Watching Santa

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall admitted today the only Santa he'd been watching in recent days was Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz. "I've been tuning into Blackburn games to see how Ryan Nelson is going but instead I've found myself watching Santa Cruz score goals" said Hall "I think he should get a film deal, I think he could make a fortune in Hollywood, he could do a whole series Roque 1, Roque 2 etc". Hall said his favourite sports headline of the Christmas period was on Soccernet after Santa Cruz scored a late equaliser. " 'Santa Claws it Back' was the headline" said Hall "and certainly it was more fun than reading Port Vale results of late".

Merry Christmas

Zephyr Rovers Chairman George Nash wished all those associated with the club a Merry Christmas today. "I'm not going as far as dressing up in a red suit and going round saying ho ho ho" said Nash "but I certainly hope everyone enjoys a good break and comes back refreshed for the rest of the season in January". Nash said he was hoping for more competition points for Christmas for his 'other club' Glasgow Rangers. "I was pleased to see Celtic lose recently so that was my pre-Christmas present" said Nash "but if we could open up a twenty point gap on them I'd feel like all my Christmases had come at once".

Team Wellington Horror

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall today took advantage of the lack of any decent televised football and took himself to watch Team Wellington play Waitakere at Newtown Park. "I had to get out in the sun but I saw Rikki Herbert there so we were both obviously thinking the same thing" said Hall "that it was a good chance to grab a beer and peruse the skills of some of the best outdoor players in New Zealand. Hall said the only problem was Wellington returned to their previous form and got hammered by 5 - 1. "I blame Danny Hay for getting in the way of all our attacks" said Hall "I think we'd have won 7 - 5 without him in the way". Hall said Wellington played pretty football whilst Waitakere got on the business of banging it in the net. "Wellington played nice build ups before centering it on the Hay's head" said Hall "whilst Waitakere were a bit more direct and kept scoring". Hall said he took a positive from the game as "the beer was cold".

Holiday Break

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall conformed today he would be giving the Rovers squad a well earned break until the next match in January. "It is getting pretty warm and sunny in Wellington and I think the perfect time to stay in and watch more football on the tele" said Hall "I know there will be those who will be tempted out into the sun to watch beach Volleyball but with so many Premier League games on, there is a lot of managerial study to be done". Hall said he would of course take time out to watch the Dr Who Christmas special. "Dr Who is something of a tradition in our house" said Hall "you can be sure the family will be sitting down to watch it soon after Boxing Day".

Slow Start Costs

Zephyr Rovers were down 3 - 0 today in the blink of an eye before rallying to reach 3 - 2 down at half time. "We had the worst start in memory and were pretty inept in the first few minutes" said Hall "I put it down to the team not having my 'guidance' from the keepers position and Rob Purcell (pictured) was a bit crook". Hall said it was times like this you had to take the positives out of the match. "I thought Matty Cantwell had a good one today and his first goal has been captured on video for his world wide supporters to have a gawk at". Hall said the second half was also quite competitive until Rovers dropped badly of the pace in the last few minutes. "The turning point was when a perfectly good goal was disallowed for reasons we're not sure of" said Hall "and then the heads went down and we got done in the last five minutes". Hall said he didn't think Hoof Hearted were a great team but Rovers just hadn't come to play on the day. "We didn't mark at all well at the start and looked lacklustre from where I was on the sideline" said Hall "but for most of the game we looked the better team but couldn't put the chances away on the day".

Final: Rovers 4 Hoof Hearted 8

Struggling

With Player Manager Steve Hall sidelined, and several other players in doubt, the selection issues for the match tomorrow has become finding a team. "We haven't had a settled side lately especially in the run in to Christmas" said Hall "but we'll get five at least out on the pitch even if we have to introduce everyone to each other at the start". Hall said that injuries had played a part but team members were also heavily committed at this time of year to "promotional" activities. You get a good looking bunch of blokes like this and everyone is after them at this time of year" reported Hall "you get a guy like John Cao and he can't keep up with the promotional offers, he keeps getting asked to be a clothes horse down at Farmers". Hall said he was sure the Hoof Hearted team would be stacked for the occasion so it would be a tough match.

Hussey The Key

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall today met with Chairman Nash to try and work out a squad for Wednesday's key match against Hoof Hearted. "I'll be out but possibly George and Matty are also possibly out, so we may yet have to field a bit of a scratch team" said Hall "so the return of Eddie Hussey is going to be pretty important in stabilising the defence". Hall said Hoof Hearted and Rovers had both drawn with Telstra in recent weeks so it should be a close match. "They are ahead of us on the table and I'm expecting them to pull out all the stops" said Hall "but we look like we'll have Eddie and Chopper back so we might have a bit of bite this week as well". hall said the difficult decision of who to start to goal would be made once the starting line up was known.

