Football Far North Coast’s Matt Kelso resigns
October 31, 2008
Football Far North Coast General Manager Matt Kelso has announced his resignation after an eight-year term.
The announcement came as quite a surprise to most of the North Coast football fraternity and to the board and staff of FFNC.
Kelso has been provided an opportunity to take his skills and experience into a community development role with the Australian Sports Commission, filling a vacancy in their Ballina office.
The appointment of Kelso in 2001 was seen as a radical departure from the traditional community volunteer committee, but has proven to be fundamental to the rapid growth of football in the North Coast region.
Big crowd tipped for Lismore W-League women’s soccer match
October 29, 2008
Football Far North Coast is predicting that a large crowd will be on hand at Oakes Oval on Saturday, November 8, when the W-League touches down on the North Coast, with Queensland Roar taking on Newcastle Jets.
Following round one of the inaugural Westfield W-League on the weekend, positive attendances were experienced across the country to witness some exciting play and plenty of goals.
FFNC General Manager Matt Kelso was in attendance at QSAC, Brisbane, to witness the event first-hand, taking in the Queensland Roar v Adelaide United W-League fixture.
“The game was very entertaining with five goals and some excellent football,” he said.
Far North Coast rugby squad for 2009 announced
October 23, 2008
Far North Coast Rugby Union has announced its 2009 opens training squad.
The team finally selected will take part in the NSW Country Championships, with one match to be played in the FNC Zone on March 21 at Crozier Field, Lismore, and two away matches on the following weekend at a venue to be decided.
There will be a squad meeting on the Monday, November 3, at the Rous Hotel, Lismore, starting at 6.30pm.
The first training run is on Saturday, November 15, at the Ballina Rugby Club from 2.30pm.
The squad is:
NRRRL looks set for a shake-up in 2009
October 23, 2008
The Retravision Northern League competition looks set for a massive shake-up in 2009, with the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League clubs backing a north-south split to the competition.
NRRRL president Robin Harley’s plan to ease the travelling burden on clubs was given majority support at a meeting of clubs in Ballina this week.
Under the plan, the competition would be split into two divisions:
- NORTHERN CONFERENCE: Ballina, Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, Tweed Coast Raiders, Cudgen Hornets, South Tweed, Murwillumbah.
- SOUTHERN CONFERENCE: Lismore Marist Brothers, Casino RSM, Kyogle, Evans Head, Grafton Rhinos, Grafton Ghosts, Lower Clarence Magpies.
Darrel Chapman Fun Run raises $7000 for Our Kids charity
October 22, 2008
Northern Rivers’ children who are patients at Lismore Base Hospital will benefit from the fund-raising efforts of everyone who participated in the recent Southern Cross University Darrel Chapman Fun Run.
The $7000 raised will go to support the Our Kids charity that provides essential equipment for the children’s ward at the hospital.
Our Kids fundraising co-ordinator Rebekka Battista received the cheque this week from the Southern Cross University students and staff who helped coordinate and run the event.
The Sport Tourism and Human Movement Science students took on organising the event as a unit in their degree courses.
They had to plan and stage the entire event with the supervision of School of Health and Human Sciences staff.
“The hands-on experience we gained in doing this exercise was incredible,” said student Lauren Atkins, who also undertook her internship with the Our Kids charity.
“We learnt about media, marketing, sponsorship, logistics, planning, occupational health and safety, teamwork, leadership, delegation … the list goes on and on.
“It was a real-life event and we had to develop real, practical skills to pull it off. It has been a great hands-on learning experience.
“It has also been fantastic to be able to go into the children’s ward at the hospital and see the youngsters who will benefit from our efforts.”
Lauren said the experience had taught her that when it comes to event management ‘expect the unexpected, be prepared to do whatever it takes to make the event a success and never, ever forget the gaffer tape!’
The event is held annually in honour of respected academic and local sporting legend, Darrel Chapman, who passed away from bowel cancer in 1992.
