Laverton Park won the lottery last week without even having a ticket in the draw.
The Reds were told by Football Federation Victoria that it will be promoted to state league 4 … without playing a competitive game.
The Reds and Brandon Park were major beneficiaries of decisions by Boroondara Eagles and Dandenong Wolves to withdraw from the state league structure.
The Reds, relegated from SL4 last winter, were reinstated as per the rules of the competition.
Reds senior player and club delegate Vince De La Plaza told Star Weekly his club jumped at the chance to be promoted.
“We got promoted before a ball was kicked, so it was good,” he said.
Laverton Park made a decision in the off-season to take the youth path.
That focus will not change, with third-year coach Marcelo Tejo, his eye to the future, continuing to replenish the squad with homegrown youngsters.
“In the lower league, there were only eight teams and the standard when we played in the competition the year before was shocking,” De La Plaza said.
“I think the aim is to be competitive and stay in state league 4 and try not to get relegated.”
It’s an unusually busy time for FFV clubs. The round ball season is further intruding on traditional summer sports because of the involvement of clubs in the popular FFA Cup.
This gives clubs from around Australia the chance to run the gauntlet in a knock-out competition with the prize at the end a chance to face A-League clubs in the finals.
The Reds will face Northern United at home on Saturday in a clash it will go into blindly.
“We’re looking forward to it,” De La Plaza said. “We’re sick of all this running and pre-season training.
“We don’t know about the opposition at all. We might’ve played them years ago but not lately, so who knows what’s going to happen?”
Laverton Park will also take part in the newly-formed Hobsons Bay Cup, starting on Tuesday night.
Eight teams from the municipality – two groups of four – will take part in a round robin format before semi-finals and a final to determine the overall winner.
The first group will consist of Altona Magic, Williamstown, Altona North and Barnstoneworth, while the second group will feature Altona East, Altona City, Laverton Park and Melbourne City.
The tournament will be hosted by Altona Magic, with all matches to be played at the Paisley Park Soccer Complex.
The final is on March 17.
“It’s a great initiative,” De La Plaza said.
“It will be interesting to play against higher league clubs to see what the standard is like and how far away we are from the other clubs.”
Cups’ itinerary
FFA Cup
Round 1 (Saturday)
Old Camberwell Grammarians v Melbourne City (Arndell Park Reserve, 2pm)
Endeavour Hills v Maribyrnong Green (Reema Reserve, 3pm)
Laverton Park v Northern United (Laverton Park Reserve, 3.30pm)
Waverley Wanderers v Altona North (State Football Centre, 7pm)
Hobsons Bay Cup
Week 1, Paisley Park Soccer Complex
Tuesday
Altona Magic v Williamstown (6.30pm)
Altona North v Barnstoneworth (8pm)
Thursday
Melbourne City v Laverton Park (6.30pm)
Altona East Phoenix v Altona City (8pm)