Martinborough Has It All

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall confirmed this afternoon that the highlight of his weekend away at a retreat in Martinborough was undoubtedly watching the 5 - 3 Wigan win over Blackburn. "I don't support either team but this one was an absolute cracker" said Hall "it had all the drama you'd expect in a football match and I lay there on the sofa in the middle of a great wine producing area thinking how lucky I was I'd taken the precaution of ensuring I could watch Sky Sport". Hall said Martinborough had been an excellent trip and he would be recommending other team members went there. "I heard it got up to near 30 degrees outside" said Hall "I had to shut the curtains to stop the sun getting on the TV set". Hall said it was a nice quiet town which meant you didn't need to turn the TV volume up too high. "I liked the people over there as I never saw them" confirmed Hall "although they'd struggle to get a five a side team I imagine".

Hall Escapes

Injured Zephyr Manager Steve Hall admitted he had taken the weekend away from the pressures of big time indoor football with a retreat to Martinborough for the weekend. "We have a huge game coming up against Hoof Hearted and they have been giving us stick for weeks about this match" confessed Hall "so I'm going out to the country to drink a bit of wine and contemplate how we might take them down a peg or two". Hall said he had ensured his country retreat had Sky TV so there would be plenty of opportunity to study the football. "I imagine I'll watch the A League matches, the Premiership Matches and the World Club matches, and who knows I might take in a bit of Spanish football as well". Hall said it was important not to focus on football all weekend. "I might watch other sports as well if anything decent is on" said Hall "and of course there will be time to whip down to the town for some fish and chip between matches". Hall said there was nothing quite like going to the country for the weekend to get a different perspective. "I've heard the cottage has a different sized TV" said Hall "so that will provide be a bit of variety".

We Could Squeeze Felipe In

Zephyr Rovers Chairman George Nash admitted after watching the Phoenix match this evening that Brazilian Felipe could be squeezed under the Zephyr salary cap if he ever wanted a run for the Phoenix. "I've taken a look at the lad and he has a few skills that would see him even up to Scottish football standards" said Nash "and I think he has enough trickery to make it in the indoor game as well". Nash invited Felipe to give him a call and perhaps Rovers would organise an exhibition match to see how Felipe would go. "We hear he is staying in Wellington for another year so he might benefit form a bit of toughening up in an indoor match" said Nash "although he doesn't fall over as much as Daniel". Phoenix drew 1 - 1 in this evening match with Queensland and Felipe was "lively" throughout.

Hall Injured

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall was injured yesterday evening whilst playing for Shapeshifters in an evening Indoor Football fixture. "I wasn't even meant to be playing and I certainly wasn't meant to be in goal" said Hall "but I tipped a hard drive around the post and it literally ripped the skin of my finger as it meant backwards from the force". Hall said after 15 minutes stemming the blood flow he was out back on the pitch but he was sure he wouldn't be in goal for Rovers next match. "The finger has got a bit sore since the match and I had a couple of stitches" said Hall "so I might be sitting out the next match and giving the lads a bit of sideline advice". An anonymous spokesmen for the team said they looked forward to being yelled at from the sideline rather than from the goal. "They needn't think I won't be offering some coaching" said Hall "especially anyone who gives away a cheap goal".

Come Back Draw

Zephyr Rovers had eight players available at kick off in the match against Telstra Clear at the Shed of Dreams today. "Matty turned up unexpectedly and Chopper (pictured) was there although unable to play outfield" said Zephyr Manager Steve Hall "and the match started well enough but about half way through the first half at 2 - 2 our defence turned to custard and we let in some very soft goals". Hall said that from the sideline it looked like players were pushing up but not doing the hard yards to get back and cover. "We needed to sort it as we were 5 -2 down at half time and looking likely to be on the receiving end of a big defeat" said Hall "so I went back in goal so I could bark at the defence and we got ahead at 6 - 5 after a much improved performance". Hall said Telstra equalised with a flukey deflection and the game ended tied". Hall said it was frustrating watching the latter part of the first half from the sideline but at least it was turned around. "We've dropped points there we shouldn't have" said Hall "we lost the pattern we've built up as a team but even so had the chances to win that one by five".

