The Scimitar 31 Oct 2019

A warm good day to all our readers….

Well well well……my predictions have never been one of the things to be counted on…..but for once I would like to remind everyone of my some comments in my opening salvo to the newsletter of September 17, 2019…..to quote…

“….we do have a few factors that are pointing in our favour this year….one of course, is our own self imposed 12 year rule….we won in 1995….with our next success coming in 2007…..and as we approach 2019, we realise that the 12 year rule is lurking….additionally we have won the Rugby Championship (old Tri-nations) and this augers well….”

And as we approach Saturday, we have the same opponents as we did in 2007…..we were dogged and very workmanlike in our win over Wales in the semi final….definitely not pretty or enterprising rugby….but we were able come out on top of a very nail biting match….I am sure that the whole of South Africa breathed a collective sigh of relief on Sunday when the final whistle blew…..but now we face the might of England, who were most impressive against a shell shocked and shattered AB team….one of the jokes that did the rounds after that particular match….was that the Kiwis lost everything, scrums, mauls, line outs, the loose battles, tackles…….they even lost their own Haka…..I must say it was the poorest New Zealand I have seen in many a year….but to take nothing away from the English who were brilliant on the day…we are in for a cracker of a match….

Please don’t forget that we will be showing both the 3^rd place play off on Friday and the final on Saturday on the big screen (that we are showing in the Hall)….all our drinks specials will be running for the duration of the matches….so brandy, rum, beer quarts and shooters will be at additional discounted rates….and of course if the Springboks are world champions….perhaps the specials may run into some significant overtime…..which I am sure will be well received…..the spirit at the last match at the North was absolutely sensational….so I expect this weekend to be even more compelling and riveting….I will see you there…and as another little bit of titbit and assistance…there will be a jumping castle, water slide and Gladiator inflatable for the younger set to challenge their skills and keep them busy while the Mom’s and Dad’s have their time cut out watching the Boks….

Our cricketers had Sunday off last weekend…but are back in the swing this Sunday as the Premier side lock horns with Bedfordview away….first ball will be bowled at 10am…..

Our hockey 5’s is really proving to be a hit with everyone…..juniors playing on Saturdays… the seniors filling the Sunday slots and landing up in and around the beer garden after their strenuous exercise exploits ….this is really a fast paced and extraordinary game that really has to be watched to really understand its intricacies and complexities…..but it is piles of fun….so if you have some spare time come down to the Astro to watch over the weekend.

This weekend our Baseballers play host to their annual T-ball competition….so expect a throng of players and parents at the baseball club on Saturday….it should be a marvellous day….

Our summer soccer is also in full swing….with our Vets teams actively involved every Wednesday night and the Ladies side playing on Fridays….please keep an eye in the newsletter or our Facebook page for more details of these matches…

Last Friday the Athletics sub section had their annual golf day at the Country Club….and I was one of the fortunate few to be present…..when I came back to Benoni about 10 years ago….a good mate of mine from the past, Bogroll (many will remember this distinctive name) conned, coerced and forced me kicking and screaming to coach cricket at the North (which of course I did with pleasure and really enoyed)….our lot being the coaching a bunch of extremely talented young under 8 cricketers…I won’t bore you with all the details of the individuals involved….but one of them was Bogroll and Jenny’s son, Warwick….I have watched with interest this young man’s progress over the years….and at the golf day, it was my chance to force, con and coerce Warwick to be part of my four-ball….and what a privilege it turned out to be!! I really hope that you fulfil all your promise and talent in the future, Warwick, as you go to the States to further your studies and career…but back to the golf….despite all the talent shown by our playing partners, they were only able to pull Rodney and myself out of the depths of playing the  longest day to not having our names mentioned in this non-prestigious position….congrats to all the winners on the day…and a huge well done to the organisers and players on a fantastic day….there was also a massive function after the golf, where one of our most recognisable members…Michael Velliotes, was going to lose his ginger beard….and with the assistance of some very generous benefactors….around R26000 was raised to see Mike clean shaven again after 5 years in hiding….thank you to Mike and his dad, who was included in the deal at the last minute for their great idea and concept of losing their fuzzy facial hair as a fund-raiser ….a really fun evening was had by all as the excitement welled at the prospect of being the actual person to complete the deed of making the ginger ninja transform back into a joyous and  naughty little pixie….

Our entertainers last week were the ever gold 5 piece band called Omega…..that kept everyone on the dance floor for the night…they are always a popular favourite with the Northerns faithful…this week we welcome Cedz and Tryst back….so get yourselves ready for a great evening of solid rock music from this talented bunch of musicians….

