2008/2009 Season Starts Here

Redbacks FC had been actively discussing on whether we should be joining the local league. Appreciates the thought and openness which enable RBFC to carve out a policy or outline the requirement as a team to join the league.

Manager and Capt had decided base on the feedbacks and majority, Redbacks FC are in favour of joining the league organise by Dare to Dream. We understood that there’s key issues that need to be address before the we fully commit as a team to the organiser as support from every players are crucial.

Key Issues -1. League fees and funds 2. Playing time 3. Goalkeeper. 4. Attendance.

1. Leagues Fees and Funds - Every player will have to fork out for the game fees, we had decided that those working professionals contributes $10 and Students will have to fork out $5 during every game be it league or non-league through out 2008/2009 season.  Targetting 15 players per game We will have an approximately total average of $120~$130 plus or minus depending on the attendance on that day. Which will cover the game cost and save up for the upcoming event such as oversea game, drinks first aid stuff etc.

2. Playing Time - As for Hisham had mentioned during our conversation on the league issue, quote ”hopefully we don’t become very overly competitive until some players got no chance to play” unquote. We do realise the passion involved on playing, what we can promise to everyone is that every player will have a minimum  of 40min or 45min of game time, no matter what the circumstance and the outcome of the game wil be.

3. Goalkeeper - Currently Fauzy has been the recognise keeper for last season, and Aki and Raizal has been the stand in Keeper.  We are getting Zaini’s friend to commit and trying to get hold of Shahrizan. In the meantime the plan is as per last season.

4. Attendance - Still banging on the Driver Khai, Aziz, Ayyub, Sani, Hisham to make sure desired attendance under their charge. We had survived avoiding last minute no show thus far, lets do not break this record.

Current Players - Azam, Azhar, Hisham, Khai, Sani, Aziz, Ayyub, Fauzy, Redwan, Jaz, Aidil, Aki, Irwan, Bob, Zaini, Ming, Faiz, Raizal, Moktar. 

Tentative Players - Faizal, Taufik, Ayat, Aiman and Hilmi.

We felt from the number of the abovementioned players we should comfortably have the targetted 15 players every Sunday 5pm.

We hope every Spider understood what are we in for, the costs incurred and agreeable to the requirements slated for the upcoming season and we hope not to have surprises. Still we will respect any decision from anyone on the take of us joining the league and policies carved out. On that aspect do not leave RBFC in the dark, do inform Manager or Capt on any decision, we’ll respect and still have the continual friendship. We are not just a team we are a fraternity, we are weekend brothers the extended family, remember that.

Salamz, Capt

Season Report Card - 2007/2008

As Captain mentioned, the first game of the season was tough. After the departure of then founder and manager Nahar and the loss of our hallowed home turf, Admiralty Secondary School, many wondered if the Spiders would last a few months, let alone till the end of the season. However, once again the passion of the players refused to let Redbacks die. Instead our legend continues as a unique social football team continued to grow.

Our participation in the AFL was brief, but the team learned a lot of lessons from the league. The last-gasp victory against Benedetto and the 9-2 thrashing we suffered in the hands of Warriors were just some of the performances that will be remembered for very different reasons. The defeat against Warriors was especially stinging as it came after we notched three consecutive victories, scoring 13 goals in the process.

Talking about goals, the biggest void to fill was the one left by super striker Aiman. We lost our lightning-quick forward to an unfortunate suspension. Many players were thrown forward in the hope of finding the next scoring superstar for the Redbacks. The constant chopping and changing prompted  various players to weigh in with a goal or two. Realizing that we did not have a one-man scoring machine, we had to. Hilmi emerged as a prime candidate, scoring 9 goals to shoot up the goalscoring charts. Unfortunately, we lost him to National Service.

It was only around the middle of the season when the unlikely pairing of Ayyub and Kai was first tested out. In the game against Red Knights, the two forwards contributed 3 goals and 2 assists in the 5-1 victory. The pair has never looked back since. Ayyub, in particular, was the standout performer of the season, scoring 18 goals and providing 9 assists, leading the team in both statistics. Kai returned his best goal tally ever for the Redbacks, adding 10 goals and 4 assists to the team. With the impending return of Aiman for the next season, things are looking rosy up-front.