Dr Dave Arthur, a senior lecturer in the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management, said the event was an important way in which final-year students could ‘take what they have learnt theoretically in the classroom into the real world and develop practical skills and knowledge that will help them in their careers’.
PICTURE: Rebekka Battista (front), co-ordinator of the Our Kids charity, receives a cheque for $7000 from Southern Cross University students who helped co-ordinate this year’s Darrel Chapman Fun Run event to help raise funds for the Lismore Base Hospital children’s ward.
North Coast cricket teams announced
October 22, 2008
North Coast cricket selectors have announced the Open and Bush Turkeys teams for this season’s representative matches.
The Bush Turkeys team will tour New Zealdn in January, while the Open team will travel to the Central Coast on November 29 to defend the NSW Country Cup title they won last year.
Hastings player Billy Newell has been named as captain of the senior team, while star Casino batsman Sam Irvine, who scored a sensational double hundred in last season’s LJ Hooker League grand final, has been chosen as vice-captain.
Myles McDowall will lead the Bush Turkeys, with Coffs Harbour’s Alec Byrnes the vice-captain.
Tony Zann’s weekend fishing report
October 17, 2008
Mandy at Dave’s Bait Shop in Ballina says a few decent flathead are at last starting to show in the lower river.
Whiting are coming through pretty regularly, with the best spots from Pimlico up to Wardell but they’re not in big numbers yet.
Still the odd bream through the river around the rock walls. No jew to speak of.
A few snapper and cobia offshore with most of the action out wide.
Far North Coaster surf report
October 17, 2008
Surf conditions are ordinary after a week on onshores, and there’s little change in site.
Winds are forecast to be south-east to north-east through until Monday, and the swell is predicted to remain about three foot.
Hopefully, the change in wind direction — after our recent run of northerlies bringing in the cold currents — will lead to warmer water.
I went down to my favourite local swimming spot last Wednesday but ‘piked it’: after a minute standing in knee-deep water, my legs were going numb. It was the coldest I’ve felt the water in 15 years of swimming at that spot.
Marine weather:
- Friday until midnight: Wind: SE 5/10 knots in the south, 10/15 knots in the north. Sea: to about 1 metre. Swell: SE 1 to 1.5 metres.
- Saturday: Wind: E/SE 10/15 knots in the north, E/NE 5/10 knots in the south. Sea: to about 1 metre. Swell: SE 1 to 1.5 metres.
- Sunday Outlook: Wind: SE/NE 5/15 knots.
- Monday Outlook: Wind: N/NE 10/20 knots.
Former Rally New Zealand GM to head up local FIA round
October 16, 2008
Former general manager of the Rally New Zealand, Gary Upson (pictured), has been appointed as the new GM of Australia’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship, which will be conducted in northern NSW near Kyogle and Murwillumbah from September 3 to 6, 2009.
Rally Australia reports that Upson, 41, is well-known in World Championship circles, having managed the New Zealand event from 1998 until 2005, during which time the event won the prestigious Rally of the Year Award.
He is currently Brand Manager for Land Rover New Zealand.
“I am really excited at the prospect of helping to bring the spectacle and thrill of the WRC to the East Coast of Australia for the first time,” he told Rally Australia.
Northern NSW Football appoints new development officer
October 15, 2008
Northern NSW Football has appointed a dedicated Football Development Officer to service the Northern Region of the State in recognition of the continued growth of football in the area.
Rob Clarke commenced with Northern NSW Football on Monday and is spending his first week at the Northern NSW Football Head Office at Hexham prior to working from a centralised location in Coffs Harbour from next week.
From his Coffs Harbour base, Clarke will service the Far North Coast, North Coast, Mid North Coast and Inland regions, to compliment the support provided by Peter Haynes, who fills a similar role in Newcastle, servicing the Newcastle, Hunter, Lake Macquarie and Taree/Forster areas.
Clarke has been involved in coaching and development for over 20 years, covering both junior and senior football, as well as youth development and representative programs including National Championships, most recently coaching the Tasmanian Under-15 and Under-17 Girls at the 2007/8 Championships in Coffs Harbor.
