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Every month
June 1st, 2017
- Salvo's Tips
- Thunder Talk
- Thunder Spotlight
- Where's Thunder?
- Thunder Successes
- Thunder & You
In this Issue
- Are We Training?
- Uniform Utopia
- Important Memo from Football Qld
- What's Happening at Clive?
- Skill Training Coaching Course
- SWQ Football Academy
- From Football Qld
- Consultative Committee
- Thunder NPL Licensing News
Our Team Sponsors
Salvo's Tips
SWQ THUNDER FC TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Salvo brought the lovely Bianca to the Thunder Men's game and she got a warm welcome! Even being invited into the team line up and then watching the game from the stands at Clive Berghofer Stadium.
Salvo's Tips will be back next month with football related information! but we couldn't resist sharing the pictures of Bianca enjoying the football with you all.
Are we training?
School Holidays are again approaching, this of course means there may be some changes to the normal training regime for your team. Keep an eye on your emails for notifications and keep in touch with your team manager. Also remember to make sure your team manager is aware if you are not able to attend training during this time. Written notification is always best! Either in text or email - whatever is the preferred communication of your team. Happy Holidays Thunder.
Uniform Utopia
Looking Good Thunder?
A quick recap of the dress requirements for Thunder players so as a club we maintain a consistently high standard in our uniform. Players are to arrive AND leave from games in full travel uniform. Shoes are to be fully enclosed sportswear WITH socks! Headwear is only to be a SWQ Thunder FC hat or cap (a 'man-bun' is acceptable - just!) Don't have a hat and need one? speak to your team manager to arrange your purchase. At training - full training uniform, shin pads, socks and football boots. A drink bottle is not optional - it is a MUST! With the cold weather really starting to bite don't forget to wear your training and travelling jumpers.
IMPORTANT MEMO FROM FOOTBALL QLD
Immediate Send off (Red Card) for offensive/foul language regardless of context or provocation. The use of the word "Cheat" and the "Other 'C' Word" (if you require clarification please speak to an appropriate adult, e.g. Parent) will not be tolerated by Game officials either on the field by players or on the sidelines by coaches, assistants, subs etc. The penalty for the use of the aforementioned language will result in the immediate send off of the guilty party, no ifs, ands or buts.
As a club we are in wholehearted agreement with the Football Queensland ruling and ask all of our members to abide with the guidelines as stated.
What's happening at Clive?
I'm sure everyone has noticed that Clive Berghofer Stadium is undergoing a facelift. So far this season a superb new pitch has been laid (although we have managed to wear it in just a bit!), new seating has been added, fresh pathways have been built and there are current works on the dressing sheds and rooms underneath the stadium.
So what does this mean for Thunder as a club? Well, so far it means lots of headaches! BUT, the end result for our teams and visiting teams will be a top notch football facility.
In the meantime, while renovations are taking place, there will be disruptions to home games, reduced dressing shed usage etc. All of these 'problems' are out of Thunder's control and as a club we will need to roll with the punches and make the best of sometimes trying circumstances. Rest assured we are working with the Stadium to gain the best possible outcome for Thunder and to allow continued progress with the renovations.
In talks with the Stadium, they and Thunder are confident that while this season will suffer from the disruption of ongoing works, next season will be full steam ahead with Clive Berghofer Stadium completely renovated and looking good.
SKILL TRAINING COACHING COURSE
SWQ Thunder FC is offering an exciting opportunity for senior Thunder players to attend a Skill Training Coaching Course.
This coaching course is exclusively for Senior Thunder players who are interested in becoming NPL coaches in the future - participants will then be eligible to be selected in the next C Youth Licence Course held in Toowoomba.
SWQ THUNDER FC is looking forward to the 2018 season to identify and develop coaches, as we do with our junior players. We would like to see many Senior Thunder players participating in our Coaches Development project for the positive development and future of our club.
Please register your "Expression of Interest" by clicking the link and submitting the form. (Once participant numbers are known further information on dates, times and venues will be released)
- How relaxed are two of the greatest footballers in the world, Lionel Messi & Luis Suarez (photo above) while watching their young sons play football. What a great attitude from both men; an attitude we as SWQ Thunder parents & spectators should all strive to emulate. #leavethecoachingtothecoach
- It's not a typo! SWQ Thunder Junior Boys will be playing at Kingaroy on June 25 as part of a Community Promotion Initiative to bring the beautiful game to the regional area! Peanuts Anyone?
