George Tsamouras Football Journey

Despite their hard work and excellent submission, Newcastle Olympic FC, has been cheated out of half a million dollars of Federal funding in the Morrison Government’s ‘sports rorts’ scandal.

Despite an independent assessment giving it a higher score than other projects that did secure funding, the local soccer club were denied funding that would have gone towards important upgraded facilities.

Thanks to Con Gounis, Secretary of Newcastle Olympic FC for meeting with me today and talking about the Morrison Government’s shameful mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.

source: https://www.facebook.com/SharonClaydonforNewcastle/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

Newcastle has missed out on funding for sporting upgrades in Hamilton South in two scandal-ridden Morrison Government programs – this is despite the fact the project was deemed worthy of funding by an independent assessment.

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said Newcastle Olympic Football Club applied unsuccessfully for Federal funding under the Community Soprt Infrastructure program of “sports rorts” infamy.

“The proposed project would take the Darling Street oval to the next level with a brand-new grandstand and refreshed facilities,” Ms Claydon said. 

“Once completed, the facilities would offer year-round use across the community and bring the ageing facilities up to spec for National Premiere League and FFA Cup competitions. 

“The Club requested $500,000 in Federal funding to supplement a $500,000 commitment from the City of Newcastle and $200,000 from the Club’s own fundraising efforts.”

Ms Claydon said that despite having strong community support, the Newcastle Olympic Football Club application was bypassed for less worthy projects.

“Newcastle Olympic Football Club has since learnt from the ABC that the Darling Street project scored highly with a rating of 76% in the independent analysis undertaken by Sports Australia. This is comfortably more than the 74% that would have been required to secure funding if the grants been decided on merit,” Ms Claydon said.

“The Morrison Government shamelessly used this publicly funded grants program as its own personal election slush fund, ignoring independent advice and awarding grants to Coalition-targeted seats rather than projects based on merit.”

The Club also applied unsuccessfully for a Federal Government grant under the Building Better Regions Fund, despite Ms Claydon writing a personal endorsement of the project to the Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack.

“Regretfully, it seems this program was also an exercise in blatant pork barrelling. Indeed , we recently learnt that a staggering 94% of Building Better regions funding was funnelled to Coalition-held or Coalition-targeted seats,” Ms Claydon said.

“This is a government that repeatedly thumbs its nose at due process, fairness and integrity.”

Ms Claydon said the Morrison Government’s mismanagement of multiple grants programs was deeply disrespectful to hard-working community organisations.

“We already know that close to half the projects that were approved under this appalling sports rorts program weren’t even eligible, while deserving projects like the Darling Street redevelopment didn’t get a cent,” Ms Claydon said.

“This is a shameful betrayal of trust of the thousands of people in community sporting organisations across the country that toiled for days – if not weeks or months – filling out these grant applications in good faith.”

Ms Claydon said she had written to the Prime Minister to request that the Government deliver the Darling Street project funding in line with its obvious merit. 

“I’ve called on the Prime Minister to review the dodgy decisions of his Government and deliver this deserved funding to the Newcastle Olympic Football Club.” 

source: Sharon Claydon MP Federal Member for Newcastle

Lucas Walshe from Newcastle Olympic’s u14s NPL Youth team and Lachlan Griffiths from the u16s team recently received offers to join the Newcastle Jets. This is in addition to earlier offers to Cody Hopton (u14s) and Aswin Gurung(u15s). This brings the total number of players from Olympic to four for the 2020 season, a testimony to the quality in the Newcastle Olympic NPL Youth ranks.

Newcastle Olympic wishes to congratulate the boys and wish them every success in their future.

source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic welcomes Valentine Phoenix this Saturday, 22^nd February at Darling St Oval in a pre-season trial game at 4.00pm.

