Category: News

Tuesday, 11 May 2010 1:30 PM

MEDIA INFORMATION                                        
Football Association of Singapore
100 Tyrwhitt Road, #01-02 Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore 207542=20
Tel: (65) 6293 1477 Fax: (65) 6293 3728
www.fas.org.sg

For immediate release

Tough draw for invited teams in RHB Singapore Cup 2010

Debut teams South Melbourne and Kitchee SC face strong challenge.

SINGAPORE, 1 May 2010: The draw for the 2010 RHB Singapore Cup took place this afternoon at Bukit Panjang Plaza, with the four invited teams drawn in arguably the tougher half.

League champions Singapore Armed Forces FC and current league pace-setters Gombak United and Etoile FC were all drawn in the same half as the invited teams who hail from Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Thailand.

South Melbourne and Kitchee were officially announced as the two new teams invited to take part in this year competition alongside 2009 RHB Singapore Cup finalist Bangkok Glass and Phnom Penh Crown.

South Melbourne faces a tough debut having drawn S.League high flyers Gombak United who are incidentally coached by Australian Darren Stewart.

Said South Melbourne chairman Nick Galatas, “South Melbourne FC is excited to be a part of this year RHB Singapore Cup. It is a fantastic tournament with a growing reputation which includes some of the top clubs in the region. We look forward to our first match against Gombak United.”

Hong Kong side Kitchee SC will face S.League newcomers Beijing Guoan Talent in their maiden appearance in the RHB Singapore Cup.

Said Ken Ng, Chairman of Kitchee SC, “It is an arrangement with foresight on the part of FAS to invite the foreign teams to participate in the Singapore Cup, as the opportunity offers all the teams, Singaporean or foreign alike, some valuable experience to learn from international or regional oppositions.  It also promotes  relationships within the football fraternity of Singapore and the regions where the invited teams come from. We hope that the Singapore fans will enjoy our style of play, which is quite unique in Hong Kong.”

The Warriors face a tough tie against Bangkok Glass while Cup holders Geylang United will begin their defence of the trophy away to Balestier Khalsa. Phnom Penh Crown, who will be making their fourth consecutive appearance in the competition, will take on 2010 League Cup winners Etoile FC.

Commenting on the new additions, Mr Jason Wong, Country Head of RHB Bank Singapore, said, “We believe that this welcomed addition will add much vibrancy and excitement to the local football scene. The opportunity of playing against foreign teams from countries such as Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Thailand will expose our players to strong competition, which is fundamental in driving the development of local football talent. In addition, the introduction of a World Class Youth Development Syllabus and development of a National Training Centre as emphasised in the FAS 2010-2015 Strategic Plan will be key to the nurturing of local talent.”

Mayor Zainudin said, “It is a privilege for the Cup to be associated with the bank that has been noted not just for its support of local football but also its pioneering approach to business service and its active involvement in the community. The RHB Singapore Cup is now one of the region’s premier tournaments and we look forward to continuing our close partnership with RHB Singapore to elevate the
Singapore Cup to far greater heights.”

As title sponsor of the Cup, RHB Bank Singapore extended their sponsorship of the prestigious regional football tournament in 2008 for another three years, bringing its total sponsorship value to $3 million.

RHB Bank also actively engages in football-related community initiatives, such as its sponsorship of the NTU Goal for Fund charity event and formation of the St. Andrew Junior School football club, Saints FC.

This year, RHB will be bringing its community efforts up a notch by organising football clinics, together with the Singapore Sports Council and the FAS, throughout the year for underprivileged children. This first of these special training sessions was conducted for the children of the Association of Persons with Special Needs (APSN) with players from the Young Lions in February this year.

Elaborating on RHB’s community efforts, Mr Wong said, “The sport of football provides an invigorating learning platform to create memorable experiences and at the same time, teach our youth important lessons such as sportsmanship, determination and teamwork. This is a worthy cause that RHB will stay committed to and we hope to continue reaching out to the community through more specially-organised sports
activities.”

The first RHB Singapore Cup 2010 match is scheduled to kick off on 24 May 2010 with the final taking place on Sunday 14 November 2010.

Please find attached fixtures for 2010 RHB Singapore Cup Draw.

-End-

About RHB Banking Group

The RHB Banking Group is the fourth largest fully integrated financial products and services group in Malaysia. It gives focus on four Strategic Business Units comprising Retail Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, Islamic Banking and International Banking  are collectively grouped under RHB Capital Bhd, which is listed on Bursa
Malaysia.

