima SC             24    5   7  12    19   26   −7    22

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

A few weeks ahead of the World Cup:

As the Airbus A335 carrying the Commonwealth National Team approached its destination in Stalliongrad, Equestrian States, Hannah Delaney was finishing her reading of the file she'd brought along. Seated in First Class, Seat 2B, Delaney had been the only person assigned to the first row of seats on the flight; her senior aide, Benjamin Foley and her personal assistant Lawrence Tramwell had been assigned the seats in the row directly behind her and her security detail had been given the seats across the aisle from those two men.
Delaney's presence on this particular charter flight was unusual and quite secret to all but the crew and the other passengers. She was accompanying the team to this friendly match in preparation for the World Cup not because she was a fan--although she did have an interest in the outcome--but because she had been dispatched as the personal representative of her boss, Prime Minister Rebecca Schoenlein, to conduct a secret meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Equestrian States regarding the situation in Banija.

Delaney was in her second stint as the chief administrative official of Baker Park, the Secretary of State for the Commonwealth--a cabinet office that 6 previous prime ministers had occupied at some point in their career--although she had hoped after the last election she would be given the spot that Thomas Dixon had eventually been assigned, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Delaney had been a close ally of Schoenlein's since their early days as members of the Assembly, and the two of them had forged a close personal and professional relationship over the years. The PM knew that Hannah had coveted the Foreign Affairs role in this second administration but had prevailed upon her friend to remain in the top domestic cabinet job, with the understanding that she would be given the precedence among the other ministerial slots that amounted to being the unofficial Deputy PM.

The Prime Minister entrusted this particular mission to the Equestrian States with Delaney because it was of a sensitive diplomatic nature and involved a highly secret rationale and sharing of privileged information with a foreign government.

Upon the flight's arrival, Delaney and her contingent remained aboard as the players, coaches and other passengers disembarked. When they had all been taken via 2 coaches to be processed through immigration and customs, a limousine arrived alongside the plane and the remaining passengers descended the stairs and were checked through at border control in private. The limousine then transported the party to the meeting they had come to conduct.

The Secretary's party were being housed at a hotel separate from the team and the press, and once settled in, Hannah relayed a secure email message to Belle Haven to report their arrival.

While the team were checking in to their hotel and preparing to ride to the stadium for a training session ahead of the match the following day, a representative of the Foreign Office was escorting Hannah's team to the Royal Equestrian Government Courthouse and Office Building in Stalliongrad. The regional governor, the mayor and the police superintendent received Delaney and her assistants and then she was escorted to a conference room on an upper floor. The Foreign Minister arrived within two minutes after they had been seated and the introductions of the staff on both sides was completed quickly.

"Excellency, I bring the greetings of Head of State Gregson and Prime Minister Schoenlein to you and Her Royal Highness, and thank you for receiving us here."

"Madam Secretary of State, Princess Celestia has instructed me to send her best wishes to you and your people and her welcome to you and your hoofball team to our country. She is touched by your nation's willingness to help raise funds for the families of the victims of the barbarous attack on our unarmed relief ship off Banija."

Hannah has thought about exactly how she would approach the topic up for discussion, and how the Commonwealth sought to frame the situation in Banija.

"Excellency, we are in full support of your rights and understand your grievances with the Kingdom, or should I say, the government of the Kingdom. We share your revulsion at the acts that the Katikirro has undertaken. A declaration of war by the Kingdom upon you is an affront to our beliefs and in our opinion tantamount to a declaration of war upon all nations in our region."

"Madam Secretary, we appreciate the support of your government, and I hope that we are in agreement that all measures undertaken must be towards the goal of removing Mattias Mutebi from power."

Hannah knew that it was time to lay a card on the table, but not the whole hand. "Excellency, have no doubt that the removal of Mr Mutebi is the primary goal of the Commonwealth's intervention in this crisis. He has willfully harmed the people of Banija with his policies regarding famine and drought relief and has provoked an untenable situation on the Busoga Islands. I believe we share the goal of protecting the minority population on the islands, and we are prepared to bring significant forces to bear in support of that."

As the Foreign Minister began is reply, Hannah took the initiative. "In fact Excellency, we have already undertaken a step to bring the weight of public opinion down upon the Katikkiro. You are aware of the failed attempt to commit an act of terrorism on our ships anchored off the coast in International waters?"

"We are very aware of the circumstances, Madam Secretary. It is fortunate that your Navy were so diligent in their safety measures."

Hannah pulled a slim orange folder from her shoulder bag. "It is one of the pillars of our national ethos that we do not prefer to leave the outcome of situations to the whims of fortune. I believe that this summary of our covert intelligence operation will provide proof of our resolve." She pushed the folder across the table.

The Foreign Minister had a look of uncertainty as he took the folder and opened it. His expression turned to one of shocked surprise as he turned the page.

"I...I'm...this is extraordinary. You...How...I don't know what to say, Madam Secretary." He shook his head and re-read the file again.

"Excellency, the Commonwealth of Baker Park does not plan covert intelligence operations in nations just for the purpose of doing so. Leading up to the crisis, we had a friendly, beneficial relationship in Banija, centered around our fledgling commercial endeavors there. As a result of that, we felt it was incumbent upon us to provide generous, unconditional relief to the citizens--not because it was 'good business' but because it was the right thing to do--and we made attempts to do so. Mutebi insisted that drought relief be funneled through his strict authority. When he made it clear that our attempts at unilateral relief were in opposition to his vision, we made a choice to present a peaceful military reply. Following on from his decision to sink Angelic Breeze, we hurried a squadron to Banija. And of course, Mutebi made an aggressive provocation against our ships, anchored outside of the 12 mile limit."

