On With The Football

Wednesday 13th Jan, 2010

The Brisbane Strikers have reacted with cautious optimism to the announcement by Football Queensland today that the 2010 QSL will be an eight-team competition played over three rounds.

Brisbane Strikers Chairman, Bruce Atterton-Evans, said he was pleased that after months of speculation about the make-up of the competition the Brisbane Strikers could now get on with the business of putting together a football team and defending their title.

“The hiatus and speculation that has surrounded the competition since Olympic FC and Redlands City Devils pulled out has certainly not been helpful to us in putting together our squad for 2010, but now that everyone knows what is going on we can move forward with some certainty”, Mr Atterton-Evans said.

Mr Atterton-Evans also said he was happy with the eight-team format of the QSL.

“There are bound to be some cynics, particularly in the hard-bitten football community of Brisbane, who will see the reduction of the league from eleven to eight teams as a backwards step, but we don’t necessarily see it that way”, Mr Atterton-Evans said.

“While I’m sad that Logan United were unable to take part again, the good thing about the eight teams we now have in the league is that they all definitely want to be there and are committed to it”, he continued.

“That gives us all a sound basis upon which to consolidate and work together to make the QSL stronger for the future. The Brisbane Strikers are also far from unhappy with the prospect of being the only privately-run club representing Brisbane in the QSL. We’ve proudly carried the flag for Brisbane before, in the National Soccer League, and we will be honoured to do so again in the Queensland State League.

“And, of course, we have a title to defend. We are the champions of Queensland and, although we expect to have a younger and less experienced team this year, we don’t intend to give that title up without a fight.

“We are certainly not expecting that we will have an easy time of it. The QAS are always a talented side, some of the regional sides have already proved to be stiff opposition , and the signs are that the others have been moving to strengthen over the off-season behind the scenes. The absence of the likes of Redlands and Olympic will give every team a sniff of finals action and we are fully expecting that, with the extra travel involved over three rounds, there are going to be some very testing away trips that will require very focused preparation by us.

“So it’s on with the business now of trying to create the best environment in terms of coaching, facilities and administration at our club, to enable our players to get the best out of themselves and reward our sponsors and supporters with a strong team”.