OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF QUEENSLAND FUTSAL ASSOCIATION

(Back copies available on the website below)

WEBSITE www.qldfutsal.com.au

ON LINE FUTSAL SHOP www.dalponte.org.au

A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE SOCCER AUSTRALIA FUTSAL COMMISSION AND AFFILIATE AND MEMBER OF SOCCER QUEENSLAND.

AND

PROUDLY FUNDED BY QUEENSLAND STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICE OF SPORT.

IF YOU ENJOY THIS NEWSLETTER SEND IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS.

IF YOU DON’T EMAIL US AND WE’LL REMOVE YOUR NAME.


STOP PRESS!!!! STOP PRESS!!!!!

While we are having trials at Acacia Ridge Monday 26th April and Monday 3rd May we will also be holding a mid year sale at the centre. See below in state news for further details.


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Japan and Iran Dominate Asian Cup but China Perform Well

At the Asian Cup being played in Macau this week, Japan and Iran are on target to meet in the final. The top three countries from this tournament qualify to represent Asia at the World Cup in Taipei this year.

China, coached by Brazilian Farinha, well known to all players who have attended Centre of Excellence in Brazil, performed well coming second in their group on goal difference and being beaten 5-2 by Japan in their quarter final.

For further details on the tournament go to www.futsalplanet.com


Brazil Tour Departs Friday 7th May

The annual May Centre of Excellence tour leaves on Friday 7th May, led for the first time by Brian Keightley. A party of 29 will jet away arriving in Rio the same night. Each tour gets better and this time around the Centre has been moved to National Futsal League Club Minas Tenis, where their own professional coaches will run the programme. Dal Ponte Viking and shadow Australian player Jovan Gacesa will also be going with the tour, to both assist Brian with coaching and train with the Minas National League squad for four weeks.


Norwich Promoted to Premier League

Well it’s now proven Futsal does improve your soccer skills (sorry Mr Worthington, only joking!) Norwich Football Club who host our UK tour each year won promotion to the English Football Premier League on the weekend.

When we began the visit the Norwich 5 years ago, we introduced the club to Futsal. Since then they have built their own indoor stadium and the highlight of the tour has become the Aussies versus Norwich Coaching Staff Futsal game. Unfortunately Norwich has a habit of winning. It’s not fully confirmed yet but thanks the English FA Futsal Manager Dermot Collins we may get to play an England select 15 years old boys Futsal side. More later.
And in far more important news Shrewsbury Town have qualified for the Conference League playoffs to hopefully bring Third Division football back to Salop…..oh well, it matters to me anyway.

World Cup Dates Hopefully Finally Settled

If anybody wants to criticize Queensland Futsal for changing the dates of tournaments, rest assured we have nothing on FIFA. A press release came through this week stating the Futsal World Cup is definitely 21st November to 5th December, which I think were the first dates bandied around. We are still taking a supporters tour to the tournament, and if you are interested in attending please email Brian Keightley on brian.k@qldfutsal.com.au


Oceania Playoffs

The Oceania playoffs, with one World Cup spot up for grabs will be played in Canberra 15th to 19th July, exact number of days depending on number of entries for the tournament.

OVERSEAS FUTSAL TOURS COMING UP

Brazil Centre of Excellence 7th May to 26th May 2004

Ecuador /Chile 12th July to 30th July 2004

Japan 25th July to 4th August 2004

England 4th October to 23rd October 2004

Brazil 19th November to 8th December 2004

New Zealand 26th November to 8th December 2004


NATIONAL NEWS

Vikings to Compete in Hyundai Cup In Sydney

The Dal Ponte Vikings will compete in the Hyundai five a side tournament in Sydney on the 2nd May. The tournament is played under Futsal rules outdoors on grass, and the winning team receives a fully funded trip for the whole team to Portugal in July (during the European Football Championships) to be the World Champion team of 5 a side football. A similar promotion was run during the 2002 Football World Cup and some of you may remember the tournament we ran at Souths United Soccer Club. LETS GO VIKINGS !


