You're probably right in who you think I am.Blotto wrote:maybe....and who might I be speaking to?
(I have a fair idea who it is...)
I get what you're saying about people leaving and I dont want to say this too piss anyone off but going to Stirling from Mount Barker back in those days was like going from from Colchester United to Manchester United.... Stirling was on a whole other level down to its facilities, coaching (Big Kev as a goalkeeping coach was fantastic to me even though i was ordinary at best and will gladly be the first to admit it) and then you had Peter Buckley who did it all with Stirling) etc
Don't get me wrong. I had a ball playing at Mount Barker under Buston even though we got flogged (who could forget the Vllaznian Riot) but it was the lack of support of the club in general towards the seniors that annoyed this cabernet out of me more than anything. I remember I went to an AGM after the season ended and walked out disgusted by the attitude of the club towards the seniors. The opportunity came up about moving to Stirling, so I left along with Scotty. I remember a few people getting pissed off about it but what can you do?
I want to see Mount Barker United grow (ask Mt Barker senior rep who I talk to regularly about all this crap) but I do beleive the club itself needs to take its seniors more seriously (as I said earlier, it seems they are going down the right path with a Seniors Committe and a good President) as the last thing you want as you posted is good players leaving after one season as they think they could do better elsewhere.
Also once again, not meaning to bait anyone here but I was at the Mt Barker/Hahndorf game a few weeks back and Hahndorf had been warming up for at least 1/2 before kickoff of the A's and the Mount Barker players were still rocking up and stuffing around 5 minutes before kickoff and didnt really even do a proper warm up. Hopefully a new coach will bring a litte more professionalism to its players approach.
The potential there for the Mount Barker seniors is huge, just needs to the Club's support and a coach (the club shouldnt be dangling the cash carrot here as they'll get someone for 1 season who will only be there for the money and then will piss off back down to town, they should be looking for someone who is dedicated and can grow with the club) to take the club to a new level so the juniors worth their salt dont piss off to other clubs as they feel they can do better.
I think all your points there are valid, and understandable.
Mt Barker was (is?) in a slightly different position to a lot of clubs as we (they) were previously a juniors-only club, with a much lower soccer-playing population density around than compared to the city, and close (in Hills terms) to 3 very well established clubs. A lot of the original players to come in were also 1. straight up from juniors, 2. hadn't played for a while (or even in Adelaide), and 3. were in the young family and kids stage of their lives, and didn't really have the time.
It's difficult to change a mindset of a club, especially with a committee that had as their main focus the junior sides - all what? 15? 16 of them - and fair enough too as they were kids' parents. That and no-one in the club had experience with actually running a senior side, not just playing/captaining etc. It's a very different experience where I am now (Uni) like you found at Stirling to some extend; division 1-oriented with a lot of guys that have been there, done that, with the club starting kids teams...
I remember you talking about that AGM. Your (and especially Scott's) move to Stirling was pretty understandable (if disappointing at the time), and the person that I'm guessing was directly unhappy with you guys disappeared within a month anyway (resurfacing at Strath).
Playing against Mt Barkers' reserves side this year was interesting - a bunch of mostly kids, and some talented ones at that. If they stick around, and stick together for a couple of years, and they'll be moving up the league.
