Archive for the 'General' Category
What a year
2010 was a mixed year for me. Football wise I saw Gold Coast United finish 3rd in our first year in the A-League. I also saw crowds desert the team like rats from a sinking ship for a number of reasons. That poor crowd support resumed where it left off at the beginning of season 2. Only a rain soaked free entry night that lasted 20 mins seemed to have sparked some resurgence in support for the team here on the Coast.
Veronica and I attended our second World Cup to watch the Socceroos. After leaving the newly built Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban I thought what the hell went wrong there. But against Ghana and then Serbia the Socceroos definitely picked up their game.
We travelled around on our own personal trip with 7 friends who we met 4 years prior in Germany. Meeting people and enjoying their company on trips like this make it all worth it despite the results. We had a great time in a fantastic location hosted by wonderful people. I urge every football supporter out there, GO TO A WORLD CUP BEFORE YOU DIE. You will never regret it.
On a personal note I sadly watched my father slowly die over 12 months. It is bitter sweet. You are glad you get the extra time to spend with him but the pain he was in must have been almost unbearable. Either way it is not a nice thing to watch. We buried him in October and spent our first Christmas without him. Christmas day will never be the same again. I will miss him.
I really got into Twitter and have engaged with a whole heap of people from all walks of life and places. Whether it be Football, life in general or people who really make a differnce in the world you can really connect with people easily. Thanks to all my followers for help making 2010 a fab year.
It is time to move on. Gold Coast United has gained a little bit of momentum after the 20 min abandoned game, how that happened is anyone’s guess but it did. I am so happy they let the game start even if it should never have done so.
The Socceroos are rebuilding and have a new coach and new young blood looking at the Asian Cup squad for next month. I am hopeful we will pass the ¼ finals stage where we fell over last time. However I would think Japan is going to be very hard to beat.
And as for me, the only way is up. Or down as it was this morning. I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane for the first ever time at 46 years of age. I think I am on some sort of personal voyage of discovery, however Veronica thinks my mid life crisis is still in full swing.
I have made 2011 the year for change and I will see where that takes me.
Hope you all had a great year and that 2011 brings more fun and enjoyment to your lives.
Cheers
Terry
December 31 2010 | General | No Comments »
Well I leave for Sydney tonight and then off to Johannesburg tomorrow morning at 10am. Very excited. However I am not going to talk about football today. People often say to me “do you talk about anything else other than football? In other words do you care or have an opinion on anything other than football. In short, YES I do. So today I will give you a quick summary of what I consider important and my personal opinions on things other than football.
Shout Out
First I am going to give a shout out to some people and organisations that do things I admire and support.
Cate Bolt is in her own words “An ordinary mum trying to achieve extraordinary things”. Cate gave up a life of being financially comfortable, running a business to one of that dedicated to helping others. Cate made that decision as a mother of 9 children and before the GFC. Her husband Rick, lost his job last year and they ended up Homeless. Throughout all this Cate has continued her crusade to start an orphanage for homeless youth in Indonesia called Project 18 and also has Catescause here in Australia for our own homeless people. Have a read of her sites and decide if you can help out. I think she is more than ordinary.
Also I should add that she hates Football (all codes) and is not happy that the South African Government has spent zillions of Rand on the World Cup whilst Millions of their citizens remain in poverty. We have almost nothing in common, but I respect Cates opinion and admire her tenacity to achieve her goals.
Charities
My wife and I make conscious decisions every month do donate to charities. We have a sponsor child with World Vision, a young boy in Ghana. With the help of my family and friends I raised $745 for Mission Australia to help homelessness in Sydney. We give regularly to Red Cross, Care Flight, Mater Hospitals and a number of others. I find that giving to those less fortunate is very rewarding. I don’t have the guts to do what Cate did but we will continue to give.
And the football world also supports charities and causes. The Green and Gold Army, our Aussie supporters group have been raising money for the South African Red Cross to help their fight against AIDS.
My Opinions
Politics – I am a confirmed swing voter. I don’t believe either party deserves my total support, never have. I do vote every election based on policy and who I believe will do the best job as leader. I voted for KRUDD, and am of the opinion that sometimes you get a lemon. Shit happens. I can’t believe it has only taken him 2.5 years to reach the arrogance it took Howard 8 years to reach. I’ll be searching for Don Chip at the next election.
Super Profits Tax – Storm in a tea cup. The mining companies will end up accepting it but this was badly handled by the government, as is their mantra throughout their time so far.