- Darling Downs Schools Representative Football is scheduled during May - July. With many Thunder players selected in the teams and attending the carnivals, some NPL Games will be rescheduled. Keep up to date with your draw for changes. Good luck to all of our Thunder players who are participating.
- Did you know that Francesco Zanoncelli (Thunder Men's Coach) has a player card that you can buy online from his time at A.C. Milan! Rumour has it that a Thunder fan recently purchased his own copy.
- A combined U13/14 NPL Boys team will travel to Mackay to take part in a QLD Country selection carnival. Best of luck to all participants.
- A SWQ Thunder fan who lives across the pond in England recently watched the Thunder Men's match on the Football Qld Live Stream and sent a message of admiration for their game play and grit. We have great club fans not only here in the Toowoomba region but seemingly all across the world! I ❤ Thunder! (do you think we should get a sticker made?)
- A handful of U18 boys players stepped up and made the transition to the U20's team who had many players out due to injury. All U18's made a great showing in the match and Thunder loved to see the club commitment from the boys. Great Job U18's!
- SWQ Thunder FC players have been scoring HATTRICKS - Well Done to Luke Broderick (U13 Boys) and Louise Rolfe (Women)
- Several Thunder Goalies have kept CLEAN SHEETS during the past month! Great hands by Jon Crowe (U15 Boys vs Redlands United & vs Sunshine Coast), Claire Jocumsen (U13 Girls vs Eastern Suburbs) C. Gotz (U15 Girls vs Peninsula Power), Elizabeth Hollitt (Women vs Brisbane Olympic) and Luke MacDonald (Men vs Brisbane City).
- Thunder Express welcomes Blair Ferguson to the SWQ Thunder Men's team. Blair comes to us from the Brisbane region and we applaud his commitment.
- A Thunder Men's player is rumoured to have been playing some Rugby League on the weekends! Let's hope he doesn't accidentally 'tackle' someone during a Thunder match.
- SWQ Thunder U12 Boys were invited to join the Senior Men in the dressing sheds and pre game warm up before the match vs Brisbane City held at Clive Berghofer Stadium. The U12 boys also acted as ball boys for the match on the night.
SWQ Thunder Holiday Clinics are accepting Registrations for the June/July & September/October School Holidays. Click the link below to register.
Swq football academy
SWQ Football Academy is accepting registrations for Block 2 which runs from June 12th for 10 weeks with 2 sessions per week. Academy training days are Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. A new development for this block is the introduction of Carnivals vs Brisbane Academy's on the weekend. A great opportunity to train and play for the players. The SWQ Football Academy is for ages 7 years to 17 years for players and goalkeepers. Share the link below to any interested footballers or find the link and further information on the SWQ Thunder FC Facebook page. Please click the link below to register.
FROM FOOTBALL QLD
Referee changes
Football Queensland has implemented the removal of fourth officials in the PS4 NPL competition commencing from May 15th, 2017. A review of the 4th official procedure will be undertaken at the end of the PS4 NPL 2017 season. Upon review a decision will be made for the 2018 season regarding referee requirements at all matches. For more detailed information click the link below to read the media release from Football Queensland.
Thunder Spotlight
We put the Spotlight on one of our Thunder family whether they be a coach, player, team, volunteer, manager, sponsor, board member or Thunder fan.
Francesco Zanoncelli
Introducing Francesco Zanoncelli, our SWQ Thunder Senior Men's Coach. Francesco has recently moved to Toowoomba from Sydney and as a professional and internationally capped footballer was immediately recruited to the Thunder club. Francesco also coaches the SWQ Thunder U14 Boys team. Not only does Francesco share his knowledge and passion for football with the Thunder club but he has also initiated the SWQ Football Academy to allow players, not yet eligible by age or yet to achieve selection to the Thunder system, the opportunity to advance and hone their skill under his direction.
