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FROM THUNDER

Farewell 2018…..

As we farewell the 2018 season I would like to thank all those that contributed to the success of this this club over the season, and we have had a very successful season, let’s take a moment and reflect….

Our inaugural SAP season kicked off this year and our youngest club players were true champions. While the season was long and the travel difficult at times, our SAP players were true stars taking it all in their stride and showing vast improvement in game play over the season. Thank you to our SAP coordinator Mr Chris McLeod, Coaches, Managers, Parents (you have earned your break for sure!) and Players - we look forward to seeing you all at upcoming trials. Please read on for trial dates, please follow our Facebook page and look to future newsletters for any changes to the SAP structure for next season - it is currently under review.

While I don’t want to spend time recounting every individual or team success over the season as we have had plenty – special mention must go to the U13 Girls and U17 Girls for their great results this season finishing 6th of 13 and our U18 Boys who made it to semi-finals football to verse City and have the game locked up at 2-2 full time going down 3-2 in extra time. City only lost 2 games all season and both were to Thunder.

CONGRATULATIONS SENIOR MEN! 7th position and a long way from relegation – We have come a long way Thunder, while the difficult winless periods of seasons past fade we look forward to a bright and successful future. Thunder would like to extend a heartfelt thankyou to our head coach Francesco Zanoncelli for his effort throughout the season and we recognise his contribution to the teams success. We wish you all the best for the 2019 season.

Keep an eye on the Facebook page to be updated as our senior players sign on for the 2019 season.

After a long and drawn out wait we finally secured a facility to accommodate our WNPL allowing them all to train in one location, thanks again to all for your patience. Speaking about facilities I have had it said to me a number of times that its hard to have a club culture when you don’t have a home and while I recognise the truth in that statement, I don’t think I accept it – We do have a culture – Our media representation is better than it has ever been attracting new and exciting sponsors, our newsletter is viewed over 1000 times, our club is run by volunteers, its easy to do a job when you’re paid but giving up countless hours of personal time shows real passion and commitment, our players love their team mates and their uniform, our parents pitch in and help on game days and stick with their players over a very long season and we are always working toward building positive relationships with our community clubs – WE HAVE A CLUB CULTURE AND ONE DAY WE WILL HAVE A HOME as opportunities for training and game days open up for next season.

Thankyou, thankyou and thanks again to every player parent and coach, you have all contributed to a fantastic 2018 season.

Hello 2019…..

It seems ridiculous to talk about the season next year already, but like Christmas, it will be here before we know it. Please keep up to date with all Thunder and football news by checking the Thunder Facebook page. We will try to keep you up to date with news and changes for the upcoming season as we are given them by Football QLD, some things are not ours to decide and we wait, like you, to be informed of changes and outcomes.

Trial dates and times are listed below but they are subject to change, even though the application for ground usage was submitted weeks ago we have not yet received confirmation of our bookings. Without changes this is what the trial process will look like – a selection panel of Coaches/ Thunder officials will assess each trialling age group and an email with all relevant information will be sent out closer to trial dates.

The link to register your intention to Trial for SWQ Thunder FC is below: (and emails with further information will be sent closer to the trial dates)

Junior Boys and SAP

• Captain Cook Field 4:30pm – 8:00pm
• Monday 15/10, 22/10, 29/10
• Thursday 18/10, 25/10, 1/11

Girls – All Ages

• Captain Cook Field 5:30pm – 8:00pm
• Wednesday 17/10, 24/10, 31/10
• Friday 19/10, 26/10, 2/11

U18/U20/Senior Men

• O’Quin St Oval 5:30pm – 8:30pm
• Monday 5/11, 12/11, 19/11, 26/11

We do not anticipate a rise in fees - they will remain at $2310 -keeping us less than the NPL/QPL average.

Once again keep checking the Facebook page for updates on trials, pre season training and 2019 season information. Look forward to seeing you all again soon.

A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR

My thanks to those Thunder players and parents who ‘heard the call’ last week and turned out on Saturday at the Stadium at short notice for our presentation to the China CCTV group.

This presentation was a result of an invitation by Tourism Darling Downs to address a Director of CCTV and film crew while they were here filming for a ‘pilot’ series on Tourism in our region, which will be shown to CCTV’s one billion viewers. Part of this presentation was referencing Australia’s mad passion for all Sports and highlighting Football, which has consistently been one of the fastest growing sports in Australia during the past few years. To see the Thunder family so happy to perform for the camera’s and come out in the heat of the Carnival Parade Day, is an example of how well the Club is supported.

The CCTV visitors were touring our region taking footage of the Home Stays in Goondiwindi, local Heritage Theme attractions & the Spring Bluff railway, and including the local Schools, Carnival of Flowers Mayoral Tea Party, and of course our local Thunder FC Club with a view to sporting tourism potential.

In an exciting development for Thunder we can announce today that we are one of only five programmes that they want to pursue with further discussions – so …. Yet another exciting part of our plans for 2019 unfolds !! Thanks team.

As our season has drawn to a close we now farewell a number of coaches & players that have been part of our lives for this year or longer. This is a normal part of the process as individuals look to further their careers or take a break and focus on studies, families or careers. So again, we thank you for your contributions and wish you the very best. For those positions left vacant we have been taking applications and hope to share with you some of these results during the next month.

We are now seeking sponsors for our 2019 year – the Club is not-for-profit and relies heavily upon our Sponsors to function & make improvements, so in turn we rely heavily on your support. Please contact me directly (rahomes@bigpond.com) if you can introduce us to a potential sponsor or if you can even just give us a lead.

Yours in football,

Mandy Adams

Thunder & You

Thunder Express will be taking a break until the Football Queensland 2019 NPL Season, in the meantime keep an eye on our Thunder FB page and your emails for club information.

If you need to contact SWQ Thunder during the off season please go through our FB page by private message or via email to swqthunderfc@gmail.com