Our Friday night last week was a little less well attended due to the Athletics golf day and the prospect of seeing a clean shaven Vellies again…..but there was still plenty of interest as we move closer to the half way mark….and this week we had another “first timer” at the cabinet, as Stephen Fellows had his name extracted from the beeeg black box…..and seemed fairly confident with his choice being in the top left corner (but one)…and as Glenda revealed the card, his disappointed was evident when he saw that it wasn’t the Joker!…but the King of Diamonds is now in the cabinet…the rest of the crowd were very happy that the Jackpot was still alive, ready and waiting for them next week…..24 cards are now face up…and the ‘pot” has risen to R92229 for this week….please join in with the fun this week…and try your luck at finding the Jester….you could be our next big winner!!

CLUB BAKKIE : SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Over the past few years, it has become more apparent that our Club requires a light delivery vehicle to enable the Club to operate more efficiently by completing important tasks in and around our Club. Some examples where this would be utilised are:

1. As the municipality is providing less and less service delivery assistance on our fields and surrounding areas, not to mention the almost non-existent maintenance to the infrastructure in and around the club of buildings, roads and parking maintenance, requires that more of this responsibility falls into the lap of the Club.
2. The municipal refuse removal, once provided as part of the all in service, and has been totally withdrawn, leaving the club with the duty of having to make plans to remove waste, rubble and garden refuse, from our Club.
3. Our major suppliers face their own logistical nightmares of providing the full supply and delivery system of the past and have become a little unreliable when it comes to delivering all their products requested timeously. This has resulted in last minute management techniques of having to continuously “beg, steal or borrow” vehicles or LDV’s to drive to places like major distribution hubs, to ensure uninterrupted supply of products to our Members.

With our large infrastructure of Members, we were wondering whether there were any Members, or their contacts, that could assist us in procuring of this LDV for Club usage…. This could take the form of a back to a back advertising agreement (whether it be prominent local signage, weekly adverts in our newsletter or eye catching signage on the side of the vehicle etc), a significant discounts, donations or even a gift.

If you are that person, or if you know of such a person, please contact Rod Scheepers, our Club GM, or send him the details of the contact whom could be of assistance, who will then get the process rolling.

Yours in Sport,  Laurence Brown  – Chairman – Benoni Northern Sports Club

Stephen Fellows (Guest) drew the King of Diamonds. Joker Draw a turnover at R 92 229.00 for Friday 01st November.

Saturday 02nd November @ 11h00 a.m.
For the KIDDIES weekend of (Friday – Sunday) – Waterslide and 8m long Gladiator Circuit available, so will be children friendly . We will see you all !!!

Velly’ nice my mate! Winning bidder Clayton Wiesner and a clean shaven Michael Veliotes. Benoni Northerns Sports Club. This initiative garnered a healthy R26 000.00 for BNAC’s Development Runners.

The Annual Glow Run was once again a tremendous success. Thanks to all that participated in this incredible event. We shall meet again next year

The Scimitar 23 Oct 2019

Good morning to all……

The RWC advances into the next round, amidst a little bit of controversy…..and now the semi’s are upon us….and although pretty predictable, apart from the France / Wales game….which produced some really great rugger….the Saturday matches were pretty one sided….the AB’s and the English winning by significant margins to progress….but that sets up one of most interesting clashes that we will see at this World Cup thus far….. the winner of this match is going to very difficult to beat in the final….but that said…we still have the Boks in the other half of the draw….and although we stuttered through the first half….we eventually ran out easy 26-3 winners….doing something that no-one else has been able to do in this world cup, in beating the Japanese….the Irish, who were on the crest of the world rankings at the start of the World Cup….were unexpectedly humbled in their first showing…and Japan definitely gave us lots of food for thought in the first half, with us being so far behind on the possession stakes….but of course our scrum-half did ensure that our possession was effectively given away, every time that he touched the ball….but in the second half, the power of scrum eventually came through as we scored a magnificent 45 metre rolling maul (another procedure that I have not witnessed before)…which culminated in allowing our diminutive kicking scrum-half in to score himself a try….in the other quarter final in our section…there was only one side in the contest…with the Welsh appearing content to make their plane flight home that night….until some 55^th minute madness by a French lock….who was red-carded for some silly dangerous play…and slowly the tide turned….and as manfully the French played….it was like an inexorable wheel rolling down the hill that the Welsh were going to wear down the French resistance….eventually just doing enough to beat the French 20-18. And an amazing turn around…which no-one could have forecast even a half an hour before the end of the match….

