Review of FC Nova’s 2010/11 season
FC Nova were finally crowned MBMG Bangkok International Division 2 Champions last week without them needing to kick a ball. Pickled Liver conceded their match in Pattaya which resulted in them being awarded the 3 points needed to seal the title.
It looks as though they will be joined in Division 1 next season by the Scandinavian Vikings who, having defeated BSL Youth last week, only need a point from their final fixture to join Nova in the topflight.
FC Nova players and staff celebrate their Division 2 title winning success at Jamesons Irish Pub in Pattaya.
Despite a shaky finish to the end of the season which saw Nova take only a solitary point in games against their three closest rivals, BSL Youth, Sportsman and the Vikings, there can be few denying that overall they did not deserve the mantle of Division 2 Champions.
There is no questioning that Coach Stuart Levy was severely hampered with injuries and unavailability in the latter stages of their league campaign that had a significant bearing on their results. When Levy had all his players available at his disposal there were few teams if any that were capable of keeping pace with the Pattaya based side.
The season got off to the flying start when they plundered I Play for 17 goals in their opening fixture, thereafter a run of nine victories and a draw effectively had the league title all but wrapped up. They remained unbeaten at home having won all of their fixtures which was a significant achievement.
They led the way in the leagues scoring charts having fired in a total of 69 goals and conceding only 20 in the process. Norwegian Striker Bjorn Ellingsen finished the season as Nova’s leading goalscorer with fellow strike partner Paul Derbyshire and midfielder Mark McKeown both hitting double figures for the season.
For the most part their defence was solid with their inspirational captain Lee Homer leading by example. Fellow defenders Dave Booton, Mark Hill and Daryl Mann all made telling contributions throughout the season along with goalkeeper Art who proved to be one of the best shot stoppers around.
Their centre midfield pairing of Roger Cox and Mark McKeown proved to be the best in the league with the latter McKeown undoubtedly Nova’s player of the season. His boundless energy and an ability to make surging runs from deep caused headaches for all the teams he came up against on top of getting more than his fair share of goals.
Wide men Ben Bryant, Sit Namthong, Andrew Robinson and Thai Nick all produced match winning performances at some point throughout the season and all four were hampered by injuries at some stage which ruled them out for a number of weeks. There were also solid contributions from utility players Stuart Cowie, Mark Dorey and Nicholas Creasey.
Veteran striker Creasey has finally called time on his illustrious playing career and hung up his Drogba boots, the thought of competing in the top division with the pace and physical demands that it brings was all too much for the 43 year old. The lads of FC Nova would like thank Nick for his valuable contribution he has made towards their league campaign this season and his experience and overall popularity on and off the pitch will be sorely missed.
What was more of a surprise was the sudden announcement that Stuart Levy will be leaving the helm as manager of FC Nova, he has resigned with immediate effect, however he has effectively moved upstairs and will continue with the administration and being an ambassador for the Pattaya based club. FC Nova would like to take this opportunity to thank Stuart for all his hard work he has put in over the two seasons he has been in charge of the club. After finishing their first season a creditable 5th he has guided Nova to the title in only their second season as a club which is a fantastic achievement and one that he can be extremely proud of. Anyone wishing to apply for the post of manager for next season can contact Stuart on 085 287 8885.
The club are also hugely grateful to the generous sponsorship of Ronnie Fineman and his Nova Group and would like to thank him along with Kim Fletcher, the popular landlord of Jamesons Irish Bar, for providing great hospitality for the players after every game.
Finally FC Nova would like to thank Mark O’Callaghan and all his staff at Planet Football, for providing them with fantastic training facilities throughout the season. They will continue to train during the closed season on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Planet Football and any players wishing to join the club are more than welcome to attend.
After the cancellation of the Pickled Liver game that saw them crowned as Champions the lads from FC Nova met up at Jamesons for the last time in the season and were seen celebrating long and hard into the night as only they know how!