However, the midfield should not be forgotten too. When the strikers are having an off-day, the midfielders truly stepped up their game. Captain Azhar, Jaz, Faiz, Ming, Mok and Aki combined to contribute a whopping 33 goals and 26 assits! The midfield has been a crucial factor to the Redbacks’ performances this season. With Irwando, Zaini, Abang Sani, Azam and Wan Jr contributing the odd goal, we have a record number of goalscorers in a season (17). We hope to see continued all-round contributions in the coming season.

The overseas trips were as always, the highlights of every season. We conquered Thomas Veterans in Kluang and almost did the same against Penyabong in Mersing. Matches aside, the trips allowed the players to get to know one another better, bond and of course, have tons of fun. Kudos to the organizing committee for making the trips happen. We are looking forward to more exotic locations in the near future. Batam, Bali or Bangkok perhaps?

As the season closes, we bid a fond farewell to the following Spiders who have left the team for pastures new:
1) Imran (left for Northstars): An uncanny knack for popping up with a goal or two.
2) Ahmad (left for Northstars): The definitive left-back for the Spiders. He will be missed.
3) Sharm Bai (left for Northstars): A fiery player in the field, eternal joker off it.
4) Nordin (injury): We hope it’s a temporary goodbye, hoping to see him back again.
5) Sharizan (professional development): We hope he makes his mark in the pros.

As players leave, new ones make their mark in the team:
1) Ayyub - Top scorer and assist provider. Need I say more?
2) Faiz - Comfortable across the midfield. Determined player.
3) Ming - Twisting, turning and full of running.
4) Faizal - Promising gem in defensive midfield. Wears his heart on his sleeve.

Of course, the senior players of the team such as Azhar, Azam, Abang Sani, Bob, Ajis and Hisham continue to perform consistently when called upon, forming the bedrock of the team. Without these accomplished players, it would be hard to upkeep the Redbacks’ style of play.

33 games later: 13 won, 8 drew, 12 lost, 100 goals scored and 87 goals conceded. All stats point to ONE great season. ONE that we can build upon and ONE which just helps us look forward to the next ONE.

Go Redbacks!
Hidup Redbacks!
Redbacks FOREVER!!!

07/08 Season Reflection

The season kicked off with first game against Benedetto FC that we won 3 – 2  with a last minute goal that set off a memorable season. Remembered the game started with 10 men, prompted the thought that the season would end abruptly maybe half way due to lack of support and committed players. Without a Manager to lead the team, the luxury of having a our regular turf to call our home ground was gone and whole lot of undesired incidents revolving within the team which frankly prompted me to throw in the towel.

 

Yet we survived the ups and downs with the support identified in groupings which was led by a passionate leader observed as the driver within the group.

 

Namely;

Khai’s - Jaz, Aki, Aidil

Ayyub’s - Ming, Faiz, Moktar, Raizal

Sani’s - Irwan, Faizal

Hisham’s - Ridwan, Fauzy, Shahrizan

Aziz’s – Bob, Zaini

 

Myself and our wonderful Manager Azam, with our small contribution to hold the team together, and got everyone to bond as family, a family that always looked forward to get together every weekend for a game of soccer.

 

What amazes me, we came from different generation, the Baby boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and even Gen Z, in which any organization will have a hard time for the four generation to bond and engaged liked the way we have. Salute you guys for making this happen, there’s a sense of achievement by itself with this bondage of four generation. It’s freaking unique.

 

Special mention to Khai for tirelessly updated those game reports and Nureen whom added the special spice to the team with the photo taking which opened up another dimension for Redbacks FC. Thank you.

 

Looking forward for 2008/2009 season with you guys and wishes everybody a Happy Ramadhan.

 

Sincerely,

Capt_07

Peace, Love and Respect

Passion …..It’s in the game.

 

 

Aki Invites You…

What?
His sister’s wedding

When?
Sunday, 22nd June 2008
He requests us to be there after Zohor.

Where?
Blk 700B, Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, #02-320, S(562700)
Directions: As far as I know, it is walking distance from Ang Mo Kio MRT station.

We hope to see everyone there. Any queries, please call myself. Tentatively, I should be going between 1 to 2pm. After that, I will head to Xinmin Sec for our game.

Kluang Trip

Gentlemen,

Our football trip to Kluang will be ON this Saturday, 5th April 2008. We need to settle some admin matters prior to the trip.