This weekend we will be showing both of the matches live at the North….one on Saturday and the other on Sunday….please do not be late…as last week seats and places was limited fairly early….we will still have the liquor specials that we had last weekend….so beer, brandy and rum will be discounted for the duration of the match…..and for those who love to have a little shooter or two while watching sport….there will be a tequila and Jagermeister special…..buy a tray of 12 of these popular Mexican and German tit-bits for only R170…..a real example of the “more you drink….the more you save” slogan, which was extremely popular in my youth at the North…..so my thanks to Simba Sosatie who used to run around the Club in those days with his party hat….maybe this weekend, he will make his appearance again…..I can but hope…and hope that it augers well for the smooth progression of the Boks in their quest to becoming World Champions once again….

Our Premier cricket side made their first appearance at the North on Sunday, when they hosted Duduza….and with Kurt losing the toss (again!!), we were asked to bat…we scored steadily with almost everyone chipping in, Musa Twala and Leonard Killeen notching up half centuries in the process…. ending up on 297/7 after our 50 overs…..there was a bit of a break in the innings when a local swarm of bees decided to find a home in the water tap box at the edge of the pitch…forcing an early lunch to be taken, as our friend and bee keeper Peter Beart was called on to remove the buzzing visitors for us….and the match continued after lunch without further incident…..the opposition began a very solid chase and only after a half century opening stand did we eventually make any inroads….but after that their wickets fell at fairly regular intervals…to Duduza eventually landing up with 172 after slightly over 40 overs….handing us the win by 125 runs on the day…well done to the lads….a winning start to the season for us, with two out of two….but this weekend we have a bye allocated…so time for everyone to have a restful weekend off to get ready for battle the next weekend…..

This year we had our first season of junior rugby….and despite some trying conditions….these little fellows acquitted themselves admirably….we had 6 teams competing in the finals for this year….with two of those sides being crowned champions…..our under 8 team and the under 11a (red) side winning their respective finals….a special congratulations to the players and coaches..super stuff….of our other sides that competed on the day the under 9a side lost in the final to collect a silver medal, while the U9b side lost in the semi, but won the play-off for bronze….the other two sides, U10b and U11a (white) ended the season in fourth place…. my congratulations to all these young men and their coaching staff….well done on a great set of results….you have placed the bar very high in our first season at junior level… remember that we will now want you to strive to improve on this next year….also a hearty congratulations to Jaco and his team on a super season….well done….

Our Friday night search for our Jester continued…as we had another “first-timer” in front of the cabinet….Ethan had his name drawn….and to some jubilant cries of encouragement from his mates….he looked to the bottom right of the board for his selection….and once it was revealed, it showed us the six of clubs…..we are really getting to an interesting time of the draw……as we are now 23 cards into this particular draw…almost halfway….and we are currently at a Jackpot of R90237……starting to become a sizeable value to put into your pocket for a R5 investment…..and we have the ever popular 5 piece band Omega to get your month end weekend off to a mellow and relaxed start…

Last weekend our entertainment were the duo of Richard and Nakita….who also proved that they know really how to get the party going….keeping everyone singing and dancing in the patio under the tent into the wee hours…..thanks to them…I saw a few Members with pounding heads the next day…..but with a massive grin on their faces like the cat that has just had the cream….saying it was a helluva night….when are they coming back again….and be sure that we will them back soon and we will give everyone enough notice….

Please do not forget our Rowlin Glow Run on next Wednesday….this is always a most festive event….and one of those must attend festive occasions….so please be sure to get you running gear on….and find all your glow sticks, luminous clothing and crazy costumes and wigs….as everyone jumps in and enters into the festive feeling created on the night….to make their way around the course….and onto the finishing line for their own medal….to be proudly displayed…..

That is it for this week….hopefully I will get to see you for the RWC matches…or on Friday at draw time….or maybe just at the Glow Run next Wednesday…have a great week otherwise….take care

Regards Rod

CLUB BAKKIE : SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Over the past few years, it has become more apparent that our Club requires a light delivery vehicle to enable the Club to operate more efficiently by completing important tasks in and around our Club. Some examples where this would be utilised are:

1. As the municipality is providing less and less service delivery assistance on our fields and surrounding areas, not to mention the almost non-existent maintenance to the infrastructure in and around the club of buildings, roads and parking maintenance, requires that more of this responsibility falls into the lap of the Club.
2. The municipal refuse removal, once provided as part of the all in service, and has been totally withdrawn, leaving the club with the duty of having to make plans to remove waste, rubble and garden refuse, from our Club.
3. Our major suppliers face their own logistical nightmares of providing the full supply and delivery system of the past and have become a little unreliable when it comes to delivering all their products requested timeously. This has resulted in last minute management techniques of having to continuously “beg, steal or borrow” vehicles or LDV’s to drive to places like major distribution hubs, to ensure uninterrupted supply of products to our Members.