Saturday 22^nd February 2020:

Newcastle Olympic vs Valentine

U9s SAP kick off at 1.30pm

U10s SAP kick off at 2.30pm

U11s SAP kick off at 3.30pm

U18s NPL kick off at 1.00pm

Reserve Grade NPL kick off at 2.30pm

1^st Grade kick off at 4.00pm

Sunday 23^rd February 2020:

Newcastle Olympic vs Valentine

U12s NET kick off 1.30pm

U13s NPL kick off 3.00pm

U14s NPL kick off 4.30pm

U15s NPL kick off 6.00pm

U16s NPL kick off 7.30pm

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Giles Harrison, Ethan Lewis, Lorcan McCallum, Charlie Stevenson & Seth Anderson

NNSWF have announced their U14 Squad to travel to Japan in early May to participate in the 2020 Tokyo U 14 International Youth Football Tournament.

Congratulations to 5 boys from our Newcastle Olympic Under 14 Youth NPL team that have been selected to take part in the tournament. We wish the boys all the best in the tournament.

1. Ethan Lewis (keeper)
2. Lorcan McCallum
3. Giles Harrison
4. Seth Anderson
5. Charlie Stevenson

source: Tom Tsamouras

It’s an Olympic year and the boys from Darling Street are gearing up for what is expected to be another big season of Northern NPL football.

2019 was not the greatest for Olympic, finishing 4 wins out of the playof

Rhys Cooper

fs in 7th. But the Hamilton based club is determined to turn their fortunes around in 2020 with some monumental changes taking place in the off-season.

The biggest change in recent history took place at the end of the 2019 season with the club reverting back to its original name “Newcastle Olympic”. The blue and whites have been known as Hamilton since 1992 and any change was going to be tough for some, but as the clubs Vice President Jim Pappas explains, it’s about moving with the times. “We’ve been known as Hamilton for a while, so it’s gonna be a bit of a change for some people who have just known us as Hamilton since being in the first division, but with it being a national game now, with the national finals series, NPL and FFA Cup we thought it’s time to go back to our original name of Newcastle Olympic, so people really know where we are from” Pappas said.

Another a major change for 2020 will be the introduction of a Women’s Premier League team. Newcastle Olympic has taken over the license from Wallsend FC with many of the players from last year’s squad coming across to wear the blue of Olympic. The club has been busy in the player market with the signing Jenna Kingsley from the Newcastle Jets and Gemma House, who spent four seasons in the American College system. Olympic also have a couple more signings to come for the women’s team, so watch this space.

For the NPL side it’s about improving on last season and pushing for a top 4 finish. Coach Peter McGuinness has added some strength and experience to his roster with former Olympic players Dino Fajkovic and Blake Green returning plus the inclusion Scottish import Anthony Marenghi in the midfield and Kane Runge from Dandenong Thunder.

Newcastle Olympic NPL side will kick off their 2020 campaign away to Charlestown Azzurri at Lisle Carr Oval, Saturday March 21, 2:30pm Kick off. Whilst the Women’s team will get underway a fortnight earlier when they take on Mid North Coast at Taree on Sunday March 8, 3pm.

Just a reminder you can watch every Northern NPL game in 2020 along with a Women’s Premier League match of the round most weeks right here at Bar TV Sports.

Source: http://www.bartvsports.com.au

Newcastle Olympic WPL First Grade

Newcastle Olympic girls took on West Wallsend at Johnson Park today and were narrowly defeated by 2-1.

RESULTS:

14s West Wallsend NL1 v 14s Newcastle Olympic FC WPL  8-0

15s West Wallsend NL1 v 17s  Newcastle Olympic FC WPL  7-1

16s West Wallsend NL1 v Reserves Newcastle Olympic FC WPL  8-0

1^st Grade West Wallsend NL1 v Newcastle Olympic FC WPL 2-1

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic NPL Youth teams enjoyed a great hit out against Cooks Hill this afternoon. Playing an age group up, these trial games were of great benefit to Olympic as well as Cooks Hill players.