Final: Rovers 6 Telstra 6

The Future Isn't Clear

Zephyr Rovers manager Steve Hall today said he would have called the Telstra Clear manager to wish him luck for this weeks match but he was told they currently had a one hour twenty three minute call queue. "Don't get me wrong I love the Telstra Clear broadband service like the next geek" said Hall "but they do seem to have the worst call wait times in the developed and undeveloped world". Hall said he was approaching the match philosophically. "I don't know how you approach a match philosophically but I heard John Adshead (pictured) say it once so it must be one of those football management terms" said Hall "Adshead also talked a lot about composure on the ball but once you've seen Rob Purcell play you kind of see that is preferable to decomposure on the ball". Hall said it would be a tough game but he was hoping Rovers would keep picking up points.

Roberts Not Recalled

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall said this afternoon he had ruled out a recall of former player Pete Rpberts for this weeks match against Telstra Clear. "I had a think about recalling Pete Roberts (pictured) but then I recalled this step over he did right in front of goal to give an opposition player a free goal" said Hall "Pete wins points for tricky moves but unfortunately he forgets where the ball is sometimes and he is probe to not passing it". Hall said he'd stick with old war horse Rob Purcell for the Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall confirmed today that injuries had forced a rethink about the starting line up for Rovers over Telstra match. "Rob slows down a bit in the last five but he has a lethal left foot and doesn't lose possession as much as Pete" said Hall "and we might even see Chopper in goal for part of this match which will be a treat for the fans and referees alike".

Top Eight Vital

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall said that with teams bunching up in mid-table Rovers first priority was to stay ahead of Infinity and Ten Left Feet. "I think we'd like to see everyone beat those two teams as we can't afford to drop into the bottom two" said Hall "but we've played some of the bottom half teams and now have to try to take some points off the better teams to stay in the top four". Hall said that whilst a top four slot was still his top priority avoiding the bottom two was also in his mind. "Perhaps last weeks defeat has made too much of an impression on me" said Hall "so this weeks match against Telstra will be a more accurate gauge of our relative position". Hall said he was hoping the Rovers fighting character would come out this week.

Smith Disappears

Zephyr Rovers Australian Scout Charlie Smith had not been heard from since his adopted Perth side lost their third game in a row against Wellington Phoenix. "He seems to not be supporting his local crew which is understandable" said Hall "when he surfaces he'll probably crap on about how well Pompey are going even though we suspect he has gone over to the Scum". Smith was thought to have been converted to the dark side of the Saints by Chris Riddle's brother. "He might have gone missing because the Perth Pompey fan club found out he'd worn that Saints shirt for a day" said Hall "I suspect foul play, which is the sort of play you expect to see from a Pompey side now I think about it".

Perth Pulverised

Zephyr Rovers newly self reappointed manager Steve Hall would be sending a message to Charlie Smith in Perth after the Wellington Phoenix recorded their third straight win against Perth. "I'll be telling Charlie not to bother supporting his local side as they are crap" said Hall "but then they seem to have taken a dive since Charlie hit town so maybe the message should be for him to move to Sydney". Hall said that Yellow Fever had a great time in the pub later singing "we're no longer bottom" before breaking out into "we're going to win the league". Hall said it hadn't been the best week of his life but the three nil win was simply superb and the weekend was looking so much better as a result. "The weekend was looking pretty average until we whipped Perth" said Hall "and now it seems like the next week in ages". Hall said he would take lessons from the match "It's nice to win" said Hall "and it's great to gloat".

Hall Unresigns

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall withdrew his resignation this morning after finding there wasn't a Russian plot to take over the Rovers. "I thought we were hours away from changing the team name to Dynamo Zephyr and I didn't like the sound of that" said Hall "but we're going to keep the Rovers name and I'm relaxed about is becoming Smirnoff Rovers if the money is good enough, although Kalininggradskava Rovers might be a bit of a mouthful". Hall said Rovers would of course prefer to keep the current sponsor as the arrangement had been mutually beneficial. "We'll be sticking with Zephyr I'd imagine if the league actually continues" said Hall "but then we might be swayed by ten million rubles a week and a case or three of vodka".

Hall Resigns

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall today said he was resigning from Zephyr Rovers after what he declared was interference in team selections. "Not that I'm naming names but this is Chelsea all over again and we'll be checking what links with the Russians" said Hall "I never thought I'd resign from the club I founded but there you have it". Hall insisted he had never called the media scum commenting "I said something off the cuff about a media scrum and the next things I was all over the internet suggesting the media were scum" Hall said he liked the media liked he loved referees and it was unfortunate that some reporters were prone to hearing what they wanted to hear. "This is a sad day but I'll be back" said Hall "I think I'll take a look at Infinity cause they sure need help". Hall said he would relax for a few hours before making his next move.