National League May At Last Be All Go

After the National Futsal Commission Meeting held last Saturday, hopefully the National League will be back in running again. We have suggested a home and away league running from October to February finishing with a ‘circus’ weekend
(i.e. a mini tournament), which hopefully we can get television coverage for. Queensland has nominated both the Vikings in Brisbane and a North Queensland team. More later. It is vital we get the national league running again as is the main hole that exists in the whole model of Futsal in Australia.

State of Origin Series Suggested


After discussion with NSW, we are going to hold a State of Origin series this year. It will be held sometime in the October to December period, most likely at Coffs Harbour. We are looking at 6 to 8 age groups initially, but this may expand in future years.

National School Titles

The National School Titles are again in Brisbane this year. The interstate series will be from Monday 27th to Wednesday 29th and the individual school titles will be on the following Thursday and Friday.

Entry forms will be emailed to schools in the next month, however if you want further information email Nicola Zammit on n.zammit@qldfutsal.com.au or ring 38752600.

Pan Pacific Masters

The Pan Pacific Masters are on at the Gold Coast this November. This is the old ASPAC Masters and we run the Futsal component on behalf of Pan Pacific. The age groups available for Futsal are over 30 men, over 30 women, over 40 men, over 30 mixed and over 40 mixed. For further details again email Nicola on n.zammit@qldfutsal.com.au or ring 38752600.

STATE NEWS

Vikings Presentation Night Friday 30th April

The Dal Ponte Vikings are having their presentation night next Friday night at Enoggerra Bowl’s club (where we have a Futsal club). A large number of trophies will be given out on the night and we’ll be publishing lists of winners and photos on the website www.qldfutsal.com.au next week. Tickets are $30 and include a three-course buffet and finger food on arrival. If you want to purchase tickets contact Jade Banks on j.banks@qldfutsal.com.au or ring 38752600.

State School Team Selections

Letters for all Country School teams will have been sent by now, and the lists are on the website. The city teams are trialling Monday 26th April and Monday 3rd May. Lists of triallists are also on the website. The North Queensland and Central Queensland teams have had their letters sent and the Far North teams will be selected at the Cairns titles on the 10th May.

State Club Team Selections

The first of the state Club Selection letters were sent on Friday. Lists of selections will be posted on the website by the end of the week.

Dal Ponte Academy Selections

Trials for the 16 and 18 boys and girls Dal Ponte Academy teams will be started mid May, with training planned to commence mid July. We will also be starting regional Academies, and selections for all will be in June with training to start mid July also. In all cases players will be rung and invited to training.

Full-Time Regional Administrator for South West Qld

We are looking for a fulltime regional administrator to run Futsal in South West Queensland.Bill Sheridan has been doing the job but is finding it hard to combine with his other job. We will be advertising the position locally, however if you want further information now please email me on a.miller@qldfutsal.com.au

16-Year Boys and Girls Academy To Visit Victoria

Although the Academy Squads have not been selected as yet, we are sending a select 16 boys and 16 girls to Victoria on the weekend on 5th/6th June to compete against the Victorian Dal Ponte Academy run by Milton Sakkos. Leon Tanson, Andrew Kendall and Carol Levey will be taking the 16 players and outside of the Futsal Milton has also planned some touring around the area. It is planned for the Victorian Academy to have a reciprocal visit in July. The list of players selected will be on the website by the end of the week.

Mid Year Sale On At Acacia Ridge State Office

We are holding a mid year sale at Acacia Ridge State Office ONLY on Monday 26th April and 3rd May. We will have $5, $10 and $15 tables with a variety of Futsal goods, but the biggest special will be on Shoes, Balls and Shin/Knee Pads. Buy one pair of shoes or pads or a ball AND GET A SECOND (to equal or lesser value) AT 50 % DISCOUNT!! The sale will run 9.00 am to 5.00 pm both days, and only on those days.

