So, what now?

It's been a couple of weeks since Wellington and, indeed, New Zealand exploded in the wake of the All Whites' historic World Cup qualification victory over Bahrain.

It was an epic evening and the perfect way to end what has been the most memorable football season for me personally.

There hasn't been an evening to rival that in New Zealand sport. Ever. The high stakes nature of the game, the importance of the result, the atmosphere and the sheer, unadulterated positiveness of everyone in the stadium and on the streets of Wellington combined to create something truly unique for New Zealand sport.

We've done some pretty special things locally in 2009 and now, knowing that New Zealand will have a presence in the Greatest Show On Earth makes me both exhilerated and terrified about the responsibility we have to ensure this opportunity isn't wasted.

Yes, in Matamata this is very much our responsibility, just as it is for every club around this small country of ours. It is our duty to ensure that football becomes all it should be for New Zealanders. World Cup qualification is one of those events which has the potential to accelerate the development and advancement of New Zealand football. But only if we let it. And that means working harder than we ever have before.

I was interviewed by the local paper last week about what this whole thing will mean for football in Matamata. The inevitable question about came up, as it has all across the country: do I believe football will overtake rugby as our national game off the back of World Cup qualification.

Obviously it's my hope that one day it it will, but that won't be any day soon. And it doesn't matter. As football people we need to be looking positively at what we can do to grow the game, improve the quality and make it more accessible to other Kiwis. That doesn't happen in six months. It'll probably take a generation or two.

I'm game if you are.

Personally, I have no need for sports like rugby. I could probaly write a thesis on my reasons, covering everything from media coverage to attitudinal hypocricy from the average punter on the street. That's just my personal feeling and, I guess, doesn't amount to much for anyone apart from myself and my wife who sometimes has to listen to my rants...

The last thing we as football people need to be, however, is bitter and twisted about other sports hogging the limelight because that will distract us from what really matters - improving our football.

So let's look to that. Let's focus on the good stuff. Let's remember the buzz we had on November the 14th, the spring in our step for the next week and the faint, but very real, strike of emotion every time we saw a replay of Rory Fallon rising to head a football into history.

And let's make this change real.