Where's the Love?

Mark Stevens  - The only photo I could find of this happy fellow.  

Not up to my blog's standard - Mark if you're reading can you 

send me a better photo that I can alter? 

I feel quite a strong need to poke a stick at this special man – Mark Stevens.

It seems that the idea of ‘Australian Football’ is making Mark squirm in his seat, so much in fact, that he’s written a fine piece of journalism in the Sun Herald to share his distaste. Unfortunately Mark’s ‘article’ has come across sounding similar to something of a bitchin' 15 year old school girl.

When the FFA decided to re-shape Football to what it is today in Australia they made a conscious choice to leave the ‘Soccer’ era behind for many reasons. I think the fresh change was a necessary one as a lot of stigma was attached to the word. It can not be denied that there are several other games in this country that involve a ball and some feet, however, I don’t feel that it’s really that tricky to differentiate between them all.

Mark feels that ‘it’ should just be called Soccer and his reasoning for his anger is that ‘it’s the way it’s always been’. What a perfect rebuttal. Let us never change anything in this world because it works so perfectly at the moment!

I just get all cranky when people like this have to come and put their big cloud of doom and gloom all over the place. Mark's choice of the words, ‘our’ (referring to 'his' game), ‘other’ and ‘they’ (both referring to football) really cast him off as a Class A Muppet. It really is kind of unnecessary – Can’t we all just keep to our own game, and hey if something’s in the good of the nation why not support it?

The squirming on Mark’s behalf does give me a cheeky little grin, after all I think I know why he might feel this way. 

The calm before the storm… 

World Cup Outfit Trial Two: The Stock Standard

It’s time for World Cup styling advice again... In order to fill in the full spectrum of outfit possibilities I feel that it’s necessary to include the stock standard; Aussie jersey accompanied with Green and Gold Scarf.

This will probably be the most common option amongst World Cup patrons. Practical, comfortable and affordable…

As you can see, when I get my jersey on I am instantly in Hooligan character… Maybe this is what happens to all of the English fans? They may well be charming young chaps without the football jersey on!

I hope I don’t offend with the spewing antics… Just to clarify with anyone who may not be aware this is the infamous and affectionately named ‘Spew Shirt’ worn proudly by the Socceroo’s in around about 1992.

Keep posted for future World Cup fashion advice!!

GMB XO


T-shirt: Green and Gold Army Spew Jersey re-make
Scarf: Old School Soccer Australia 
Photographer: Tomasz Machnik 

SBS's Golden Ticket

SBS are being rewarded for their forward thinking back in 2006 to buy out the TV rights to the World Cup up until 2014. 


In a decision by FIFA, all TV networks without rights to official World Cup broadcasting (everyone bar SBS) will not be permitted into traning sessions, stadiums and after match press conferences. 


FIFA justified its decision, which seems to be out of the ordinary, by explaining "Due to the large interest of confirmed media rights licensees. . . no non-rights holder accreditations can be considered."


I think this is a pretty rough choice for FIFA to make. It's a great thing for SBS, however, I think it would really help Australian Football if we had as much coverage as possible. As SBS hold the official rights they're the only ones who can show the games so they would most likely benefit from other stations referring viewers. 


Within these limits the other four major stations will still cover the World Cup.


Read the full article here.

Flip it - Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory GRAND FINAL

I thought I should pay attention to a certain game that’s going on this evening down in Melbourne… I know I was whining a little about having to watch Sydney Vs Melbourne for the fourth time in just about as many weeks but now that the time has come I’ve warmed to the idea. The crowd will be pumping and a true rivalry will be in the air. 

A little disappointed with the Sydney Morning Heralds efforts today. Page 5 of the Sports Day has a decent little wrap up on tonight’s Grand Final, however, it’s nothing compared to the usual 5-10 pages of junk when it’s a certain other code of ‘football's’ turn… I won’t even bother to glance at the Daily, I’m sure they have some more enthralling news about the Clarke/Bingle saga…

As usual I don’t really know who to go for in this clash… I’ve lived in both Melbourne and Sydney, have quite a soft spot for the Melbourne team but also feel I owe my attention to the Light Blue’s as I now live here in Sydney.

To end the turmoil I have an idea. Right here right now I’m going to flip a coin! No one can see me but I’m actually going to do it! Heads for Sydney Tails for Melbourne. A 1979 20 cent coin with the Mr platypus on it…

FLIP!

TAILS

……. GO MELBOURNE!!!! 

Stab Vest anyone?

Is it wrong of me to find this a little bit funny?

The South African authorities and FIFA don't. They have both condemned the London based business that’s trying to make a buck out of South Africa’s potential safety problems. 