With our large infrastructure of Members, we were wondering whether there were any Members, or their contacts, that could assist us in procuring of this LDV for Club usage…. This could take the form of a back to a back advertising agreement (whether it be prominent local signage, weekly adverts in our newsletter or eye catching signage on the side of the vehicle etc), a significant discounts, donations or even a gift.

If you are that person, or if you know of such a person, please contact Rod Scheepers, our Club GM, or send him the details of the contact whom could be of assistance, who will then get the process rolling.

Yours in Sport,  Laurence Brown  – Chairman – Benoni Northern Sports Club

Ethan ( Football ) drew the Six of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at
R90 237.00 for Friday 25th October. Be present to win!!

“At The North” – R.W.C Specials – Duration of the Games:
All Beer Quarts – R 25.00 each
1 x Dble Brandy/Rum & Coke – R 30.00
2 x Dble Brandy/Rum & Coke – R 50.00
1 x Tray (12) Tequila/Jagermeister – R 170.00

Reminder – Online Entries are open
https://www.entrytime.com/event-details/?EventId=6077

Please bring along the whole family for our fun filled event

Our Bridge Section will be entering a Team namely Bridie Bullen-Smith, Paul van der Wal, Bill Willis and Clyde Mallinson representing Benoni Northerns in the upcoming Nationals. This team recently won the Gauteng Clubs Team 4 Tournament. We wish you all the best of luck

Awesome 10 wicket win by Benoni Northerns Women’s Cricket against a very much developing Wattville cricket Team. Well Done Ladies! Madison Landsman taking 4 wickets for 0 runs!!! And a quickfire 24 off 9 to finish the game!

Week 2 saw a host of exciting tennis matches at Benoni Northerns – including the Premier Division match between Levey & Masakane!

The Scimitar 17 Oct 2019

A special and warm good day to everyone….

So as the RWC 2019 enters the business section of the competition….and we have some interesting developments…..the first Asian side to ever compete in a RWC as Japan qualify for the knock outs….and that as the winner of their pool section….which means that the Boks and the Japs will renew their rivalry at World Cup level, four years after that fateful meeting where we lost 32-34 to them in 2015…Sunday will be our crunch day, where one of those two sides will proceed to the semis to meet the winners of the France / Wales clash…. and the other quarters see some epic clashes too…..as the AB’s unexpectedly play the Irish and the English meet the Aussies in a clash that I am sure will renew a few passionate battles….definitely a mouth watering set of games await us this weekend….I won’t even  be bothering to enter a set of predictions….so as not place a curse on any of the sides….I will enter a set of predictions in the safe for Glenda to open after the weekend to see how far out I could possibly be…..

Please don’t forget that we will be showing all the RWC quarter finals live and that we are expanding the liquor specials for the quarters….please keep an eye on our social media platforms…..they will be advertised there….and for the beer drinkers….I will be making sure that you are catered for as well…..

Our weekend started in the quest for our hidden Jester in the cabinet….and this week the lucky name out the beeeeg black box was our caterer, Marge Mellis!!…after the formalities were completed of a happy snap for posterity, she made her selection…directly at her eye level….and after indicating three rows up on the extreme left….Glenda flipped the card over to reflect the six of spades….another rollover week…which means that our Jackpot in search of our Jester has risen to R87939…. definitely worth popping past the North on Friday to start your weekend in a very relaxed and festive atmosphere…..our musicians this week will be the Richard and Nikita, who proved to be very popular with the crowd in the tent last time….bring your dancing shoes and come along to party your way into the weekend….

Our Cricketers started with their first match of the season and had a very successful return….rolling over Kwa Thema for 100 in just under 30 overs…..and then took just over 15 overs to knock off the necessary total for the loss of a solitary wicket….well done to Kurt and the boys for a solid start to the season in their quest to retain the Premier League trophy….this week they are at home to CBCOB who have always proved to be a tough nut to crack….so good luck boys….first ball to be bowled at 10h00….