Tensions Evident

Speculation was rife this evening that there had been a bust up in the Rovers club after the loss to Jimmy Five Bellies at the Shed of Dreams. Sources close to the team said that there had been words spoken between the Manager Steve Hall (pictured) and Chairman George Nash after the match and that a power struggle was developing within the club. "I have nothing to say to you media scum" said Hall in a terse mood "where were you guys when we got a crowd of twelve back in the glory days, you were down the pub dreaming up doom and gloom stories". Hall said there would be further discussions within the club before he made any further statement to the media.

Stuffed

Zephyr Rovers played with four and a half men today after Matty Cantwell (pictured) failed to show for the Division 1 fixture with Jimmy Five Bellies. "Matty didn't show and George was carrying an injury" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "but we were stuffed once George went in goal due to his injury as he had limited mobility so they got some very soft goals". Hall said you needed to be at a reasonable strength to give yourself a chance against the better Division 1 teams and with hindsight he should have made sure seven players were available for the match. "I've let the management aspect slip a bit lately and I should have stepped in there" said Hall "but it is all very well seeing these things with hindsight". Hall said after being at 4 - 2 early in the second half Rovers had six unanswered goals knocked past them for a huge 10 - 2 loss. "That's the record for quite some time" said Hall "we'll need to regroup after what was a bad day at the Shed of Dreams".

Final: Rovers 2 Bellies 10

Rovers Ready For Bellies

Jimmy Five Bellies will be the toughest opposition yet this season as Zephyr Rovers aim to improve on their current third place in Monday's fixture. "I'm expecting this to be a tough one and we'll have to be on peak form" said Rovers Manager Steve Hall (pictured) "we have Matty Cantwell back and Rob Purcell is back so we have some older heads in the team besides mine". Hall said after the excitement of all the outdoor football over the weekend it would be difficult to readjust to playing inside the Shed of Dreams. "It has been beautiful weather for a change in Wellington so will probably be a bit warm I imagine" said Hall "but we will have to put all that watching superstars stuff out of our head or we will be watching the ball go into our net". Hall said he thought Rovers had advanced a notch since last season and Rovers should be very competitive in this fixture. "We're looking to pick up the points" said Hall "and we have the fire power to do it I think".

Nash Urged Not To Strip

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall was urging George Nash not to take his shirt off after the game on Monday with Jimmy Five Bellies after David Beckham did the honours at Westpac stadium tonight. "I think if George wants to we could look the other way" said Hall "but I'm not sure how the team will react if we get a streaker like we did in Saturday night". Hall said the match between LA Galaxy and Phoenix was an entertaining evening out and Beckham impressed with his long passing and a penalty in the 4 - 1 win. "We don't have any need for long balls in indoor to be honest because Shed 1 isn't big enough" said Hall "but if he worked on his short game we'd have a look at the lad". Hall said it remained to be seen if Shed 1 was big enough for a female streaker but he was expecting the five bellies on Monday to be all from the opposition.

Hall Meets Beckham

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "met" David Beckham last evening at the Westpac stadium. "Phoenix had just scored a penalty and I decided on a quick dash to the loo" said Hall "I raced out into the corridor to discover that the Beckham entourage was swooning down the corridor and the kid next to me yelled out to Beckham so he stopped to talk to him". Hall said this held up his journey by some minutes. "What do you say to a Superstar who gets between you and the toilet during a home fixture" said Hall "I know I wanted to suggest he talked to the kid some other time". Hall said he was gutted by the way Phoenix lost but he would be there again tonight to see the Galaxy versus Phoenix match. "They didn't win the game that mattered so hopefully they will win the one that doesn't tonight". said Hall "and I'll be looking at a few pointers from Ruud Gullit on football management".

Beckham Hits Town

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall welcomed David Beckham to Wellington but said he hadn't got time to organise an exhibition indoor match at Shed 1 because of other commitments. "I've got a lot on at the moment so I apologise to David for not getting out to the airport" said Hall "and I apologise as well for the Chairman who took off to some swanky function in Taupo". Hall said he'd get along to the match at the stadium on Saturday night and would be available to give Beckham pointers if needed. "England just lost to Croatia so I could probably give him at bit of advice" said Hall "but we're happy to have him in town and just hope he doesn't distract Phoenix from winning tomorrow night". Hall said if Beckham insisted on playing for Rovers he'd give him five minutes of the bench. "We're not sure of his indoor pedigree" said Hall "but we'd give him a crack if we got a free kick".

