Guillaume Surot of Kingston FC has picked up his MVP and Goalscoring award from Dick Howard.
Ceremonies and Awards given out at the 2013 CSL Awards Banquet held at the Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Convention Centre in Niagara Falls on Saturday November 2nd, 2013 from 7:00pm to 11:00pm. Great location as it was only one block from the famous waterfalls which I hadn't seen since 1989.
[Rocket Robin's comments in brackets].
[I counted ten chairs per table, three rows across, six rows deep so 180 could have been here but the table I was at had five empty spots because no one from Burlington FC showed up with only three Toronto Croatia reps, myself and media guy Dave Rumack. Toronto Croatia also had an entire table for their B team who were playing the next day. With a few tables like that I speculated there were maybe 140 in attendance. Biggest cheers were given whenever noms or winners for Kingston FC or Niagara United were read or displayed because they had the most players and officials in attendance.]
The MC was Stan Adamson, the CSL Director of Media and PR.
While the food was served there was a presentation of season highlights of outstanding plays (even the player fight during the Toronto Croatia vs Windsor Stars semi-final game). These plays were culled from those shown on the CSL website over the months.
First event of the ceremony was a video message from Vince Ursini, Chairman of the CSL, who thanked the players, media. sponsors, and "especially the owners". He linked the history of the league back to 1926. He was pleased with the close competition right to the last weekend with most teams within 10 points of each other. He congratulated the finalists for both only in their second year of formation. Kingston improved from 4 to 16 wins from their first season and this year finished in 1st place. SC Waterloo had missed the playoffs last year but this year have been one of the hottest teams in the last five weeks. He also mentioned the finalists in the 2nd Division--SC Waterloo B vs Toronto Croatia B. He said it's our 87th year of operation. We've survived the challenge from the CSA to desanction it. The league is prepared to go ahead either with the CSA or OSA or neither. There will be a Second Division next year with promotion and relegation. They will also be starting a women's league.
[RR--Promotion and Relegation? That's what so many of the posters on the message boards have been dreaming about for a decade. That perked my interest too until he said there'd be a women's league because that's been promised for at least the last five years. I asked some questions at the games the next day about just what promotion/relegation involved. It's very believable by the results that SC Waterloo who have placed both their teams in the finals would have their second team promoted and that would have them competing against their own team? Would they move up or pass like Bayern Munich of the Bundesleague? Or is this just a testing of the viability of new members like when Kingston FC (then known as Prospect FC), SC Waterloo, and Niagara United all started in the Second Division in 2011 before moving up when they proved they could financially survive? Neither Adamson nor Pino Jazbec the League Administer was sure what exactly Ursini meant. Ursini would have been here if the final had been held last week but this week he was committed to an acting engagement. (acting as in performing in a play). The Niagara United owner said the finals were delayed by a week because all hotels (and I've heard he owns 14 including this facility) were booked last week for a running marathon. The next day although the weather was very cold, he said it was better than the previous weekend when it was raining almost the entire time].
Dick Howard was introduced with a long list of his accomplishments and "a friend of the CSL" and gave a speech about goalkeepers as he's been between the posts for sixty years, starting in 1963. He was first impressed by Gyula Grosics the Hungarian netminder who was in net in 1953 when Hungary beat England 6-3 that the media wrote off as a fluke and the follow up game the next year where Hungary hosted and won 7-1. Grosics was active as a 'sweeper keeper' not just glued to his line. He noted that Pope John Paul II and singer Julio Iglesius started out as goalkeepers. If the goalkeeper makes a mistake it's a goal. Another challenge for the goalie is the ball has changed from an old leather ball. Now goalies wear gloves instead of the bare hands of the old days. Their uniforms have changed some bright like Jorge Campos to an almost camouflage of today. He had some joke/nicknames for goalie's (no names were dropped)--"Cinders" for Cinderella, a goalie who always missed the ball. "Dracula" a goalie known for his fear of crosses. He then did go through some famous goalies like Jan Tomaszewski nicknamed 'The Clown' by Brian Clough until he helped the Polish team beat England. Canadian goalie Tino Lettieri and his stuffed parrot mascot and Bruce Grobbelaar who did crazy things to distract penalty shooters. Howard was able to talk to Gordon Banks of England who made a sensational stop on Pele in 1970. Howard said he played against Pele when Santos came to Toronto and thought he could distract Pele when he was awarded a Penalty shot so walked up to him and wished him "Good luck". After Pele scored Pele said "Better luck next time" and Pele could remember that incident years later when they met again. He praised some other Canadian goalies including Erin McLeod from the women's team. He finished by saying he hoped tomorrow's game was scoreless (to make the goalies look good). He advised coaches to be good to your goaltenders.
