Desperation Beginning
I've searched for an independent football blog with an Australian perspective. The best I've found is The Soccer Squirrel, which claims to be exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately its contributors appear to have abandoned the project since the World Cup ended, which is a great shame.
Now firstly, I do not think I'm the person for this job. If the Soccer Squirrel got going again or someone was to direct me to a good Australian football blog, I'll probably abandon this project, but meanwhile, I'll have a go.
I have pretty good qualifications in blogging, being a director and editor of Webdiary, a political media site. But my football qualifications are meagre to say the least.
Here they are. My football enthusiasm is quite recent, beginning with the 2002 World Cup, which was fortunately in our time zone so I enjoyed many games. I was at Uni at the time studying the Classics and there was always great crowds, often of the respective ethnic groups, in the Red Room (University of Queensland). It had occurred to me before when I had accidentally watched a game, but it became very clear then that this was the best game in the World, far superior to the other 'football' leagues.
I did play for two years when I was in Primary School, for The Gap Pastime Club. That was about three decades ago. Probably more even than playing, I remember a bloke who lived around the corner from me, a Pom called Mr Wiseman (his son about my age was called Sam), was every weekend and often on week days walking to the Club with a big netting-bag full of balls. Looking back I now recognise that he was one of the many dedicated pioneers in Australia, trying to establish the game he loved in a new land which just hadn't got it yet. He was doing it the right way too - teaching kids, for no money and just a little thanks. There's no way he'd remember me, though Sam might. A big Salud to the Wisemans, wherever they are.
My son Jacob has played the last two years for a local club, El Salvador, and through being the homeground linesman for the last half of the last season I was forced to learn the rules properly. That's a good indication of my lack of qualifications.
I've just 'joined' an over-35s team, who've just finished their season. They are now essentially a bunch of blokes who get together and play football twice a week, but I'm hoping that by next season I'll be fit enough to be useful to them.
They're my humble qualifications. I'm a tragic though, and will get up at any time of night to watch games on SBS, go to the pub to watch A-League games on Fox, unless of course they are at Suncorp Stadium, where I take my son and whichever of his mates want to go. Last Friday's trouncing of New Zealand was a cracker. Oh yeah, I'm a Queenslander and hence a natural Roar supporter.
That's it. All contributions and comments are welcome. I'll make entries as regularly as I can.
Now firstly, I do not think I'm the person for this job. If the Soccer Squirrel got going again or someone was to direct me to a good Australian football blog, I'll probably abandon this project, but meanwhile, I'll have a go.
I have pretty good qualifications in blogging, being a director and editor of Webdiary, a political media site. But my football qualifications are meagre to say the least.
Here they are. My football enthusiasm is quite recent, beginning with the 2002 World Cup, which was fortunately in our time zone so I enjoyed many games. I was at Uni at the time studying the Classics and there was always great crowds, often of the respective ethnic groups, in the Red Room (University of Queensland). It had occurred to me before when I had accidentally watched a game, but it became very clear then that this was the best game in the World, far superior to the other 'football' leagues.
I did play for two years when I was in Primary School, for The Gap Pastime Club. That was about three decades ago. Probably more even than playing, I remember a bloke who lived around the corner from me, a Pom called Mr Wiseman (his son about my age was called Sam), was every weekend and often on week days walking to the Club with a big netting-bag full of balls. Looking back I now recognise that he was one of the many dedicated pioneers in Australia, trying to establish the game he loved in a new land which just hadn't got it yet. He was doing it the right way too - teaching kids, for no money and just a little thanks. There's no way he'd remember me, though Sam might. A big Salud to the Wisemans, wherever they are.
My son Jacob has played the last two years for a local club, El Salvador, and through being the homeground linesman for the last half of the last season I was forced to learn the rules properly. That's a good indication of my lack of qualifications.
I've just 'joined' an over-35s team, who've just finished their season. They are now essentially a bunch of blokes who get together and play football twice a week, but I'm hoping that by next season I'll be fit enough to be useful to them.
They're my humble qualifications. I'm a tragic though, and will get up at any time of night to watch games on SBS, go to the pub to watch A-League games on Fox, unless of course they are at Suncorp Stadium, where I take my son and whichever of his mates want to go. Last Friday's trouncing of New Zealand was a cracker. Oh yeah, I'm a Queenslander and hence a natural Roar supporter.
That's it. All contributions and comments are welcome. I'll make entries as regularly as I can.
Labels: Housekeeping
posted by Hamish Alcorn at 11:55 am
2 Comments:
Go Hamish! At least there'll be something for those who don't follow Sydney FC or Melbourne.
The coverage of A-League football in the mainstream media generally is pretty woeful, so anything more will be a big improvement.
All the best, and go the Roar.
Dave
"The coverage of A-League football in the mainstream media generally is pretty woeful."
Indeed Dave. Imagine, last Friday at our own Suncorp Stadium Queensland flogged New Zealand, who we Ozzies just love to beat, in front of over 15,000 people. I would have thought that was sports news; maybe even front page.
But no. No mention in the main part of Saturday's Courier Mail. Sports pages? Sure, after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 pages of essentially advertorial for games that hadn't happened yet. The Roar vs Knights game was the NEWS.
Anyway, Australian soccer culture, especially amongst the media, has a long way to go. No question about the support at the grass roots though, despite the neglect from the media. Who do ya have to pay off I wonder?
By the way, welcome, and congratulations for being the first commentor on this humble blog.
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