The Lakoseljac Cup competition proper resumes
this Saturday with eight games scheduled for all around Tasmania.
There were two preliminary-round games played
in February, and then all action was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic and
subsequent lockdown.
In the preliminary round, played on 29
February, Hobart United eliminated South East United, while Northern Rangers
knocked out Ulverstone.
Before previewing Saturday’s round-of-16
later in the week, I just want to look at some of the statistics of Tasmania’s
State-wide Cup competition, which first began in 1963. (The competition was originally named the
Ampol Cup and this became the Milan Lakoseljac Memorial Trophy and is now
simply the Lakoseljac Cup.)
Only four clubs have won it in the past
decade -
Glenorchy Knights, Olympia, South Hobart and Devonport.
I wonder if that monopoly will be broken this year?
Glenorchy Knights have won the State-wide Cup, in whatever guise, seven times. while Olympia and South Hobart have six wins each to their name.
Launceston Juventus (Launceston City) and
Hobart Zebras (Hobart Juventus) have each won it five times.
This year is the first time since the cup’s
inauguration in 1963 that Hobart Zebras (Juventus) will not participate. Why?
The club no longer exists, having merged with Clarence United this year.
I find this quite sad because Hobart Juventus
(or Hobart Zebras) had always been a powerhouse in Tasmanian football. The club has played in 16 State-wide Cup
finals. Now that’s a record of which to
be proud.
Photo: Juventus display another trophy won by this famous club.
Incidentally, Clarence United (which no
longer exist as it merged with Hobart Zebras) won the Cup in 2009.
Launceston City host Devonport on Saturday in
the Lakoseljac Cup and these two clubs have played each other six times in the
State-wide Cup competition since 1963.
They have met in three finals, with Devonport
winning twice and Launceston Juventus (Launceston City) once.
Another interesting omission from this year's field is White Eagles, who have won the Cup five times.
Now known as New Town White Eagles, a communication mix-up between the club and Football Tasmania has resulted in Eagles not being included in this year's cup competition, which is a real pity.
How can one of the State's former powerhouses be excluded through miscommunication? Surely someone at FT should have followed up the matter.
The story I have is that FT asked Eagles if they were entering a team in the Under-20 Cup and Eagles said they weren't because they wouldn't have enough players. FT's story apparently is that Eagles said they wouldn't be entering a team in the Lakoseljac Cup.
Surely a phone call would have been in order and the matter could have been resolved. We live in the age of high tech communication and not the era of Morse Code.
I am just left speechless by the fact that a club as well known and famous as Eagles can be omitted from the State's premier cup competition.
Photo: Juventus Under-19s in 1971. The club was always keen to develop youth. [Soccer Forum]
Another interesting omission from this year's field is White Eagles, who have won the Cup five times.
Now known as New Town White Eagles, a communication mix-up between the club and Football Tasmania has resulted in Eagles not being included in this year's cup competition, which is a real pity.
How can one of the State's former powerhouses be excluded through miscommunication? Surely someone at FT should have followed up the matter.
The story I have is that FT asked Eagles if they were entering a team in the Under-20 Cup and Eagles said they weren't because they wouldn't have enough players. FT's story apparently is that Eagles said they wouldn't be entering a team in the Lakoseljac Cup.
Surely a phone call would have been in order and the matter could have been resolved. We live in the age of high tech communication and not the era of Morse Code.
I am just left speechless by the fact that a club as well known and famous as Eagles can be omitted from the State's premier cup competition.
So, bring on Saturday’s round of the
Lakoseljac Cup.
The only downside is that there is no FFA CUP
this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winner of the Lakoseljac Cup will have to
be content with this Tasmanian honour and won’t be able to test itself against
teams from interstate.
That’s a huge disappointment, but a sign of
the troubled times in which we currently live.
Saturday’s games are:
Olympia Warriors v Beachside (at Warrior
Park)
Glenorchy Knights v Northern Rangers (at KGV
Park)
Metro v Taroona (at North Chigwell)
Launceston United v South Hobart (at Birch
Avenue)
Launceston City v Devonport Strikers (at
Bucky Land Rover Park)
University v Riverside Olympia (at Olinda
Grove)
Kingborough Lions United v Clarence Zebras
(at Lightwoord Park)
Somerset Sharks v Hobart United (at Cardigan
Street)
[I am indebted to Keith Roberts and his
excellent booklet entitled “Tasmanian Soccer:
Winners & Losers”, released in 2018.]
*****
*****
Former referee Ferdinand 'Ferdie' Kroon
passed away in Hobart last Wednesday at the age of 84.
Kroon was a southern Tasmanian referee in the
70s and 80s.
12 comments:
Hobart Juventus was a powerhouse for sure Walter.
They should never be used in the same sentence as Clarence Zebras.
Walter, where can I find a copy of Brian Robert’s booklet?
Thanks and keep up the outstanding work
Always enjoy the historic photos...
The demise of Juventus is a result of the incompetence , poor management and disregard by the management ,for
the history and supporters of one of the great clubs in Tasmania.. I use the term supporters very loosely because
there aren’t many of them around any more. The new ones don’t seem to hang around too long and move on.
What a train wreck.
D. Palermo in the U19s and seniors..must have been good.
I came to the club as a 12 year old in the mid 70s and you could not speak highly enough of the club. My parents were very happy you couldn't fault them about the way the club looked after the kids and the parents Sensational!
Frank Snr made sure even felt part of the club. They made sure you new the history of the club and that of Juve in the homeland as well in a good way that would make you feel proud to be at the club.
Things have dramatically changed in 40 odd years for a lot of the clubs. Some clubs have disappear and some are now powerhouses.
clubs are run by volunteers and so there is no need to crucify them for donating their time until you have done the same. Pretty simple really.
Anon 5.05pn.
Being volunteers has absolutely nothing to do with the way things are managed. This club is now lost forever and many people who are not from the club have suggested that what the club has done is a huge mistake.
You don’t treat clubs with disrespect and arrogance just because you are a volunteer.
Don’t forget many others who gave up their time were also volunteers!
" many people not from the club" thats exactly the problem. All these people commenting with out knowing the facts. The boards of both clubs did what they needed to do to survive going forward. That seems like smart thinking to me
There were plenty (plenty!) of volunteers around in the 60s and 70s that were the heartbeat of clubs - and they did it to maintain and foster a proud sense of community and culture. This was misinterpreted by xenophobic (and very much professional) administrators as "ethnic reliance", and that term - ethnicity - became a pejorative one in Australian football. Our game hasn't recovered since, and Hobart Juventus - I played for their U/13s and U/14s - is a recent, ongoing example of a local institution turned whipping boy by a blame-culture football bureaucracy that assumed the ascendancy in this country decades ago.
John Skaro. 100% spot on.
And anon 8.55 am. The comments in relation to people outside the club was referring to good football people who knew the game and
played the game overseas before arriving in Tas and playing here for many years also. They also knew the Juventus club and understood its history. Clarence had no option but to merge . However for Zebras it was not a matter of life or death like Clarence.
The smart thing to do was not merge with Clarence.
There were other ways around it for Zebras which would have required a little patience. Very simple solution but no one had thought about it I am guessing.
Get over it Whingers and knockers , it’s The Clebras now, There’s a new kid on the block !
Hi walter I was wondering if you have any information on my dad David Lockhart please? Thank you. He was in the 1971 team.
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