Now finally some award winners: (where there were clear winners no nominees were read). Club nominated from their own team then all clubs voted. 1. Winner of the First Division--Kingston FC 2. winner of the Second Division--Toronto Croatia (A TC official dedicated the win to the memory of Bruno Pilas) 3. Most Valuable Player in First Division-- Winner Guillaume Surot of Kingston FC (other nominees read out Jose Melo of Astro Vasas FC, Marin Vucemilovic-Grgic of London City, Richard West of York Region shooters, Calvin Rosario of St Catharines Roma Wolves, Francisco Perez of York Region Shooters) (also listed on the prelim ballot were Jason Massie of Kingston FC, Catalin Lichioiu of Kingston FC, Igor Pisanjuk of Astros Vasas FC and Kurt Ramsey of Astros Vasas FC). 4. Top Goalscorer First Division--with 28 goals winner Guillaume Surot of Kingston FC [given out while he was still on stage from the last award]. 5. Goalkeeper of the Year First Division-- winner Antonio Ilic of Toronto Croatia (award accepted by team manager Ivan Kulis) (other nominees read out Jaroslav Tesar of Kingston FC, Camilo Benzi of Brampton City United, Rade Novkovic of London City, Emanuelle Ameltonis of York Region Shooters, Anthony Santilli of Windsor Stars) (also listed on the prelim ballot were Matthew Greco of St Catharines Roma Wolves, Adrian Ibanez of York Region Shooters, Sergio Moralo of Toronto Croatia, and Adam Majer of York Region Shooters) 6. Defender of the Year First Division-- winner Sven Arapovic of Toronto Croatia (other nominees read out Patrick Lepera of Windsor Stars, Mirko Medic of Brampton City United, Fitzroy Christey of York Region Shooters, Kurt Ramsey of Astros Vasas FC, and Ryan McCurdy of Kingston FC) (also listed on the prelim ballot were Tarik Robertson of Brampton City United, Joe Zupo of Kinston FC, Matthew Di Maria of St Catharines Roma Wolves, Vincent Sasso of Astros Vasas FC, Josip Keran of Toronto Croatia, Antoine Paul of Astros Vasas FC and Ricky Herron of York Region Shooters) 7. Rookie of the Year First Division-- winner Guillaume Surot of Kingston FC (other nominees read out--Jason Massie of Kingston FC, Adam Philp of Windsor Stars, Francisco Perez of York Region Shooters, Vincent Sasso of Astros Vasas FC, Jordi Amores of Niagara United) (also listed on the prelim ballot were Catalin Lichioiu of Kingston FC, Kihara Waiganjo of Kingston FC, Nicholas Lindsay of Burlington SC, and Richard Edwards of York Region Shooters) 8. Coach of the Year First Division-- winner Colm Muldoon of Kingston FC Muldoon accepted the award on behalf of his players. (other nominees read out--Tony De Thomasis of York Region Shooters, Velimir Crljen of Toronto Croatia, Juan Barreto of Brampton City United, Jasmin Halkic of London City, Gerardo Lezcano of Astros Vasas FC) (also listed on the prelim ballot were Carlo Arghittu of St Catharines Roma Wolves and Laszlo Kiss of Astros Vasas FC) 9. Most Valuable Player Second Division-- winner Yonan Samara of London City B (award accepted by team owner) (other nominees read out--Ben Ambacher of St Catharines Roma Wolves B, Mademba Ba of Kingston FC B, Leaford Allen of Brampton City United B, Romario McNight of Niagara United B) (also listed on the prelim ballot was Colin Dougan of St Catharines Roma Wolves B) 10. Top Goalscorer Second Division--with 17 goals winner mademba Ba of Kingston FC B 11. Goalkeeper of the Year Second Division-- winner Roy Seaboyer of Brampton City United B other nominees read out--Nicholas Antunes of St Catharines Roma Wolves B, Brad Gemmell of Niagara United B, and Ivan Skoko of Toronto Croatia B 12. Defender of the Year Second Division-- winner Daniel Stoker of Toronto Croatia B (other nominees read out--Danile Ruiz of Brampton City United B, David Fimiak of St Catharines Roma Wolves B, Colin Dougan of Niagara United B, and Michael Odhomor of Brampton City United B) 13. Rookie of the Year Second Division-- winner Mykola Chachula of Toronto Croatia B (the only other nominee was Noah Dino of St Catharines Roma Wolves B) 14. Coach of the Year Second Division-- winner George Jenkins of Toronto Croatia B Jenkins thanked his players. (other nominees read out--James McGillivray of Niagara United B, Chris Kijak of St Catharines Roma Wolves B, and Jasmin Halkic of London City B) 15. Referee of the Year was awarded to Justin Tasev and accepted by Ken Thomas. [Tasev is refereeing the CSL Championship game tomorrow]. 16. Disiplinary Award was awarded to SC Waterloo the owner accepted the trophy and reminded us that his teams could win both championships tomorrow. 17. The Harry Paul Gauss Award (long time owner of London City who passed away within the last few years) which is given for "exemporary allegience to the league" was given to CSL league administrator Pino Jazbec.
Stan Adamson said he expects the CSL to play next year. Pino Jazbec said there will be sunny but chilly weather for tomorrow's games.
The ceremony ended exactly at 10:00pm.
[At the game the next afternoon former referee Steve Mortimer answered me that without CSA or OSA sanctioning the league will not be able to use any Ontario Soccer Referee's Association referees. Neither of us has heard anything about League 1 Ontario which is supposed to start in 2014 but has now even lost it's web domain...now available on GoDaddy.com. I speculated as a joke that the ownership groups were professional match fixers who were trying to run their own league without interference but have backed off. I wonder if reporter Ben Rycroft will look into that?].
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
Photos taken at the Award Ceremony
Guillaume Surot of Kingston FC has picked up his MVP and Goalscoring award from Dick Howard.
Toronto Croatia's Ivan Kulis (manager) who accepted Antonio Ilic's goaltender award, Sven Arapovic with top defender award,
and his father (assistant manager) Perica Arapovic.
Coach of the Year Colm Muldoon of Kingston FC gives a short acceptance speech.
Mademba Ba of Kingston FC 'B' is awarded for Top Scorer in Second Division.
Roy Seaboyer of Brampton City United 'B' picks up award for Second Division Goalie of the Year.
Second Division Rookie of the Year Mykola Chachula of Toronto Croatia B
Coach of the Year in Second Division George Jenkins of Toronto Croatia B gives short acceptance speech.
Kingston FC players and officials with their trophies.
The event was held at the Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Convention Centre.