It is wonderful to see all our juniors scurrying around the Club in their white attire…. in their quest to become the new Jacques Kallis and Kagiso Rabada of the future.. after our poor showing in the sub-continent, all South Africans are wanting some new talent to appear miraculously on the horizon…as things are looking pretty bleak there….if I were in that side as a top order batter…I would suggest to the management, that the batting order get swapped around…as it appears that things get a little easier once the ball loses its shine and is a bit softer…as our batters at the lower end seem to have outscored the top order in at least three of the four innings’ we have played thus far…..

I have watched with interest that the interest in “T”ball is massive and looks like it is on the increase….I saw the car parks at baseball were filled to capacity on Tuesday afternoon…it is fantastic to see that sport is being so actively promoted by the schools in Ekurhuleni…well done to the organisers and to everyone actively promoting this sport….long may it continue…

Hockey 5’s also started up last weekend…and it looked like everyone had an absolute blast….I saw that the astro was filled and the venue looked extremely busy for the entire weekend…well done Shaun on a great start to the season….if anyone is interested in playing 5’s please contact Shaun Taylor…I am sure that there will always be available spots for all enthusiastic new players….

Please do not forget the Glow Run on Wednesday October 30, it is always a fantastic and festive evening and fun for the whole family…. glow sticks, weird costumes, a myriad of colours, crazy wigs…and the brilliant smiling faces as all the participants compete in their allotted 5, 10 or 15 kilometre races….with a medal and sense of achievement for everybody who completes the race…..make sure to keep the date in your diary for a fantastic evening with us….

Please take care this week…as we are expecting a heat wave over the weekend….everyone must please remember to apply loads of sun screen if you are outside…it looks like we are going to cook for a while….a really good suggestion? Come to the Club and enjoy a frosty or 6 in the cool sanctity of one of our bars and watch the cricket on our fields….or watch the RWC and enjoy the specials….

Hopefully I will see you over weekend….have fun…

Cheers  Rod

 PS….remember that if you have any anything that is bugging you, or you think you have an idea that you think may transform the Club….please don’t forget to send me an email on rod.scheepers@gmail.com containing your concerns or proposals……

CLUB BAKKIE : SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Over the past few years, it has become more apparent that our Club requires a light delivery vehicle to enable the Club to operate more efficiently by completing important tasks in and around our Club. Some examples where this would be utilised are:

1. As the municipality is providing less and less service delivery assistance on our fields and surrounding areas, not to mention the almost non-existent maintenance to the infrastructure in and around the club of buildings, roads and parking maintenance, requires that more of this responsibility falls into the lap of the Club.
2. The municipal refuse removal, once provided as part of the all in service, and has been totally withdrawn, leaving the club with the duty of having to make plans to remove waste, rubble and garden refuse, from our Club.
3. Our major suppliers face their own logistical nightmares of providing the full supply and delivery system of the past and have become a little unreliable when it comes to delivering all their products requested timeously. This has resulted in last minute management techniques of having to continuously “beg, steal or borrow” vehicles or LDV’s to drive to places like major distribution hubs, to ensure uninterrupted supply of products to our Members.

With our large infrastructure of Members, we were wondering whether there were any Members, or their contacts, that could assist us in procuring of this LDV for Club usage…. This could take the form of a back to a back advertising agreement (whether it be prominent local signage, weekly adverts in our newsletter or eye catching signage on the side of the vehicle etc), a significant discounts, donations or even a gift.

If you are that person, or if you know of such a person, please contact Rod Scheepers, our Club GM, or send him the details of the contact whom could be of assistance, who will then get the process rolling.

Yours in Sport,  Laurence Brown  – Chairman – Benoni Northern Sports Club

Marge Mellis (Kitchen) drew the Six of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R 87 939.00 for Friday 18th October. Be present to win!!

Beer Garden and Scimitar Bar open from 12h00.  Order delicious Pizza or a Pub Lunch while enjoying your cold frosty.

Plus all beer quarts @ R25.00 each duration of the games

BNAC’s Bright achieved 2nd place in the Jacaranda City Challenge Half Marathon in a time of 1h10. Well done we are proud of you!!

Reminder – Online Entries are open
https://www.entrytime.com/event-details/?EventId=6077

Please bring along the whole family for our fun filled event

Kwa Thema vs Benoni Northerns Premier League Cricket Captains. Kwa Thema 100 all out in 29.5 overs. Benoni Northerns 102 for 1 in 15.4 overs.Very good discipline guy’s thank you and keep it up

Eagles Super 5 Season kicked off yesterday without the junior sides of U13 and U17. There was great skill shown and we look forward to having a great season.

