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".

Phoenix Pip Perth

Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall said he was taking some pointers from the Phoenix win over Perth even though he didn't see the game due to a cable fault. "I knew something was wrong when Telstra Clear left me a note to say I might notice a degradation of service" said Hall "and it turned out that Sky Sport 1 was down". Hall said the weekend would have been a write off as he only had six channels left, but fortunately Sky Sport 2 was one of the channels. "I was able to rescue something from the weekend by watching Arsenal versus Manyoo live as well as the Liverpool versus Blackburn game". Hall said the turn around for Phoenix had offered the Rovers hope that they could start the new season with a bang and overcome adversity. "They lost a few in a row and came back when it mattered" said Hall "I think Rovers can do the same".

Perth Are A Bunch Of Girls

Former Zephyr Rovers player Charlie Smith (pictured) confessed this afternoon that he wouldn't be going to see the Perth Glory versus Wellington Phoenix match as he had been offered free beer at an alternative venue. "I've never seen a professional game of football outside of the UK" said Smith "and I'll be watching this one in the pub". Zephyr Rovers Manager Steve Hall said he expected a Phoenix would beat Perth as it was well known that Perth were "bunch of girls". Hall said he'd noticed a decline in the fortunes of Perth ever since Charlie Smith had moved there. "They were going alright before Charlie moved there but I don't think they've won a game since". Hall said Smith had that kind of impact on a team. "Pompey have been going well ever since he left the UK" suggested Hall "I suspect he really did turn into a Saint supporter after all".

It's Super 10

Zephyr Rovers were this afternoon confirmed in the new look Division 1 with ten teams. "I think we could call this the Super 10" said Hall "or maybe the Premier Indoor League". Hall said the draw gave Rovers potential for some early wins if they came out of the blocks quickly. "We avoid the big guns in the first first few games so if we play well we could get some early points" said Hall "although there are clearly no easy games at this level". The current season could also be the last season as Shed 1 may be demolished to make way for a Hilton Hotel. "I don't have any issues with them building the Hilton Hotel although why the Council is building an Indoor Stadium out in the backblocks near the airport is not entirely clear" said a concerned looking Hall "it seems to have the benefit that you can't get to it and the parking will be awful even if you can". Hall said there had been some dopey waterfront ideas like building a swamp down there but not catering for corporate sport was short-sighted in his view.