The Final Word from David Booth
FQPL Coach’s Interview – David Booth
CFC: Hi Boothy, after this past weekend and ahead of Pink Weekend we thought it time for a catch-up and get your thoughts on the season so far, the challenges ahead and how the team is travelling.
It was an emotion charged weekend with a lot at stake. Capalaba have never beaten Sunshine Coast and being at their home, it made the proposition even more challenging. For Capalaba, it was essentially a do or die match, anything less than a win would have cruelled our chances of promotion into the NPL and gift wrapped it for this coming weekend’s opponent, Logan Lightning.
What were your thoughts on the lead-up, during and after the match? Did you feel the boys were up for it during the week?
DB: We have worked hard on how we can play to our strengths more often in the game, and how we can be that team that makes you feel uncomfortable to play against.
I think mentally this is one of the strongest groups i have ever coached, and being up for it is never in question, it’s turning up for it that can be the challenge sometimes, and for this game we did both including coaching staff and team.
CFC: It’s fair to say, the form line recently hasn’t been that convincing, only picking up draws against lower ranked opponents. Were you concerned about the form of certain players leading up to this match? What changed in this match? There seemed to be more energy and enthusiasm this week than last two.
DB: Not sure if form has been the issue, probably more the assumption that games were going to be easier than others and the result was already a given, that’s the biggest mistake in football
CFC: The loss of Stuey Edgar was a big one to take. He was definitely the talisman of the team, able to conjure goals and opportunities out of nothing. Who has stepped up in his absence, or has it been a range of players?
DB: Yes, Stuey was defiantly a loss as far as how we played, we have had to find a new way of playing and that has probably been the main contributor for those couple of draws that we were expected to win, but it’s coming together now, and boys have confidence in each other to get it done this new way
CFC: PINK Weekend is always a big event for this Club, but it brings even more significance this weekend with a pivotal moment for the development of Capalaba FC in the offing. Two years ago, this kind of scenario was but a pipe dream for our Club. We were plying our trade in the BPL one minute, and FQPL the next. 2018 we started off on fire, sitting high in the first third of the season, to eventually fade. 2019 started off with two losses against two of the favourites for the title and have since sat comfortably in the top 3 of the table for most of the season. It has been a wild ride over that time, what have been the noticeable changes that have made the club, not just a competitor in the 2nd tier, but contenders?
CFC: Absolutely the last two years has seen significant change in the Clubs senior men’s football program. I don’t think anyone knows how much the initial decision by Football Queensland to leave us out of the QPL affected our club when it came to both junior and senior men’s football. We had a number of young teams leave for clubs that provided better options for them at the time and we also had a number of senior players leave to go to QPL clubs
We had to totally rebuild from a club at the bottom of the ladder to where we are now, it has taken an incredible amount of resilience from coaching staff as well as a belief in what we were doing from the players that stuck by me and the Club. I am truly grateful to everyone that stood strong.
CFC: Destiny in now the hands of the players now, the coaching and management can only do so much. What has been the focus for this week and have there been challenges in the preparation for game of the club’s life on Saturday?
DB: Business as usual as far as preparation goes, I really want them to just enjoy the moment as this is why we play the game, they must realise that even though this may be a big moment in football, it is just a small moment in their life and they can’t be overwhelmed by it, they should feel no pressure at all in this game as that’s mine to bear and I am comfortable with that on my shoulders.
CFC: It has been a real team effort this season, different players at different times have stood up to be counted. If you had to select one player who has made the most impact on the squad this year, who would that be and why?
DB: There really isn’t just one player, as you said has been a real team effort, and everyone has done us proud in representing this great club both on and off the field, and will definitely do us proud on Saturday win, lose or draw.
CFC: You have been around the traps a bit, coached at various levels and clubs. How does this season rank for you personally? What have been the biggest challenges? The greatest rewards?
DB: Biggest challenge has been to provide these lads with the best environment to be successful in our coaching and training processes, and to make sure that they feel comfortable and confident that they can achieve the goal we all spoke about at the start of the year, we have never wavered from that thought process,
As far as rewards goes, seeing us sing and celebrate together from success in football, or just the seeing their faces at training throwing chat at each other is the main reason I do this, so that’s reward enough
CFC: Any last words ahead of this match?
DB: Let’s get as many past and present Bulldogs people down for this game to show we are no longer the club that can be taken lightly.
CFC: Thanks David, good luck to you and the squad on the Pink Day encounter, and on behalf of Capalaba FC, thank you for your time and everything you have done for this club both on and off the field.