75 Today

Injured Zephyr Rovers player Colin "Chopper" McIntosh today became officially the oldest player in Wellington Indoor history when he celebrated his 75th birthday quietly at the Zephyr offices. "We had a quiet crate or two to celebrate" said Zephyr Rovers Chairman George Nash "it's a small wonder he isn't a fossil by now and let's face it the opposition often say he feels like stone as he clatters into them". Nash said Chopper was at his football peak before the war but had done well to stay active by playing football. "There will those who will be sceptical that Chopper really is seventy-five" said Nash "but these are the same people who don't think he had a major part in Lord of the Rings, and I don't mean the film". McIntosh confirmed he had no plans to retire at this point.

Mystery Matt In Doubt

"Mystery" Matt Cantwell may yet again be unavailable for the fixture against Jinny Five Bellies. "He's missed the last two games because of other commitments and we've been going ok" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "he's a wizard on the ball but he's not exactly a legend in the passing the ball stakes". Cantwell was last reported to have passed in 1973 when he mistook a fellow player for the goal. "Apparently he last passed the ball when he spun through eight defenders and got dizzy mistaking one of his own players for the goal" said Hall "and even then he managed to get the ball straight back from the startled player". Hall said after many years of playing with Cantwell he'd learnt to get extra exercise by picking the ball out of the net after he scored. Hall said Cantwell had thought about passing the ball to him once for a tap in but had "decided to beat ten defenders and circle the referee himself instead".

Oh So Close

Zephyr Rovers were leading almost start to finish of their match today against Whites at Shed 6 before succumbing to an equaliser with the last kick of the game. "We were the better team for much of the match but didn't get far enough ahead to kill them off" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "and then we tired in the last three or four minutes and were hanging on with one minute to go when they got a penalty for the five fouls rule". Hall said remarkably they missed the penalty and when the the referee called seven seconds to go Rovers were still leading by one. "I thought we'll keep them out for seven seconds but they got the ball across to a free player and he smacked it in the top corner" said Hall "it was gutting to see that one fly past me". Hall said he thought it was a good performance and it was unfortunate the three points wasn't in the bag. "I felt like I played for the Phoenix" said Hall "I now know what Ricki Herbert (pictured) feels like now".

Final: Rovers 7 Whites 7

No Rift At Club

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall said he wasn't concern that Zephyr Rovers Manager George Nash (pictured) had announced the starting line up without reference to him. "I don't see what the issue is when we only had six available players" said Hall "I would only be concerned if he tried to start picking who should be dropped but fortunately the situation hasn't arisen for a while". Hall said there was a clear separation of duties in the club and there was no confusion of roles. "You don't see me poking my nose into the what the Chairman does" said Hall "but I'm sure he does it very well as we've got a great sponsor and we're a thriving club". Hall said he expected Rovers to be competitive against Whites but was aware it had been very close last time so he was expecting it to be tight.

More Phoenix Lessons

Zephyr Rovers manager Steve Hall said it was again frustrating this evening to watch Wellington Phoenix draw with a ten man Melbourne. "There was a lot that was better about Wellington Phoenix this week" said Hall "but they just looked like they were too scared to win go forward and win it". Hall said Rovers could learn from this in their match on Monday against Whites. "We have had a close game with these guys last season and just won it by a goal" said Hall "so if we have the desire we should be competitive and a result would see us very well placed in what is a tough league". Hall said Rovers would bring in Rob Purcell again this as several players were still unavailable through injury. "Rob looked like Ben White used to look last week" said Hall "but then those groin strains would slow down anyone".

Hall For England

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall has confirmed today he is seeking the position of manager of England football team. "I want to become the first player manager of England as I will be selecting myself as goalkeeper if successful" said Hall "after all even I could come up with those tactics and I could certainly bundle the ball over the line into my own goal". Hall said he would stay on as Zephyr Rovers Manager and manage the England team over the internet. "I think meeting the team is over-rated in professional football management" said Hall "although if I want to see an England player when I'm manager, I'll fly them out to Wellington". Hall said he was expecting about five million pounds a year for the role and would buy back Shed 1 from the Hilton chain and put in some showers and toilets. "The Shed of Dreams needs a bit of a spruce up to make it a wharf class stadium" said Hall "and let's just say World Class is a wee way off".