"Indeed Madam, your Navy exercised far more restraint than any of our commanders would have."

"That was a decision the Prime Minister made, to not be the first to fire. A fundamental doctrine of our military. Following that provocation, she changed the rules of engagement to Shoot To Kill. But this secret operation was developed primarily by the agent on the ground in Banija and he adapted it as the circumstances arose. We were convinced that it was something not out of the realm of possibility in Mutebi's mind"

The Foreign Minister felt as though he was on the back hoof, as it were. He had not expected to be confronted with dealing with a potential ally that had as ruthless a military policy as Equestria.

"Excellency, there is much more to be discussed, but I would prefer that you at least take the information we've provided and consult with Her Royal Highness and the rest of your government before we move on to a different course in these talks. We would appreciate that the file not be disseminated except among the highest priority officials."

The Foreign Minister welcomed the chance to get further instruction from Cantelot. "Shall we continue tomorrow in the morning? I'm sure you will want to attend the match, and we would have several hours before and after lunch to conclude our talks."

Hannah tried hard to not appear glib. "I think that would be a fantastic idea Excellency. 9:30 here then?"

"Of course, we will send our team to escort you at 9:00?"

"It will be our pleasure sir." The participants shook hands and Hannah and her retinue drove back to the hotel.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

off the coast of Banija, during the World Cup tournament:

Meanwhile, Marie had called a meeting of the senior officers and NCO's for 1950, after she'd received her orders from Newport. This would be a good opportunity as the night watch had just commenced at 1900.

"We have received new orders from Fleet. We are being reassigned to Apple Squadron, effective...as soon as they get here, but technically at 0000 hours. They have apparently taken this opportunity to shuffle some assignments because Apple looks like it is bringing 3 assault ships."

MCPO Inglebert spoke up. "Apologies Captain, assault ships? Are we doing more than just protecting relief aid?"

"I was getting to that, Master Chief, but yes. Banija has officially declared war on the Equestrian States, so right now we are in the middle of a shooting war. What I'm guessing is that there will be Guard troops put on Busoga Islands, either jointly with the ES or independently. Obviously I don't have any intel or know what the plans of A squadron are until they arrive, but I think it's important that we not wait around until then. That's why I want preparations made to weigh anchor and get underway by 2200. We are going to go out 20 miles or so and have a general quarters drill under sail. Then we will come back and resume our position."

Lt Commander Brockman, who was the acting executive officer, spoke next. "I'm not opposed to the drill, but do you think we need to go to the trouble of doing it under sail? In the middle of the dark in the middle of the ocean?"

"I do believe we need to do it under proper conditions. We can't just have a GQ sitting here with 4 other ships anchored around us. I don't know if they are being sent back to Newport when A squad shows up. The only other person who I know definitely knows we are shifting over is Carr. Look I understand this is a lot of work just to sail in a circle for a couple of hours. I understand the disruption it's going to cause across all three watches. But frankly, we need to get this crew back to paying attention, to doing a routine that is a bit closer to normal on cruise. I also have a feeling we will be taking up a position a lot closer to Istria when Aurora shows up. Any questions about these assumptions?"

Marie glanced around the room at the officers and NCO's. They were exchanging glances with one another and shaking their heads. "Can we get underway in 2 hours? Or 2 1/2 if need be? I want this drill to be at about 2330 or after. Larry?" Larry was Lt Commander Sanford, the Engineering Officer. "I don't think it'll be a problem sir. We're not gonna go balls out are we?"

"I'm not planning to get my balls out Mr Sanford", the laughter of the room forcing Marie to pause with a smile. "10-14 knots out and back. Bob?"

Bob was Lt Commander Perez, the the fourth officer of that rank on Reliant, who was in charge of Ordinance. "No issues on my end sir."

"Chiefs? Anything to add?" None of them spoke, but Marie sensed one of them had a concern. "Senior Chief Bogan, you're the Master of the Deck on this watch if I'm not mistaken. What concerns you?" MOD was the senior NCO who worked closely with the Officer of the Deck. The Master generally had responsibility over the helm and the navigation. "I, uh...I'm just a bit uncomfortable...no, I lack confidence in the man on the helm for this watch, sir. He's not had much experience on the bridge."

Marie respected that SCPO Bogan tried to temper his concerns by changing his wording of his mindset. "On my NOI course, we went on a 3 day cruise the second week I was in. At that time, the training ship was NSC Mersey. Any of you Chiefs serve on her?" MCPO Inglebert spoke up with a smile on his face. "I did Captain." "And you lived to tell the tale, I am impressed Master Chief. It was widely known as 'Lord Have Mersey' because the electrical systems tended to cut out at odd times and if you were the OD with the con, you could easily lose all of the navigation info at the snap of a finger. And it took about 5 minutes after the power came back to reset Nav, reset the Radar. I was on for OD the second night of the three, my first time on the con. But the MOD was apoplectic that I was even there onboard for my 2nd full week. He was convinced that I didn't have enough experience under ideal conditions much less having to run third watch on this old bucket of bolts. I've never forgot, as a sassy senior midshipman, what I told him and what I'm telling you now Chief Bogan." Marie took a sip of her water.
"Everybody's got to learn to fck up at some point, Chief". Again the room erupted with laughter, and Marie decided that was as good a time as any to end the meeting. "That's all. And Chief?" SCPO Bogan looked back. "Sir?"
"That MOD sought me out specifically on my graduation day, said he knew I was going to be a success because I had no doubts about my ability. Sometimes, you have to let a person show their stuff."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Down to the last seven weeks in the NSL Championship campaign and yet no club seemed to be able to get a clean grasp on the title, nor could the relegation battle come into clearer focus. The next 3 rounds came in quick succession and began with a midweek matchday 25, which saw St Warren extend their lead to 5 points as they scraped through a gritty performance at home to V&A, and coupled with Westwood Sprites' 1-0 defeat of North Lima and Learfield's 2-2 draw with Ezriquay United, V&A and N Lima now sit 5 points behind the Fielders & Sprites jump into 2nd place. Also continuing their slow sinking is Hillsborough, now 11 matches without victory after they dropped another one goal home match against Metros.

