SOCCER WHILE Langwarrin was unveiling The Gus Macleod Stand at Lawton Park on Saturday Peninsula Strikers were securing their State 2 South-East status. Macleod has held the reins at Langy for 20 years and in his final home match watched his side come from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw against already relegated Nunawading City. Big reputations and a big budget have not saved the visitors who featured former A-League stars Ben Khalfallah and Massimo Murdocca, the former playing as sweeper while Murdocca took up a central midfield role. After a goalless first half the deadlock was broken in the…
Author: Craig MacKenzie
SOCCER LANGWARRIN stunned Victorian soccer circles last week when it named former Socceroos assistant Scott Miller as its new head coach for the 2019 NPL2 season. The video announcement on social media attracted more than 8000 views and the Herald-Sun reported the appointment online. The former Fulham assistant and Newcastle Jets head coach returned from Denmark last year where he worked as an assistant coach at Aalborg BK. Miller, 36, is one of the highest credentialled coaches in Australian soccer and is contracted to Fox Sports as a football analyst. He holds an AFC Pro Diploma and a UEFA A…
SOCCER JUST before 5pm on Saturday 8 September Gus Macleod will walk off the pitch for the last time as head coach of Langwarrin. That moment will mark the end of a journey that started in pre-season training for the 1999 season and took 20 years to complete. In all Macleod will have been at the helm for 447 league games, a feat that seems destined to stand the test of time. He’s won multiple promotions and league championships with Langwarrin, Dockerty Cups with Fawkner and Green Gully and a State League Cup and Division One title with Springvale City.…
SOCCER PENINSULA Strikers and Baxter defied the odds last weekend to claim vital points as they ramp up their battle to avoid relegation. Strikers caused a minor upset by holding champion elect Doveton to a thrilling 2-2 draw in their State 2 South-East clash at Centenary Park while Mark Pagliarulo made his comeback for Baxter in its 2-0 away win over State 4 South rival Harrisfield Hurricanes. Strikers stunned the visitors in the 8th minute. Nathan Smith got free on the left and his shot was parried by Doveton keeper Stuart Webster only to fall to John Prescott but his…
SOCCER GUS Macleod has come through the toughest test of his coaching career by steering Langwarrin to NPL2 safety. The veteran gaffer is in his 20th season at Lawton Park and has enjoyed league titles and multiple promotions highlighted by the 2017 State 1 South-East title which was Langy’s ticket to the NPL. “I’ve felt the weight of the club’s expectations on my shoulders and it would have been a disaster for us if we’d have been relegated in our first season in the NPL,” Macleod said. “This has been the hardest season of my coaching career and I’ll sit…