Awful England

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall was trying to take the positives out of England's loss to Croatia this morning. "I've watched the game several times now and I'm still looking hard for the positives" said Hall "but if I find any I will let people know". Hall suggested though that the match had given him a few pointers about goalkeeping. "I learnt a new way of bundling the ball into your own goal that even I haven't tried" said Hall "you kind of get the ball and dive like a try towards your own goal, although I don't think you get five points for it". Hall said the game was awful and England didn't deserve to be going any further in the competition. "The way Croatia were running at England it could quite easily have been a lot worse". Hall confirmed he had been receiving a lot of e mail from "well wishers" since the loss. "It seems like everyone things this is a change to have there say on my support of English football" said Hall "but the truth is I was over it as soon as the full time whistle went".

Rovers Second

Zephyr Rovers went to second in the league after this weeks games. "There have been a few interesting results and it looks like it is a pretty tough and close league" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "I think we should have won the one we lost but it looks like most teams are capable of winning on any given day". Hall said Zephyr had been impacted by injury and unavailability over the last few weeks and regulars Matty Cantwell and Colin "Chopper" McIntosh (pictured) had been sidelined. "We haven't exactly had stability and we've only had five in the last two games" said Hall "so we can be proud to be sitting second after three rounds and will be very well placed if we win next week".

Man In A Suit Considered

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall said he is looking into the idea of having a none playing team member for each match. "Obviously I got the idea from tennis where they have a non-playing captain" said Hall "but watching George (pictured) stride around in his suit certainly got me thinking it is a useful psychological weapon". Hall said having a side lined suit certainly added a professional look to the support crew and as long as whoever filled the role remained stern faced they could easily be mistaken for a manager. "I'm not ready to hand over the manager role to a suit" said Hall "I'm thinking more of confusing the opposition and taking their mind off the game". Hall would not be drawn on who he had in mind for the suited team member role.

Rampant Rovers Romp

A virtuoso performance this afternoon in the late kick off at Shed 6 saw a Zephyr Rovers take old rivals Ten Left Feet to pieces. "We went into the game with five after George forgot his shoes and we had several regulars missing" said Hall "so we weren't certain if we would gel but as it turned out we needn't have worried". Hall said the first few minutes was like a cagey chess match and Ten Left Feet took the lead 2 -1 against the run of play. "At that point we hit another gear and John Cao (pictured) looked like he'd been watching Italy beat Scotland because he played like he should be in the Italian team" said Hall "but the passing and use of the width was the highlight as Ten Left Feet had no answer as we scored eight unanswered goals in the middle part of the game". Ten Left Feet made a late rally with three late goals but Rovers was well home and it ended eleven goals to five. "Rob Purcell game in and was solid on defence and was not bad going forward" said Hall "but everyone chipped in and I was pretty useful in goal if I say so myself". Hall said Nash looked impressive pacing the edge of the pitch in his suit. "I thought George offered us the psychological advantage of looking like we had a professional manager" said Hall "it's a role we might have to revisit next week as it worked so well".

Final: Rovers 11 Ten Left Feet 5

Scotland Out England Back In

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall said he was feeling for Chairman Nash after Scotland were eliminated from the European Championship. "I knew George was getting up early to watch the match so losing right at the end was obviously a tough one for him" said Hall "although reality suggests they were always going to be lucky to get a result". Hall said he was more than happy to wake up and find Israel had dealt to Russia to open up the opportunity for England to qualify if they could at least draw with Croatia in their final match. " I was always confident the Israelis could come up with something to beat the Russians" said Hall "I'm sure they probably spiked the pre-match vodka supply with something that removed the alcohol". Hall said it was pleasing after the Russians had gone on and on all week about what a great team they were that they got stuffed. "That will teach them" said Hall "although England could still construct a way to lose to Croatia and hand it all back".

Phoenix Choke For Draw

Zephyr Rovers Chairman George Nash and Manager Steve Hall watched the Phoenix match against Sydney from the luxury of the Corporate Lounge in order to get a closer look at Phoenix tactics. "We thought we should get up in the lounge and see if we could pick up any pointers from up there we could take back to Rovers" said Hall "and what I think we found was that it can be handy to be able to buy a Heineken whilst you're watching the match". Hall said Phoenix self destructed in the ninety-first minute giving away a penalty to a ten man Sydney. "It was horrible" said Hall "even worse than Nigel missing a sitter for the equaliser on full time for Rovers last week". Hall said he thought Wellington indoor should look at selling beer in the Shed 1 lounge. "I think it should be a top priority just after they put toilets and showers in there".

