September 12, 2025 • 13 mins
Wellington Olympic have secured back to back national Chatham Cup football titles, following a 4-2 win over Auckland United in the final at Auckland.
Captain and goalkeeper Scott Basalaj joined Adam Cooper to reflect on the season to date.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Twenty five to a here on the All Sport Breakfast. Well,
the Wellington Olympic football dynasty continues. They've gone back to
back with a second consecutive Chatham Cup national title after
their four to two win over Auckland United in the
final in Auckland last Sunday. Of course, it goes with
Olympics Central League crown yet again this year. Let's head
(00:20):
into the camp now. Olympic goalkeeper Scott Basale took over
the captaincy this year and he is with us this morning.
Congratulations again Scott. How did defending the title this year
compare with winning it for the first time in a
while last year?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, Now, this one was pretty special. Like last year,
obviously was desperate to win the cup. Few of us
had never won it in the team, so it was,
you know, sort of a bit of a relief moment
last year. But this year, you know, with having a
bit of a depleted squad through the cup run, it
was more of just a get down, get gritty and
(00:59):
see what we can do, and you know, to be
able to make the final, have a full strength squad
and really show everyone what we're about and get the win.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
It was pretty special. This year, so now really tough.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
And last weekend Paul Lifel, your coach, came on the
show and said he really didn't know if the team
would be able to get to the final again, just
because of how tough a competition it is to back up.
And what was the belief like among the players. Was
their confidence in terms of defending the title or wary
of the challenges of going back to back.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, Look, I think after the success we've had over
the last couple of years, you know, sort of every
game we've gone into has sort of been you know,
cut final mentality from the opposing team.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
So to have that.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Right through centrally for a few years, Cup run this
year obviously knowing that we were down a couple of
players for whatever reason, through the Cup run sort of
just get up the wider squad to be prepared and read.
And I think we just sort of went with it
this year. And for like I said before, a lot
of us it was a weight off our backs winning
(02:07):
it last year. So just to be able to enjoy
the pressure work through it, you know, rely on our
experience to get through those tricky moments, you know, in
particular quarter final, semi final, extra time and penalties and
what have you. Yeah, we just really pulled through and
it was a really good feeling to get through the
(02:27):
final and ninety minutes as well of the trophy.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
And what's set this year's squad apart from last year's.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I think, you know, we've been you know, really fortunate
in our playing group over an extended period to retain
players year on and you know, sort of leading into
the beginning of every season, we've not really needed to
add too much to sort of, you know, improve the
(02:55):
overall squad and dynamic. But I think this year has
offered a little bit more for the guys that have
sort of been a little bit more on the fringe
and having minutes here and there to really step up.
And you know, we've certainly had quite a few of
the boys and the team step up this year. But
I think being able to get minutes and get experience
(03:19):
trickle to them over the last couple of years when
players have been in and out has sort of really
been with it Swade in Gold to have a solid
run this year, and that's really showed with you know,
the like I said before, the pretty depleted squad at
times through the Cup run to pull through to the
final and get it done.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, it was that availability stuff, just an unfortunate coincidence,
and not a few of the guys been overseas or
just weren't evadable. Is that just the nature of the
long season? I guess you got National League coming up
as well, so it's a year round commitment that people
do just just take time off, even if it is
on weekends with big games.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, I think it's just the nature of amateur football.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
At the end of the day. You know, we work
hard in our daily professions. We all worked full time
and football comes second for us. So it's only natural
that we're going to have guys take you know, holidays
and breaks in the middle of the year. But I
think knowing that well in advanced sort of allowed the
(04:19):
coaching staff to prepare accordingly and get guys going.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I vividly remember.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Back to the Centrallygue game we had back up in Napier.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Thing was the last round of the sorry, the last
game of the first round of.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Central League, where h two players that evidently were on
holiday for quite some time, Ben and Justin were injured
for that fixture. So you know that was too out
of our very strong back line three gone for that game,
so sort of forced the coaches to shuffle things around.
