Rainy week

Looks like a bad week with a bad weather. This will disrupt Santos daily trainings.

Additionally some key players have gone home for mid-year holidays and Bishop's cup in Southern region of Malaita, where bulk of Santos players come from.

Some new players are being attracted to join Santos and we have an open door policy. Last week a player with Island Brothers had indicated interest in joining Santos this 2007 season.

From - John Keniapisia.

Santos into Round 3

Santos fielded one team only due to non availability of some key players and others. Most of our players went home for holidays and to attend Bishop's cup on the Southern region of Malaita (an annual tournament for Catholics in that region).

Santos team played its first game on Sat (23/06/007) and won through penalty shots. Yesterday it had a comfortable win of 2 - 0 goals against its opponent. Both opponents are Kukum Bombers (the hosts).

The win yesterday was magnificient with a display of skills, coordination and team effort both on and outside the field (players and management). Santos deadly striker Mr. Kaelet made some crucial break throughs that resulted in the two goals.

Tournament continues this Sunday (30/06/007).

Santos will field in two teams tommorrow

Kukum bombers will be hosting a 7 aside soccer knock out tommorrow at the Kukum market field. This is a fundraising drive. Santos will use this opportunity to continue with its preparation for the 2007 HFA league.

Registration fee is $60.00 per team and the prizes are: 1. $600 and 2. $400.

I will post next week on the results.

Thanks - By John Keniapisia

Local Are'Are Businessmen Donate Soccer Balls To Santos FC

Responding to Santos FC appeal for assistance, two local business Are’ Are men in Honiara have donated some soccer balls to Santos FC, on 11th May 2007.

Andrew Hanaria and Tony Tepe donated soccer balls to assist Santos in its preparation for 2007/2008 HFA DJ league.

President of Santos FC, Mr. Henry Kausimae received the soccer balls from Tony Tepe Director and owner of TM Internet café and Xerox photocopier and printer center, Honiara witnessed by club treasurer Mr. John Keniapisia.

Mr. Kausimae thanked Tony Tepe saying the balls came at a time when Santos FC is pulling together resources to properly organize the club for the coming season. Mr. Kausimae said the assistance would go a long way to helping young Solomon Islanders engage in worthwhile social activities.

Club treasurer appreciated the kind donations saying that all assistance in kind and cash would be recorded and accounted for in line with the club’s respect for transparency and accountability. He thanked both businessmen for recognizing their corporate social responsibility in assisting community activities.

HFA 2006 closing announced

I was priviliged to attend a special meeting of HFA executive today (31/05/007) whereby Nelson Boso of DJ graphics announced that prize/closing of HFA DJ league 2006 season will take place on 16/06/007.

This means that 2007 is close to a start and for Santos we should faithfully carry on with our trainings and preparations for 2007 HFA DJ league.

As for registration and annual affiliation fees for 2007, we now have in excess of $700.00 cash at hand. Both fees should be around $900.00. So we are doing fine in our preparations. Administratively and Management wise we are on track. I am also aware there are daily trainings at KGVI grounds.

Partnership for a successful Santos in 2007 and beyond is one of our aims.

From Club Treasurer - Mr. John Keniapisia.

Santos snatched $1000 in second prize

Santos FC walked away $1000.00 richer on 28/05/007, after attending a seven - a- side soccer knock out held by Lauru people in Honiara. Santos FC was happy to attend a worthy cause - fundraising to help victims of the recent tsunami.

Santos fielded two teams. Team 1 went out in the first round, through penalty shoot out. Team 2 went all the way to the grand final losing 3- 2 to Agfa Hana 2, a rival team in HFA division 1 2006.

Eleven players in team 2 shared $220 equally and the balance was retained by club treasurer. This money will be used to pay for 2007 HFA registration fee. Treasurer was thankful to players and management for working together in this achievement. This would mean that the club has assisted itself in paying for 2007 HFA fees, unlike in the past where outside assistance would be sought for this HFA fee. One of our aims is to help ourselves and then we can ask others to help us.

Thank you once again to players and all those who help in one way or another towards this fine achievement.

From Club Treasurer - Mr. John Keniapisia.

New Management Committee Elected To Lead SFC Into The 2007/2008 HFA DJ League

On 5th May 2007, SFC elected its new Executive Committee for the 2007/2008 financial year, which coincides or falls in line with the upcoming new 2007 HFA-DJ first league season – for office bearers, please refer to the attached Minutes – about 20 members attended the meeting. During the said meeting, the outgoing SFC President also handed a new set of uniforms recently sponsored by RAMSI to the new President and his new Executive – refer to the attached photo (Outgoing President in yellow cut-shirt and new President in dark grey cut-shirt, flanked by members of the new Executive in the background). SFC is ranked 4th in the 2006 HFA League.

The club was established in the 1980’s by some members of the Honiara- Are’ Are Community and had since then been participating in the HFA Leagues. The club has been predominantly made up of players and members of the Are’ Are Community and had been managed largely on an informal or ad hoc basis prior to the election of the current new Executive Committee. The primary aim of the club is to provide the opportunity for young and talented Are’ Are players who cannot make it into other football clubs in Honiara, to participate in a much more better organized and higher competitive football playing environment such as the HFA DJ League. However the club has an open door policy and welcomes members of other communities in Honiara and Solomon Islands to join in if they wish. The club had reached the Premier/Super League Division only once in the past and managed to survive one season only. So one of the aims of the new Executive Committee is to make the club qualify again for the Premier/Super Division at the end of the first season in Division 1 of the new 2007 HFA-DJ League and to remain in the Premier League Division for as long as it can take.

The club is also looking at changing the current name “Santos” with a new original name to reflect the members’ origin and national identity – a new club name will be decided at the next general meeting which has been scheduled in about three (3) weeks time. The club is looking at playing with a new name at the start of the 2007 HFADJ League first season. The club will also be adopting a new Constitution at the next proposed general meeting in order to address the said change in club name and also to guide and govern how the club’s affairs and businesses are to be run in the long-term for consistency and continuity of the club.

The club has about 30 existing members and about 20 new members. The club’s official training programme in preparation for the new HFA-DJ League has already commenced on 7th May 2007 – the team trains Mondays to Fridays from 5.00pm -6.30pm and on Saturday mornings from 8 am - 9am at the KGVI School south field. Currently, there is great spirit of commitment and cooperation being shown by most members/players of the club. The new Executive has assured the club and vowed that, with the cooperation and support from all members, it will take the club to new heights this season and that the club will one day in not too distant future will become one of the football powerhouses or a household name amongst the football fraternity and fans in Honiara, Solomon Islands or in the region.

The first meeting of the new Executive Committee will be on 13/05/07 at 1.00pm at Mr. Alick Ha’apio’s residence, White River, Honiara. The new Executive Committee is urging on the Are’ Are Community and potential sponsors to come forward and assist the club in one way or the other during the club’s upcoming fundraising drives to be published and notified soon.