Whites Historical Archives 1992 Match Reports Part IV

by Armin Mayer

Game 17: Mercedes OC 2 - 7 Uni White

Before the game we were told that a win, or even a draw, would secure the championship for us. Video footage was taken and matters were helped by the fact that the gallant lads from Mercedes didn't have their regular goal-keeper and one of the players bravely put up his hand.

In this game it was clear that Mercedes would soon be a force to be reckoned with, as they had a team with many excellent young players who still lacked experience at senior level.

If you check out the video footage you can see how we managed to ambush every league team we met. We knew we had a striker who would see an opportunity in every ball that came his way, so while we had the players to do some clever build-ups and work the ball through the midfield, many of our goals looked like this:

Dennis clears the ball, a midfielder gets it and blasts it in the general Edgar direction. So far Edgar has barely managed a jog and his defender thinks the boy can't count to 3 and has mentally gone to sleep. Before he knows it, the sluggish young man by his side, has outsprinted him, bumped him off the ball, taken a turn and slotted it home, only to then regain his highly relaxed state.

By the time Joel finished them off with two in the last five minutes, Bill was already picking out a polishing cloth for the silverware.

The Mercedes lads then invited us to celebrate at their sausage sizzle and this nice gesture was probably the starting point of the hate-love-hate relationship that exists between our two clubs.

Anyway, that day the hapless green and gold were thrashed 7:2 (still feels good to mention it) and the first Whites trophy was safely home in the Stadium of White.

Game 18: Uni White 3 - 1 Adelaide High OC

In those days the British Hotel was our home pub and it was always well attended as we mused about the homecomings of our vanquished opponents.

Phrases like:

"They'll have to tell their girl-friends and they will want to get our phone numbers."

...indicated the wonderful maturity displayed at such gatherings, where cigarettes were puffed in place of a warm-down and history shows that this was an excellent way to prepare us for our next match.

Anyway the Adelaide High lads rocked up to the Stadium of White and started shooting their mouths off that they were the best team in the league, but they hadn't had a full team for the first half of the season and that's why they couldn't win the title. Now they were going to beat us and win the moral victory (or whatever).

Having just won 17 games in a row, being the current champions and remembering the 10:1 thrashing we had given them last time, we were naturally almost shitting our pants.

I think most of us didn't even get what they were on about. I mean Albania doesn't often taunt Brazil in Rio de Janeiro.

Anyway, we took the kick-off, Bill was still setting up the camera and the ball came to me on the left wing. I took it, turned, released it in the Edgar direction and the maestro with the extended grey shorts did what came naturally. He bumped off the nearest defender and slotted the ball past the keeper into the far corner (even if it was a slight miskick).

30 seconds gone. 1:0. The quickest lead of the season and suffice to say, they did shut up after that.

In the end it was a great game with our defence fighting hard, scrambling and supporting each other and the midfield to hold back the lads from the Western Parklands.

They did manage to equalise, but a brilliant Joel header (from my sweet sweet cross) into the top corner and an Edgar double turn special (check the video-gold), secured a satisfying and well deserved win.

Game 19: Uni White 12 - 0 Norwood OC

The biggest win of the season was achieved in the most leisurely game. The Norwood lads are known for their gritty performances, but after a 5:0 in the first game and our subsequent results they seemed resigned to their fate.

It began when I kicked a less than mediocre corner straight at the Norwood keeper. The ball came chest high and he obligingly dropped it right in front of Roger who had no trouble converting.

Franky missed a sitter and was very pissed off. Immediately afterwards we played a one-two from a short corner and he took the ball into the penalty area, taking out a few defenders. Then he hammered home and was more relieved to have revenged himself than delighted with his goal. Ah, these Germans. Ja ja!

Anyway, this was a game of three penalties. We got our first one when it was about 7:0 and as Edgar hadn't scored yet and everybody wanted him to reach 50 goals, he got to take that one.

What followed was the slowest penalty in history (comparable to Uli Hoeness effort in 1974 against Poland in the World Cup semi-final). The keeper basically walked to his right and picked up the ball before it came to a full stop.

It just looked like Edgar wouldn't score in this one, as every shot he had was either blocked, saved or went just wide. Legend has it (according to him) that there really was one game he didn't score in, but I find that very hard to believe.

Anyway, we got another penalty and this time Ray stepped up. He hadn't scored all season, but had been superb in every game he had played. This was his chance to show the strikers how it was done. He approached that penalty like he did everything on the pitch:

"If you get in the way, you'll suffer the consequences."

Our excellent keeper Struger (I so hope the spelling is right, I never had a team list) took on the last one and he hammered it like one of his goal kicks. The net was in serious danger of ripping and I think the Norwood keeper might have pleaded with his defenders not to give away any more penalties after that. Our keeper was on the score card and soon there were only 15 minutes left to play.

I had already bagged 2 and was kind of looking forward to lording it over Edgar at the end of the game. Unfortunately, he then managed to get himself a hat-trick, frantically dribbling against the clock to bury his three in the back of the net.

Needless to say the tales at the British were even grander after this new club record and Coach Bill and his assistant Mr Hill could be satisfied that the last home game had been won in style and to the satisfaction of the fans.

Bill always wanted "balls on the deck and clean sheets" and this win was certainly another example of how his coaching had allowed the team to flourish.

Game 20: AGUA 1 - 10 Uni White

The final game. The final win. It was crucial that we made it 20:0 and the AGUA boys never really threatened. I got another two and Edgar didn't muck around this time.

The win completed the perfect season and all those who coached, played and supported were delighted to have been a part of such a rare experience in football. Every game was great fun, the camaraderie on and off the pitch ensured that perfect strangers at the start of the season felt like a cohesive unit in next to no time.

Defence --Midfield--Attack, each part of the team made an extremely valuable contribution to the success and flow of our game. Each player, whether they were aware of it or not, added something special to the season.

One must not forget that the Whites had never won a trophy up to this point, so we saw ourselves as the underdogs for a good part of the season, even though our performances were excellent.

The Whites had never dominated a league in this way. Bill had kept the club going even when the team wasn't winning a lot of games and it was a very friendly, welcoming place to come to.

After this season the rest of the Collegiate League sat up and took more notice. History shows more success was to come in the A-Division, even the Double (1998), but '92 was the turning point at Whitehill Lane.

I am sorry I could only record the stuff I remembered and so it is a very "Me-focus" view (in parts), but if anyone else has a few more anecdotes I would love to read them.

That's it.