- Jul 9, 2010
- 24,163
- 26,536
- AFL Club
- Fremantle
My family were and still are a pretty staunch, tried, and tested Aussie Rules family (working class, city-dwelling Anglo-Australian) and my first foray into soccer was at about age 7. We moved next door to this kid who would've been about 11 at the time and though the age gap felt massive at the time, he felt like my best mate. He was a Lions fan and his dad a heavy Tiges supporter but... he was right into soccer too. Aside from Glory Grand Finals, I never knew anyone who was interested in the game.
It all kind of happened at once. The 2002 World Cup was about to start – and if there's one World Cup for an Australian kid to enjoy, it was Korea/Japan and its 4pm kick-offs. This is back in the day of Blockbusters existing, and in a strangely prophetic sale they had, my mum let me grab a few of the $2 PS One games they were selling. I grabbed France 98. I always say FIFA 06 changed my life but without France 98, I doubt I would've ever been in the spot to try out that second copy.
Alright, I lied; we had FIFA 97 on the PC but it was too hard for my hands to navigate so, aside from John Motson riffing on guitar licks, I never played that too much.
Anyway, with all this going on, me and this mate of mine would do what every kid does and romanticise that they did: staying out until your feet are black and toes are stubbed and the mozzies are out. We'd kick the soccer ball all arvo. Like, non-stop. We'd have tournaments between ourselves and go through match-ups: "alright the venue's Old Trafford (it was a leaf-strewn backyard in beach-side suburbia with an upturned trampoline and an asbestos fence for goals, to be honest) and I'll be France and you be Senegal..." It was formative.
I just remember having this guide to the '02 World Cup book we had in aid of choosing teams. And this mate told me how good the French were – they'd just won the last World Cup. Plus I had France 98. And that meant they were definitely going to win Korea/Japan (...) and that their best players, Henry and Viera, were at Arsenal. So I got aboard and as they say...
The Monday night SBS doubles of the EPL highlights and South Park was like my world for a bit. I vividly remember so many episodes... I remember staying up to watch the odd Leeds game, I distinctly remember an Arsenal match against Everton at sunny Highbury in the undefeated season. It was a pivotal experience and I don't care what anyone says, the early and mid 2000s were the absolute pinnacle for the Premier League. So many characters and unique players. I miss it. I actually should've been a Leeds United fan though, now I think about it: all those Aussies, their SBS presence, the cool away strips they'd trot out, the fact I'm a quarter Yorkshireman... just never happened though. My dad's side are from bloody Grimsby though, so no chance of me ever getting into the Mariners!
For about five years I think I would've counted my obsession with Arsenal as bigger than anything I've really had in my life. It was less culturally invested than the AFL and Freo, but I was passionate. I used to spend all my pocket money and birthday cash on their online store; books and hoodies and pens and strips and erasers and every piece of merch I thought was cool. I'd stay up and watch every EPL game that I could. It kickstarted a love of the UK that's so hard to explain, you kind of had to feel it as a 10/12 year old – the first wave of the dumb cultural cringe everyone feels, the enchantment and wonderment of the joint. People can still appreciate it but the people I've talked to who got into the sport around the same time, they know what it is. It's profound.
But when I turned about 17, I'd stopped playing soccer and I'd been playing footy again for a few years. I was going to parties every so often and I was too busy with a girl, emotions, and music, and art to love it as much as I did. But I still knew everything about the sport. When I was 18 I was watching it as a means of bonding with my housemates, and I'll never forget the shock and amazement of watching that City comeback. But that was it for me, in all honesty. I just got more friends, more interests... I could see bands and feel things from that. I could spend my Saturdays chasing birds around and having beers, not sitting at home watching soccer. I could go to a game I always loved, Aussie Rules, multiple times a weekend and feel a part of the culture... people always spoke about it, even girls had a team... it was just natural and easier to just have the AFL as my avenue and too much effort to really preserve my love for Arsenal.
I'll always love the team and they've given me... well not much! But just because my fandom has died down, I don't feel detached to them. Everyone changes and things come and go in life, and I'll always be a Gooner, but right now, it's just not a pressing concern.
