?It?s a very professional and good side with a fair bit of depth,? Simpson said.
Simpson, who has been hampered by several injuries and the tragic death of his brother Tyler, was once playing in the UEFA Cup with Young Boys of Berne in Switzerland.
In fact, he spent 18 months at the great Swiss club.
At 26 years of age, Simpson is now once again proudly putting his best foot forward with Bonnyrigg. Some would even say that his fitness and form is the best it has ever been.
?Injuries hampered me for a couple of years, but I am at point where I am ready to step up to where I once was and hopefully be ready to be given the opportunity [in the Hyundai A-League],? he said.
Simpson started out at Blacktown City before moving into the old National Soccer League in Parramatta Power?s Youth Team. From there it was A-League football with Brisbane Roar before moving to Switzerland and joining Young Boys of Berne.
He returned to Australia to play once again in the A-League with Perth Glory before returning to the NSW Premier League with Sydney Olympic and then once again Blacktown City FC.
?I still feel that I have some very good years left in me and I know that I am at a level where I can perform again,? he said. ?I just want to get back to where I was and showcase my abilities.?
In between stints back in Australia, Simpson had a season in Finland with SS Jaro in the Finnish Super League before returning once again to the NSW Premier League and then taking a year off football.
Now back in the fold with the highly respected Bonnyrigg White Eagles, Simpson is very happy to respond to questions about his fitness.
?It?s very good ? in fact, it?s the best it has been in years,? he said.
Ironically, Simpson also works as a barista on weekdays at another well-known football establishment: Dolcissimo, the Haberfield restaurant that is run by APIA Leichhardt?s President Tony Raciti.
-By Joe Russo
Archives for May 2012
Rockdale City Suns sign Dylan Macallister
Macallister is looking to keep match fit before returning to the Hyundai A-league for the 2012/2013 season or heading overseas to continue his stellar career.
Since 2008 Macallister has been a prominent player in the Hyundai A-league and has played over 70 games in the league, firstly with the Central Coast Mariners, then with Wellington Phoenix and most recently with the Gold Coast United.
In 2009 such were his performances in the Hyundai A-league, former Socceroo coach Pim Verbeek called him up to the Socceroos squad for the friendly match against Indonesia.
Prior to 2008 Macallister played in Norway for SK Brann and later with Lyn and Sparta Sarpsborg in the Norwegian league. In May 2011 Macallister signed for Icelandic champions Brei?ablik and on 20 July 2011, Macallister scored Brei?ablik’s first ever goal in European Champions League Competition, in a 2-0 win against Norwegian champions Rosenborg.
Macallister then returned to the A-league in late 2011 for the 2011/2012 season and joined Gold Coast United scoring 5 goals in 15 appearances.
The Club welcomes Dylan on board and wishes him the very best for the remainder of the 2012 NSW Premier League.
-Rockdale City Suns Press Release
Special Feature: Rockdale City Suns starlet’s first interview
?It?s very different from the U/20s,? he told Football NSW.
?It?s a good step up and I know I need to keep working hard and keep going if I am to achieve the personal goals I have set for myself.?
Mum, Dad and family are seen as the biggest influences to his career so far but he is quick to point out.
?Obviously I have had some great coaching to get this far as well as the support of my family and I?m grateful to have been given the opportunity to play in the Suns? first team.
?The speed of the game is so much faster in first grade and of course it?s more physical so it?s a hurdle I have had to deal with and hopefully that is being shown in performances and I am able to repay the faith shown in me by the club.?
As yet another Manchester United fan, he cites Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo as his favourite players and with no wife, children or girlfriend as yet he is free to concentrate on his football.
?No I don?t have any kids, wife or girlfriend.
?I?m a bit like Huss (Huseyin Jasli) in that regard.?
With a birthday just passed in February Urosevski has the usual dreams of any player his age of going on.
?In five year?s time I would hope I am playing well firstly and in the Hyundai A-League at a high standard and further down the track at a higher level again whether that is overseas or for Australia.
