Balmain's FFA Cup believers pay their own way to Victory clash

Balmain Tigers coach Joe Di Giulio will send his players out for a lunchtime feast of pasta and chicken before they take on A-League champion Melbourne Victory in the FFA Cup on Tuesday night, but the players are going to have to pick up the bill themselves.

Balmain Tigers

Keen: The Balmain Tigers are talking about winning against Melbourne Victory, despite the size of the task. (Football NSW) Source: Football NSW

The Tigers are a small but proud club who play in the NSW State League 1 competition, three divisions below the A-League. Di Giulio told The World Game none of the players get paid a cent and all are either working for a living or doing courses.

While the players are enjoying their meal before taking the field against some of the A-League's biggest stars like Besart Berisha, Archie Thompson, and Gui Finkler, Di Giulio and other club officials and volunteers will be helping to get things ready at Leichhardt Oval.

Di Giulio said that after paying for ground hire the club needs to draw a crowd of about 1500 to break even. The Tigers are hoping to get around 2000 people through the gate to make a bit of profit which can be poured back into the club.
"We were ecstatic when the draw came out," Di Giulio said. "We're really happy from the club's point of view because it increases our profile, sponsorships and everything else and it attracts better players to the juniors here.

"As far as the players are concerned, for them it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, playing against Melbourne Victory. Some of our players are in the final years of their careers, at this level at least, so it's their last opportunity to do something like this. They're all happy and very motivated.

"We've got a game against Dulwich Hill on Saturday, then into recovery days on Sunday and Monday, doing some pool work and that, and getting ready for Tuesday."

Di Giulio said the players' employers had agreed to give them a bit of time off ahead of the game - but there is no opportunity to go into camp or anything fancy like that.

"Most of the players work and some go to university," Di Giulio said. "All different work, office work, factory workers, coffee shop attendants and God knows what else.

"Some of them will work half a day on Tuesday and the others will take the whole day off, from what I hear. They'll work as normal on Monday.

"They've all spoken to their bosses and told them what's happening and they've been given at least half a day off.

"They're meeting at a restaurant on game day for lunch to eat pasta and chicken. That's all they're allowed to eat. It's a players only lunch. Myself and other club officials and volunteers will be at the stadium from 8am to do all the things we need to do to get it ready, so it's hands on for everybody.

"We're renting the ground and security. We have to put the scaffolding together for the TV. There is a canteen which is council run, so we don't get involved in that, but we have to get the dressing-rooms ready and stocked up with Gatorade and whatever else is necessary.

"Hopefully, we'll get 1500 to 2000. If we get 2000 or more we'll be very happy."
Di Giulio said that while the challenge his side face against a team full of professional stars is enormous, the players were talking as if they have a chance of winning and he is doing all he could to encourage that belief.

"We don't talk about causing a massive upset, we talk about winning," he said. "That's all we talk about. I want them to believe they can make a good impression. Win or lose, it doesn't matter if you do your best, but they're not scared of saying they believe they can win.

"They've got a very positive attitude, which is good. I support them in that belief. I don't want them thinking they're going to get flogged or anything like that, I want them to walk on the pitch believing they are equals with the opposition. It's 11 against 11, so anything can happen."

Asked what his team had to do above everything else to give itself a chance of pulling off the upset to end all upsets, Giulio said the Tigers couldn't afford one link in the chain to break.

"They've got to play as a team," he said. "Individuals won't win the game, but playing as individuals could lose the game. If everybody plays for each other we can make a good impression.

"They have to work their backsides off. It's not going to be an easy game, it's going to be faster than what they're used to, but motivation and a big heart can do miracles.

"We've got good defenders, we've got good midfielders, we've got good strikers, so hopefully everyone can put their bit in and we can get a good result."

Di Giulio said his players were talking with great enthusiasm about getting into one-on-one battles with some of the A-League's best known players.

"Yes, they're already talking about personalities and who they're going to mark and who they have to look after and watching videos and studying them and seeing how they play," he said. "We're doing whatever we can to maximise our chances.

"They all watched the first night of the FFA Cup on television. They're very into it.

"Upsets can happen in football. We're State League 1, so three divisions below the A-League, and we're the lowest ranked team in the 32 teams that went into this round, but we're there and the boys are going to give it their best.

"Come along and support us. People can look at our club website or Facebook page and it will tell them where they can buy tickets - or they can just buy them at the gate. There will be plenty of tickets available."


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6 min read
Published 31 July 2015 12:23pm
Updated 31 July 2015 1:35pm
By Greg Prichard
Source: SBS

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