NUAFC 1968-2018

2015
Senior Coach Appointed for 2015
Spanish professional
footballer Magi Mas Manresa has
been appointed as coach of
Ngaruawahia United for the 2015
season.
Magi is a left-footed 29-
year-old attacking mid-fielder with
the ability to play on either wing.
He has extensive coaching and
managing experience at a variety of
levels from youth upwards.
His playing record
includes playing in Spain’s Division
de Honor, the highest Under18
league in Spain, against such clubs
as FC Barcelona, Valencia FC,
Espanyol and Villarreal.
At the end of his youth
career he studied and qualified in
Tourist Management before gaining a starting spot for the Fundacio
Esportiva Figueres football club.
In 2008 Magi was awarded a Full Ride Scholarship to play
in the United States for The Eagles (Embry Riddle Aeronautical
University) where, for three consecutive seasons, he received the
unique distinction of being awarded both Player and Midfielder of
the Year.
Magi’s goal for Qatar’s Alba FC in the 2013-2014 season
won his team the league title.
Our new coach is a multi-language speaker (Spanish,
Catalan, English, French & Portuguese) and is looking forward to
adding Kiwi-ese to that list.
Seriously, Matt has been awesome, mostly when its not
Saturday night, but definitely someone who gives as much as he
gets and is a big contributor when it comes to subject matter for the
gossip columnists in the Club.
Not being able to drive in this country is a serious
disadvantage given our crap public transport and it must have cost
him a small fortune in taxi fares especially when he was living out in
Narra.
Notorious for his late night antics, he invariably ended up
somewhat lost and without a ride home which resulted in the $80
cab fare.
When he moved to town he actually got himself a bike ,
but that turned out to be about as reliable as his mood swings on a
Sunday morning!
Working for Matt Williams as a brush hand was a real
experience for all concerned but we have it on very good authority
that his banter will be sorely missed however the pressures of
providing lifts for him wont be….ask his mate Scott.
We know how much he has loved his stay in NZ and we
really enjoyed having him here with us but I have a feeling he will
miss his new flatmates a little more than us.
Sarah and Kieran have definitely left their mark on him (in
more ways than I can politely say) and hopefully between us all we
can convince him to one day return to our shores where he will
always be very welcome.
Magi’s Report
“This will be a rebuilding season for Ngaruawahia United
Football Club with many new players to watch throughout the year.
“This year’s squad will have plenty of young guys itching
to show their talent. I see this situation as a great opportunity for
these young players to perform in a relatively highlevel football
competition. I am sure that they will make an impact, and what is
more important they will learn how to compete in a high
demanding and physical league.
“We have some experienced players that will give us a
good balance to the team and lead the younger ones in the training
sessions and competition games. Most likely we will have some
newcomers joining the team during the season.
“After a challenging preseason with four games, one win,
two draws and one loss, we have seen that the team is competitive
and can play against any rival. I am looking forward to seeing us
competing in the upcoming season and I am very excited to see how
our players perform on the field, specially the young ones.
“From a coach perspective, my objective is to be
competitive against all the teams and see a continuous
improvement on an individual basis and the team as whole.
“I am from Barcelona, Spain, so it is obvious that our game
style will be defined on keeping the ball, taking care of it, and
maintaining a high percentage of possession.
“In terms of results, our objective is to go game by game
competing at our best and trying to ensure a good result.
“At Ngaruawahia we are a tight knit family and we are
looking forward to a nice season with exciting players and football
to watch.”
Magi Mas Manresa
Farewell to Mat
This week (May 16th) we farewell the Mighty Millwall
Menace aka Matt Kellett-Smith. Having been here a year it will
definitely leave a bit of a hole in the Narra Club family…I mean who
will we take the mickey out of now!
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Matt Kellett-Smith