Round 26 put even more pressure on the trailing pack as St Warren defeated Learfield and Sprites & Midtown AC both lost, the Saints now 8 points ahead. Dalton Town got just their 3rd win since round 10 with a 4-2 solid effort at home to slow down Asbury Park's climb up the table; New Bremen, who looked almost certain to go down a third of the way through the season moved up to 9th, compounding Hillsborough's problems, the two clubs have gone strangely in opposite directions since early on when Borough were at the top. The two trailing sides both gained wins and saw Learfield lose, giving them both hope of escape.

The most important Belle Haven derby of the campaign occurred on matchday 27, as Hillsborough hosted V&A, although this particular meeting didn't have championship ramifications but rather relegation ones. At the end, it was the traveling supporters who went home less unhappy, as their 2-1 win leaped them over Borough into 16th. North Lima surprised the leaders, winning 3-0 at St Warren, but only Monmouth Park could take advantage as they moved up to 2nd, now 7 points behind with 7 to play.

Monmouth also resumed their AOCL Group B schedule with the return match away to Lonngeylin Coast as the first task. Park had looked dismal in losing 4-0 previously but showed a huge improvement as they fell 5-4, a late winner for the home side preventing MP from picking up a point.

Round 28 saw V&A win for the second straight week at Southend and losses by North Lima—another 1-0 match—and Hillsborough, their 14th straight winless result meant a four point cushion for V&A. St Warren were beaten again, this time at Clayton City and coupled with Westwood Sprites' win over Corinthians, the bitter West County rivals shared second spot, only 5 points back. However that was only a two day position as Monmouth beat Ezriquay on Monday to jump back into second.

Round 29 was an abbreviated schedule, as the quarterfinals of the FAC Cup are scheduled for the same day, so none of the top 7 in the table played. The round was notable for Dalton climbing up to sixth and V&A winning a third straight match, away to Shirley Metros, which moved them to just a point behind Metros in 14th.
The headlines were saved for Hillsborough, who finally broke through into the W column for the first time in 15 matches, just when they needed it—a 3-1 win over fellow relegation side North Lima.

Monmouth Park were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Cup by 2nd Division Meadowdale and then were faced with a visit from Tihon Tide in MD 5 in the AOCL. Park had given it their all in the first match and just like the previous round, looked set to come away with a well deserved point before an 87th minute goal saved the Tide's blushes and left the hosts with only a final day trip to Eshan for a chance at earning something from their experience. Unfortunately, Rosaria United were not to be charitable, as they outplayed Monmouth in a 3-1 win, leaving Park winless in the group.

Group B                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                    
1 Tihon                       6   5  1  0   12   7  +5   16    
2 Lonngeylin Coast            6   4  0  2   16  10  +6   12  
3 Rosaria United              6   2  1  3    8   8   0    7   
4 Monmouth Park               6   0  0  6    7  18 −11    0

The top 3 all were victorious on matchday 30, as were the bottom 2, which has seen Metros now creeping into the reach of the drop zone.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 St Warren City FC         29   16   4   9    54   41  +13    52
 2 Monmouth Park FC          29   13   9   7    35   31   +4    48
 3 Westwood Sprites          29   13   8   8    33   34   -1    47
 4 Clayton City SC           29   13   5  11    65   66   -1    44
 5 Dalton Town FC            30   10  14   6    57   52   +5    44
 6 Asbury Park FC            29   13   5  11    53   50   +3    44
 7 Midtown Athletic Club     29   13   4  12    58   53   +5    43

Round 31 signaled the beginning of the end for several sides. Metros were held 1-1 by N Lima, which didn't help the Norsemen but coupled with Hillsborough's 3-1 win over Monmouth Park—which probably squashes any hopes of their repeating—Metros swapped places with Borough, although they are tied along with V&A on 37 points. Southend and Clayton City, who will meet in the final of the FAC Cup, previewed that showdown with a 3-2 win for Southend. Ezriquay, Marshallton, Corinthians and Newport all continue to jockey against one another for 9th and 10th place and Dalton's late season surge might see them grab a Globe Cup spot as they have drawn nearly half of their matches (15) already this year.

Monmouth Park's reign as champions officially came to a close on matchday 32, as they lost 1-0 at home to Southend. This was even as St Warren fell to Newport City; only Westwood Sprites—back in the top division just this year—can mathematically catch Saints now as Clayton, Dalton and Monmouth are all 10 points back. While last season would've been the first time Hillsborough would've been relegated from the top flight in 97 years, V&A have only played 1 season in their history outside of the Championship, and despite their thinking that they were safe a couple of weeks ago, they find themselves back in 17th as Shirley Metros and Hillsborough each earned a point.

But the Coburgs had the advantage of having their destiny in their own hands and they played that, breaking a string of over 290 minutes of scoreless action against North Lima over the past 2 years on the penultimate round of the season, which means North Lima are down; they are the first team in the history of the Championship to be relegated after conceding the fewest goals in the league.
St Warren City also were officially Champions after they drew 3-3 with Marshallton and Westwood Sprites fell to Ezriquay United. Monmouth Park pushed Shirley Metros to the brink of falling into the Second Division for the first time in 48 years with a 1-0 win.

