OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF QUEENSLAND FUTSAL ASSOCIATION INC.
WEBSITE www.qldfutsal.com.au

A FOUNDER MEMBER OF SOCCER AUSTRALIA’S FUTSAL COMMISSION
AND
AFFILIATE AND MEMBER OF QUEENSLAND SOCCER FEDERATION.
AND
PROUDLY FUNDED BY QUEENSLAND STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICE OF SPORT.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS


PYRAMIDS CUP IN EGYPT
Brazil beat Italy 3-1 in the final of the Pyramids Cup in Egypt. I had mentioned previously that Mauricio would be attending this tournament but he unfortunately didn’t end up going. This tournament was considered a trial for Egypt’s application to host the 2004 Futsal World Cup and hopefully we will get reports as to this tournament went administratively later.

AUSSIES IN NEW ZEALAND START WELL
Our twelve year boys team are in New Zealand for fourteen days and started off by competing in New Zealand’s National Titles. The Aussies went through undefeated, however in an official international against the New Zealand twelve’s on Sunday they lost 4-3. Our goals were scored by Jared Phythian , David Firth and Mark Symington . There will be a rematch next Saturday, with an international against the thirteen’s on Sunday as well.
Good luck to Paul and all the boys over there and we’ll put a full report on return.

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN BRAZIL UNDERWAY
Last Friday Nicola Zammit from Queensland Futsal left with the sixteen and nineteen boys to attend Centre of Excellence in Brazil. They were lucky enough to arrive in Brazil just in time to attend the quarter- final of the Brazil Soccer Championships between Athletico and Corinthians. Being part of a crowd of just under 80,000 they were unlucky to have to see Athletico lose 6-2 . Both team have since played in the Diamantina Cup and tonight are seeing MINAS TENIS FUTSAL CLUBE play in the state semi final .
The teams get back on the 13th December.

QUEENSLAND FUTSAL BRING OUT BRAZILIAN COACH
Queensland Futsal will be bringing out a Brazilian coach next September for a period of eight weeks. The association has made a decision to bring out a coach every year to improve the quality of coaching and playing in the state, and this coach will also assist coaching state sides at the national school titles next year. More details later.

THE DANGERS OF HEADING THE BALL
The great West Bromwich Albion centreforward JEFF ASTLE died a year ago ( he was in the England 1970 World Cup Squad in Mexico), and the coroner has caused much interest with his findings( released last week ) into ASTLE’S death.. To quote: “ Proffessional soccer players should undergo regular brain tests so signs of brain damage caused by heading the ball can be detected, a British neurosurgeon suggested this week..

Farhad Afshar , the senior neurosurgical consultant at St Bartholomews and Royal London hospitals, said the tests every five years could help doctors spot brain diseases like the one that contributed to the death of former England striker JEFF ASTLE.

A coroner ruled this week that Astle’s death was due to a degenerative brain disease caused by constantly heading footballs.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the PFA, Gordon Taylor, told Sky sports that in future footballs may have to carry similar health warnings as cigarette packets, along the lines of ‘ too much heading can be dangerous. ‘”

OVERSEAS FUTSAL TOURS COMING UP

SINGAPORE FIVES(MEN) - MAY/JUNE 2003

BRAZIL - 9TH MAY 2003

CANADA - 9TH MAY 2003

JAPAN - 16TH MAY 2003

USA(under 18 Qld women) - 15TH JUNE 2003

Italy (Australian open women) - 20th JUNE 2003

Spain (Queensland Open ) 1st SEPTEMBER - 2003

NATIONAL NEWS

SOCCER AUSTRALIA NEWS
Unfortunately the media in Australia has never been favourable to soccer, especially of late. The problems occurring at national level in soccer are terrible but are solvable. The present Senate Inquiry into the sport will hopefully come up with the right answers. Futsal is part of Soccer Australia and thus their problems are ours. However I have to say to all our readers out there…soccer is still the biggest participation football code in Australia and Futsal is still the fastest growing sport. The standard of administration at regional and state level in Futsal and soccer is very good, and this is exemplified in our playing numbers. Whatever you do, don’t judge the sport totally on what the papers say. At grass roots level we are streets ahead of the others.

NATIONAL CLUB TITLES
There have been some misunderstanding about the dates of the national titles in January. The state series is Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the 15th,16th,17th January. The individual team series is 18th,19th.
Queensland this tournament is entering 27 teams and the last weekend has seen many of them training at STATE HEADQUARTERS at ACACIA RIDGE.

STATE NEWS

STATE TITLES THIS SEASON HUGE SUCCESS !!
This weekend gone saw the playing of the North Queensland State Titles in Townsville and the South Queensland Junior titles (10 to 16 years boys) in Beenleigh. Both tournaments were a huge success with 48 teams in the north and 41 in the south. Add to this the 57 teams that attended the Country titles in Caloundra and the at least 40 teams that will compete at the female and senior state titles next week, it means a total of 186 teams have competed at state titles over the last four weeks. It is also pleasing to see that a total of 28 CLUBS have been represented at the tournaments……hopefully we are doing something right.

