Dad talks up Force on pitch

It common enough to be coached by your father through the grades but when the old man jumps on the field and starts telling everyone what to do - when you're 18 years of age - it must be a bit unsettling.
Not so for Jamie Blowers, who reckons having dad Mike playing is helping his North Force reserve side establish themselves in their challenging league.
"He's one of the only ones who talks out there, and he's helping to organise us by telling us what to do, which has made things a lot easier on the pitch," Jamie said.
Mike has been pushed into service as a sweeper and defensive organiser and his son isn't the only one glad to have him onboard. Reserves coach and striker Owen Liiv says the entire team are behind their acquisition.
"It's been really good having that experience at the back, he might not have the pace of the players around him but he's got the brain to compensate," Liiv said.
Blowers, at the ripe old age of forty "something" is teaching the other Reserve team defenders, - including Jamie, Willie Dunn and central defender Zippy Stanners - some new tricks.
"They're a young side with plenty of talent but they've got to get used to the grade they're playing in, they need to get harder and tougher - and that only comes with experience," Mike said.
The signs are there that the side can improve their position in the table and after winning their first game a couple of weeks ago, they are targeting more wins as the second round nears.
Mike has plenty of experience at this level, he started playing in the Northern League side back in the days of FC Northland and for seven years captained the side.
He retired from the top level leaving it to players coming through and refocused his energies into organising the Madhatters Club, where he was player-coach of the Northland premier grade team for a dozen or more years.
This year Madhatters entered a Northland First division side and second division side, allowing Mike to take more interest in his son's progress playing in the North Force reserves.
"A bunch of us guys with sons in the side were planning to go down to Auckland to support North Force over Easter but when that fell through because of a few injuries, I went anyway and decided to take my boots just in case," he said.
Pulled on to the sideline as injury cover, he watched the game with mounting disbelief.
"They were getting beaten but it was just so quiet out there, nobody was talking," he said.
That ended when Mike Blowers was subbed into the game - his role as an organiser for the team started then.
The footballer may be something of a senior citizen at this level but he said he'd keep playing for the team as long as he's needed. He has cherished the chance to play side by side with his son Jamie, who he has coached since he was 6. That has been worth it alone, he said.
Both North Force seniors and the Reserves travel away to Birkenhead tomorrow.