The final round of the NSL Championship always has storylines even if there are no important issues left to resolve.
In this case, there was one final turn of musical chairs for the other relegation spot, and when the music ended, it was V&A who found themselves without a seat; Clayton City clinched 4th place and their fans were happy to bid farewell to their neighbors from Belle Haven. North Lima went out in the same style that they played most of the season, a 1-0 win over Learfield in their last game in the Championship for the time being.
Westwood Sprites beat St Warren 3-2 to finish just 3 points back, while Monmouth closed out their campaign—the longest in the club's history--having played 51 matches in all competitions—with a 1-0 win over New Bremen to clinch 3rd. And Marshallton Athletic beat Midtown AC 4-3, a disappointing conclusion to the season for MAC, who finished tied in the table with the A's—level on points having scored the same number of goals and the same goal difference.

The final table:

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 St Warren City FC         34   18   5  11    67   54  +13    59 Champions Cup
 2 Westwood Sprites          34   16   8  10    42   42    0    56 Globe Cup
 3 Monmouth Park FC          34   15   9  10    38   36   +2    54 Globe Cup
 4 Clayton City SC           34   15   6  13    78   78    0    51 Globe Cup
 5 Dalton Town FC            34   12  15   7    64   59   +5    51
 6 Asbury Park FC            34   14   6  14    60   61   −1    48
 7 Eqriquay United FC        34   13   9  12    59   56   +3    48
 8 New Bremen FC             34   14   5  15    35   36   −1    47
 9 Marshallton Athletic SC   34   13   7  14    69   65   +4    46
   Midtown Athletic Club     34   14   4  16    69   65   +4    46
11 Newport City FC           34   12   9  13    59   63   −4    45
12 Corinthians               34   13   6  15    58   67   −9    45
13 Learfield FC              34   11  12  11    50   45   +5    45
14 Southend AC               34   12   9  13    43   48   −5    45
15 Hillsborough FC           34   11   9  14    64   65   −1    42
16 Shirley Metros FC         34   11   8  15    47   49   −2    41
17 Victoria & Albert FC      34   10  10  14    56   63   −7    40 relegated
18 North Lima SC             34    9   9  16    27   33   −6    36 relegated

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The FAC Cup (also called the Commonwealth Cup) is the nation's premier knockout competition. Open to any club that has a current membership in the FAC; it kicks off with the Preliminary Round, contested by the 64 clubs that are in the FAC Shield competition (the semi-professional regional leagues that make up the 5th tier of the pyramid) and the Conference Division, with the exception of the 2 clubs relegated from the 3rd Division the season previous.

Depending upon how many associate member clubs enter, the round may be broken into two phases: a play-in for amateur club against as many semi-professional clubs as are needed, then those winners move into the Prelim Round itself. The Prelim Round always takes place on the opening weekend of the season, when the 2nd & 3rd Division clubs begin league play.

Preliminary Round

Valley View SC 2–3 Western & Southern RR FC
Principia SC 3–0 Lower Valley Lions FC
McIlroy Station FC 4–2 Edgewood Eagles SC
Center Point FC & RFC 1–2 Blacksburg Area FC
Hills & Dales FC 4–2 Brecon Borough
West Liberty Rovers FC 1–3 Riverdale United FC
Ellesmere Woods FC 1–0 Ridge Raiders SC
FC Monroe Central 2–0 Mansfield County SC
Maplewood AFC 1–1 Lima
Forest Park SC 4–3 Jaynesville SC
Pembroke St Davids AC 1–1 Union Miners FC
Eastview SC 1–0 Milton AFC
Liberty Twp 3–1 Hannover United FC
Old Fort SC 3–1 White River Twp
Sherwood Forest FC 1–2 Lynchana Borderers AC
Patterson Park FC 3–1 Greenville Twp FC
Bergholz Town FC 1–0 Meadowlarks SC
St John's SC 0–0 Hardun Athletic Club
Far Hills SC 0–0 Hampton SC
Red Wing FC 2–3 Berwick Rangers FC
Charter Twp FC 1–2 Dragons FC
Linden Lions FC 0–1 ROCK Utd
Forresters FC 1–0 East Linden SC
Battenberg Bruins SC 3–2 Haskins Blues AFC
State Univ 3–3 Dalton Station AC
West Chester 0–0 Paintersville SC
Blue Aces SC 1–2 Independent Laborers AC
West Alden United FC 1–0 Castleford
Jeromeville FC 5–5 Mooresville Celtic FC
Jennings Borough 4–1 RFCP AC
Shiloh FC 1–1 Greenlea United FC
New Harmony 1–1 Engineers Club

Highlights on the first day were Hills & Dales beating Brecon Borough, Forest Park's win over Jaynesville and State U and Dalton Station battling to a 3-3 draw, not to mention the thriller between Jeromesville FC and Mooresville Celtic, which also went to a replay along with 7 other matches.


replays

Liberty Twp 2–2 Maplewood AFC (2–2 AET) (6–7 pen.)
Union Miners FC 2–1 Pembroke St Davids AC
Hardun Athletic Club 2–1 St John's SC
Hampton SC 4–2 Far Hills SC
Dalton Station AC 1–1 State Univ (2–1 AET)
Paintersville SC 1–0 West Chester
Mooresville Celtic FC 3–3 Jeromeville FC (3–3 AET) (1–4 pen.)
Greenlea United FC 2–1 Shiloh FC
Engineers Club 1–0 New Harmony

Mooresville and Jeromesville couldn't settle their tie after 8 goals apiece over 2 matches plus 30 extra minutes. The Jays finally settled the affair with 4 successful penalties in the shootout. Dalton Station didn't need that much extra effort, but they did have to go to extra time as well.