Saturday 12th October Benoni Northerns had 6 teams involved in the finals. For the first year of Junior Rugby at Northerns the boys did great. The u8s won the u9c League after just fighting for a spot just to make the finals. U8s made history winning the 1st cup for Junior Rugby for Northerns and winning the 1st u9c League at the Valke Juniors.
U9a won their Semis but unfortunately losing in the final and gaining Silver. U9b lost their semis but won their game playing for 3rd place and walking away with Bronze.
U11 League had two teams in the finals. The white team lost in the Semis. The Red Team won their League. Winning the finals on the last play of the game. Could have gone any way but the boys showed their worth.
We are so proud of all the boys and all the teams.
Under 8- gold
Under 9b- bronze
Under 9 a- silver
Under 10b- fourth place
Under 11a white- fourth place
Under 11a red- gold

The Scimitar 9 Oct 2019

A summery (and Manny….no not summary…..summery….a new Rod word) and fresh good morning to all….

The weather has been amazing the last little while and I hope that everyone has been able to get out and enjoy it….it is the weather to be exercising or soaking up the sun….or even just enjoying a braai with friends….this is what makes South Africa so amazing…. the wind has lost it “bite” in the last few days and I am loving it….

We are still in the throes of the final world cup play-off matches, with almost everyone left with only a solitary match to decide their fate….And albeit I have said that Japan have been the David of the tournament….it should not be forgotten that these men in fact won the same number of matches in the pools as the Boks and Scotland in their group in the 2015 RWC….and only missed out on points difference….getting a hiding from Scotland to seal their fate at not making the quarter finals….but with Japan are quite comfortable at the top of their table in 2019 RWC…they are just needing to play Scotland in their last pool match to decide whether they head their group or end up second….I believe their fate should be pretty well decided after that….if they win against the Scots, they play the Boks, if they lose…they play the All Blacks….pretty much a double edged sword for them…..but I don’t think the prospect of playing either of those sides actually concerns either the coaching staff or players….they are so used to punching above their fighting weight in any event…..but I really believe that a ranking of number 8 in the world, flatters them slightly…. but that is merely my opinion…. and I will be argued with and kicked in the butt that my predictions were so wrong…..I can honestly say that I have a 100 % prediction record…..my track record speaks for itself….I have been incorrect of every single one of my predictions in the past…..I am pretty confident that my hit record will not improve after the conclusion of this world tournament…..

Our cricketers had a bad few sessions in the first test…..but performed a lot better than I expected….albeit losing by a very large margin, they were in the game up until the end of the 4^th day….when it looked like the Indians imported a new pitch for the first session on the last day…..in which when we lost 7 wickets in that session and decided the fate of the Proteas…..that said….hopefully the young squad has learned something….otherwise I may be tempted to haul my whites and kit out of mothballs and officially announce my availability for selection on the touring squad of supporters….

Sunday was a really busy day at the North with all the local soccer Cup finals being hosted on the main fields in front of the Club house….. there were buckets of excitement and nervous energy available on the day….all the young players thinking they were the George Best’s and Diego Maradonna’s…(Oh hold on…I’m giving away my age)……maybe Messi and Ronaldo’s of the future….there were some moments of brilliance and some of absolute despair….as the fortunes of the day ebbed and flowed….some teams will even claim they were robbed!! Others will say that they received their just reward…..as for the rest? They will claim that they were the better side of the day or that they were beaten by the better side…out of our three sides in the finals…..only our under 9 side lost 3-2 after extra time in their match, despite playing some brilliant football…well done to the coaches Warren and Mark and all the players…. our U6 side were truly awesome and comfortably won 5-0, hearty congratulations to the coaches, Lionel, Ryan, Juan and all their glorious warriors on the super win…. and our last side on the finals were our U13’s…with coach Justin at the helm….and in a tense and nail biting match….we were able to prevail and run out 2-1 winners….I am sure it will be a day in the lives of all these young men that they will not forget in a while….well done to the Easterns LFA for a well organised and enjoyable day….

Our Friday night brought us another First timer night at the Joker draw….as Mike Webb had his name selected at Joker draw time…..and he was really excited at being drawn….but appeared quite calm and composed when confronted with the complexity and size of the Joker cabinet….and after having his winners photo taken….was quietly confident pointing out his selection….one card to the left of centre….but that proved that his luck was as good as the previous 20 candidates….as the nine of spades was flipped….and amidst the roars of approval and sighs of relief from the crowd….everyone realised that the Joker draw was still a possibility for them next week…..the Jackpot swells and climbs to R85857….32 cards left and it is beginning to get interesting…..make every effort to be here this Friday….another exciting night awaits….

