Tag Archives: Football

Legacy fan

I have been an Arsenal fan from afar for the best part of 50 years. Living on the other side of the world meant that I either had to be near the radio for the classified results on a Sunday morning or hope our local daily had enough column space to print the results. on a Monday or Tuesday. I used to read Shoot magazine with my copy arriving at the newsagent weeks after it came out in England. The only TV coverage was Match of the Day The Big Match hosted by Brian Moore and the FA Cup final.

Continue reading

In Arsene we trust – End of an era

Arsene Wenger (Source: Goal.com)

 

“To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club.

My love and support forever.”

-Arsene Wenger

Sitting on the other side of the world last Friday night as The Adelaide Crows, my AFL team, won a thrilling encounter against the odds, my favourite person called out that Arsene had announced his retirement. I felt numb.

I have followed Arsenal since the early 70s where the only way to get news of how they were going was via the classified results on the radio on a Sunday morning and then perhaps seeing some highlights on Match of the Day on a Wednesday night. With the

advent of PayTV, I have been able to watch Arsenal play. The timezone means games are on at all hours of the night and with my only company the cat, I perfected the silent cheer so as not to wake the house when Henry, Adebayor, Giroud and now Ramsay, Lacasette and Aubameyang score.

For nearly half those years Arsene Wenger has been ever present on the boundary. His clenched fist cheer at a goal, sideline arguments with other managers and the fourth official, as well as his struggles with his puffer jacket are my memories of Arsene.

Like all Arsenal supporters and perhaps all football supporters, I marveled at The Invincibles Continue reading

“It’s a grand old flag” – Sturt SANFL Premiers 2016

When I think of a good match my thoughts immediately spring to sport, and for me a good no match was the 2016 SANFL Grand Final when my  team, The Mighty Blues, Sturt, significant underdogs, came out on top. I hope you enjoy  this post as much as I enjoyed this  good  no GREAT match!

The Premiership Cup is ours!

The Premiership Cup is ours!

As “It’s a Grand Old Flag” boomed across Adelaide Oval yesterday afternoon at the end of the 2016 SANFL Grand Final, emotions flowed from players, coaches and supporters alike. Sturt massive underdogs had beaten the overwhelming favourite Woodville-West Torrens Eagles to win the 2016 Premiership. It was Sturt’s 14th premiership and the 8th I’d been lucky enough to see.

img_4239

Wearing a scarf knitted by my mother and grandmother in the late 1960s a period of unparalelled Sturt success, I walked to Adelaide Oval, memories flooding back of how I had done the same with my father through the period 1967 to 1970 when Sturt were truly dominnat and perhaps the best side in Australia. My father said I was too young to go to the 1966 Grand Final!

In 2016 the SANFL plays second fiddle to the AFL however Sturt remain the team for whom my “heart beats true” and Sturt’s victory in 2016 was truly a great victory. Sure it was before a crowd of just 30,000, whereas their triumphs of the 60s and 70s had been infront of crowds more than double, it was still special. It was also the first grand final victory for Sturt that I’d seen without my father who was a true Blue’s man. My son too was unable to attend with work annoyingly calling him interstate – he was so annoyed!

Sturt whilst underdogs had been strong all season, and infact had led the table for a number of weeks, however they had lost to the Eagles in their three meetings during the season. I went hopeful but certainly not expectant.

Sturt were outplayed early in the game but img_4244managed to stay in touch and sticking faithfully to their coach’s game plan, trailed by a few points at quarter time and managed to lead by 3 points at halftime. Continue reading

Steven Gerrard – Retiring at the Top

Source : www.telegraph.co.uk

Source : www.telegraph.co.uk

There has been so much attention in the football (soccer) world about Steven Gerrard’s recent announcement of his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

The BBC Five Live Team saying over and over again, surely Liverpool,should have done something to keep him. Other sports commentators have said the same. The pervading view being he must stay.

Gerrard has other ideas. Apparently no longer guaranteed a starting place in all games, he’s made the decision to play out the balance of his career in the US. No doubt he’ll make a fortune playing less games and continuing to be acknowledged as a giant of the game. Good on him, I say. He’s taking the same route that fellow Merseysider Tim Cahill took a couple of years before.

To Gerrard’s absolute credit, he has made it clear that he will not continue in the Premier League with another club. He’s a Liverpool legend and to put on another shirt would be unthinkable.

He will also retire from the EPL in good form. Memories of him in his final season will be littered with strong performances as evidenced by his two goals in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup, where he was judged BBC’s Man of the Match.

So many outstay their welcome, playing that one or two seasons too long. Gerrard won’t. He’ll leave on top and at a time of his own choosing. This is just the way it should be for someone who has been a true champion of the game.

Author Declaration – I am a “dyed in the wool” Arsenal supporter!

Adelaide Oval

I regularly post about Adelaide, as I am proud South Australia, so please indulge me with a few photos of our fantastic new Adelaide Oval.

If the ground draws me to watch the Crows arch rival Port Adelaide it must be special!

20140428-132103.jpg

20140428-132124.jpg

20140428-132142.jpg

20140428-132214.jpg

20140428-132232.jpg

20140428-132247.jpg

20140428-132315.jpg

Wikipedia provides a useful history of this famous oval

Link to Adelaide Oval website