Dear Football Super Heroes,

(I haven't used that opening before, have I?)  Welcome back to the second half and beginning of the 2009 season.  Schedule is complete, teams are ready and kick-off already began with a make-up match on last Wednesday with the youngsters of DoIt Satu Lagi giving FC JIS a slapping around with a final score of 9-3.  Shocking!  When I queried the captain Mr. Jurrien about what the heck happened (me assuming that they must have fielded half a team or something ridiculous), he brilliantly answered, 'Sorry, we're not allowed to comment by JIS management...', which was about the best comeback that one could expect after such an apparent debacle.  The manager, Mr. Uwe Luedecker, on the other hand, more philosophically explained that it was just one of those days when everything your opponent shoots goes in and everything your team tries just falls flat (especially in the 1st half: 0-7 for DoIt).  And both he and Jurrien would like you to know that if it is truly 'a game of two halves' as the historical Sepp Herberger once famously uttered than JIS won the 2nd half 3-2 against DoIt.  I almost went over and watched that match and now I am glad that I didn't.  Looks like JIS is out of the race for the title and will now have to focus their attempts on the JiFL FA Cup if they want to collect any silverware this season.

Scheduling:  You will notice that in keeping with the JiFL football culture that we have been creating over the last several years, the league co-ordinator Mr. Dale Mulholland, a self-proclaimed 'genius's genius', has made another schedule entirely from memory, using no scheduling aids whatsoever, and has scheduled all matches on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  He does this because he wants everybody to get used to the idea that on any given one of those two days we can always find a league match at one of the venues.  Which, in turn, means that we can go and support each other if we feel the desire or the sudden impulse.  Tomorrow for instance, we have matches scheduled at DIS with the German's hosting; we have a match at Sentul with the Japanese hosting and we have a match at Stadium Olah Raga Blok M with the BuGils' boys hosting.  All matches kick-off more or less at around 15:30 PM give or take a few minutes depending on how many fans are still trying to get through the turnstiles at any given venue.

Prediction:  I want to state uncategorically here and now that I believe that the magnificent Vikings will win the league title this year.  So far they are undefeated and leading the table.  They are playing a good brand of football and two new Arsenal gapper coaches from the illustrious London club are arriving next week to take their place in the side.  Apparently, both players are rumored to be useful on the field and good solid young coaches as well.

Comment:  Somebody said that I always mention something about the Wanderers in every Newsletter.  That's not true.  I haven't mentioned them once so far in this edition.

Comments, suggestions, feedback or questions?  Feel free to contact us at jifl@jifl.net so that at least I have the opportunity to ridicule you publicly if the whim overtakes me.  Meanwhile, see you live on the pitches...

Your Hero