Following the Prelim Round the 3rd division sides come into the picture for the Qualifying Round at the beginning of November. The 20 clubs from the previous year, plus the 2 clubs relegated from the 2nd Division and the 2 sides promoted from the Conference join the 32 winners of the Prelim.

Qualifying Round

Maritime Athletic SC 3–1 Blacksburg Area FC
Jeromeville FC 2–5 Great Northern
Kellerville AFC 1–0 Brentwood Borough FC
West Alden United FC 2–2 St Pats AC
Ravens FC 3–1 Patterson Park FC
East Endinborough AFC 2–2 Maplewood AFC
Hills & Dales FC 1–1 Forresters FC
ROCK Utd 1–0 Springfield City
Berwick Rangers FC 1–1 Forest Park SC
Broadview AFC 3–3 Bergholz Town FC
Western & Southern RR FC 2–2 Battenberg Bruins SC
Collinsville Utd 0–0 Old Fort SC
FC Monroe Central 1–0 Maineville Mauraders FC
Eastview SC 2–0 Principia SC
Jamestown Rovers FC 1–1 Trinity FC
Jennings Borough 1–1 Ellesmere Woods FC
Dalton Station 2–2 Liberty Twp
Hardun Athletic Club 0–1 Greenlea United FC
Bridgend Metros FC 4–4 McIlroy Station FC
Riverdale United FC 1–2 Dragons FC
Sorenburg Park 2–0 Union Miners FC
Independent Laborers AC 0–1 Hampton SC
Lynchana Borderers AC 0–2 Andover Borough SC
Westphalia County FC 2–2 SK Leiderkranz-Turner
Paintersville SC 1–3 Riverside City
Engineers Club 0–1 Fairport Harbor FC
Sanborn Borough SC 1–0 Crusaders FC
Fairport City FC 0–1 Alton Athletic

Jeromesville ran out of scoring against Great Northern, but Bridgend and McIlroy Station found enough to take their tie to a replay, while Dalton Station salvaged a second straight replay against Liberty Township. Dragons FC won their second away cup match 2-1 proving their domestic form might be enough to get them out of the Shield competition at the end of the season.

replays

St Pats AC 2–3 West Alden United FC
Maplewood AFC 0–1 East Endinborough AFC
Forresters FC 1–1 Hills & Dales FC (2–1 AET)
Forest Park SC 3–1 Berwick Rangers FC
Bergholz Town FC 0–1 Broadview AFC
Battenberg Bruins SC 3–2 Western & Southern RR FC
Old Fort SC 1–0 Collinsville Utd
Trinity FC 3–0 Jamestown Rovers FC
Ellesmere Woods FC 1–0 Jennings Borough
Liberty Twp 1–3 Dalton Station
McIlroy Station FC 0–1 Bridgend Metros FC
SK Leiderkranz-Turner 0–1 Westphalia County FC

Forest Park, Battenburg, and Old Fort alll took wins in their replayed ties to get them through to the First Round. Dalton Station also joined the parade from the regionals into the First round which includes Monroe Central.

The First Round sees no additional clubs join in the draw, so only 28 sides compete for the right to advance.

First Round

Forest Park SC 0–1 Eastview SC
Maritime Athletic SC 3–1 FC Monroe Central
Sorenburg Park 0–1 Alton Athletic
ROCK Utd 0–2 Andover Borough SC
Westphalia County FC 0–0 Dalton Station
Trinity FC 2–0 East Endinborough AFC
West Alden United FC 1–4 Sanborn Borough SC
Bridgend Metros FC 0–0 Dragons FC
Greenlea United FC 0–2 Fairport Harbor FC
Broadview AFC 2–0 Old Fort SC
Battenberg Bruins SC 1–0 Hills & Dales FC
Riverside City 0–1 Hampton SC
Kellerville AFC 0–1 Ravens FC
Ellesmere Woods FC 1–0 Great Northern

When the dust had settled, Battenburg Bruins and Hampton SC carried the banner for the Shield sides remaining when Dalton Station and Dragons both dropped replays at home. The 14 clubs that would advance to the Second Round would join the top 16 2nd Division sides as well as the 2 promoted to the Championship from last season. That would take place in the week between Christmas and New Year.

replays

Dalton Station 0–1 Westphalia County
Dragons FC 0–2 Bridgend Metros

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

One on One With: Trevor Richmond

Frank Armitage
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

When I received the message, I thought it must be a mistake. I knew that the administrative office--run by the incomparable Allison LeFleur--at the FAC had told me about 2 weeks ago that Trevor Richmond was on holiday, and wouldn't return for at least 4 weeks. Yet here I was, at my desk looking at a note that I should return the call from the number written down, a number I knew full well was Trevor Richmond's private cell number. He had only ever called me from the number twice in the last 8 years; I respected his privacy and never texted him or called him on that line. As far as I knew it was probably his family use cell phone.

I dialed the number from my desk phone, and it picked up on the third ring. "Frank. How are you?"
I have been covering soccer for The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday for 17 years, and in that time, no manager of the National Team has ever inquired about my well being during the height of the off-season.
"I'm very good Trevor, thank you. They told me you were on holiday for at least a month. I hope they didn't say that I had called."

"No Frank, I've not had any contact with the office. But I was wondering if you wanted to have a sit-down, informal and relaxed? We're up here at Mary Lake, the kids and the wife love it here, and we've had all the family in and out. I just wondered if you had a couple of days--a weekend--you might want to visit us here. We have a big cabin but if you felt like you wanted some privacy there is a small, separate cottage. I'd bet your wife would like to get away for a couple of days."