(04:56):
But in effect that was sort of prepara for the
run we were going to have without having guys like
that in the team. So, like I think the preparation
leading up to that, knowing that it was going to
be a thing having some clean key players missing was
really beneficial. And you know, everyone played their part in
(05:17):
the cup run, and like I said, it was nice
to do it pretty comfy on the day of the
final and get it done.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, exactly. And yeah, we'll talk about the final four
to two over Auckland Unice and I'm sure a nice
result for you personally as keeper as well, given a
year ago it came down to a very long penalty
shootout saga and then this year in the semi finals
you also needed to help your team win on penalties.
So for you as the keeper, nice to get the
job done in ninety last Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yeah, it was nice, And to be honest, we probably
could have made it a little bit easy for ourselves
in the ninety and could have run away with a
couple more goals up.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
But yeah, look at the end of the day. The team.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
We've we've had a lot of a lot of positive
experience in glory over the last couple of years, and
I've been able to sort of be perched at the
back enjoying it and watching the guys get.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
The job done.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Sort It was no different on last Sunday watching the
guys do their thing, but you know, always got to
be there and ready to do what I need to do.
Fortunately didn't really need to do too much last Sunday,
but it was just one of those days where I
could sort of stand at the back command and what
should guys do their thing?
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Scott Basala with us the victorious goalkeeper and victorious captain
of at Chatham Cup champions Wellington Olympic for twenty twenty five. Scott,
what changed for you when you took on the captaincy
and what kind of leader did you try and set
out to be from the back of the field.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Nothing changed for me.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I sort of try and do that week in week
out anyway. If anything, it was a bit of an
inconvenience having a bit of a bit of extra pressure
around my left arm every week. But no, it was,
you know, no no aeded pressure for me. I remember
vividly talking to Ben probably four or five years ago
(07:12):
when he took on the captaincy for the team, and
at the time he perhaps didn't think he was ready
or deserved it as such, but he absolutely did and
has absolutely deserved to be our captain over the last
few years. So we're just fortunate to have a group
with so much experience. When a vice captain and a
(07:34):
captain go away and do their thing, we've still got
experience here to you know, lead some of the more
inexperienced guys through. So it was nothing different for me
and probably nothing different for anyone else in the team.
More just for the guys who have not had as
much game time over the last couple of years to
step up, and yeah they did that and.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
More and three in a row for your coach Paul Lifel.
Of course, the first one on that trio was for
him at christ Church United. Scott Olympic was a successful
club before Paul Eifel made the switch back to Wellington
and linked up. But what has he brought to the
team and the club that's taken things to the next level.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, I've said to Ifsen to Equors straight after the
game on the field like, you know, what they have
done over the last three years long long they at last,
but it's probably likely to never be done again. To
be able to go eighteen or nineteen whatever it is
Cup games in a row winning is yeah, pretty out
(08:35):
the gate, to be honest, I think you know, I've
brushed on it before.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
We're a vastly experienced group.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
And we were before we had people like IF's and
equal come in, and you know, it's at times it's
probably been to them, it's probably felt like it's been
a little bit easy.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
For them to come in.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
But at the end of the day, like you know,
they've come in and added to the experience and knowledge
that a lot of us guys have already had. So yeah,
and they've they've taken it on in a really good
way where we've been open to improve and to get better.