Last week we had a Karaoke evening….and everyone present seemed to enjoy themselves….thanks to Shaz for another lovely night….this week we welcome back Coyote….Billy and Martin back at the North to entertain us…welcome back boys….

Our softball and baseball fields were also extremely busy last weekend….hosting a softball tournament and the start of the junior Baseball leagues….lovely to see the fields full and the parking areas overflowing….all the best to Shaun and his crew for a cracking season ahead….

Last weekend also was the official start of cricket…..as both Juniors and Seniors indicated their return to the fields….still one of my favourite sights at Northerns….watching the U8’s in the top field under lights on a Friday…..their excitement and enthusiasm can be felt as you drive into the Club….please keep up that same intensity for your entire career boys….

All from me for this week… have a super weekend…I hear that the possibility for rain is pretty good later in the week….and as much as it may upset the Cricketers….we need the rain….and hopefully doesn’t affect any of the matches over the weekend…

Have a super sporting week….I hope to see you all soon

Regards  Rod

PS….if you have any suggestions or moans….please don’t forget to send an email to me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com about your concerns or proposals……

CLUB BAKKIE : SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Over the past few years, it has become more apparent that our Club requires a light delivery vehicle to enable the Club to operate more efficiently by completing important tasks in and around our Club. Some examples where this would be utilised are:

1. As the municipality is providing less and less service delivery assistance on our fields and surrounding areas, not to mention the almost non-existent maintenance to the infrastructure in and around the club of buildings, roads and parking maintenance, requires that more of this responsibility falls into the lap of the Club.
2. The municipal refuse removal, once provided as part of the all in service, and has been totally withdrawn, leaving the club with the duty of having to make plans to remove waste, rubble and garden refuse, from our Club.
3. Our major suppliers face their own logistical nightmares of providing the full supply and delivery system of the past and have become a little unreliable when it comes to delivering all their products requested timeously. This has resulted in last minute management techniques of having to continuously “beg, steal or borrow” vehicles or LDV’s to drive to places like major distribution hubs, to ensure uninterrupted supply of products to our Members.

With our large infrastructure of Members, we were wondering whether there were any Members, or their contacts, that could assist us in procuring of this LDV for Club usage…. This could take the form of a back to a back advertising agreement (whether it be prominent local signage, weekly adverts in our newsletter or eye catching signage on the side of the vehicle etc), a significant discounts, donations or even a gift.

If you are that person, or if you know of such a person, please contact Rod Scheepers, our Club GM, or send him the details of the contact whom could be of assistance, who will then get the process rolling.

Yours in Sport,  Lockey

Laurence Brown

Chairman – Benoni Northern Sports Club

Mike Webb (Guest) drew the Nine of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R85 857.00 for Friday 11th October. Be present to win!!

Live Entertainment from 18h30 – Friday 11th October 2019

Reminder – Online Entries are open
https://www.entrytime.com/event-details/?EventId=6077

Please bring along the whole family for our fun filled event

Congratulations to Mike Serfontein in being awarded the Best Batter – Major A and voted as Senior Baseball Sportsman of the Year 2019.    Well done !! 

Start of the new season with the T20 Tournament.  Benoni Northerns vs Actonville Premier League. Actonville 104 for 9 in 20 overs, Benoni Northerns 107 for 6 in 17 overs. Very good discipline and a pleasant game

There was plenty of dissapointment when the U8 Impala match was cancelled, but true Benoni Northerns style we managed to orrganise a game. It was a good morning out on the cricket field for the boys, giving them the feel of fielding for 20 overs before the season officially starts next week.

The Junior Football Cup Final Tournament was held last Sundayat Northern Areas. Great Day had by all Teams and a fantastic ending to a memorable 2019 Season.

Benoni Northern’s u8 League 1 hosted their Annual friendly against Old Ben’s. An enjoyable game was had by both Teams. Well done boys.