RHB Bank is the fourth largest bank in Malaysia with total assets of over RM86 billion and shareholders funds of RM4.6 billion (as at September 2007). It is one of 10 anchor banks in Malaysia with over 180 branches throughout the region.

For more information on RHB Banking Group please log on to www.rhb.com.my

About RHB Bank Singapore

In Singapore, RHB Bank was first established in 1961 and is a fulllicensed bank with a network of 7 branches situated strategically in various locations and 2 Bureau De Change at the Singapore Changi Airport.  As a full-licensed bank, we offer a comprehensive range of financial products and services including consumer, commercial and corporate, treasury and investment banking.

For more information on RHB Bank Singapore log on to www.rhbbank.com.sg

Tuesday, 11 May 2010 1:28 PM

South Melbourne FC will be honoured tonight at the 2010 World Football Gala to be held at the exclusive Hurlingham Club in London.

As part of the annual football awards which are conducted by International Football Federation of History and Statistics (IFFHS) on behalf of FIFA, the Club of the Century from each confederation is to be honoured. South Melbourne FC has been awarded the highly prestigious award of Club of the Century for the Oceania Confederation. The other winners are:

• Europe – Real Madrid CF (Spain)
• South America – CA Penarol Montevideo (Uruguay)
• Africa- Asante Kotoko FC Kumasi (Ghana)
• Asia – Al-Hilal FC Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
• Central and North America – CD Saprissa San Juan de Tibas San Jose (Costa Rica)
• Oceania – South Melbourne FC (Australia)

At the Gala event, each club of the century will be presented with its award, including a golden trophy and a certificate, by a world-famous footballer. The event will also be attended by a number of captains of national teams which have qualified for the World Cup 2010 and legends of world football such Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Jose Mourihno (Inter Milan Head Coach), Vicente Del Bosque (Spain National Head Coach), Iker Cassilas (Real Madrid), Xavi (Barcelona), Josep Guardiola (Barcelona Head Coach), and members of the FIFA Executive Committee.

As part of the World Football Gala, a number of awards are also to be given. A list of these awards are as follows:

– The World‘s best Referee 2009
– The World’s best National Coach 2009
– The World’s best Goalkeeper 2009
– The World‘s best Playmaker 2009
– The World’s Top Goal Scorer 2009
– The World’s best Club Coach 2009
– The World’s best Top Division Goal Scorer 2009
– The World‘s most effective Top Division Goal Scorer 2009
– Club World Ranking 2009
– The strongest National League in the World 2009

South Melbourne FC President, Leo Athanasakis, Major Sponsor George Parthimos from miRoamer, Board Member Tony Margaritis, along with playing legends Paul Trimboli and Jimmy Armstrong have travelled to London to accept the award on behalf of the Club.

During the 20th century, South Melbourne FC were:

• Winners of the 1999 Oceania Confederation Club Championship.
• Finalists at the 2000 World Club Championships in Rio de Janeiro.
• Four times national champions of Australia.
• Eight times state championships of Victoria.
• Winners of the NSL Cup on two occasions.
• Winners of numerous other tournaments and trophies.

Tuesday, 11 May 2010 1:13 PM

South Melbourne FC, in association with Rotana Travel would like to announce a number of exciting travel packages for the Club’s involvement in the 2010 RHB Singapore Cup.

A number of  two, three, and four day packages have been developed to suit all requirements. The travel packages include:

• Return airline tickets with Emirates
• Inclusive of departure taxes
• Accommodation at the 4 star Parkroyal on Kitchener Road Hotel, located near the Jalan Besar Stadium
• Breakfast 
• Transfers to and from Changi Airport
• Entrance to the match South Melbourne FC vs. Gombak United

South Melbourne FC’s participation in the 2010 RHB Singapore Cup marks a return to international football, with its last participation in an international tournament being the 2000 World Club Championship in Brazil where it competed against Manchester United, Vasco De Gama, and Necaxa.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for South fans to see their beloved team representing Australia on the world stage once more.

To enquire about these travel packages, please contact Rotana Travel on 9681 6688. Please ensure you mention the Club’s name to receive the travel packages. 

To download a copy of the flyer and details of the travel packages, please click here.

Monday, 10 May 2010 12:30 PM

 

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC suffered a second consecutive defeat with a 2-1 loss against the Oakleigh Cannons at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon. Despite starting strongly and going a goal ahead, South could not hold on and was overrun by the Cannons, who by winning the three points return back to the top of the League table.