Fairly so, I think it is in pretty bad taste, it’s a little insensitive and I would see it as something that might well attract negative attention and just perpetuate the negative vibe…

I’m a little bit sick of all the pessimistic, cynical buggers running about telling me I’m not going to make it out alive of South Africa… Fear is an interesting thing - I think that it is best ignored and that life is best LIVED! I think as long as people are switched on and try not to get them selves into mischief, generally (I hope) things will be fine… 

How could I pass up on not posting the gorgeous male model in the 'ole' vest?! It did make me think twice about the necessity of the vest...

p.s. Thanks for the comments! Keep them coming :)  

World Cup Warm Up AUS VS USA

Our first warm up match in South Africa was announced today. I've decided to keep running with my food theme for the day, so if you hadn't guessed already it's 
America VS Australia! The game will be played in Roodepoort at Ruimsig Stadium 
on June the 5th.

I think it's a little strange that Pim thinks that "Their style of play will allow us to test our players against similar opposition to what we will face at the World Cup"... I 
wouldn't say Germany, Ghana or Serbia have any particularly similar traits... But 
hey, it's a good start none the less. Maybe he's talking about when we get out of our group stage??..!

Anywhoo, another Tuesday gone - Good night world. 

GMB XO

South African Cuisine

Instead of holding Bratwurst in bread in one hand and a Beck's in the other, this World Cup it'll be a little different. Below will be our pre/post match eats!

A 'Braai' the South African's answer to a BBQ (Thanks to Azza on the GGarmy

forum for the cultural lesson) . The Curly sausage is 'Boerewors'.

'Bunny Chow'. Strangest looking little concoction and name, however apparently 

quite yummy. It's Curry in hollowed out bread and mostly resides in Durban.

'Biltong'. Beef jerky style. Gross!

'Frikkadelle'. Meat Balls. Cool name, looks yum.

'Ouma Rusks'. You dip it in your tea! Maybe for the day after the match?

'MelkTert'. Say this one out loud and you'll fit in in SA straight away.

'Malva Pudding'. I have such a sweet tooth so I'm looking forward to hunting this 

one down...

Happy Saturday!

Thought I'd share - I love these images!
Predicting a 1-0 win to Wellington Phoenix tonight...

Flashback Phase 2: The Dark Days

The next step after my Glasgow Rangers debut was to get into a real team. The Weston Creek Under 8 Tigers. This was the club where I honed my craft… The craft of yelling was possibly executed here more so than my football skills, however, they weren’t too bad either.

The yelling skills came into play at several of the Socceroos and NSL matches throughout the 1990’s that I travelled near and far to along with my family. My 8 year-old heart was broken for the first time in 1997 after qualification was stolen from us in the infamous second leg of Iran Vs Australia. There I was, a little squealer, in the middle of a roaring 85,000 people at Melbourne’s MCG. I jumped up every few seconds but never remembered that the seat would flip up every time I stood up which resulted in a sore butt and quite a few scratches on my back! Schoolgirl errors all round! As we slowly made our way out of the stadium after losing I remember tears running down my face accompanied by the booming sound of Queen’s We Are the Champions. Queen was always a friendly and familiar sound to my youthful ears, but after this I truly did not listen to them for years!

In my ‘Magnet Ball’ days, as Dad likes to call it, I was quite quick which made me a good little striker. BOOT-CHASE-SCORE! Being the youngest I had my brothers and sister throwing balls AT me since I was a wee little rascal and I was quite lanky so I was also utilised in the goals, however, as my ‘career’ took off I felt most at home in the middle of the park. I had a few stints in the ACT representative teams and sometimes trained with the boys’ team but I didn’t like the Scottish coach… Tehehe. Anyway, in the end my summer sport, Athletics, proved to pull my attention a little more which meant less focus on the Football.  

My vocal chords were still in training at my local NSL team’s matches. The Canberra Cosmos were MY HEROES! I used to put popcorn kernels in Coke bottles, paint them yellow and blue and shake them all game… amusing… I did a training camp with them and felt really special the whole time. Norman Kelly was my favourite, I got his signature at the end and he wrote that he thought I was really good! I ran off home so very chuffed to show my older brother Brendan. He laughed at me and expressed his distaste for my liking the long-balling Irish player! It’s funny to look back and realise the kind of impression one player can make on a child.

The next step that added to the dark days was the Socceroos' 2002 World Cup qualification process. Some good did come out of it all, Dad took my brother Tom and I up to Coffs Harbour for the first stage of the Oceania Qualifications. It was such a fun holiday! Not only did we see the Socceroos make a new world record of goals scored in an international football match at 22-0 and Archie Thompson break the record for goals by one player (13) we went go-karting!! I wasn’t very good at it… But It was the first time I ever got to drive my own car!!

