2007–08 Newcastle Jets FC season

The 2007–08 season was Newcastle Jets' third season in the Hyundai A-League and their most successful, placing second in the regular season, and defeating Central Coast Mariners in the Grand Final to be crowned the 2007–08 Champions.

Newcastle United Jets FC
2007–08 season
OwnerCon Constantine
CEOJohn Tsatsimas[1]
ManagerGary van Egmond
Top goalscorerJoel Griffiths - 14
Highest home attendance22,960 v Cen. Coast
27 January 2008
Lowest home attendance8,112 v Perth
9 November 2007

Players edit

First team squad edit

Players edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   AUS Ante Covic (Vice-Captain)
2 DF   AUS Adam Griffiths
3 DF   AUS Jade North (Captain)
4 DF   AUS Steve Eagleton (de-listed due to injury)
5 MF   AUS Stuart Musialik
6 DF   AUS Andrew Durante
7 FW   ARG Jorge Drovandi
8 MF   AUS Matt Thompson
9 FW   AUS Joel Griffiths
10 MF   BRA Denni
11 MF   AUS Tarek Elrich (Youth)
12 DF   AUS Paul Kohler
13 MF   AUS Adam D'Apuzzo (Youth)
14 MF   AUS Jobe Wheelhouse
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 FW   AUS Scott Tunbridge
16 DF   AUS Craig Deans (de-listed due to injury)
17 MF   AUS Troy Hearfield (Youth)
18 MF   AUS Noel Spencer
19 FW   AUS Mark Bridge
20 GK   AUS Ben Kennedy (Youth)
21 FW   BRA Mário Jardel (Marquee)
22 GK   AUS Ben McNamara (Youth)
23 FW   AUS Jason Hoffman (Youth)
25 MF   AUS James Holland (Youth)
26 MF   AUS Ben Kantarovski (Youth)
27 DF   AUS Stephen Laybutt
28 MF   KOR Song Jin-Hyung

Transfers edit

In edit

Name Position From (Club) Date Joined Debut
  Noel Spencer Midfield   Sydney FC 7 May 2007 Round 1
  Adam Griffiths Defender   Brentford 17 May 2007 Round 1
  Jorge Drovandi Forward   Rosario Central 2 August 2007 Round 1
  Denni Midfield   Santo André 17 August 2007 Round 1
  Scott Tunbridge Forward   Hamilton Academical 4 July 2007 Round 11
  Mário Jardel Forward   Anorthosis 13 August 2007 Round 4
  Ben McNamara Goalkeeper   Lake Macquarie City 18 August 2007 Uncapped
  Jason Hoffman Forward   Hamilton Olympic 30 August 2007 Round 2
  Stephen Laybutt Defender   Gent 30 August 2007 Round 6
  James Holland Midfield   AIS 14 October 2007[2] Round 8
  Ben Kantarovski Midfield   Broadmeadow Magic 12 January 2008 Uncapped
  Song Jin-Hyung Midfield   FC Seoul 18 January 2008 Semi Final (2nd leg)

Out edit

Name Position To (Club) Date Left
  Milton Rodriguez Forward   América de Cali Start of season
  Tim Brown Midfield   Wellington Phoenix Start of season
  Labinot Haliti Forward   Slaven Start of season
  Tony Faria Midfield Released Start of season
  Tolgay Özbey Forward   Blacktown City Start of season
  Steven Old Defender   Wellington Phoenix Start of season
  Vaughan Coveny Forward   Wellington Phoenix Start of season
  Nick Carle Midfield   Gençlerbirliği Start of season
  Paul Okon Defender Retired Start of season
  Ivan Necevski Goalkeeper   Sydney FC Start of season
  Shane Webb Defender Released Start of season
  Jorge Drovandi Forward Unknown 4 December 2007

Matches edit

2007 Pre-season Cup edit

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts
1 Adelaide United 3 1 2 0 6 3 +3 3 8
2 Perth Glory 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 1 8
3 Newcastle Jets 3 1 0 2 2 5 −3 0 3
4 Melbourne Victory 3 0 1 2 2 4 −2 0 1
Source: [citation needed]
14 July 2007 Group Stage Newcastle Jets   0 : 1   Perth Glory Port Macquarie Regional Stadium
14:30 UTC+10 Report Harnwell   48' Attendance: 2,700
Referee: James Lewis
22 July 2007 Group Stage Melbourne Victory   0 : 1   Newcastle Jets Skilled Stadium
14:00 UTC+10 Report Wheelhouse   51' Attendance: 8,500
Referee: Ben Williams
27 July 2007 Group Stage Adelaide United   4 : 1   Newcastle Jets Hindmarsh Stadium
19:30 UTC+9:30 Burns   6'
Djite   66'
Sarkies   80' (pen)
Alagich   86'
Report Bridge   69'  
A. Griffiths   79'  
J. Griffiths   90+2' (pen)
Attendance: 3,800
Referee: Craig Zetter
4 August 2007 Play-offs Newcastle Jets   3 : 2   Sydney FC Parramatta Stadium
19:30 UTC+10 J. Griffiths   5',   76'
Tunbridge   56'
Report Zadkovich   79'
Talay   83'
Attendance: 2,611
Referee: Peter Green