Both sides entered the match in the top four but having lost in the previous round and as a result the three points were crucial. South were dealt a double blow with the withdrawals of Gianni De Nittis and Daniel Vasilevski through injury prior to the game, but welcomed Rhodri Payne and Marinos Gasparis back into the side whilst Joseph Youssef returned to the starting eleven to replace De Nittis.

South started the match strongly and created several good chances early to take the lead. A very tight offside call against Fernando De Moraes was quickly forgotten when the Futsalroo opened the scoring in the 14th minute. A ball played through to De Moraes put him one-on-one with Oakleigh goalkeeper Griffin McMaster. De Moraes almost succeeded in rounding him but the goalkeeper did well to push the ball away from the goals. However De Moraes won the ball back and slipped a shot past McMaster and into the net.

South enjoyed a period of dominance but were unable to increase the one goal lead. McMaster denied South a second goal with an outstanding save from a Payne shot that was heading for the bottom corner of the net and that had gone through a sea of legs. At the other end, South goalkeeper Peter Zois upheld his reputation as one of the League’s best goalkeepers with some outstanding saves, including tipping a fierce Jerry Karpeh shot over his near post.

Oakleigh slowly eased their way into the game and despite Zois’ heroics managed to equalise just before halftime. A corner to the near post was flicked to the back post where an unmarked John Fitzgerald headed home to bring the scores to 1-1. The away side then scored the winning goal just after the break, again from a header from a set piece. This time Nick Kalmar was on hand to score.

South enjoyed a healthy amount of possession for the rest of the game but seemed a shadow of the creative and attacking side that it had been in the first half. South’s best chance to level the game came from Payne, who was put through one-on-one with McMaster on the left side of the area. Unfortunately for the home side, Payne’s end product seemed to be a mixture of a half-cross, half-shot that failed to test the keeper and leave the team still trailing 2-1.

Oakleigh had their dangerous moments as well, with the away side intent on scoring a third to ensure the three points. However Zois again stood firm in the goal, making a series of remarkable saves that kept South in the contest. Unfortunately for Zois, failure by his teammates to score at the other end meant a second consecutive defeat for the home team.

Next Sunday, South Melbourne FC hosts Sunshine George Cross at Northcote City’s John Cain Memorial Reserve.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE FC 1-2 OAKLEIGH CANNONS (HT: 1-1)

South Melbourne:
Peter Zois, Rhodri Payne, Steve O’Dor, Eddie Cetkin, Joe Keenan, Carl Recchia, Joseph Youssef, Rama Tavsancioglu, Fernando De Moraes, Marinos Gasparis (Sasha Vranesevic 70′), Sebastian Petrovic
(Scorer: Fernando De Moraes 14′)

Oakleigh Cannons:
Griffin McMaster, Jamie Cumming, John Fitzgerald, Stelios Drakos, Bill Damianos, Jerry Karpeh, Cameron Watson, Michael Curcija, Aristidis Drakos, Nick Kalmar (Bonnel Obradovic 72′), Scott Webster (Ljuban Palinic 84′)
(Scorers: John Fitzgerald 40′, Nick Kalmar 54′)

SMFC Man of the Match: Peter Zois
Venue: Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Date: Saturday 8th May 2010
Crowd: 1,000

Friday, 7 May 2010 1:20 PM

On this week’s episode of southRadio, we review the match between South Melbourne FC and Richmond SC at Kevin Bartlett Reserve, as well as preview the upcoming contest against the Oakleigh Cannons. In addition, we are joined in the studio by Head of Marketing, Corporate Sales and Events, George Triantos who will discuss the South bid to participate in the 2010 Singapore Cup and the World Football Gala to be held in London, where South will be conferred the award of being named Oceania Confederation Club of the Century.

southRadio is proudly brought to you by Homes Now and Monash Hire.

Should you have any ideas, suggestions or feedback for southRadio please email the club at multimedia@smfc.com.au

Click here to download episode 11 of southRadio (MP3 -7.4Mb) – Right Click and Save As

Click here to download the show directly from iTunes

Friday, 7 May 2010 11:32 AM

On Saturday’s episode on SMFC TV, we review and show extended match highlights of the clash at Kevin Bartlett Reserve between South Melbourne FC and Richmond SC. Furthermore, we hear from Sam Torrens, Carl Recchia, and Head Coach Vaughan Coveny as well in the post-match interviews. In addition, the show will review all the scores from around the Victorian Premier League, and showcase our Junior Development Program.