Francesco Zanoncelli was born in Milan, Italy and forged an incredibly successful football career in a country where football is life. Career highlights include playing in the Serie A for A.C. Milan (1986-1987), Atalanta B.C. (1989) and Cagliari Calcio ( (1997-1999). In total Francesco played in the prestigious Serie A for 4 seasons and played 61 games as a defender - his preferred position on the field. Francesco was also selected in the Italy U21 National team through 1986 - 1990 where he made 23 appearances for his country and scored 2 goals. An incredible career for any player and one that all of our young footballers dream of achieving.
In researching Francesco's impressive career, I came across an autobiographical/biographical book by Fabio Capello (former Serie A player and A.C. Milan Coach & England National Coach, to name a few). Capello shared an anecdote where as incoming coach to an underperforming A.C. Milan he asked players to share their thoughts on what had gone wrong within the club and how things could improve. Francesco as part of the A. C. Milan team was in the meeting. His teammate Filippo Galli recalls "All of a sudden, [Francesco] Zanoncelli gets up and says, "I think I should get more playing time"
"All of a sudden, [Francesco] Zanoncelli gets up and says, "I think I should get more playing time"
Francesco was nineteen years old at the time but his confidence struck a chord with coach Fabio Capello and he was put straight into the starting eleven in the very next game for A.C. Milan. Confidence will take you far and all of our young footballers should take note of Francesco's self belief and the opportunity it afforded him at that particular moment in time.
"When they turned the lights back on we'd pick up Zanoncelli's lifeless body and head upstairs to bed."
I also learned that Francesco is highly susceptible to hypnosis/relaxation techniques - an interesting facet of the A.C. Milan training regime that was used heavily during this time. Carlo Ancelotti, A.C. Milan teammate recalls: "Zanoncelli was usually the first member of the team to fall asleep, he didn't just fall asleep, he fainted. We could of stuck a fork in him, he was so cooked. By the end of the relaxation session half the team was sleeping. When they turned the lights back on we'd pick up Zanoncelli's lifeless body and head upstairs to bed."
When reading about Francesco's career it is startling to realise the link between him and what could be referred to as football royalty. Francesco played for stellar football institutions like A.C. Milan, Brescia, Atalanta B.C. and Cagliari; he played with great footballers such as Franco Baresi, Filippo Galli and Paolo Maldini. Francesco has led an extraordinary life in football and now Thunder has the opportunity to learn from a coach with all the experience and knowledge of top tier sport right on our doorstep.
Where's Thunder
Wrap up of the NPL Competition Ladder and where the Thunder teams are on the ladder (current at time of publishing)
PS4 NPL Swq thunder fc
- U12 Boys - 9th - out of 9 teams.
- U13 Boys - 2nd - out of 9 teams.
- U14 Boys - 8th - out of 9 teams.
- U15 Boys - 3rd - out of 9 teams.
- U16 Boys - 9th - out of 9 teams.
- U18 Boys - 6th - out of 10 teams.
- U20 Boys - 9th - out of 10 Teams
- Senior Men - 11th - out of 12 Teams
* Several teams have games in hand.
PS4 WNPL swq thunder fc
- U13 Girls - 9th - out of 10 teams.
- U15 Girls - 8th - out of 11 teams.
- U17 Girls - 9th - out of 9 teams.
- Senior Women - 6th - out of 9 teams.
* Several teams have games in hand.
Consultative committee
Thunder has implemented a Consultative Committe to better facilitate communication from the Thunder Board down to the individual Thunder teams. The Consultative Committe is made up of one parent/player (who volunteered or was "nominated" for the position!) from every Thunder team. The committe meets bi-monthly with representatives from the Thunder Board of Directors. Information regarding Football Qld mandates and rules, Thunder requirements of teams and any other relevant topics are tabled for discussion.
It is then the expectation that each parent on the committe reports back to their team coach, manager and parents any and all information that affects their players, parents and coaches. A big THANK YOU! to the parents/players that are on the newly formed committee. Many hands really do make light work!