In my head the conversation was taking a turn along the lines of 'who are you?' But I knew Trevor had met my wife on a couple of occasions and I know his wife Karen is one of the most gracious and friendly manager's wives I've ever encountered. "Let me ask her what she has planned, but at this point I'll say...sure. I appreciate the invitation."

Trevor Richmond and I are not bosom buddies, we are not close friends. We have come from completely different backgrounds in our lives and have had an excellent working relationship as professionals for a long time. I have never written something about him that I felt was unfair or that I might have to explain or apologize for. He is exceedingly honest, candid, and thoughtful. In short, a reporter's dream.

My wife, Laura, didn't need much arm twisting. Although she has a busy, complex career of her own here in the city, she has told me several times that she regrets we've not had enough time to get away and see things together or with our family.
She asked me how I thought we'd get along with our hosts, and I had to think about it for a bit; it turned out that once I started toting up the things I knew, it made sense. As a couple, we are really not that far apart in age from the Richmond's, although our children are older than theirs. I know that Karen Richmond is a well respected community advocate for children & women in need, and my wife has become much more involved with charities supporting young women overcoming abuse in the last few years.

I said to her, "I think we'll all be good friends after a couple of days."

I asked to have a face to face with the Executive Editor of The Mail, David F Hunter, my ultimate boss. "No, Frank you cannot have a raise." He smiled as we sat down across the coffee table in his office suite. This was part of our ritual--it was part of the ritual with everyone who worked at The Mail who got an opportunity to have 10 minutes with the Boss.

"But I've written so many good words this year David. Some of them even fell into actual sentences." We laughed together, the ritual over.

"What's on your mind Frank? It's been too long since we've had a chance to talk."
I explained my situation, and the dilemma I felt ethically. "The actual time spent or whatever I write as a result isn't a problem, but the appearance is what worries me."
David never said anything as I related the story, he did not give away an emotion, or a signal into his thinking, he merely nodded and listened.

"Well, in order of importance, I don't see a conflict of interest as far as the paper is concerned. You have been invited personally, on your own time and at the expense of the host who invited you, and on the surface there doesn't appear to be an underlying intent. Secondly, I think you deserve to have a few days of not worrying about the job, so I am not just recommending you go, but I am basically ordering you to take 5 full days of vacation. Thirdly, I think that whatever discussions you have with him, and I'm sure he will at least be candid enough to say "'this is off the record, etc', that whatever material you get and whatever you write from that material would have to be judged after you've written it. Or not. We've never edited you heavy here Frank, you know that."

Having that sort of definitive support from your management was what I've always loved about working for this paper. It's not exclusive to The Mail, but I know colleagues who work for papers in other countries who don't always feel like they can count on that type of clear direction.

"Thanks David, I appreciate your time." Hunter walked me to the door. "We should have dinner soon, you and Laura and Jackie and I.".
"I look forward to it David, that'll be a good time to hit you up for a raise, I think."

(continued tomorrow in part 2)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The Second Round of the FAC Cup comes during the brief winter break between Christmas and New Years. It is the only round where all 16 matches take place on the same day and kickoff at the same time.

Second Round

Battenberg Bruins SC 0–4 Westwood Sprites
Broadview AFC 0–1 Trinity FC
Jacksonville FC 2–0 Llewellyn Turnpike SC
North Royalton Town FC 0–2 Hamilton Wanderers FC
Eastview SC 0–1 Andover Borough SC
Maritime Athletic SC 2–1 Newmarket Saxons FC
Westphalia County FC 3–3 Sanborn Borough SC
Corinthians 1–0 Ravens FC
Middlebourne City AFC 0–1 Ellesmere Woods FC
Hampton SC 1–2 Brentford FC
Mansfield C&W FC 4–2 Fairport Harbor FC
Salisbury City FC 2–4 Meadowdale FC
Alton Athletic 2–2 Richmond Station FC
Nor-Dale AFC 1–1 Linden Woods FC
Coolville United 3–1 Bridgend Metros FC
Middletown City FC 2–1 Jamestown City

It marked the end of the road for the two lowest remaining side, who both lost at home; Hampton SC couldn't overcome Brentford and Battenburg fell to a rampant Westwood Sprites side who were making noise in the Championship following their promotion. Eastview's home defeat to Andover Borough meant that only one club from outside of the top 3 divisions would advance to the 3rd Round, as Ellesmere Woods knocked off 2nd division Middlebourne City.

replays

Sanborn Borough 3–0 Westphalia County
Richmond Stn 1–2 Alton Athletic
Linden Woods 0–2 Nor-Dale

The Third Round sees the remaining 16 clubs from the Championship enter the draw at the end of January.

Third Round

Trinity FC 0–0 Marshallton Athletic SC
Andover Borough 2–1 Mansfield C&W FC
North Lima SC 2–1 Coolville United
Victoria & Albert SC 2–2 Nor-Dale AFC
Jacksonville FC 2–2 Newport City FC
St Warren City FC 2–1 Middletown City FC
Monmouth Park FC 1–1 Dalton Town FC
Ellesmere Woods 1–0 New Bremen FC
Midtown Athletic Club 0–1 Westwood Sprites
Hillsborough FC 6–2 Alton Athletic
Brentford FC 1–1 Corinthians
Meadowdale FC 4–2 Maritime Athl
Westphalia County 1–1 Asbury Park FC
Learfield FC 1–0 Hamilton Wanderers FC
Clayton City SC 1–0 Eqriquay United FC
Southend AC 2–1 Shirley Metros FC

