Archive for September, 2008
Glory In Tashkent
There are many Australians tonight saying to their friends, family and partners “where is Tashkent?”. And there are about 100 or so Aussie fans who can tell them exactly where it is and how to get there.
Heather, Pablo and the GGA will be heading home in the next few days with a huge smile on their faces. A 1-0 victory to the Aussies has us sitting on 3 points from 1 match with 7 to go. This was a match where 1 point would have been considered a victory. Possibly one of the hardest away trips in World Cup Football and we came away with 3 points.
I know I wasn’t the only person up watching at 1:30am this morning and it was well worth it. I was first met with an interview with the travelling fans. A fantastic effort form the Aussies all over the park. Lucas Neil and Chris Coyne were outstanding and it was like Scott Chipperfield never missed a game, and he scored the only goal of the game. That came by another cross from our new Mr Consistency, Luke Wilkshire.
This all bodes well for our next match against Qatar in Brisbane on October 15. It is so much better for us going through this Asian route to WC glory than in Oceania.
Let me know what you think, leave a comment.
Cheers
Tezza
September 11 2008 | General | No Comments »
Perth to Paradise
I have mentioned here before that a mate of mine and his son are riding across Australia on push bikes to raise awareness and funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters, a mentoring organisation for troubled youth.
Well tomorrow is the day Jack and Brendon Sinclair head off on their adventure. If you can donate, please click here or the link to the side of this page.
Below is a caricature of Jack and Brendon by Phil Spratt. This guy is a brilliant caricaturist, check out his web site.
4500km in 30 days, a truly inspirational journey and it was Jacks idea. He is dragging his ugly father along for the ride. I am thinking that after 4500km it might just shut him up for a day or two as well. Who am I kidding. Good Luck Brendon and Jack.
I am Inspired
This morning i got up and went for a run. Being 40+ and overweight I sure need the exercise and if a 15 year old is motivated to ride across Australia then surely i can get of my fat arse and do something for myself. Thanks again Jack.
Cheers
Tezza
September 10 2008 | General | 1 Comment »
Where the hell is Tashkent??
It is great to read stories about travelling Football fans. The number of Aussies travelling to watch the boys play around the world has increased over the years especially with a group like the Green and Gold Army leading the way.
The Grandmother of All Fans
Heather Kayatz is a 70 year old Grandmother from Sydney who has been following as many Socceroo matches as she can after travelling to Germany in 1974. There is a good article on The World Game about our intrepid supporters in Tashkent.
I certainly hope I am still following the Socceroos at 70. Great effort Heather.
GGA member Paul Bareston has even orgainised a welcome party for our travelers. It is great to see some wider media interest in our fans. The great thing about our fans is we are nothing like the travelling hoards of some countries that are going to give us a bad name.
It is a privilege to have met Heather on a number of occasions now and to mingle with such a happy bunch of like minded fans before, during and after Socceroo matches.
And for those of you who do not know where Tashkent is, click here.
I just Love being a Socceroo Fan
Cheers
Tezza
September 09 2008 | General | No Comments »
Australia and Asian Football.
Since our acceptance as a Member of the Asian Football Conference and of course our successful sojourn to Germany in 2006, Australian Football both Internationally and Nationally has grown.
We now find ourselves in the 4th and final round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. From a fans point of view I find this very exciting. I find myself planning my life around when and sometimes where the Socceroos are playing. I have just taken on a new position in a new company, which will take a lot of work and hours to get going. In my interview I pointed out that I would require 2-3 weeks off next June as I wanted to go to Qatar and back to Sydney and Melbourne to watch the final stages of our campaign. It was met with a wry smile, but he understood and I will be going.Maybe not the whole family, but definitely with my lovely wife
But between now and then there are 4 other opportunities for Aussies to follow our team. Starting with Tashkent this Wednesday where there is a good crew of Aussies going. Following Football is not only an opportunity to support a team, but to see some fantastic parts of the World. Since the draw was announced I have told many people (non football) about the Aussies playing in Tashkent, and they have no idea what I am talking about. This is one of the oldest cities in the World and is part of the Old Silk Road trading route between Asia and Europe. It also part of the old Soviet Union and is now an Independent country in Central Asia.
I am really looking forward to hearing the stories from these Asian trekkers when they return. Part of the crew is the biggest Australian Fan of them all. A 70 year old lady who has been travelling to follow the Socceroos since the 1974 World Cup in West Germany.
Our Football future is now in Asia and the trips to come for the fans will be fantastic. Like many fans, I will be planning my next 20 years worth of holidays around Socceroos matches, and there will be many of them.
Remember, for those of us not lucky enough to be in Tashkent.
- Aus East Coast - 1am Thursday Sept 11
- Aus Central - 12:30am Wednesday Sept 10
- Aus West Coast - 11pm Wednesday Sept 10
- London - 4pm Wednesday Sept 10
Cheers
Tezza
September 07 2008 | Socceroos and World Cup | 2 Comments »
Happy Fathers Day
What a present. Up at 4:45am to watch the Socceroos and they WIN. 2-1 to the boys in Green and Gold.
I thought it was a good all round performance by the starting 11 and will go a long way to boost their confidence on Wednesday in Tashkent.
As usual the GGA was there and with good numbers. Being so close to England the London Crew was there in force. I am sure that Lindsay, Longy and the crew are partying hard in Eindhoven right now. I believe there is a recovery session in Amsterdam tomorrow.
Perhaps they will all be looking up the “Liver Cleansing Diet” on Monday.
The next phase of World Cup Qualifying has now started and our first match is Wednesday in Tashkent. There are 50 GGA members heading to the old Silk Road city in Uzbekistan. I am sure it will be a trip that will be talked about for many years to come. Wish I was there.
And to all you Fathers out there, Happy Fathers Day
Tezza
September 07 2008 | Socceroos | No Comments »