?Like most I see the Hyundai A-League as being the first step to a higher career but my first priority must be to play well for Rockdale City Suns consistently and work hard and see where it takes me.?
Representative Honours have so far eluded the 18-year old but he appears focussed, well balanced and seems to know what he wants and how he is best able to achieve it albeit in his first ever interview he is understandably nervous, with more senior players standing around, although he need not be, he holds himself well and considers what he says showing he has the right approach to life and football.
?Mark Rudan, not just because he is the coach, is the person I most look up to as a player although everyone here has helped me to improve along the way and I couldn?t have done any of this without them.
?The dressing room morale is brilliant and everyone supports each other and hopefully that is starting to show in our football on the pitch but I look up to Mark very much.?
Asked about advice he would be able to pass on he replies.
?Simple really, work hard because you will always have setbacks in life but its how you deal with them, learn from them and grow from them that counts.
?Train hard and take the opportunities when they come along.?
Here is a kid who is doing just that but it takes effort and dedication over many years to become an overnight success and even harder work if you want to hit the heights along with an awful lot of luck but with a steady head on young shoulders perhaps we all need to take note and watch this space.
-By Micky Brock
Bonnyrigg’s clinical finishing puts Stallions to the sword
Bonnyrigg is a team that doesn?t forgive and Marconi paid a dear price early in the second-half when, in the space of 18? minutes, Robbie Younis managed to score his hat-trick and place a dagger through the heart of the Stallions.
Bonnyrigg, under the astute guidance of Brian Brown and Cliff Pointer, punished the Stallions at Marconi Stadium. One team made a few simple errors at crucial times and the other took full advantage without giving anything away.
After the game the always modest Brian Brown said that he wasn?t expecting to win by such a big margin.
?No, no, not at all,? he said. ?We thought that if we didn?t give anything away defensively and score we?d be good.
?In the first-half they probably started better than us, but we got ourselves back into the game and we made a few chances in the first-half as well, but you always expect a tough game here.
?We have a young team and coming here could be a bit intimidating especially with Marconi having a few ex Bonnyrigg players.
?They?re professional our young boys and they stood up. The two young guys in the middle of our defence, [David] Vrankovic and [Alex] Mansueto, I thought were outstanding.?
Bonnyrigg White Eagles opened the scoring in the 16? minute when a Robbie Younis corner was met by the head of a Marconi defender who inadvertently flicked it straight into the path of Harris Gaitatzis who simply headed home.
Marconi?s reply was almost immediate when Jamie McMaster found himself all alone in front of the opposing goalkeeper, but somehow he shot over the crossbar. It?s moments like this that had the Marconi faithful scratching their heads.
James Chronopoulos was called into action in the 33? minute to get down low and save well from a Gaitatzis shot before Marconi replied a few minutes later: Nathan Elasi did all the good lead-up work and Joey Gibbs had the ball in the back of the net, but the assistant referee had raised the flag for a marginal offside call.
It was then Gibbs who turned provider late in the half for Elasi who had avoided the offside play and found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Ben McNamara, but his shot couldn?t penetrate the reliable shot stopper of the visitors.
Early in the second-half Younis scored the first of his three goals. A long ball was poorly dealt with by the Marconi defence and Younis, pouncing on the spot, simply stole the ball and slotted home.
In the 53? minute Andrew Mailer set up Gibbs for another good attempt but once again McNamara was up to the task. Moments later Marconi tried again: a powerful low drive by Gibbs was delightfully turned away for a corrner by Gibbs.
Marconi didn?t give up and in the 61? minute Shevlin from the centre of box fired just wide of the mark. However, shortly afterwards Younis pounced again.
An accurate Ken Chun cross from the left was met by an opportunistic Younis who headed home. And, then a minute later, referee Kris Griffith Jones awarded a penalty when Younis was brought down by Christopher Nunes. The ever present and revitalised striker took the spot kick himself and sent Chronopoulos the wrong way. It was then all over bar the shouting.
After the game a shattered Luke Casserly, coach of Marconi, couldn?t really believe what he had just witnessed.
?I have really mixed feeling because for large patches of the game our boys played really quite well and they made a number of good chances,? he said.
