Hot summer Season Greetings

The all important games are starting tonight, with last season's Champions Sydney FC. Both teams are fighting for the top six, as there are only 3 points to differ between Fury and Sydney. 

With ex-sky blues on our side (Payne, Pasfield and Ufuk) they all want to show that they are in a side not to be taken with a touch of salt.

Line-ups for tonight.

North Queensland Fury FC v Sydney FC, Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville, 9pm (EDT) 8pm LOCAL

North Queensland Fury: 1. Justin Pasfield (gk), 2. Jack Hingert, 3. Brad McDonald, 5. Mark Hughes, 6. Ufuk Talay (c), 7. Gareth Edds, 10. Dyron Daal, 11. David Williams, 12. Panagiotis Nikas, 14. Chris Grossman, 15. Chris PAYNE, 16. Simon Storey, 17. Osama Malik, 18. Brett Studman, 21. Jason Spagnuolo, 24. Ramazan Tavsancioglu, 28. Sebastian Usai (gk)

In: 6. Ufuk Talay (back from 1 week suspension), 14. Chris Grossman (back from injury), 15. Chris Payne (back from injury)
Out: 13. Andre Kilian (ankle – 2 weeks), 4. Eric Akoto (knee – 2 weeks), 8. Adam Casey (ankle – 1 week), 13. Andre Kilian (ankle – 2 weeks), 19. Isaka Cernak (knee – 2 weeks), 20. Matthew Ham (knee – out for the season)

Sydney FC: 1. Liam Reddy (gk), 2. Sebastian Ryall, 3. Stephan Keller, 6. Hirofumi Moriyasu, 7. Brendan Gan, 8. Stuart Musialik, 9. Bruno Cazarine, 11. Kofi Danning, 12. Shannon Cole, 14. Alex Brosque, 15. Terry McFlynn (c), 16. Terry Antonis, 19. Mark Bridge, 20. Ivan Necevski (gk), 21. Scott Jamieson, 22. Sung-Hwan Byun, 24. Dimitri Petratos

Out: 5. Hayden Foxe (suspended - 1 week), Nicky Carle (Back – 2 Weeks), Rhyan Grant (knee – 1 week)

Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones

Fury VS FFA

Now, after all the World Cup nonsense, Fury have one thing on their minds, staying afloat! With 2 more players (Payne and Malik) announcing they're moving on next year, Middleby, Straka and Krayem are busy with their staff getting a Community ownership draft on the books for FFA, and with the latest news of the Sydney Rovers Franchise not given a chance for the 2011/12 season, due to lack of capital, meaning Fury may have some bad news coming their way. The FFA are still looking for a second team for a Sydney franchise to make that 12th team as the FFA have the schedule to worry about. There have also been talks about a possible bid for a Canberra or Tasmanian team to join next season. Hopefully expanding to make more exciting Football.

FFA saying that fans have been complaining about the odd number of teams, making byes for each team and then Franz Straka had a go at nearly everyone in the post match talk in Gold Coast last week, about the fact that the schedule coming up the christmas is not for the light-hearted and probably the cause of his absence from the sideline against Adelaide last night.

As much as Fury hate to admit it, the off-pitch politics with their predicament has had an affect on their games, and it's unfortunate to see that happen to such a young, versatile team, which had so much potential at the start of the season, to rock the table. Well we know that hasn't happened, so far.

We shall see how this roller coaster of news will pan out and hopefully we will see all back next year, but we will see! The best the fans can do is keep our heads up, turn up and "Stand up for Fury", and make sure you have done your bit in making sure they have your support.

Next game is this Wednesday (15 Dec) at 7pm (LOCAL- at Dairy Farmers, Townsville) versus last season's Grand Final winners Sydney. Shall be a cracker!