Shapeshifter In

A productive session at the Thistle Hotel this afternoon between Zephyr Manager and Chairman ensured that Rovers will be ready to go for their fixture on Monday against Ten Left Feet. "We'll have Matty Cantwell and Colin McIntosh out again but we'll have Eddie back" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "and we've decided to call in veteran player Rob Purcell from Shapeshifters because he drinks at the Thistle sometimes". Hall said that drinking at the Thistle was not a selection criteria it just happened Rob's name came up because we were drinking at the Thistle" said Hall "we think he has some of the qualities we're looking for in our squad and he can always learn to play football later". Nash (pictured) said he thought Purcell had a lethal left foot which could be useful playing against Ten Left Feet. "We need one on our side as well" said Nash "although he might be right footed I can't quite remember after all these ales".

Crisis Conference

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall and Chairman George Nash have called a crisis meeting tomorrow at the Thistle Inn in Wellington."Well I know the Chairman has every confidence in me so we'll probably use most of the meeting to discuss the merits if the establishments beer" said Hall "and we might mention selections for next week just to make sure we have enough players to select from". Hall said the whilst the Thistle was not officially the Zephyr Rovers bar because they didn't appear to be providing free beer yet for the Chairman and Manager. "It's no doubt something we should talk to the pub management about" said Hall "I can see the merits of having a regular haunt for free beer, it makes alot of commercial sense".

Robbed Blind

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hal said today the All Blacks had seen nothing compared to the performance of the referee at Shed 6. "The guy gives us a penalty then lets the opposition stand in front of the kick, and then when we score anyway he demands it be retaken because he hadn't blown the whistle". Hall said thirty seconds later the exact same offence by Rovers was given a direct penalty. "I don't know how he sleeps but the final goal of the game was propelled forward by an opposition hand to the cry of "play on" from the referee. Rovers had been reduced to five by the late withdrawal of Matty Cantwell and Ben White started in the outfield. "We only had five and Ben pulled up after about a minute and went in goal" said Hall "but we played ok for a while and George was on fire early on". Hall said the game was close and Harp Shooters pipped Rovers right at the end with a latish goal. "It was a travesty, we didn't finish well but by then the referee had had an undue influence on the outcome" said Hall "the frustration levels were high both at him and ourselves". Hall said Rovers would put that one behind them and work towards a win next week.

Final: Rovers 5 Shooters 6

Away Game

Zephyr Rovers will be "playing away" in their match tomorrow as they move from the luxury of the Shed of Dreams to the less familiar surroundings of Shed 6. "I don't think we've always played as well in Shed 6" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "it is something to do with the pitch being a different shape I think". Hall said John Cao would be a key player on the day. "He's been in holiday mode with his trip to Fiji but we need him to dominate in this game and quickly snap into a high work rate". Rovers play Harp Shooters with an early kick of at 11 am. "I know the game is just after breakfast but we had a very close game with these guys last time" said Hall "so we need to be quick out of the blocks to put pressure on them".

Brainstorming Breakfast

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall admitted today he'd been disappointed with recent attendances at the Shed of Dreams and would be having a brainstorming breakfast tomorrow with Supporters Club President Liz Pollock (pictured) to see if he could get to the bottom of what was going on. "I'm going to have a think tank with Liz about what we could do to double our attendances as they seem to have slipped lately" said Hall "I'll be taking along Director of Football Nikki File and Marketing Manager Heather Fernandes to see if we can come up with some ideas on how to generate interest in the club". Hall said he thought the quality of the football was attractive but it was possible Rovers needed to introduce pre-match and half time entertainment. "I know the lads would be happy with a cheer leading squad prancing around on the pitch at half time" said Hall "but personally I think Eddie showing his chest off would work and would pull in more of the Generation Q folk - or whatever letter we're up to for Generations these day". Hall said he club profiling had found Rovers were most popular with the Irish and Italian communities but nurses as an occupational group had a healthy interest in the team. "I credit Eddie and John for most of that support" said Hall.

Get Used To It

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall advised Phoenix coach Rikki Herbert to "get used to it" after the Phoenix were reduced to ten men in their league match against Queensland. "It was supposed to have been an elbow in the face according to the referee" said Hall "but we get about ten of those a game in indoor and you don't see people hit the deck like that". Hall said Herbert should get used to not getting the rub of the green from referees. "Some teams just never seems to relate to referees and I know we've got a reputation that goes right back to the days of Smith and Riddle" said Hall "they're more of a legend at Shed 1 than Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". Hall said Smith could at least celebrate something as his local Perth team awoke from their slumber to score four goals. "It was such a dream for Perth I half expected Smith to come on as a sub" said Hall "then I'd have known it was a nightmare".