Results:

11.30am   Olympic u12s vs Cooks Hill u13s  3-0

12.45pm   Olympic u13s vs Cooks Hill u14s  2-0

2.00pm   Olympic u14s vs Cooks Hill u15s    3-1

3.15pm   Olympic u15s vs Cooks Hill u16s    2-0

4.45pm   Olympic u16s vs Cooks Hill u18s    5-0

source: Tom Tsamouras

KEY RECRUIT: Former Emerging Jet Jemma House will play for Newcastle Olympic in Herald Women’s Premier League. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

There is no denying the acquisition of Jets striker Jenna Kingsley will prove pivotal to Newcastle Olympic’s championship aspirations but the signing of a lesser-known player has coach Harmonie Attwill equally excited.

In her first Herald Women’s Premier League coaching role Attwill has assembled a crack squad and on paper Olympic are looking the team to beat.

The Northern NSW National Premier League club have taken over Wallsend’s WPL licence and the bulk of the Red Devils squad have made the move.

While Jets midfielder Libby Copus-Brown is a notable loss, they have picked up strike weapon Kingsley from Warners Bay and retained former W-League players Olivia Kennedy and Alesha Clifford.

The trio share a wealth of experience and will be key to any success. But the addition of former Emerging Jet Jemma House bolsters Olympic further.

House has been playing in the United States college system for the past four years and was last seen in WPL in an impressive eight-match cameo for Warners Bay in 2016. The striker is expected to combine with Kennedy and Kingsley for a lethal Olympic attack.

The Pelaw Main 23-year-old returned to Australia in December and turned up at Olympic’s WPL trials.

“She’s a great pick up for us,” Attwill said. “Her knowledge and her touch … she could play W-League. She’s really solid on the ball, has really good vision and her touch is impeccable. I’m really excited to see her play.”

House played two seasons with Laramie County Community College before joining University of Wyoming then Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She played NCAA Division 1 and 2 and is keen to see how her time there translates in the WPL.

“I’m excited to see how the competition is from 2016 until now and to see how it’s developed,” House said.

“We haven’t had a game yet but I think we’re looking really good and the season is going to be really fun with the group of girls that we have and it’s exciting to see how we’ll go.”

W-League is a goal for House. Jets striker Lauren Allan chose a similar pathway, playing US college football before returning to have a break-out season with New Lambton that earned her a W-League contract.

“I was in a place in my soccer career where I wanted something different, so I went for it and it came at the right time for me,” she said.

“It was good. I am looking at potentially taking that next step, but I’ve been out of the Australian soccer program for a little while, so I’m just going to play to my best potential then see where that takes me.”

Olympic have also picked up midfielders Tulia Palozzi and Imogen Tusek and fullback Emily Frost. Palozzi and Frost return to WPL after a few seasons off and Tusek was part of Merewether’s then New Lambton’s championship-winning squad in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The WPL has lost several big-name players this season with Jets Tara Andrews, Cassidy Davis, Allan and Copus-Brown all heading to NSW NPL Women’s.

The WPL is scheduled to start on March 6 with Broadmeadow, who have signed former leading scorer and W-League player Adriana Jones, hosting Warners Bay. The game may however now be rescheduled after news the Matildas will play Vietnam in an Olympic qualifier at McDonald Jones Stadium that night.

Olympic open their 2020 campaign in Taree against Mid North Coast on March 8.

“Our goal is to absolutely make finals,” Atwill said. “That would be a major disappointment if we didn’t make that … with the quality we have in the squad there’s no reason why we shouldn’t. Anything beyond that would be a bonus.

“For us, there’s a lot of quality on the park and there’s a lot of experience but we need to make sure as a squad that we really put that into action. We can all the names on a piece of paper but at the end of the day if we can’t play as a team and put forward the things that we’re doing at training and play how we want to play then we’re just a team of individuals.”

Source: https://www.newcastleherald.com.au

Newcastle Olympic girls take on West Wallsend at Johnson Park, West Wallsend on Sunday 16th February 2020.

11:00am – 14s West Wallsend NL1 v 14s Newcastle Olympic FC WPL

12:30pm – 15s West Wallsend NL1 v 17s  Newcastle Olympic FC WPL

2:00pm – 16s West Wallsend NL1 v Reserves/1sts  Newcastle Olympic FC WPL

Source: Tom Tsamouras