1) We need you to confirm your attendance for the game. As of yesterday, only Ayyub has confirmed his absence due to reservist duty. Raizal has been listed as doubtful. That means we are expecting everyone else to attend. Please confirm your attendance to any one of the exco members or your anchor points. Please do not make us sms you endlessly and beg for a reply. SMSes cost money. Let’s be fair to everyone.

2) Are you driving? If you are, can you give some teammates a lift? If yes, how many can you take in. We are trying to figure out transportation arrangements. For now, Irwan and Hisham have confirmed that they are driving. For those drivers who are giving their teammates a ride, please furnish the cost that the passengers would have to pay.

Azhar has set the meeting point to be at Woodlands MRT station taxi stand at 12pm. We will play the game at night and according to what I was told, we will return to Singapore that very night. Bai, please confirm this detail and how much are we expected to pay for match fees.

If there are any queries, please contact any of the exco members. Thank you and looking forward to see all on Saturday.

Go Redbacks!

Announcement on Training

In view of the ongoing monsoon season, please take note that training will only be conducted in the event of good weather. No training in the rain as we do not wish for any of our players to be plagued by fever, cold or flu. Plus, we do not want anyone to be burned to a crisp by an unexpected bolt of lightning. For those who want to be sure, you may call Khairil or Abang Sani to check the status of training.

On top of that, we hope that more players will try and make time to come down for the sessions. Support lah members2 sendiri. Peace. Hahaha!

Announcement: Redbacks Field Trip!

When?
Saturday, 5th April 2008

Where?
Kluang Stadium, Kick off 8pm. Night game!

Are we staying overnight?
Details to be confirmed. Kluang is about an hour away from Singapore. But there are plans to stay at a local resort as part of team bonding. Standby for more updates.

Transportation?
I am currently trying to source for a company to provide a charter bus for the team. We must pay for it of course. If anyone has any contacts that we can explore, please get in touch with me. If not, we’ll do a convoy yet again.

What do I need to bring?
A valid passport, preferable yours. A camera to capture all the moments from the trip. It would be nice to have other photos than the ones I usually take. Most importantly, leave your troubles at home and get ready for tons of fun! Make sure to keep that day free. You wouldn’t want to miss it!

Training cum kickabout

Many people have been asking about it. Captain has been hoping for it. Therefore, Jaz and I will initiate it. We will be having a training cum kickabout session. It’s just for people to increase their footballing hours in a week. There will be two days and two separate locations.

Location 1
Feel free to bring friends. The more the merrier.
Open field in front of Innova Primary School
Days: Wednesdays
Time: 6.00pm onwards
Click here for map

Hope to see you guys there! Please contact myself or Jaz for more details. Regardless of how many players come, we will be there and practicing.

“Suspension” Of AFL Fixtures

An emergency meeting was held after the Redbacks’ latest defeat. After much discussion, we have decided to postpone our AFL matches until further notice. The senior players recognize the fact that our team is very much in transition and need more time and matches to gel together as a cohesive unit. We played like school children and the communication was lacking.

We shall use the next few weekends to organize more friendly games. We accept the fact that at this point of time, we are in no shape to go up against established teams such as Warriors, Knights and YV United. Our main problem is coping with the loss of two key players from last season. Since Aiman left the team and Nordin sustained a serious knee injury, things have not been the same. Many new players have been injected into the side and there is a feeling that there are a lot of individual play in the team. Perhaps with time, we will be able to foster better teamwork and really play and enjoy our games as a team.

Last year, we were content with letting Nordin and Aiman carry the bulk of the responsibility. Losing our record goalscorer has been a terrible blow. It is now up to every player to pull their weight and rise above themselves in order for the team to improve. The attendance for our recent games has been very encouraging and we hope they continue. It can only help the team.

Remember guys, a championship team is many times better than a team of champions.

2008 is officially open!

It’s official! The order for the new jersey has been sent. If all goes well, we should be getting our jerseys on the 13th of January. Starting a new year with a new look. For those players who have not paid for the jerseys, please arrange to make payment by this coming Sunday, 6th January. You can call me to transfer the funds to me so that I can add more shirts to the order. Please take note that the actual cost for each jersey is $16. Therefore, the players who have paid for the jerseys previously, please top up another $1.

Hopefully, the new year will bring great promise and achievements. Happy New Year everyone! Go Redbacks!