Comings & Goings 3: Ben B

'Your keeper is an absolute legend I must say, is he like that every week or was that a oneoff??? A couple of his saves were Gordon Banks like, not to mention the time he came flying out for a cross he was never entitled to take and casually stuck one arm out under pressure and somehow the ball stuck!' -Stopout player, 2008
A Tribute to Ben B - who would have guessed such a crap defender could become such a great keeper. I'm sure Jamie prolonged his injury just for fear of Ben been picked instead of him. For every 'Come the F**k out' Ben call, there were multiple amazing and at times gravity defying saves.
So many memories - Running half a field to punch Justice and get our first red card, busting an eyebrow open and coming back all taped up to ref. But lets hear the great one speak, from an earlier profile question: As a player I am susceptible to ...
• Strikers
• Midfielders
• Backs
• Referees
• Being nutsed
• Being beaten generally
• Slipping over when trying to pick the ball up and conceding a goal
• Justice
• Injustice
• Rain
• Kryptonite
• I could go on.

And Ben, you often do. Good luck with the move to Melbourne, hope you get a game or 2 before you leave. You too will be missed.

Shit finemaster though ...

Comings & Goings 2: Gus

Damn, it feels like only a few weeks back when I announced how we had managed to steal Gus from the Raiders. And then basked in the glory of my old school mate scoring with his first touch and getting a hat-trick on debut. No Stallion has made such an immediate impression on the team (Dan Vincent would put up an argument, but no way ...). Pushed Tristin for Golden boot in his first season, but then a bit of a disappointing last season due to ongoing injuries - including THAT decision to beat the Stokes Valley striker when playing left back. But still so many golden moments - a brilliant multiple cutback/beating Karori players followed by a blistering shot to top left in the last game of the season, getting pushed over by the insane Marist keeper, tackling Joe, etc etc. Damn, he will be missed. Even in a pretty average last season Gus was the one striker always pulling back to help out/play as another midfielder - lets see Rauru and Tristin pick that role up instead of standing around albatrossing or calling for balls to feet.

Sadly from a Stallions point of view Gus has yielded to the demands of adult life with a new full time job and baby Hux, which leaves less time for football, and less disposable income for fines. here's hoping for a few cameo appearances from the bench (hopefully against the Raiders!)

Good luck Logan, keep doing that physio - you are sure to be called on.

The last post mentioned how Ben H is retiring as 2009 Pony of the season, I guess since Gus was runner up in a closely fought battle last season and inherits the title, that makes him the second Stallion to leave a pony. The more I think about it, Jules may have started this tradition ...

Comings & Goings 1 - Ben H

This season we say goodbye to a few Stallions. Oddly they are 'personalities' of the team, who feature often in the blog (normally in the 'lets take the piss' kind of way). So in tribute of our fallen homies, lets start by taking out the trash.

Ben H - In many ways the heart and forehead of the Stallions. A fixture in the centre of the midfield for seasons, known for his never give up attitude, crap knock in goals, tripping over his own feet, cries of anguish, and, most importantly, bringing along Steve so the rest of us don't have to ref.

What can be said about Ben that has not been said here before; but here are a few highlights from the past:
Hodges Appreciation week, 2009
My Favourite Hodges Moment, 2008
Player Profile 2008
A Little Man, A Big Goal, 2009

For those of you who don't know, Ben is following the path of many over the hill, once great players by leaving the big leagues and retiring to play for a sea-side team. I'm sure the Raumati team will umm value you as much as we will Ben, good luck to you. All jokes and hassles aside, you will be missed big time. In classic Ben style, he is the first Stallion to retire holding the 'pony of the season' award (and hell yeah, you better return her to us!)

I'm sure you won't be lost to the team, so perhaps you should become a foreign correspondent type and give us weekly roundups of your adventures for another (clearly much worse) team. Keep in touch.