And yeah, it's been a really good dynamic. And it's
(09:19):
you know when whenever you get a new coach come in,
So coaches, so long as they conduct themselves in the
right way like.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Ifs and Equal have over the last.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Couple of years, then you know, players just get better
and better. So I've thoroughly enjoyed having them and I
hope we can have them for longer.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
And with that in mind, what else will keep the
dynasty going at the club long into the future, do
you think?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I think for us, like we've we've got a group
that have been together for a long time, and you know,
the relationship stem a lot further than what you know,
we turn up and do every Saturday or Sunday and
for Tuesday and Thursday training, So it's a lot more
than football for us. So we're all, you know, we've
(10:08):
got a pretty decent age group and the team a
good balance of young old experience, but there's no real
signs of any of us slowing up, and I think
we're all.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Just going to stick.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
To it for as long as we can enjoy playing
you know, top tier amateur footy for as long as
we can, because like I said, at the end of
the day, we we earn and gain a lot more
than just turning up on a Saturday and winning a game. Like,
we've got lifelong friends in the team that will go
beyond whatever we continue to do. And for that reason,
(10:45):
I think we'll just stick at it and keep going
for as long as we can.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
And you mentioned earlier Scott you're all amateur footballers, but
for someone like yourself as an example, you are right
at the top of the amateur football set up in
the country and I know many would consider you the
best keeper in the country at club level. So how
proud individually are you of where your career has gone
these last few years.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Yeah, I'm pretty stoked.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Like early days, coming out of school, all I wanted
to do was make a living out of football.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
I was fortunate to do that for a year or
two over in Scotland, but.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
It was it was certainly difficult going over there and
having a lot of pressure to succeed every training, every
game that I played to you know, because that was
my career and that was my focus.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
And since I've come back and you know, have had
a full.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Time job and a direction in my career, it's allowed
me to enjoy my football a lot more, not just
from a like a playing and performance aspect, but just
from not having pressure on myself to you know, it's
not make or break for me. And you know, if
I could give any advice to any young aspiring football
(12:04):
out there, it's always to have something else there to,
you know, to lean on in terms of a career
more so for the benefit of not putting yourself under
the pressure to you know, this is this is all
you've got, and to have you know, a super supportive family, wife,
(12:24):
some extended family around me to lean on and enjoy,
as well as a wider friend group in.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
The football team.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Like at the end of the day, if you have
a great if you have a great game, then that's awesome.
But you know, if you don't have the best game,
then it's not make or breakthrough. You've got more important
things in life. And I think just not having that
pressure to succeed we can week out has certainly probably
enabled me to play and continue to play at this
(12:54):
level for the time that I have, and I'll keep
doing it for as long as I can.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
More from News Talk set B listen live on air
or online, and
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio.
Twenty five to a here on the All Sport Breakfast. Well,
the Wellington Olympic football dynasty continues. They've gone back to
back with a second consecutive Chatham Cup national title after
their four to two win over Auckland United in the
final in Auckland last Sunday. Of course, it goes with
Olympics Central League crown yet again this year. Let's head
(00:20):
into the camp now. Olympic goalkeeper Scott Basale took over
the captaincy this year and he is with us this morning.
Congratulations again Scott. How did defending the title this year
compare with winning it for the first time in a
while last year?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, Now, this one was pretty special. Like last year,
obviously was desperate to win the cup. Few of us
had never won it in the team, so it was,
you know, sort of a bit of a relief moment
last year. But this year, you know, with having a
bit of a depleted squad through the cup run, it
was more of just a get down, get gritty and
(00:59):
see what we can do, and you know, to be
able to make the final, have a full strength squad
and really show everyone what we're about and get the win.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
It was pretty special. This year, so now really tough.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
And last weekend Paul Lifel, your coach, came on the
show and said he really didn't know if the team
would be able to get to the final again, just
because of how tough a competition it is to back up.
And what was the belief like among the players. Was
their confidence in terms of defending the title or wary
of the challenges of going back to back.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, Look, I think after the success we've had over
the last couple of years, you know, sort of every
game we've gone into has sort of been you know,
cut final mentality from the opposing team.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
So to have that.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Right through centrally for a few years, Cup run this
year obviously knowing that we were down a couple of
players for whatever reason, through the Cup run sort of
just get up the wider squad to be prepared and read.