War on Terror – Afghanistan I can just accept but going in to Iraq was an unmitigated disaster. The yanks should never have gone and we should never have followed. However as we are part of the problem we must be part of the solution.
Israel – Sick of the arrogance of Israel. Netanyahu is the next biggest threat to world peace since George Bush left office. Stop thinking the World owes you something and come to a solution that will give the Middle East stability and the world peace.
I could go on, but I have to pack for my trip to South Africa.
Cheers
Tezza
June 02 2010 | General | 4 Comments »
In a surprise to no one, I am really excited about going to South Africa next week. I have spent the past 4 months planning and booking flights, accommodation, safaris etc. It has been time consuming and an absolute blast.
Next Wednesday night, my lovely wife and I take off to Sydney before flying to Johannesburg the following morning. This time without the boys. 
They don’t seem to upset and are probably planning their party’s as I type. Veronica has put up instructions next to all the appliances as a reminder. They have had their induction and competency training on each one, lets hope they are still in one piece when we return.
There are many tours available but Veronica and I along with 6 others have planned our own African safari. All up we will be away for 28 days and will have spent about 40% less than those on a 19 day tour. We will be flying and driving around the country and taking in some of the best sites South Africa has to offer. From Table Mountain to Kruger National park, we intend on having a fantastic time.
4 years ago we drove around Germany in a Camper Van with our boys, and in the middle I took Veronica shopping in Austria and then Neuschwanstein Castle for her birthday. 
This time we are heading to Victoria Falls for 2 nights. Does that get me husband of the year or what?
We made some great friends in Germany and will be traveling with them to South Africa. One lady we are traveling with I didn’t meet until the Asian Cup in 2007. Her name is Heather and she is possibly the most loyal Socceroo supporter ever. Heather is over 70 years old and is traveling to her 5th World Cup. Her first was in 1974 to watch the first ever World Cup for the Socceroos. And she has been traveling to watch them ever since.
Over the 4 weeks we are away I will keep a diary and will have plenty of Blogging material for when I get back.
As I write this sentence my countdown timer is ticking over to 6 days, 0 hours, 0 Minutes until we take off for Sydney. BRING IT ON
Until then you can follow me daily on Twitter
Cheers
Tezza
May 27 2010 | General and World Cup | No Comments »
It has been a roller coaster for over a week now. But since the Cap was lifted on Monday and the Prices slashed it feels like we are starting over.
Our supporters club has been inundated with media requests. We have been in the local paper every day since last Saturday, a spot in the Brisbane Times, 442, ABC Gold Coast Radio. Its all happening.
We have also been contacted by the club every day this week and sometimes by multiple people. The FFA are behind us as well and have asked us to be part of the pre game entertainment outside the park tomorrow night.
A big Thanks to the FFA for talking to the Club, The Club for listening and compromising with the FFA, the Gold Coast Public, The media and a BIG thanks to Supporters from the A-League clubs around Australia. You have been very active on our forum giving us encouragement. Of course you will throw it out the window now we have won, but that’s ok.
Come On Gold Coast
Tezza
November 06 2009 | General | No Comments »
Us fans show our passion for Football in many ways. Most of us also have more than one passion. A mate of mine, Scott, loves Photography. He would love to be accredited by the FFA for our domestic leagues but has not cracked that nut yet.
Just recently on his Photo Journey he combined his 2 passions for a photo shoot. I reckon Scott has a real knack for Photography and his latest project shows his photographic talent and passion for Football.
Cheers
Tezza
August 30 2009 | General | 1 Comment »
This is the catch phrase of our bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup. It is an interactive Web Site built along the lines of Social Networking sites to get as many Aussies and our supporters signed up and supporting the Bid Process.
COME PLAY
Australia will be a fantastic venue for the FIFA World Cup, whether that be in 2018 or 2022. I personally think that England’s will get 2018, but we are in a great position to get 2022.
What is not to like about Australia? We have some of the best tourist destinations in the World. We have proved without a doubt that we can host the biggest events the world has to offer. And we are one of the safest destinations on the planet.
JOIN UP
So come on people, get behind our bid, join up and show your support.
Cheers
Tezza
June 21 2009 | General and World Cup | No Comments »
Is this what Nemanja Vidic thought this morning my time when Samuel Eto’o drifted down the right flank to out step Vidic and score at the 10 minute mark? Perhaps Sir Alex has watched all 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers too many times and was lulled into a false sense of security.