?Obviously we haven?t taken any of those chances and it feels that almost every opportunity that Bonnyrigg got, they punished us and for a couple of those opportunities we handed it to them. They were simple errors that shouldn?t happen at this level.
?I thought at half time that we were still well in this game because the general play was good ? we had some great chances and a goal disallowed but no result. If you don?t take your chances, you get punished.?
Match Stats
Marconi Stallions 0
Bonnyrigg White Eagles 4 (Gaitatzis 16?, Younis 48?, 64?, 66? (pen) )
Saturday 19th May, 2012
Marconi Stadium, Bossley Park
Referee: Kris Griffith-Jones
Assistant Referees: Sarah Ho and Adam Coombes
Fourth Official: Nathan Roberts
Marconi Stallions: 22.James Chronopoulos; 2.Andrew Mailer, 4.Umut Tokdogan, 6.Shane Webb, 9.Keith Shevlin (15.Alan De la Cuadra 78?), 10.Joey Gibbs, 11.Nathan Elasi, 18.Jamie McMaster (16.Daniel Severino 55?), 19.Damien Travis (7.Sean O?Connell 67?), 23.Christopher Nunes, 26.Nahuel Arrarte.
Substitutes Not Used: 3.Ali Haydar, 40.Andrew Mercuri
Yellow Cards: Webb 21?
Red Cards: Nil
Bonnyrigg White Eagles: 1.Ben McNamara; 2.Alex Mansueto, 4.David Vrankovic, 5.Chris Tadrosse, 8.Alexander Canak (10.Jordan Simpson 80?), 9.Robbie Younis (15.Luka Dukic 88?), 13.Nikola Stanojevic, 16.Adrian Ucchino, 19.Harris Gaitatzis, 21.Ken Chun, 23.Mitchell Long (17.Jordan Crighton 69?).
Substitutes Not Used: 11.Ben Spuce, 20.Andrew Bazi
Yellow Cards: Nil
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings:
3 – Robbie Younis (BWE)
2 – David Vrankovic (BWE)
1 – Ben McNamara (BWE)
-By Joe Russo
Special Feature: Kayes is a pillar of consistency of APIA
Kayes, who is currently 24 years of age, has been around the competition since he was 16 when Blacktown City signed him to play under then coaches Brian Brown and Cliff Pointer ? the legendary NSW Premier League duo currently in charge of Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
?I have been here at APIA Leichhardt for six seasons,? he said. ?I came here from Blacktown where I played all throughout my youth and then I went onto a first grade contract with Brian Brown and Cliff Pointer when I was 16.
?After Blacktown, I came here to APIA under John Romeo [APIA Leichhardt?s former head coach], so it has been a while now. I was in the Australian Schoolboys team that toured the UK under Romeo and I followed him here.?
Stephen Kayes is a very familiar face in the NSW Premier League and a model of consistency for APIA Leichhardt. Even though he considers himself to be a central midfielder, he is very much enjoying another role now.
?I really enjoy playing in the centre of the park, but I am really enjoying the current right back/wing back role. I feel comfortable there,? he said.
Kayes is still young enough to hope for an A-League breakthrough but he is certainly not losing focus on the present. He is semi- professional footballer who is totally focused on APIA Leichhardt.
?I am enjoying my time here at APIA and the short term plan is to try and make finals football,? he stated enthusiastically. ?It would be great to play in the finals. I think we have the squad to do it.
?You always hope to move on to bigger and better things, but unfortunately it doesn?t always happen. You just have to keep performing here at APIA and if it happens, it happens.
?A few years ago people wanted to send me to a few different [A-League] clubs for trials but it never really eventuated – it would still be great if something could happen down the track.?
Like many good footballers, Kayes has also a plan beyond football.
?I have finished my Physical Education Teaching degree and I am working fulltime for a company [Sporting Schools Australia] that does the PE programs in primary schools,? he said.
?I am enjoying that and it keeps me busy. I am currently working in primary schools but I went to university to study secondary education.?
-By Joe Russo