And I think we just sort of went with it
this year. And for like I said before, a lot
of us it was a weight off our backs winning
(02:07):
it last year. So just to be able to enjoy
the pressure work through it, you know, rely on our
experience to get through those tricky moments, you know, in
particular quarter final, semi final, extra time and penalties and
what have you. Yeah, we just really pulled through and
it was a really good feeling to get through the
(02:27):
final and ninety minutes as well of the trophy.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
And what's set this year's squad apart from last year's.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I think, you know, we've been you know, really fortunate
in our playing group over an extended period to retain
players year on and you know, sort of leading into
the beginning of every season, we've not really needed to
add too much to sort of, you know, improve the
(02:55):
overall squad and dynamic. But I think this year has
offered a little bit more for the guys that have
sort of been a little bit more on the fringe
and having minutes here and there to really step up.
And you know, we've certainly had quite a few of
the boys and the team step up this year. But
I think being able to get minutes and get experience
(03:19):
trickle to them over the last couple of years when
players have been in and out has sort of really
been with it Swade in Gold to have a solid
run this year, and that's really showed with you know,
the like I said before, the pretty depleted squad at
times through the Cup run to pull through to the
final and get it done.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, it was that availability stuff, just an unfortunate coincidence,
and not a few of the guys been overseas or
just weren't evadable. Is that just the nature of the
long season? I guess you got National League coming up
as well, so it's a year round commitment that people
do just just take time off, even if it is
on weekends with big games.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, I think it's just the nature of amateur football.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
At the end of the day. You know, we work
hard in our daily professions. We all worked full time
and football comes second for us. So it's only natural
that we're going to have guys take you know, holidays
and breaks in the middle of the year. But I
think knowing that well in advanced sort of allowed the
(04:19):
coaching staff to prepare accordingly and get guys going.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I vividly remember.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Back to the Centrallygue game we had back up in Napier.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Thing was the last round of the sorry, the last
game of the first round of.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Central League, where h two players that evidently were on
holiday for quite some time, Ben and Justin were injured
for that fixture. So you know that was too out
of our very strong back line three gone for that game,
so sort of forced the coaches to shuffle things around.
(04:56):
But in effect that was sort of prepara for the
run we were going to have without having guys like
that in the team. So, like I think the preparation
leading up to that, knowing that it was going to
be a thing having some clean key players missing was
really beneficial. And you know, everyone played their part in
(05:17):
the cup run, and like I said, it was nice
to do it pretty comfy on the day of the
final and get it done.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, exactly. And yeah, we'll talk about the final four
to two over Auckland Unice and I'm sure a nice
result for you personally as keeper as well, given a
year ago it came down to a very long penalty
shootout saga and then this year in the semi finals
you also needed to help your team win on penalties.
So for you as the keeper, nice to get the
job done in ninety last Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yeah, it was nice, And to be honest, we probably
could have made it a little bit easy for ourselves
in the ninety and could have run away with a
couple more goals up.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
But yeah, look at the end of the day. The team.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
We've we've had a lot of a lot of positive
experience in glory over the last couple of years, and
I've been able to sort of be perched at the
back enjoying it and watching the guys get.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
The job done.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Sort It was no different on last Sunday watching the
guys do their thing, but you know, always got to
be there and ready to do what I need to do.
Fortunately didn't really need to do too much last Sunday,
but it was just one of those days where I
could sort of stand at the back command and what
should guys do their thing?
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Scott Basala with us the victorious goalkeeper and victorious captain
of at Chatham Cup champions Wellington Olympic for twenty twenty five. Scott,
what changed for you when you took on the captaincy
and what kind of leader did you try and set
out to be from the back of the field.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Nothing changed for me.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I sort of try and do that week in week
out anyway. If anything, it was a bit of an
inconvenience having a bit of a bit of extra pressure
around my left arm every week. But no, it was,
you know, no no aeded pressure for me. I remember
vividly talking to Ben probably four or five years ago
(07:12):
when he took on the captaincy for the team, and
at the time he perhaps didn't think he was ready
or deserved it as such, but he absolutely did and
has absolutely deserved to be our captain over the last
few years. So we're just fortunate to have a group
with so much experience. When a vice captain and a
(07:34):
captain go away and do their thing, we've still got
experience here to you know, lead some of the more
inexperienced guys through. So it was nothing different for me
and probably nothing different for anyone else in the team.