The Scimitar 3 Oct 2019

A warm welcome and good morning to everyone

The Rugby World Cup is proving to be another interesting tournament….South Africa did what was necessary with the “second stringers” to account for our neighbours Namibia…in fairly convincing fashion…57-3…with too many headaches and concerns….and with only one serious injury thus far to our Bok group, we can hopefully keep it that way to keep our best possible team available at all times….but there was one major upset…. in the form of “David” once again doing their “Goliath” trick….this time “Goliath” took the guise of Ireland….and I think that the Boks and their supporters breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t us this time….I am not sure if Ireland underestimated their minnow opponents….or were a little complacent….but Japan have proved over the last few years that they are serious about rugby as a sport in their country and culture…..I remember in the ’95 RWC when Japan faced the All Blacks and were humbled to the largest loss ever in RWC history 145-3….so it took 20 years from them losing in that embarrassing manner, to recording arguably the largest upset in RWC history when they defeated the Boks in 2015….and to prove that this was no “fluke” in 2015…they have now shown  that the might of Japan should not be underestimated…..and any this side will do so at their own peril in the future….well done Japan and all the best for the rest of the show piece….you have done a great job at hosting this amazing tournament….you have the vociferous support of your home crowds…and you have definitely stepped up your playing levels….a most encouraging sign for world rugby…the Boks play on Friday at 11h45 against Italy and on Tuesday against Canada at 12h15…..both of these matches will be shown “LIVE” at the North…so please come along to support….all other RWC matches (from 9.30ish in the morning) will be shown live….so please pop along….the bar will be open and we will continue to offer the brandy special for the duration of the matches….keep your eye out for other specials that may occur as we follow our progress through the RWC….

Another of our national sides is also in Asia at the moment….with the Proteas taking on the Indians in their own backyard…. with the cricket test series starting on Wednesday (which may already be in progress by the time you read this message)…I think the new Proteas in the squad are in for a massive surprise….I hope we are able to acquit ourselves well against this quality side in their own territory…..a massive learning curve awaits….we did perform admirably in the T20 series, ending up 1-1…after being fairly comprehensively beaten in the first match…having the second rained out….the third was a complete turn-around, this time India suffering a humiliating defeat….well done to the boys on this excellent result….may we take this positive intent through into the Test series….

Our weekend was a busy affair…with Club Cricket, another festive Friday to start off the weekend, Bok rugby and the RWC, the Apricot Tree Spring Festival…and then of course general weekend Club shenanigans….so let me begin with our Club sport…

Our Senior Soccer has officially ended….with the Vets and Ladies summer league starting under lights from Friday…and the Juniors finish off all their Cup Finals at the North on Sunday…with both senior and junior prize giving coming up…it is almost time to officially honour their achievers and stars of the season….and give them a while to enjoy their R&R…..have a blast guys…

Our senior rugby players are busy with 7’s and 10’s tournaments, while the Juniors are playing in their finals matches of the season…with 5 age group teams making these play offs for our Northerns Juniors…a most satisfying result for our first year at this most competitive level…well done to the Junior Chairman, Jaco and his team of ever ready assistants in keeping the Northerns flag flying high throughout the season…

Our hockey players are taking their well earned rest, with Hockey 5’s starting in Mid October to keep them all out of mischief in the summer break…

The Spring fest…hosted by the Apricot Tree school…was held at the Main baseball diamond and featured super food and art stalls and some fantastic artists….Reborne (who were my favourite) and Nick Rush amongst others….it really was a super day…although not as well supported as I would have liked…with the rest of Benoni “powerless” thanks to the third consecutive Saturday of light cuts….the Rugby was still able to be shown on the big screen on the stage… thanks to the generators that they had the insight of bringing on for the day….the students from the school performed on stage prior to the rugby….and in a heart wrenching performance these young people stole everyone’s hearts as they danced and performed for the audience…..finally bringing the house down with their version of the National Anthem…I don’t think there were too many dry eyes in the arena after this….our grateful thanks to the sterling efforts of the teachers, parents and helpers in assisting these you people in their challenges in life…all in all a great day for the school….hopefully they made some good money in celebration of their 10^th anniversary….

Our Joker draw this week had another “newbie” in front of the cabinet to do the selecting… as Mike Nagel was the fortunate Member to have his name drawn from the beeeeeg black box and his choice went to the left…. one below centre on the left and pulled the Queen of Clubs out of hiding….his misfortune means that the Jackpot grows up to R83502…which will be up for grabs this week….please come and try your luck….at only R5 a ticket….you could be our next big winner….

And after a really super evening of music last week from Blak n Blu…we are going back to our home grown Northerns talent this week….we are having Shaz and his Karaoke set up back at the North….everyone must get their vocal chords oiled and ready ourselves for us to have some real talent to emerge…

Our pizza kitchen has already been open for 2 months…and is consistently producing some fantastic aromas and tastes…I can personally vouch for some really scrumptious pizzas….please come down to the North and try them…..

 That is all from my side of the desk for this week…Take care….Rod

Mike Nagel (Guest) drew the Queen of Clubs – Joker Draw a turnover at R83 502.00 for Friday 04th October. Be present to win!!