Clear as Mud
It would appear to me that if you give the likes of Messi, Iniesta and Xavi room to move they will hurt you. And when you do it in Rome at the UCL Final, the world sees it. Apart from the opening 10 mins, Man U was totally out played by a far better Football team. Congratulations Barcelona.
Sour Grapes
For what was a game played at a very good standard of fair play, there were 2 incidents that had no place in the match.
1. Ronaldo’s two footed, studs up tackle on Carlos Puyol
2. Scholes two footed hack.
It was obviously frustration, but the game did not deserve such cynicism. Both ended up with cards.
It seems that Ronaldo’s sour grapes continued after the match, by indicating that his “father like” figure, Sir Alex had blundered with the tactics. I assume he meant playing Ronaldo as a lone striker. This did perplex many football pundits I am sure. But is this the key Ronaldo needs to unlock the door and flee to Real Madrid?
For the Record
1. I tipped Man U to win this morning
2. I am a Ronaldo fan. He just needs to “Harden the Fuck Up” and stop whinging. Play football Cristiano, that is what you do best.
“You’ll have to forgive him. He’s from Barcelona.” – Basil Fawlty
Tezza
May 28 2009 | General | No Comments »
This morning at Stamford Bridge saw a UEFA Champions League semi final between Chelsea and Barcelona. a nil all draw at the Nou Camp last week really set this game up to be a classic. And by all accounts was just that.
Shame
The shame of it all is that it will be more remembered by the absolutely disgusting display by Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba towards the referee. The Chelsea players were incensed at up to 4 decisions not going their way, with the most damaging being a late hand ball claim that would have given Chelsea a penalty and the match. For the record, it was a 50-50 for me, there was no intent and the player had turned his back.
Disgusting
The scene of Ballack chasing the referee up the field screaming at him is just not needed in our game. It shows utter disrespect for the officials and for the game in general.
Then after the whistle we see Terry approach the ref and then Drogba lets loose with the most unprofessional tirade I have seen on a football field in a very long time.
Cheating Referee?
Drogba’s comments suggest he thinks the referee was cheating and then his coach, Guus Hiddink (I love the man for what he did for Australian Football) goes and backs him up by agreeing with Drogba in a press conference.
If you want to make such allegations make sure you have the evidence to prove it.
Enough time to win it.
Chelsea went 1-0 up in the ninth minute. The highlights suggest that Chelsea had a number of chances to increase their lead but failed to do so. At about the 70th minute Barca had Abidal sent off for a professional foul. I would argue that it was not even a foul. And I am sure if Barca lost we would hear a lot about that incident. Nevertheless, Chelsea played against 10 men for the last 20 minutes and still could not score.
The facts are that Chelsea had enough time and possession to win a place in the final and did not. A 93rd minute strike put Braca through on the away goal rule.
Stop Whinging
Chelsea fans should stop whinging about the referee and focus on why one of the most expensive Football teams on the planet missed golden opportunities.
In the end the referees and the players are humans beings and humans make mistakes. The referee could have given another penalty just like Essien could have scored a second goal. Neither did.
Disciplinary Action required
UEFA should take a hard line against Drogba in particular but also Ballack and Hiddink to a lesser extent. All for bringing the game in to disrepute.
Cheers
Tezza
PS: Why do women love Chelsea?
They can stay on top for ninety minutes and still come second!
May 07 2009 | General | 4 Comments »
It is now less than 3 hours until Phase 2 goes on sale. First in First served people.
The excitement is building just like 4 years ago. The anticipation every time I press F5 tonight will be exhilarating. I may not get a ticket but I will have fun trying.
Good Luck Everyone.
Tezza
May 04 2009 | General | No Comments »
Now unless you have no idea about the “World Cup” coming up in South Africa next year (you either live under a rock or in Mt Isa), you would be aware that since April 15th we have been waiting for the results of the first round of ticket applications to be announced from FIFA.
The draw has been done and was oversubscribed by millions. And people like me are waiting on an e-mail from FIFA. And now we are also watching our Credit Card statements online. You see, FIFA are debiting accounts and changing the online application status before sending the e-mails
I have a few mates whos CC’s have been debited the right ammount from FIFA for the tickets they applied for. But they are so sceptical after 2006 that they will not believe it until they recieve an e-mail confirmation.
As for me, NO movement on the CC or online status. But hey it still says “PENDING” so I guess I am still in with a shot.
The excitment is building and there are still 14 months to go. I am going to drive my family nuts again, I am sure.
I wonder if it is too early to add a countdown timer to my desktop?
Tezza
April 24 2009 | General | No Comments »
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