Weekend Off

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall (pictured) has given his side the weekend off training ahead of Rovers Division 1 clash against Harp Shooters. "John Cao was singing the praise of a break from the game after his week in Fiji" said Hall "and with some rare Wellington sunny weather forecast I think the boys should go to the beach". Hall said he was currently resting an unusual injury, tennis elbow. "I'm not sure this is what Fifa meant when they said referees should clamp down on the use of the elbow" said Hall "but I have to go round for the next six weeks with a brace type thingy on my elbow, which should cushion the blow for opposing players".

White In

After intense negotiations at the Occidental this afternoon Ben White has confirmed his long awaited come back math will be against Harpshooters at the Shed of Dreams. "Ben is still a little uncertain about playing with his groin" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "but let's face it you have to take a punt on your groin coming through sometimes". White was put through his paces running to the bar and came through with flying colours. "I wouldn't exactly say he was trying to bribe me for a spot in the team" said Hall "but he did seem to show a turn of speed running to the bar that hasn't been seen in the pub since Smith ran for the exit when it was his last round". Hall said White would be eased into the team and he wouldn't be looking at a full game first up. "We'll see if he can get his leg over the ball first" said Hall "it could be months before he gets his leg over anything else".

Hussey Out

Eddie Hussey declared himself unavailable for the match against Harpshooters next Wednesday saying he was having trouble with his facial hair. Many will remember the hysteria caused amongst local women when Hussey getting his chest shaved for charity and whilst this isn't expected to have quite the same impact, local nurses hostels have been warned to heighten security. "Eddie will do anything for charity" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "and whilst most people would settle for growing a mo to raise money for prostrate cancer research, Eddie will probably go overboard again and get something else shaved as well". Hall said the team fully supported Eddie's fund raising and had advised Wellington Indoor Sports to put in extra seating in case the nursing fraternity turned up in large numbers. "He's a nurse magnet" said Hall.

Cao Coup

John Cao returned to New Zealand today from Fiji an announced he is refreshed, fit and ready to face Harp Shooters next Wednesday at the Shed of Dreams. "I've had the lad doing some beach work whilst he was away" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "nothing like a bit of exercise in the sand to build your stamina". Cao indicated he was not implicated in the Fijian coup but in his revitalised state would pull of a coup against Harpshooters by scoring a hat-trick at least. "I've been getting a lot of European interest lately" said Cao "so if I do well for Rovers the Phoenix might pick me for one of their vacant positions". Cao said he'd been told his legs were of "TV quality" and he just needed a chance to parade them in front of the cameras.

Enforcer Out For Weeks

Zephyr Rovers hard man Colin McIntosh (pictured right) is expected to be out for three or weeks following his injury during the match against Infinity. "I'm glad it was Col who was involved in that incident as anyone else would have been out for the season" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "fortunately Col has concrete legs so it didn't have the impact it could have". Hall said John Cao had taken the week to swan around in Fiji so he would return next week. "John had better not have been organising a coup over there" said Hall "he's not as well suited to combat as Col is". Hall said they'd have to give George Nash (pictured left) the enforcer duties as an interim step "but we might have to toughen him up by throwing a few rocks at him".

Rovers Off To Good Start

Zephyr Rovers eclipsed Infinity today in a keenly fought contest at the Shed of Dreams. "We wanted a good start and I thought we looked to have lifted ourselves up a level from pre-season" said Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall "but they took the lead from a bizarre goal when a shot from well in their own half that trickled into the net after what looked like a deflection of the playing surface". Hall said he steeled himself in goal after that and the team went on with the business to get to a 4 - 1 lead at half time. "Matty was on fire and even found the time for one touch pass, a rarity for him" said Hall "but we went down to five men when Col (pictured) went off with an injury". The second half was tight with Hall coming out of goal to score and Infinity getting a consolation at the other end. "We never looked in danger once we took the lead and I thought we dominated the match" said Hall "but Infinity will beat teams I think so it is pleasing to get the points first match up".

Final: Rovers 5 Infinity 2

Fireworks Expected

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall said he was expecting fireworks tomorrow but not during the game with Infinity at the Shed of Dreams. "I can honestly say Rovers are a pretty disciplined side these days so we won't be starting anything" said Hall "but we do expect a few fireworks on the wharf later on for Guy Fawkes". Hall said Infinity were one of Rovers oldest opponents going back to Division 7 days. "Our most famous result has to be beating Infinity in a final from 6 - 1 down with Charlie Smith having a howler in goal" said Hall "but they've been a strong team and we've always had a good match with them including a six all draw where they equalised with one second to go". Hall said he was expecting Rovers to get off to a winning start as Infinity would be "adapting to the pace of the league".