Oceania was the easy bit, we beat the Kiwis and then, as usual, were faced with playing a South American team of international superiority. In this case it was Uruguay. I was in Yr 7 and on this occasion Dad made a deal with me. He said to me that if qualified for the All Schools Athletics Nationals in High Jump he would take me down to Melbourne for the match… My P.B. was nowhere near the qualification height, so I think we both knew I wouldn't be coming. Anyway, on Saturday morning at Little Athletics, much to his and my surprise I cleared the height, I think it was 153cm. I still remember calling him and telling him that I did it and he had to keep his promise! He did, we went, I covered my face in green and gold and Kevin Muscat scored our only goal in a penality and we won 1-0 which left us in a decent position...





My family gathered around the Tele in the early hours of a school morning the next week to watch the second leg in Uruguay. My screams from the other side of the world didn’t seem to help… We lost and didn’t make the FIFA World Cup AGAIN.

Little did I know that the good days were just around the corner…

TBC…

Hardchorus

Hilarious! I missed this last month, it comes with the tag line; 


"They want to be in your arms. You want to be in the stands. What do you do when Valentines Day falls on game day? Dedicate this song to your loved one..."


English Football fans are really one of a kind! The facial expressions on the two guys in the front cracked me up! 


Thanks to Martin for sending this my way!

Meet Shazza!

A trip down to Canberra for the weekend to see some of the family has resulted in a little adventure around with my old ally from the Germany World Cup in 2006, Shazza. She came out of her natural habitat in The Bush Capital to show me around!

Shazza is a special type of Roo, the best kind, a well known Australian icon, the Boxing Kangaroo. She’s no lout, nor aggressive or arrogant, Shazza is known for her self-confidence and assertive strike which are useful when it comes to defending her country’s honour! 

And for today's Football department; even though I was keen for Newcastle to win I'm really happy for Wellington Pheonix and New Zealand Football tonight... An awesome crowd and great feeling for them! Just watching Sydney vs Melbourne on the tele now! 

I love the smell of eucalyptus

Today I had a thought. It wasn't any thing ground breaking... It was just that I realised I don't know the second verse to my very own Australian national anthem! How rude!! I can vaguely remember being taught in Primary School but since we just sing the first verse all the time my mind must have erased the unneeded info! 

So, here it is for all to learn. I will be reciting it tonight. If you join in and we all sing really loud it could be like a communal Advance Australia Fair! 

Australians all let us rejoice,

For we are young and free;

We've golden soil and wealth for toil;

Our home is girt by sea;

Our land abounds in nature's gifts

Of beauty rich and rare;

In history's page, let every stage

Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross

We'll toil with hearts and hands;

To make this Commonwealth of ours

Renowned of all the lands;

For those who've come across the seas

We've boundless plains to share;

With courage let us all combine

To Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

P.S. How cool are my gum leaves?! I was trying to think of something of an Australian theme to go with my post and I looked outside and thought Ah-huh! Perfect... So I opened my window, plucked these lucky few out of obscurity, scanned them in and now they are famous on my blog. TA DA!

100 DAYS TILL WORLD CUP!

I’m all for significant dates and I think it’s rather fancy that Australia happens to be playing tonight! 

Australia Vs Indonesia Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 8pm. 

Tonight’s game is rather important, not only because if we don’t get a point out of this match our hopes for the Asian Cup are all but over but because it’s one of the last chances for local A-league players to show Pim why they should get a ticket to South Africa. 

I think the starting line up might look like this...
                  Galekovic

Cole-Milligan-Colosimo-Thompson

         Wilkshire-McKay

          Sterjovski-Culina-Oar 

                  Kennedy

On the Bench: Durante, Williams, Bolton, McBreen, Burns?


Wish I could be there tonight to scream and shout but unfortunately life has decided I need to be in Sydney tonight. 


GO THE SOCCEROOS!!! 


GMB XO

What I found today...

Look what I found today…

Antique Fifa World Cup Germany 2006 lollies!!! I have preserved them ever so perfectly for all these years!

One little problemo is that I’m really not sure what to do with them… I have such a sweet tooth and can hardly believe I’ve kept them all these years, but thanks to my Mother (yes, you mama) I also have a near Kleptomaniac disorder (less on the stealing side) where I hate to let things go... I think also in my invalid mind of four whole years ago I thought if I had the ruthless discipline to not devour these lollies I might be able to sell them for a million dollars on eBay later!!!

They’re in a sealed tin so I don’t think they can go off. They’re made in Germany and the flavors are Cherry, Green Apple and Lemon. Yum!

So what will be their destiny? I'll give it a few weeks for you to decide! ;) 

G'arn pick one!

What do I do with my Fifa World Cup Germany 2006 lollies?

Chuck them
Eat them
Keep them so value will rise exponentially!
Give them to a friendly bum in Darlinghurst
eBay them – profits to football related charity!



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