Consultative Committe Members: Tom Fanning (Snr Men/U20), Ben Barrowclift (Snr Men), Jordie Franke (Snr Women), Bruce Smith (U18/U14 Boys), Sam Peek (U16 Girls), Samantha Richardson (U16 Boys), Chris McLeod (U15 Boys), Daryl Weatherstone (U15 Girls), Ben Foley (U14 Boys), Wayne Broderick & Kyle Liesch (U13 Boys), Mark Nielsen (U13 Girls), Lee-Anne Parish (U12 Boys).
Board Members: Jon Haynes (Chairman), Wade Eiser, Sue Lister, Mandy Adams, Salvatore Sottile (Technical Director).
Thunder Successes
"In order to SUCCEED we must first BELIEVE that we can."
U13 Boys SWQ Thunder FC
- Vs Brisbane Olympic 3-1 Win
- Vs Redlands United 6-2 Win
- Vs Western Pride 5-3 Win
- Vs Sunshine Coast 5-2 Win
U15 Girls Swq thunder fc
- Vs Peninsula Power 4-0 Win
U15 Boys SWQ Thunder fc
- Vs Brisbane Olympic 2-1 Win
- Vs Redlands United 3-0 Win
- Vs Sunshine Coast 6-0 Win
U18 Boys SWQ Thunder FC
- Vs Moreton Bay 3-2 Win
- Vs Brisbane Olympic 3-1 Win
- Vs Western Pride 2-1 Win
U20 Youth SWQ THUNDER FC
- Vs Western Pride 3-2 Win
Women swq thunder fc
- Vs Western Pride 3-2 Win
- Vs Brisbane Olympic 3-0 Win
MEN SWQ THUNDER FC
- Vs Western Pride 2-1 Win
- Vs Brisbane City 1-0 Win
Thunder NPL License
SWQ Thunder Football Club is pleased to announce that we have been granted a 2018 PS4 National Premier Leagues License.Applications to apply for the license began in March 2017 and the SWQ Thunder Board of Directors had their work cut out for them meeting all of the requirements and submitting relevant paperwork - of which there was a lot! With only 14 NPL Licenses available, clubs applying for a spot began the nervous wait for the announcement.On Monday May 29th it was confirmed that SWQ Thunder FC was successful in its bid to gain a coveted PS4 NPL License.
Thunder Express would like to congratulate our Board of Directors who have worked tirelessly to ensure that SWQ Thunder FC has always met NPL requirements and complied with all Football Qld regulations. Undoubtedly, our reputation with Football Qld as a professionally run club is the direct result of our talented and hardworking Board of Directors.
Football Qld is in the process of restructuring the NPL competition into a two tier system(NPL & FQPL) for the 2018 season with relegation and promotion between the two levels. NPL will remain as the first or top tier of the competition and the newly introduced FQPL will become the 2nd tier. Keep an eye out in future Thunder Express editions where we will endeavour to explain more about the structure of the new system in 2018.
Thunder & You
How can you feel ownership/belonging in the club? We recognise that as such a big club with a diverse range of teams and playing conditions (are we ever at the same place en masse!), it's sometimes hard to feel a sense of the Thunder Football Family, and that saddens us! How can you help to create this? Be involved! Volunteer, help your team manager, support from the sidelines. Stay and watch the age group above or below your team. Come and support the Junior portion of the club if you are Senior members, or the Senior teams if you are Junior members. Introduce yourself to the Board members (typically seen at home games running around!) We want each and every one of you to feel a part of our SWQ THUNDER FOOTBALL FAMILY.
Thunder Express needs YOU! We are looking for MORE club member engagement - (players, parents, grandparents, managers, coaches, supporters and fans) . Share your Football stories for the Thunder Talk section. Send in ideas for what you want to read about. Like, Comment and Share our newsletter. Leave some feedback (positive is preferable! But we will listen to everything you have to say). We can be contacted by sending a message to the SWQ Thunder FC Facebook page.
Did you know that YOU are part of one of the youngest PS4 NPL QLD Clubs? SWQ Thunder FC fought tooth and nail to be the first regional Toowoomba club to be admitted into a NPL competition. Why did we do it - to give our promising football players a pathway into the elite Brisbane competition. And all of YOU - parents, players, coaches and supporters made it happen - Great Job Thunder!
Credits:
DSL Photography