More just for the guys who have not had as
much game time over the last couple of years to
step up, and yeah they did that and.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
More and three in a row for your coach Paul Lifel.
Of course, the first one on that trio was for
him at christ Church United. Scott Olympic was a successful
club before Paul Eifel made the switch back to Wellington
and linked up. But what has he brought to the
team and the club that's taken things to the next level.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, I've said to Ifsen to Equors straight after the
game on the field like, you know, what they have
done over the last three years long long they at last,
but it's probably likely to never be done again. To
be able to go eighteen or nineteen whatever it is
Cup games in a row winning is yeah, pretty out
(08:35):
the gate, to be honest, I think you know, I've
brushed on it before.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
We're a vastly experienced group.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
And we were before we had people like IF's and
equal come in, and you know, it's at times it's
probably been to them, it's probably felt like it's been
a little bit easy.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
For them to come in.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
But at the end of the day, like you know,
they've come in and added to the experience and knowledge
that a lot of us guys have already had. So yeah,
and they've they've taken it on in a really good
way where we've been open to improve and to get better.
And yeah, it's been a really good dynamic. And it's
(09:19):
you know when whenever you get a new coach come in,
So coaches, so long as they conduct themselves in the
right way like.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Ifs and Equal have over the last.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Couple of years, then you know, players just get better
and better. So I've thoroughly enjoyed having them and I
hope we can have them for longer.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
And with that in mind, what else will keep the
dynasty going at the club long into the future, do
you think?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I think for us, like we've we've got a group
that have been together for a long time, and you know,
the relationship stem a lot further than what you know,
we turn up and do every Saturday or Sunday and
for Tuesday and Thursday training, So it's a lot more
than football for us. So we're all, you know, we've
(10:08):
got a pretty decent age group and the team a
good balance of young old experience, but there's no real
signs of any of us slowing up, and I think
we're all.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Just going to stick.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
To it for as long as we can enjoy playing
you know, top tier amateur footy for as long as
we can, because like I said, at the end of
the day, we we earn and gain a lot more
than just turning up on a Saturday and winning a game. Like,
we've got lifelong friends in the team that will go
beyond whatever we continue to do. And for that reason,
(10:45):
I think we'll just stick at it and keep going
for as long as we can.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
And you mentioned earlier Scott you're all amateur footballers, but
for someone like yourself as an example, you are right
at the top of the amateur football set up in
the country and I know many would consider you the
best keeper in the country at club level. So how
proud individually are you of where your career has gone
these last few years.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Yeah, I'm pretty stoked.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Like early days, coming out of school, all I wanted
to do was make a living out of football.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
I was fortunate to do that for a year or
two over in Scotland, but.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
It was it was certainly difficult going over there and
having a lot of pressure to succeed every training, every
game that I played to you know, because that was
my career and that was my focus.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
And since I've come back and you know, have had
a full.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Time job and a direction in my career, it's allowed
me to enjoy my football a lot more, not just
from a like a playing and performance aspect, but just
from not having pressure on myself to you know, it's
not make or break for me. And you know, if
I could give any advice to any young aspiring football
(12:04):
out there, it's always to have something else there to,
you know, to lean on in terms of a career
more so for the benefit of not putting yourself under
the pressure to you know, this is this is all
you've got, and to have you know, a super supportive family, wife,
(12:24):
some extended family around me to lean on and enjoy,
as well as a wider friend group in.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
The football team.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Like at the end of the day, if you have
a great if you have a great game, then that's awesome.
But you know, if you don't have the best game,
then it's not make or breakthrough. You've got more important
things in life. And I think just not having that
pressure to succeed we can week out has certainly probably
enabled me to play and continue to play at this
(12:54):
level for the time that I have, and I'll keep
doing it for as long as I can.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
More from News Talk set B listen live on air
or online, and
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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