2007-08 Hyundai A-League fixtures edit

15 September 2007 Newcastle Jets   1 : 0   Adelaide United EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
19:00 UTC+10 Bridge   81' Report
Summary
Attendance: 13,627
Referee: Angelo Nardi
29 September 2007 Sydney FC   1 : 0   Newcastle Jets Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
19:00 UTC+10 Brosque   36' Report
Summary
Attendance: 13,755
Referee:   Craig Zetter
9 November 2007 Newcastle Jets   1 : 4   Perth Glory EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
20:00 UTC+11 J. Griffiths   49' Report
Summary
Durante   25' (o.g.)
J. Simpson   51'
Rukavytsya   63', 90+1'
Attendance: 8,112
Referee:   Peter Green
7 December 2007 Sydney FC   1 : 0   Newcastle Jets Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
20:00 UTC+11 Zadkovich   52'
Corica   90+3'
Report
Summary
Attendance: 10,732
Referee:   Matthew Breeze
4 January 2008 Newcastle Jets   2 : 1   Adelaide United EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
20:00 UTC+11 J. Griffiths   13'
Holland   73'
Report
Summary
Pantelis   41'
Barbiero   18, 45+1'  
Attendance: 13,047
Referee:   Peter Green
18 January 2008 Newcastle Jets   2 : 1   Perth Glory EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
20:00 UTC+11 J. Griffiths   22'
Bridge   64'
Report
Summary
Rizzo   37'
Harnwell   45+2'
Attendance: 16,212
Referee:   Michael Hester

2007-08 Finals series edit

10 February 2008 Major SF Leg 2 Central Coast Mariners   3 : 0 (a.e.t.)   Newcastle Jets Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
18:00 UTC+11 Kwasnik   37'
Petrovski   74', 95'
Summary Attendance: 19,112
Referee:   Ben Williams
17 February 2008 Preliminary Final Newcastle Jets   3 : 2 (a.e.t.)   Queensland Roar EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
18:00 UTC+11 Thompson   40'
J.Griffiths   104' (pen.)
Elrich   111'
Report
Summary
Reinaldo   90+2' (pen.), 118' (pen.)
Moore   77'   112'
Attendance: 16,021
Referee:   Peter Green
24 February 2008 Grand Final Central Coast Mariners   0 : 1   Newcastle Jets Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
17:00 UTC+11 Vukovic   90+5' Summary Bridge   64' Attendance: 36,354
Referee:   Mark Shield

League table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Central Coast Mariners 21 10 4 7 30 25 +5 34 Qualification for 2009 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series[a]
2 Newcastle Jets (C) 21 9 7 5 25 21 +4 34
3 Sydney FC 21 8 8 5 28 24 +4 32 Qualification for 2008 Pan-Pacific Championship and Finals series
4 Queensland Roar 21 8 7 6 25 21 +4 31 Qualification for Finals series
5 Melbourne Victory 21 6 9 6 29 29 0 27
6 Adelaide United 21 6 8 7 31 29 +2 26
7 Perth Glory 21 4 8 9 27 34 −7 20
8 Wellington Phoenix[b] 21 5 5 11 25 37 −12 20
Source: ultimatealeague.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ First place qualifies for the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage.
    Winning the 2008 A-League Grand Final earns qualification for the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage, unless the Grand Final winners are also first place, in which case the Grand Final runner up qualifies.
  2. ^ Wellington Phoenix cannot qualify for the AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.

Statistics edit

Goal scorers edit

Name Pre-Season A-League Finals
  Joel Griffiths 3 12 2
  Mark Bridge 0 4 1
  Adam Griffiths 0 2 1
  James Holland 0 3 0
  Scott Tunbridge 1 1 0
  Denni 0 1 0
  Matt Thompson 0 1 1
  Stuart Musialik 0 1 0
  Jobe Wheelhouse 1 0 0
  Tarek Elrich 0 0 1

References edit

  1. ^ Tsatsimas, John (17 July 2007). "New Jets Boss Speaks To Fans". Newcastle United Jets. Retrieved 14 September 2007.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Holland made his debut as a temporary squad member and was later signed to a permanent contract on 5 December 2007.