MUFC Fired Up for Eagles!
www.madaboutsport.com.au/mad/mwsa?document=main&aid=3 THE glamour and hype surrounding the launch of Manly United Football Club moves on to the pitch under lights at Cromer Park this Friday night when the NSW Premier League season starts.
Manly take on Parramatta Eagles at the home of peninsula football and player-coach Phil Moss has his players primed for a strong showing.
“We have been looking forward to this game since the second last round of the winter Super League,” Moss enthused this week.
“As soon as we wrapped up the winter league premiership to ensure promotion, our thoughts turned to the summer league.
“We wanted to win the grand final – and didn’t – but realistically everything we have done since winning the league has been centred around being ready for the premier league.
“The players are ready to fire!”<br>
Moss has tinkered slightly with his squad since the winter, bringing in defender Alex Wilkinson, midfielders Stewart Van Bentum, Andrew Mailer and Anthony Martin and goalkeeper Tom Willis.
There are likely to be another couple of signings over the next week or so.
The players released were Robbie Portelli, Tom Corte, Bobby Catlin, Damian Rosenthal, Robbie Davidson.
Moss has also elevated youngsters Ashley Ryan and Roberto Hamad to the first grade squad from the under-20s and retained local juniors Matt Gale, Ashley Short and Iain Church.
The squad has plenty of national league experience with Willis, Wilkinson, Van Bentum, captain John Hutchinson, Brad Groves, Micky Williams, Brent Fisher, Mailer, Moss and Steve Berry all having played at that level.
“I believe we have a good blend of youth and experience and enough players who have been there and done it at a higher level than what we are going into,” Moss said.
“The recipe is there – now we just have to produce on the field and I know we have done the work.”<br>
Parramatta – although boasting a young squad under coach Trevor Morgan – did exceptionally well last summer and will give Manly a good gauge of where they are at.
Former Northern Spirit skipper Noel Spencer will lead the Eagles into battle and come up against many of his old team-mates in Hutchinson, Groves, Fisher, Mailer, Moss and Wilkinson.
“Spence is a tough and uncompromising player who leads by example and I’m sure they will come to Cromer to mix it with us,” Moss said.
“We’ll be ready for them.”<br>
With more than 300 people packed into the club’s launch last weekend, club officials are confident of a big Cromer Park crowd for the first round encounter.
Manly chairman Keith Pester said there was no reason Cromer Park should not be standing room only.
“We have promoted the new club and summer season heavily so a lack of awareness won’t be a problem,” Pester said.
“We will be entertaining supporters this season and having a go – like we did in the winter league – so we hope that will attract good crowds.
“We really want the area to get behind the team – it’s important we consolidate our position this season.”<br>
The Friday night football starts at 6.30pm with the under-20s clash before first grade kick-off at 8.15pm.
Ticket prices are: Adults - $12, Pensioners $6, Children 16 years and under FREE. All players registered with MWSA clubs will be admitted free upon presentation of their FREE SEASON PASS (which are being mailed out this week).
Local businessman Frank Woodward and wife Agnes have composed and produced the new Manly United fc anthem “Counting the Goals” and the CD will be on sale at the opening game this Friday night.
With voice over on the club’s history from Socceroo assistant coach Graham Arnold, the song will be played as the players enter the pitch and every time the home side scores a goal.
The CD will be on sale for $19.99.
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I'll be there!