SMFC TV

Channel 31
Every Saturday 10.00am -10.30am

Friday, 7 May 2010 9:34 AM

By John Kyrou – Photo by George Kouroumalis

South Melbourne FC hosts its first ‘home game away from home’ when it welcomes League leaders Oakleigh to the Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon. The match is must-win for South as three points will put the Blues back into the top three and even possibly the top of the League provided other results fall kindly.

Both sides go into the match having lost last Friday night. South registered its first on-field loss of the season in the 3-0 defeat to Richmond at Kevin Bartlett Reserve, whilst Oakleigh were surprisingly beaten 2-1 by Sunshine George Cross at Jack Edwards Reserve. Despite these setbacks, both sides are still in the top four, with South facing its third consecutive match against an opponent in the top four.

South’s defence will be looking to make amends against the Cannons on Saturday. Oakleigh’s front men in Jerry Karpeh and Michael Curcija will be looking to poach goals so the South defence will need to be right on top of its game for the challenge. Up front, South’s forwards missed a series of gilt-edged chances against Richmond and coach Vaughan Coveny will be hoping that the forwards can rediscover their devastating form against Hume two weeks ago and hit the back of the net on Saturday.

If selected, midfielder Sebastian Petrovic will notch up his 50th League game for South Melbourne FC. ‘Seba’ first played for South in the old National Soccer League and since then has had two separate stints at the club, the first being in 2005 and the second being from 2008 onwards. Petrovic’s 2009 season was an excellent one and as a result he was rightly awarded the Theo Marmaras Medal for Most Valuable Player, as well as being crowned the Clarendon Corner’s Most Valuable Player.

The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. South Melbourne FC players will wear black armbands and a minute’s silence will be held prior to the match out of respect for former player Antonis Karagiannis, a foundation player in 1960 who sadly passed away last weekend.

Last time they met

Wednesday, 5 May 2010 2:07 PM

The entire South Melbourne FC family would like to extend its deepest condolences and wishes to the Karagiannis family on the passing of former South Melbourne FC player Antonis Karagiannis, who sadly passed away last Sunday.

Karagiannis was a foundation player for South Melbourne FC and represented the club for two seasons from 1960-61. In 1960, he played an integral role in the club’s promotion from Metropolitan Division 1 North (now State League 1) into the Victorian State League (now the VPL). In 1961, Karagiannis scored 15 goals for South in the Victorian State League and finished as the club’s leading goal scorer for that season. In recognition of his efforts in the club’s early years of existence, Karagiannis was inducted into the SMFC Hall of Fame at the 50th Year Anniversary Gala Ball at the Crown Palladium last year.

South Melbourne FC President Leo Athanasakis, speaking to smfc.com.au, remarked that “it is sad to see the passing of one of the individuals who were part of the Club in its formative years. We would like to extend our best wishes and condolences to the Karagiannis family.”

As a mark of respect at Mr Karagiannis’ passing, South Melbourne FC players will wear black armbands for Saturday’s match against Oakleigh. In addition, a minute’s silence will be held prior to the match commencing.

Monday, 3 May 2010 12:47 PM

South Melbourne FC was one of four foreign clubs to be included in the draw for this year’s RHB Singapore Cup along with the 12 Singapore League teams.

The Draw was the main feature of a glittering ceremony which took place at 2pm Saturday May 1 (Singapore time) to launch this year’s Cup. SMFC was drawn against leading Singapore club, Gombak United, currently lying fourth on their league table. The date for the first round match has not yet been announced but is likely to be on May 26 or 27. If South gets through, it will play in the quarter finals in late September. The semi finals are scheduled for late October and the final for November 14.

The Football Association Singapore General Secretary, Winston Lee, said “we are delighted to welcome South Melbourne FC into the RHB Singapore Cup. They are one of the most successful teams in Australian football with a long and illustrious history. Their participation will add to the excitement and anticipation of football fans here in Singapore as well in Melbourne”.

South Melbourne FC Chairman, Nick Galatas, told Singapore media that “South Melbourne FC is excited to be a part of this year’s RHB Singapore Cup. It is a fantastic tournament with a growing reputation which includes some of the top clubs in the region. We look forward to our first match against Gombak United”.

Daniel Malacchini, based in Singapore and currently a Commercial Development Officer with the Club, represented the club at the Draw ceremony. Daniel was interviewed by Singapore TV and numerous members of the press signifying the intense interest in South’s participation by Singapore football fans.