So to Stanthorpe , Warwick , Toowoomba , Camira , Jindalee , Toowong , Acacia Ridge, Park Ridge , Logan City, Beenleigh , Marsden , Tallebudgera , Redlands, Mount Gravatt , Sunnybank, Carina, Deception Bay , Sunshine Coast , Hervey Bay, Marybrough , Bundaberg , Rockhampton , Rassmussen , Townsville , Charters Towers, Mareeba ,Innisfail and Cairns…..I say thanks for your support and hope to see you all at the states and regional’s next year.

I had the pleasure of witnessing the twelve boys South Queensland Competition on Saturday. Eleven teams provided probably the highest standard junior competition I have ever seen in Queensland…going into the last round seven teams were in the running for the semifinals. The final between Clairvaux and Spuds was a pleasure to watch…two teams playing Futsal and not just soccer indoors. Congratulations to Adrian Scholte and Gerry Walsh for the coaching they have done with these two teams over the past three years.

NOW TO THE RESULTS

NORTH QUEENSLAND TITLES

10 YEAR BOYS - MAREEBA DEF. CHARTERS TOWERS

11 YEAR BOYS - CHARTERS TOWERS DEF. MAREEBA

12 YEAR BOYS - TOWNSVILLE WARRIORS DEF. MAREEBA

13 YEAR BOYS - MAREEBA DEF. TOWNSVILLE

14 YEAR BOYS - MAREEBA DEF. TOWNSVILLE STRONGBOW

16 YEAR BOYS - TOWNSVILLE VIKINGS DEF. TOWNSVILLE JUVENTUS

14 YEAR GIRLS - MAREEBA DEF. CHARTERS TOWERS

16 YEAR GIRLS - MAREEBA DEF. INNISFAIL WOOFERS

MENS A GRADE - CAIRNS SUPER 7 DEF. TOWNSVILLE PHOENIX

MENS B GRADE - TOWNSVILLE CBQ DEF. MAREEBA

WOMENS FINAL - MAREEBA DEF. PHOENIX

SOUTH QUEENSLAND TITLES

10 YEAR BOYS - LOGAN FIFA BOYS DEF. SUNNYBANK DPA

11 YEAR BOYS - SUNNYBANK GLADIATORS DEF. BEENLEIGH GTOOWIN

12 YEAR BOYS - LOGAN CLAIRVAUX DEF. LOGAN SPUDS

13 YEAR BOYS - LOGAN BRAZIL DEF. MARYBROUGH RAZORBACKS

14 YEAR BOYS - STANTHORPE ITALIA DEF. MOUNT GRAVATT W.O.G.S.

15 YEAR BOYS - LOGAN GLENSBOYS DEF. CAMIRA CLASH


THIS WEEKEND STATE TITLES
This weekend will see the 17 boys, youth boys , open men ,over 35 men , 12 girls 14 girls, 16 girls, 18 girls, open women and over 30 women at Beenleigh.

REGIONAL SELECTIONS
We have now started selections for the regional titles at Easter. Regional selectors will be going around the centers selecting regional teams prior to Christmas in preparation for the tournament. State sides in all age groups are selected at the regionals to attend the national in January 2004.

NATIONAL SCHOOL TITLES
Yes, its true….the national school titles are in Toowoomba. And yes it’s also true there will be an individual school’s titles involved. Entry forms will be sent out in February so stay tuned. If you want to receive an entry form please email me.

CHRISTMAS OFFICE HOURS
The state office will close Friday 20th December at 5.00 pm and will reopen Monday 6th January at 8.30 am. If you need to contact the office in an emergency in this period please ring mobile 0414396211.

WHATS COMING UP-DATES TO REMEMBER

7th/8th December - Senior State Titles - Brisbane
14th/16th January - National Club Titles - Sydney
8th/9th February - Logan City Cup - Toowoomba
10th/28th March - State Secondary School Titles - Brisbane
24th/25th March - State Primary School Titles - Brisbane
31st March - Special School Titles - Acacia Ridge

HUMOUR

SOME QUOTES FROM RIVALS.NET

"I think the league table is a pretty good barometer of how you are doing." – Kevin Keegan

"I think the referee has got a career in the railways. The only thing he got right today was blowing the whistle for the end of the game." – Exeter boss Neil McNab following five red cards dished out against Cambridge.

And another bad luck story from Manchester City Soccer Club last week.

Manchester City teenage substitute Joey Barton was in the dugout at Middlesbrough , waiting to make his first team debut. He took his shirt off and put it next to him on the bench. He went in at halftime and someone had stolen the shirt by the time he emerged. Manager Kevin Keegan had no option but to send someone else on.

AND THE ANSWERS TO LAST WEEKS QUIZ
Michael McCullough from Camira club was the first in with the answers….unfortunately he got one wrong. To their only supporter in Queensland , no more questions about Everton please . The correct answers:

QUESTION ONE
Which English Premier League club held the first division title during both World War One and Two(when play was suspended)? And this is definitely the last question involving this club. Everton

QUESTION TWO
Name the Queensland Futsal prodigy just selected in the Australian Joeys Soccer Team( under 20’s) ? His dad is still one of our state and international coaches. Michael Baird (South Melbourne)

QUESTION THREE
If the referee holds his arm in the air and show his palm with ALL fingers extended to the goalkeeper and bench….what is he saying ?

Five Team Fouls. Next foul will result in a direct free kick with no wall .

THAT’S ALL FOLKS…..SEE YOU NEXT WEEK