It all kind of happened at once. The 2002 World Cup was about to start – and if there's one World Cup for an Australian kid to enjoy, it was Korea/Japan and its 4pm kick-offs. This is back in the day of Blockbusters existing, and in a strangely prophetic sale they had, my mum let me grab a few of the $2 PS One games they were selling. I grabbed France 98. I always say FIFA 06 changed my life but without France 98, I doubt I would've ever been in the spot to try out that second copy.
Alright, I lied; we had FIFA 97 on the PC but it was too hard for my hands to navigate so, aside from John Motson riffing on guitar licks, I never played that too much.
Anyway, with all this going on, me and this mate of mine would do what every kid does and romanticise that they did: staying out until your feet are black and toes are stubbed and the mozzies are out. We'd kick the soccer ball all arvo. Like, non-stop. We'd have tournaments between ourselves and go through match-ups: "alright the venue's Old Trafford (it was a leaf-strewn backyard in beach-side suburbia with an upturned trampoline and an asbestos fence for goals, to be honest) and I'll be France and you be Senegal..." It was formative.
I just remember having this guide to the '02 World Cup book we had in aid of choosing teams. And this mate told me how good the French were – they'd just won the last World Cup. Plus I had France 98. And that meant they were definitely going to win Korea/Japan (...) and that their best players, Henry and Viera, were at Arsenal. So I got aboard and as they say...
The Monday night SBS doubles of the EPL highlights and South Park was like my world for a bit. I vividly remember so many episodes... I remember staying up to watch the odd Leeds game, I distinctly remember an Arsenal match against Everton at sunny Highbury in the undefeated season. It was a pivotal experience and I don't care what anyone says, the early and mid 2000s were the absolute pinnacle for the Premier League. So many characters and unique players. I miss it. I actually should've been a Leeds United fan though, now I think about it: all those Aussies, their SBS presence, the cool away strips they'd trot out, the fact I'm a quarter Yorkshireman... just never happened though. My dad's side are from bloody Grimsby though, so no chance of me ever getting into the Mariners!
For about five years I think I would've counted my obsession with Arsenal as bigger than anything I've really had in my life. It was less culturally invested than the AFL and Freo, but I was passionate. I used to spend all my pocket money and birthday cash on their online store; books and hoodies and pens and strips and erasers and every piece of merch I thought was cool. I'd stay up and watch every EPL game that I could. It kickstarted a love of the UK that's so hard to explain, you kind of had to feel it as a 10/12 year old – the first wave of the dumb cultural cringe everyone feels, the enchantment and wonderment of the joint. People can still appreciate it but the people I've talked to who got into the sport around the same time, they know what it is. It's profound.
But when I turned about 17, I'd stopped playing soccer and I'd been playing footy again for a few years. I was going to parties every so often and I was too busy with a girl, emotions, and music, and art to love it as much as I did. But I still knew everything about the sport. When I was 18 I was watching it as a means of bonding with my housemates, and I'll never forget the shock and amazement of watching that City comeback. But that was it for me, in all honesty. I just got more friends, more interests... I could see bands and feel things from that. I could spend my Saturdays chasing birds around and having beers, not sitting at home watching soccer. I could go to a game I always loved, Aussie Rules, multiple times a weekend and feel a part of the culture... people always spoke about it, even girls had a team... it was just natural and easier to just have the AFL as my avenue and too much effort to really preserve my love for Arsenal.
I'll always love the team and they've given me... well not much! But just because my fandom has died down, I don't feel detached to them. Everyone changes and things come and go in life, and I'll always be a Gooner, but right now, it's just not a pressing concern.
, loved Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gianfranco Zola from a very young age (about 5 or 6). Also no way would I go for a club like Liverpool or Man United, was a toss up between Chelsea and Leeds for me but went for Chelsea in the end. Couldn't even buy any Chelsea merchandise anywhere at the time either, shows how times have changed. And if I had to pick a club today, then no way it would be Chelsea either as I would never just pick a side because they are top or whatever but so be it... people just assume i'm a bandwagoner and that is annoying but oh well.