Earlier South had secured the consent of Football Federation Victoria and Football Federation Australia to be Australia’s representative at the Singapore Cup. FFA wished both the FAS and SMFC all the best for a successful tournament.

The other three foreign teams taking part this year are:

• Kitchee SC, who are one of the oldest and leading club sides in Hong Kong
• Bangkok Glass FC, which are one of the top clubs in Thailand, and among the title favourites in the Thai Premier League
• Phnom Penh Crown FC, which is one of the strongest clubs in Cambodia

The club will be making further announcements shortly about travel plans and tour packages available for its Singapore campaign. It will be looking for as much support as it can from its fans as it again seeks to proudly represent Australian football overseas.

For any queries please contact Nick Galatas on +61 3 9645 9797 or media@smfc.com.au.

Monday, 3 May 2010 12:36 PM

By Liam Coventry-Poole – courtesy of the FFV (Photo by Cindy NItsos)

Richmond have overcome South Melbourne 3-0 in frosty conditions at Kevin Bartlett Reserve on Friday night, in a free flowing game that saw three separate goal scorers for an inform Richmond outfit.

Richmond had the opener in the sixth minute courtesy of a free header from Erhan Karahan after a great strike from a corner to the near post. Karahan finished with style, with a well-placed head into the bottom left-hand corner of the net, giving South Melbourne keeper Peter Zois no chance.

Karahan was busy again in the 14th minute with a decent hit on goal that found itself into the chest of Peter Zois.

Richmond continued to pressure the South Melbourne box with encouraging link up play between David Scullion and Erhan Karahan, creating numerous crosses going into the path of the Richmond front row, but they couldn’t muster any genuine shots on goal.

Richmond’s second corner looked just as dangerous as the first, once again finding Karahan on the near post, but he couldn’t get a clean head on the ball, with the rebound finding itself at the feet of Michael Catalano, whose half volley was only denied but a block from a number of bodies.

Karahan’s pressure down the left wing continued, with a decent left-foot cross almost finding the head of Milos Lujic, only yards out from goal.

South began to get into the game after the 30th minute, with a five minute purple patch of countless corners and dangerous balls into the box, but they couldn’t produce any genuine shots on goal until Carl Recchia found the back of the net, but it was disallowed by the referee’s whistle for a foul on the Richmond goalkeeper Stjepan Gal.

Richmond punished South Melbourne for their missed chances and scored against the run of play via a brilliant effort by David Scullion. After Scullion looked to lose the ball he set up a well manifested one-two with Michael Catalano, where he then broke through the defence and put it away with a classy finish.

The game opened right up, as South began to press again, with half chances falling to Eddie Cetkin and Fernando De Moraes, but they still couldn’t capitalise on any of this pressure, looking at a two goal deficient, going into the second half.

The second half immediately went back to the free flowing game it was on the brink of half time, as Scullion and Karahan were at it once again with some great link up play down the left after a couple of dangerous counter-attacks.

South Melbourne began to create chances for themselves at the 50th minute mark with Gianni De Nittis through on goal, but once again rued his chance, forcing a great save by Gal.

As he did at the end of the first half, Fernando De Moraes found himself unmarked at the far post, but yet again his volley went just wide of the post.

The South Melbourne barrage of chances continued into the half, with Steven O’Dor missing a chance in the box, and Daniel Vasilevski hitting the right hand post from the edge of the penalty area.

It looked like it was just a matter of time until South Melbourne seized one back. De Nittis found himself one out with Gal after an embarrassing mistake by Richmond defender Antun Kovacic, however instead of taking the shot, De Nittis confused the South supporters by attempting to cross the ball to an unmarked De Moraes, and the ball was easily cleared.

Richmond began to get back into the game with decent chances coming from a Milos Lujic header which went extremely close, and Daniel Visevic, whose free kick scraped the top of the crossbar in the 76th minute.

One minute later Richmond ruined any glimmer of hope of a South Melbourne comeback when substitute Krncevic headed home a centre metre perfect lob cross from influential Daniel Visevic, putting the nail in the coffin.

The game went quiet in the last ten minutes, with the exception of a close lob shot by Richmond’s Visevic, and the match ended with a 3-0 victory to Richmond, a score line which failed to tell the entire story.

Next week Richmond travel to Altona to face the Magic, while South Melbourne are at home to the Oakleigh Cannons.