User:Mikegela44/sandbox

Manny (Gotis) Gelagotis
Manny Gelagotis (Gotis) (born 18th November 1969) is a former National Soccer League (NSL) player for the Falcons 2000 SC From 1996 -2001 Manny played 104 games for the Falcons including 3 career goals and 97 starts for the Falcons. Gelagotis won the Tony Capraro memorial trophy voted by Falcons head coach and Socceroo (coach) legend Frank Arok who was a long time mentor for Gelagotis. Gelagotis was Vice Captain for Gippsland Falcons in 1997.

Early life
Gelagotis was born in a small town called Nhill in regional Victoria Australia but at a young age Gelagotis eventuated to Gippsland Victoria where he grew up living and going to school in Warragul. Eventually Gelagotis made his way down to Moe where he lived full time and worked his parents while also going to school in Traralgon. Manny's early life was heavily focused on School, work and sports which was inherited by his Greek Parents Michael & Effie Gotis who were Greek Immigrants. Having come over from Greece, Michael (dad) and Effie (mum) inherited hard work and dedication and taught Manny the tough way of what hard work really is. Manny's parents had fruits shops, fish and chips, greyhounds and horse racing and from a young age Manny alongside his older brother Peter would spend plenty of time in the shops working with there father and mother. Manny's teenage routine was waking up at five to work with dad, go to school, then play sports after school and worked again after sport. In his first two senior years in the Latrobe Valley soccer league, Manny tasted great success as a young teenager winning two senior championships with Warragul United (aged 15) and Traralgon Olympians (aged 16) before catching the recruiters eye at Morwell Falcons. Manny went on to debut for Morwell / Gippsland Falcons state league/ Premier League senior side in 1987 and proceed to carve out a career in Soccer.

Current Life
Manny is now married with one child, runs two businesses with his older brother Peter which both of them was taking over from there late great dad Michael (Chicken Mick) Gotis. Manny runs a cafe business Michael's Golden Hen in Moe and oversees Peter Gelagotis Racing which is thoroughbred racing / training horses in Victoria and is headed by senior trainer and brother Peter Gelagotis. Providing Peter with the opportunity to singularly focus on the horses in his care, Manny manages all aspects of the day to day activities of the stable and ensures the best support team and facilities are in place to ensure the future growth and success of the business.

Manny is instrumental in the selection process of yearlings at the annual sales and is a strong advocate that the relationship between owner, horse and stable is vital to enhanced ownership experiences and long term success.

Over the years Manny and Peter have had great success in the town of Moe where there stable was based having won 10 listed races, 6 group 3s, 5 group 2s and 3 group 1s which includes The 2018 Harrolds Australian Derby there best win to date which was won by Levendi. This success comes with just an average of 30-35 horses per year in the Gelagotis stable.