It was for the most part a round in which the top sides flexed their muscles, except for Andover Borough who remain the last 3rd Division club and Ellesmere Woods, who stunned New Bremen to carry the honor of the Conference into the final 16. The defending Cup holders Shirley Metros were defeated by Southend and Hillsborough put six past Alton AC in the rounds highest scoring matchup.

replays

Newport City FC 1–3 Jacksonville FC
Dalton Town FC 1–2 Monmouth Park FC
Marshallton Athletic SC 4–3 Trinity FC
Nor-Dale AFC 1–2 Victoria & Albert SC
Corinthians 2–3 Brentford FC
Asbury Park FC 4–1 Westphalia County

The Fourth Round saw 5 of the 8 contests forced into a replay. But Andover became the first club from the 3rd Division to make it into the quarterfinals in 11 years--as well as the first to win 4 away matches in 56 years--as they knocked off Marshallton. Defending league champions Monmouth were pushed into another replay with their neighbors Brentford, as was relegation threatened V&A versus Meadowdale.

Fourth Round

Marshallton Athletic SC 0–1 Andover Borough
Asbury Park FC 0–0 Hillsborough FC
North Lima SC 0–0 Westwood Sprites
Southend AC 4–2 Ellesmere Woods
Jacksonville FC 2–1 Learfield FC
Brentford FC 1–1 Monmouth Park FC
Victoria & Albert SC 0–0 Meadowdale FC
St Warren City FC 0–0 Clayton City SC

Clayton knocked off the league leaders St Warren and Meadowdale eliminated V&A on penalties to make it 3 clubs from outside the Championship to make the final 8.

replays

Hillsborough FC 0–1 Asbury Park FC
Westwood Sprites 3–1 North Lima SC
Monmouth Park FC 1–0 Brentford FC
Meadowdale FC 2–2 Victoria & Albert SC (2–2 AET) (3–0 pen.)
Clayton City SC 1–0 St Warren City FC

The Quarterfinals threw up some interesting ties as the league seasons and the Cup began to converge on certain clubs. Meadowdale knocked Monmouth out the Cup and Westwood Sprites matched their crosstown rivals Clayton City in reaching the semi-finals

Quarterfinals

Andover Borough 0–3 Westwood Sprites
Asbury Park FC 1–1 Southend AC
Jacksonville FC 1–4 Clayton City SC
Monmouth Park FC 1–2 Meadowdale FC

Southend made it a semi final featuring two clubs from West County and two from Ezra in the last 4.

replay

Southend AC 1–0 Asbury Park

The semi-finals are played at neutral venues and there was the possibility of an all-WC or all-Ezra final as the draw shook out. But Southend outlasted Sprites in extra time and Clayton continued their late season goal scoring form to eliminate Meadowdale.

Semi-Finals

Southend AC 1–1 Westwood Sprites (2–1 AET)  (at Ezriquay)
Clayton City 4–2 Meadowdale FC   (at Hamilton)

The final ended up being a classic, as the sides couldn't be separated in 90 minutes, but in the second half of extra time, Clayton found a winner and lifted the trophy for the 4th time in their history.

Final

Southend AC 1–1 Clayton City (1–2 AET)  (at Oceana)

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

One on One With: Trevor Richmond--Part 2

Frank Armitage
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

I confirmed to Trevor that my wife & I would come to stay for 3 days and nights, if that was fine with him. He thought that would be perfect and gave me the directions to his cabin. He said I should plan on about 5 1/2 hours by car from Belle Haven by the route he suggested. I said he could expect us by lunchtime Friday.

Laura was eager to drive for the first part of the journey, which I didn't object to; we don't stand on ceremony at the Armitage household and it would give me time to jot down some notes on things I wanted to talk about. A glance or two at the map made me wonder about Trevor's sense of direction, but when I started thinking about traffic patterns and timing, I could see his logic--he avoided the straight through routes into downtown areas during heavy rush hour.

As we crossed over the river via the Witmer Bridge, Laura surprised me a bit of travelers info I didn't expect from her. "I'm told there's a place at the second exit that make the very best sausage buns you can buy." I was so stunned I couldn't even form words to reply. "Well OK."

Wherever she got that bit of info from, I couldn't deny that it was a delicious mid-morning snack (and the coffee was great too). I took over the driving and we pushed on towards the A-85.

It had been a long time since I had been to the Lake Country, and you can easily underestimate how far it actually is from outer reaches of Endborough. But it was a scenic, relaxing leg of the trip. It was a perfect reminder that while some parts of the Commonwealth have been a bit too developed, the deliberate effort to keep this part of the country pristine has been one of the best investments the government has made.

I pulled in at the site where the cabin was situated and told the attendant who I was and whom I was visiting. "Oh, yes sir. Follow the drive for about 2/3 of a mile and you'll see a turnoff to your left. Follow that for a short ways and then when you see the sign for the 700 cabins, make a right. It'll be just 50 or so yards."

We pulled up just as the dashboard clock said 12:35. We saw Karen Richmond getting the picnic table ready for lunch.

"Hello, welcome. How was the drive?" She greeted us like long time friends and broke away from her preparations to invite us inside, show us our little detached mini cabin and asked if we were hungry. She said Trevor had the kids down by the lake and they would be back very soon. "Would like a few minutes to get settled in? I'm sure you'd probably like to take a bit of time to unwind after the drive."

continued in part 3

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

One on One With: Trevor Richmond--Part 3

Frank Armitage
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

Lunch at a picnic table at a cabin in the Lake District is just about the perfect way to start a vacation.
Everything was what you'd expect for lunchtime for a day at the lake--potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, broccoli salad, fruit salad; cold cuts & cheese and buns. Trevor and the children arrived back just as Laura and I wandered over to ask Karen if there was anything she needed help with.