Big Shots to be Cut Down From High Horse

The weekend has brought some confidence for the Newcastle side, after they defeated LA Galaxy (again) 2-1, but it's time for the Jets to come down from their castle and play their first game against Fury, this season. Only one point is between Fury (11th) and Jets (9th), and only a win away from being equal with 8th placers, Sydney. There are only 4 points separating the Fury from the top six. If we want a place in the roster next season, I think it's time to get big wins on the board. David Williams showed some class in our mid-week game against rivals Gold Coast, having a shot some 25 yards out, deflecting from the crossbar and in the net. More shots outside the box will have to take place more often, A-League defence is very last minute in some games, once attackers are in the box then they defend and tackle. Take more shots like Dave and we will start winning games, we have the muscle to have rocket-like shots from out there, we've seen Hughes, a defender, take shots from nearly halfway!


Come on down to the "Saturday Night Fever" match versus the Newcastle Jets. Gates open at 6.45pm!

North Queensland Fury v Newcastle Jets, Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville, 8.15pm (LOCAL)

North Queensland Fury squad: 
1. Justin Pasfield (gk), 2. Jack Hingert, 3. Brad McDonald, 5. Mark Hughes, 6. Ufuk Tlay(c), 7. Gareth Edds, 8. Adam Casey, 9. Eugene Sseppuya, 10. Dyron Daal, 11. David Williams, 12. Panagiotis Nikas, 13. Andre Kilian, 15. Chris Payne, 16. Simon Storey, 17. Osama Malik, 18. Brett Studman, 21. Jason Spagnuolo, 23. Lorenzo SIPI, 24. Ramazan Tavsancioglu, 28. Sebastian Usai (gk). *Five to be omitted*
In: 3. Brad McDonald (promoted), 8. Adam Casey (promoted), 15. Chris Payne (promoted), 18. Brett Studman (promoted), 23. Lorenzo Sipi (promoted),
Out: 4. Eric Akoto (knee – 2 weeks), 14. Chris Grossman (knee – 2 weeks), 19. Isaka Cernak (knee – awaiting tests), 20. Matthew Ham (knee – out for the season)

Newcastle Jets FC squad: 
40. Matthew Nash (gk), 2. Taylor Regan, 3. Adam D’Apuzzo, 4. Nikolai topor Stanley, 6. Ben Kantarovski 7. Kasey Wehrman,10. Ruben Zadkovich, 11. Tarek Elrich, 12. Jobe Wheelhouse13. Sasho Petrovski, 14. Labinot Haliti, 17. Marcello Fiorentini, 18. Marko Jesic, 19. Ali Abass, 21. Brodie Mooy 22. Kaz Patafta 24. Francis Jeffers 50. Jack Duncan (GK) 9. Zhang Shuo. *Three to be omitted*
In: 50. Jack Duncan (promoted), 10. Ruben Zadkovich (returns from injury)
Out:  5. Ljubo Milicevic (ankle), 1. Ben Kennedy (gk) (knee - six weeks), Neil Young (illness – indefinite), Michael Bridges (Knee - six weeks), Jeremy Brockie (broken foot - 6 to 8 weeks), 5. Sean Rooney (knee-season)

FFA Cup a better Reality

The World Cup winning bids have been announced and it didn't include Australia!!! BUGGER!! So, now what has Ben Buckley got in stall for us?? He had promises for Fury that they will not be made defunct if Australia won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup, but now that this is not a reality, FFA have to come up with another game plan to help the survival of Fury and maybe even the whole A-League competition.

With the addition of an FFA Cup now more definite than World Cup, the FFA need to keep a bigger competition running to involve something like Europa League, where lower grades compete as equals. This will mean our State League teams, and probably the Capital City's Premier teams, will be in the FFA Cup to make another competition for Australian Football.

With A-League in its 6th Season as a competition, taking over from the old National Soccer League (NSL), Football in Australia has come a long way. One being that we officially call the beautiful game Football, and not Soccer, as some westerners have come to call it. And secondly, it has generated the biggest junior following of the game, that anyone in Australia has ever seen. There are more kids playing the game, whether it be in schoolyards, on a pitch, or following a favourite team; Australia has a following that is an underdog of its own, where we are the only ones that actually PLAY FOOTBALL!

There are 8 years until Australia can bid for the World Cup again, in time for 2030/2034 games. We will be up against heavyweights in the likes of USA and England again, but what we have achieved in the past 5 years, in 2 World Cups and in our 6th A-League season, can only grow, and hopefully Fury are in that future!

Head up Australia! It can only get better!