KNIGHTS BOW OUT

Knights withdraw from GNE League

28 March 2015

Shepparton News - Matthew Galea

NO-ONE COMMENTING AS NUMURKAH WITHDRAWS FROM ALL FFV GOULBURN NORTH EAST COMPETITIONS

Numurkah Soccer Club has withdrawn itself from all Football Federation Victoria Goulburn North East competitions in a further blow to the local soccer scene.

The Knights were a valued and consistent player in the old Goulburn North East Football Association junior competitions and women’s competitions, despite lacking a presence in Regional Super League.

Its division one women’s team played in a grand final as recently as 2012, when it lost 5-2 to Shepparton United.

FFV has conducted several meetings with local clubs and stakeholders in recent months as it tries to sort out the local competition.

Football Operations general manager Matt Annells said Numurkah the old had been represented at all the meetings, but had yet to submit any teams for any of the new FFV competitions.

‘‘They’ve been at every meeting as have the other six clubs,’’ Annells said.

‘‘The last meeting we had was on Wednesday, March 11, and all seven clubs were there and Numurkah participated in the discussion.

‘‘We’ve written to them since, but we have not heard anything.’’

The News attempted to contact several past and present members of the club’s committee and members, but no-one was available for comment.

Lisa Butcher, who remains listed as the club’s secretary on the club website, said the club would not fold and would retain a presence in Shepparton Junior Soccer Association, but would not comment on why the club was not entering in any FFV competitions.

FFV’s Annells said that the new FFV GNE competition would run seven leagues.

The point of entry for boys and girls will be a mixed under-12 league, moving up to under-14 boys, under-15-16 girls, under-17 boys, men’s division two, women’s division

‘‘We have enough entries in all those competitions to run a competition,’’ Annells said.

‘‘Some of them have entries from six clubs. At this stage three or four of those leagues will have six clubs competing.’’

With team entries finalised last night, Annells said FFV hoped to have a draft fixture out to clubs by Thursday.

Annells said FFV was looking at the possibility of hosting inter-regional gala days and other solutions to break up the repetitiveness of a six-team or four-team competition.

‘‘We are exploring with the other regional associations about the possibility of having some inter-region matches for potential gala days, but that’s at embryonic stages,’’ Annells said.

‘‘We are having a number of discussions to find some alternative for clubs that are playing each other week in week out.

‘‘We want to provide the existing clubs and players something different, so we’re very open to exploring any option to increase participation and numbers and if that means coming up with initiatives that involve more clubs and regions then that’s what we will do.’’