The Richmond children were very respectful and polite; they asked us about our children and our interest in doing things here at the lake--fishing, canoeing, paddle-boating, late night campfires, riding bikes into the village, hikes; basically anything you might think about wanting to partake in while you were at cabin where there was no TV, no cell service, no outside entertainment except for the people you were with. And I don't write this because I know they will read it--they were great company; my wife was wistful that we hadn't had as many opportunities to do these kinds of things with our own children at a similar age.

Generally, after lunch the kids stayed close to cabin, they helped with the cleanup after lunch and took turns washing the dishes, and basically letting their mom have a bit of time to herself. It was really special to see how responsible they were.

Trevor had pulled me away from the post meal chores and asked if I wanted to go "drown some worms on the boat." We walked down to a small pier where there was a 12 foot craft with an outboard motor and we made our way through the main channel, past several inlets and headlands that jutted out into the lake.

"Frank, I am so happy that you could come and spend a couple of days with us." He had killed the motor and started to work on his fishing pole, which I took as my cue to do the same with the pole laying in the boat to my left.

"it's one of those strange occurrences in ones' life when you don't really have people you can spend time with, who understand and have the same experiences as you do, but aren't the people you spend all of your working time around. Sometimes you need that break in order to get a better perspective on where you stand as an individual."

I completely understood his viewpoint; as a journalist who specializes in covering one particular thing, you can find yourself being surrounded only by people who are in the identical situation, but who may not be able to detach themselves from that one shared experience.

"Like you. What sort of personal relationships do you have with other writers who cover soccer on a national or international level? Like Olly Stanley as an example?"

"Olly is an interesting example as he and I have a really great relationship, and we have known each other for a very long time. I was a stringer for BPNS and he was just getting started at the Courier in Ezriquay when we first met. We weren't even doing sports, but we had mutual friends and we shared info with one another whenever we could."

Trevor threw his line out about 30 yards from the boat. "I was really impressed by that woman for the Sporting Times...Mindy Cartwright, and what she wrote from the DBC and during the World Cup."

I cast my line in the opposite direction and gave the reel a couple of cranks. "Good reporter. She really has an interesting voice. I try and read her stuff whenever I can. I was impressed by her when we were in Valanora. I wonder if she is going to be with them in a year from now, she's got so much talent."

continued in part 4

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

One on One With: Trevor Richmond--Part 4

Frank Armitage
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

I don't know how much luck I thought we would have fishing in mid-afternoon at the height of summer, but Trevor pulled in two really nice bluegill and a walleye, and I got a decent sized muskie--literally the first fish I've caught since I was 10 years old.

We'd had a good 2 hours, talking about our impressions of people we both knew, and bringing in enough fish that the 7 of us would have a decent small portion for supper. The kids rushed down to the dock as we pulled in around 3:45, they helped us tie the boat up, and grabbed all of the equipment. "Did you catch anything Frank?" Tara Richmond was never shy, or without an opinion; she clearly had the full measure of her brothers, who adored and defied her in equal measure, sometimes at the same time. "Yes, ma'am I did, the big one there."

"Wow, that's cool. Dad knows all the best places to catch big fish." She threw the sentence out as a matter of fact. The younger Richmond's: Tara, 12; Jason, 10; and Robbie, 8 ("and a half") were clearly a tight knit, well behaved trio. They yelled and argued with one another about the most mundane things, and 5 minutes after would be restored to figuring out things to do and getting along like nothing had happened. (The next day, Tara had reduced Robbie to a puddle of tears with some withering criticism about something; after the storm had passed, I had gotten up and made my way to the restroom, but noticed in the boys' bedroom Tara was sitting next to him on the bed in an embrace that was clearly a big sister comforting her brother.)

We adults did have a fantastic time bonding with each other; the kids would go off to bed at some point long after it had gotten pitch black dark while we sat around the campfire, and the four of us would relate tales of child rearing, childhood memories, silly anecdotes about nothing, gossip about people we tangentially knew in common. Then we would go off to bed and begin the whole process again in the morning.

The day was pretty well broken down into three parts--mornings were breakfast, and usually some excursion with the kids--a hike, a boat ride or a paddle boat or canoe trip, a bike ride, sitting on the dock and fishing--lunch, and a casual low key mid afternoon. One day Trevor and I took to the boys and the four of us went in the boat on a exploration of some areas of the lake, while the women stayed behind and did their own thing (a bike trip into town actually).

The ladies decided they wanted to be on the boat, so the next day three of them went off while we men stayed behind and did a sort of nature hike/foraging walk. Trevor talked to the boys about things they should look for in the woods, what sorts of things that should know were edible or were poisonous, and how to know the direction you were going and to find your way back if you were lost. I remembered some of my own Boy Scout experiences to be able to help, but mostly it was fun to see the boys really have the undivided attention of their Dad for a few hours.

The third part of the day was usually kicked off by a nap, or a lazy sit around in a lounge chair; preparation for the evening meal--which was usually the responsibility of the men--and then eating, a game or some activity involving all of together in the cabin or outside, and a fire and sitting around outdoors.

It's easy to stop feeling guilty that you're not 'doing something' while you are in a place where no one is calling, no one is asking for anything. You're with a family who are genuinely close to one another, and who are perfectly comfortable including you in their camaraderie.
Jason and Robbie asked me a thousand questions about soccer, and places I'd been, and players I'd met. Tara was extremely curious about Laura's work and seemed to enjoy having a perspective from a woman other than her mom.

At the end of every day, Laura told me that she wished we could stay for another month; she had grown to have a real affection for the Richmond's in a short period of time and the kids especially really came to enjoy Laura's company (and mine too I suppose).

continued in part 5