New People In The Office

You may have noticed a few new voices in the office. ANDREW CRUTCHER has joined us to assist Nicola in the tournaments department. Andrew as some may remember did a six- month internship with us last year while finalizing his degree in Sports Management, and has now rejoined us fulltime. RACHELLE HUME, who finishes her degree in sports Management in July, joins the Vikings department where she will be working in merchandising and competition management. Rachelle plays Futsal and also spent two years in the QAS soccer Academy.

BROOKE RALEIGH, who all our Enoggerra players will know, will start fulltime in the next few weeks. Brook will be based at our Enoggerra office and will be Regional Administrator for North Brisbane

Paul Wadsworth Sets Date To Return To The Long White Cloud

Well at last someone wants to go back….turn the lights back on !!!! Paul Wadsworth, who has been with Queensland Futsal since 1996 is returning to New Zealand. Paul developed Ipswich club and then went to North Queensland and developed that area in his two years there. He has been back in State Office two years. Paul has decided to return to New Zealand and will be working in a landscaping business there. He is leaving 1st July and we wish Paul well and hope he gets that Futsal itch back and wants to get involved again.
A goodbye BBQ will be held in late June (and rest assured it won’t be a lamb Hungi) with all welcome.

Regional School Titles Coming Up

A reminder to all, that a number of regional school titles are coming up. I will email entry forms out to the different areas, but if you want further information email Nicola on n.zammit@qldfutsal.com.au

WHATS COMING UP-DATES TO REMEMBER

Far North School Titles 10th to 13th May Cairns

South West School Titles 24th to 26th May Gatton

Gladstone School Titles 24th to 26th May Gladstone

Fraser Coast School Titles 2nd to 4th June Maryborough

Far West School Titles 9th to 11th August Roma



AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

I received two Arsenal jokes back this week. by email

Joke ONE

For Sale.

One bandwagon. Red and white livery, very spacious.

Inscribed on one side with "Greatest English Side Ever".

Can easily accommodate most of the English media and assorted ex-professionals.

Reliable throughout the winter, the wheels have a tendency to fall off every April.

All enquiries to A.Wenger, Arsenal FC


JOKE TWO

For Sale…One Arsenal Radio. Good Volume and Bass but no treble.

AND SOME FROM ME


JOKE THREE

Alex Ferguson, Pele and Arsene Wenger are out fishing in the middle of a lake. Alex looks to the other and says “ I’ve run out of scotch” and then gets out of the boat and walks across the water to land, gets his bottle and walks back.

Two hours later Pele looks up and says “ I’ve run out of Cachaca, so I’m going to get some more.” and gets our of the boat, walks across the water, gets his Cachaca (only the best Minas Cachaca) and walks back.

Arsene Wenger watches this and thinks “ If they can do it so can I”, so announces to the others “ I’m going to shore to get a bottle of the best French Drambuie “. He steps from the boat and goes head first into the water and drowns.

Pele looks to Alex and says, “ Do you think he knew where those stepping stones were?”

JOKE FOUR

It’s United versus Arsenal in London, in the big game of the year. Paul Scholes turns to his mates and says, “ Listens guys, stay at home. Arsenal are that bad I can beat them by myself”. The players decide why not and leave Scholesy to play Arsenal by himself and they jet off the Vanuatu for a weeks holiday.

On the day of the match they head to a local bar and leave the local TV station on that gives regular update of results. Sitting at the bar, the first result comes through. After 5 minutes United up 1-0, goal to Scholes. The Red Devils are cheering, knowing Scholesy is taking them on by himself.

Half time comes and its still 1-0 …can he hang on? Ninety minutes gone and still one nil, the atmosphere in the bar is electric. Suddenly the screen comes up Arsenal scored in injury time …final score 1-1. a great result with Scholesy taking on Arsenal by himself !!

On return to England, Scholes meets the players at the airport, crying his eyes out. What’s the matter asks his team- mates?

‘I let you down ‘ says Scholes “ I let you down”. “No you didn’t’ scream the other players ‘ you played Arsenal by yourself and drew “.
“ Yes” said Scholesy “ but I was sent off in the tenth minute.”

( more next week…………..)