From the bird's mouth

DB's World Cup Diary - back home

2010-07-04T15:23:00.000+12:00

This is my final South African World Cup article, so I thought I'd leave you with a few of my non-All Whites impressions and memories from a truly unique couple of weeks away.

I'm glad I left my stab vest and body armour at home because, despite all the warnings, they weren't needed. The atmosphere on the streets and around the stadiums was as friendly and inviting as anywhere I've been in the world. I don't know if that was natural or put on for the World Cup but it doesn't matter. Sure, there was a security presence just about everywhere you went, but it was low key and generally unobtrusive. South Africa was a comfortable place to be.

Being based in one place for fourteen nights did become a bit of a chore. It would have been nice to move around a little and I regret not making the effort to head down to Cape Town or Durban for at least a couple of nights. To my mind the Pretoria/Johannesburg area would be a tough part of the world in which to live. Despite being winter, with some very cold nights, the whole landscape was dry, dusty and desolate. Not quite the same as home. It left me with the impression that I'd need to be harder than I am to survive there.

One morning we spent some time touring around Soweto. Despite its poor reputation, only a fraction of its residents actually live in corrugated iron shacks. We were taken through some suburbs loaded with attractive middle class houses and millionaires mansions. Just goes to show that things aren't always what they seem. The highlight was a stop at the Hector Peiterson museum, which is dedicated to the memory of the school boy who's death became symbolic with the struggle against apartheid.

As far as the World Cup is concerned, the games have been pretty much what you'd expect to see from modern tournament football. During the group stage teams more often than not limited their creativity and accentuated their pragmatism in an effort to get through. There were a few shocks, with teams like France and Italy heading home early, then the real excitement and drama began in the knock-out stages. Some of the round of 16 and quarterfinal matches have been superb. Let's hope we see more of the same in the final few matches.

By the way, I hope you didn't bet the house on the Argies following my clearly not-so-learned tip in an earlier article. They were dismantled by the Germans in the quarter-finals. I'm not going to have another go at predicting a winner, even with only four teams left. This is football, you know, and anything can happen. And those vuvuzelas are less annoying live than on TV. The atmosphere wouldn't have been the same without them.

So the countdown is now on for Brazil 2014. That seems such a long way off right now but I guarantee the time will fly by, so you won't have to wait too long for your next edition of DB's World Cup Diary.

DB's World Cup Diary - we do Italy!

2010-07-04T15:21:00.001+12:00

This will always be remembered as the finest week ever for football in New Zealand and one of the best weeks for New Zealand sport. I've been able to catch glimpses of the All White fervour that has gripped the nation but have to say I'm so glad I was able to be here in South Africa to experience this first hand. I owe a big thank you to my incredible wife for volunteering to stay at home and look after our two young kids. I think a not inconsiderably sized present or two is probably in order.

The Italy game in Nelspruit was just surreal. The early Shane Smeltz goal was so unexpected that I spent the next twenty in a heightened state of disbelief. Did we really score against the World champs? Hell yes!

The Italian reply was predictable, given the way they played at this tournament - cheating, diving, er, buggers. Their goal, the refereeing and our desperate, yet increasingly world class defending, meant the emotions were all over the place for the final hour of the match. I'm sure the details have been well reported back home so I won't go in to that. For me the best part of the day was the aftermath. There were thousands of kiwis in the crowd and we were all wandering around afterwards barely able to believe what had happened.

Hugging and high-fiving strangers, our small group made its way to the far side of the stadium with all the other fans just to soak it all up. We didn't get back to our bus, which was parked nearby, until two hours after the final whistle. And apparently I made it on to the TV a couple of times too. I got emails from India, the USA and Australia, as well as home saying me and my piano tie had our fifteen minutes of fame.

A few days later we were in Polokwane for the Paraguay game with a chance of qualifying for the next round. Who would ever have thought that would be the case? There will be another time to discuss the game and the way we played. For me this game was, once again, all about the fans. I don't think I've ever been photographed as much in my life. It's amazing what can happen when you put on a white wig and carry an All Whites scarf.

Now all I want to do is get home, but her are some other thoughts before I do. Most of the stadiums here are amazing. Soccer City has to be one of the top ten football venues in the world. Truly awesome. The grounds at Nelspruit and Polokwane are both supreme mid-sized football venues. Auckland would do worse that getting the blue-prints from either of these venues and building a copy on the water front. The only let-down was Loftus Versfeld here in Pretoria. What a crumbling, decrepit, old hulk that is.

I also have to make mention of the diving from some of the teams. It's the biggest blight on the game and FIFA needs to sort this out once and for all because the players and coaches won't. One of the best things I've seen is a video montage of a sniper in full camo gear getting ready for and then taking a shot. The movie cuts to an Italian footballer going down as if he's been drilled through the heart, with not a defender in sight. Sums it up really.

DB's World Cup Diary - we hit South Africa and South Africa hits us!

2010-07-04T15:17:00.001+12:00

When Joel (Matamata Chronicle Editor) told me I had about 400 words each week I thought that would be sweet. After my first week in South Africa I think I need more like four million! In trying to keep this as brief as possible, I'll just focus on some of the highlights.

** It took me the best part of two and a half days to get from Helsinki, to South Africa, then to bed. We arrived in Jo'burg at about 6am on Monday morning and hung out at the airport for a couple of hours (as you do). Rather than going to the hotel we were told we had to go straight to Soccer City to watch the game we had tickets for (Netherlands v Denmark). We got to the ground an hour before the gates opened, but that was cool because we had plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere. The game itself was rubbish but the stadium is amazing.

** Our second day in South Africa was one of history for our country - the game against Slovakia. A three hour drive to Rustenburg, which should have taken an hour and a half, meant we were rushed to get into the ground and only made it a few minutes before kick-off. I was so proud to be listening to the NZ national anthem at a World Cup that I almost sung it (for anyone who knows me that's a BIG deal!). The game itself was fairly even, with a tight first half before we let in a soft goal. The Slovaks cruised the rest of the match, stupidly not really pushing for a second goal. That approach came back to bite them in the butt in the last 30 seconds when Winston Reid became everyone's favourite Danish Maori super hero. The crazy burst of emotion was so unexpected as our travelling band of fans really thought the game was gone.

** The New Zealand fans are doing this country proud in South Africa. From the guy bouncing around in a sheep costume in Rustenburg to a dude we know from Tokoroa who figured out the vuvuzela would be far more use as a drinking vessel than a horn we've seen many a moment to bring a tear to the eye. I'm sure there will be many more moments to savour.

** For all of you with Sky I'd invite you to watch their World Cup show - called Inside Africa - later this week. The tour group I'm part of played a game of football against a local township team and the Sky cameras were there. We played on a dusty, rock-strewn field up the back of Jo'burg's Deepsloot township, one of the most depressing looking shanty towns I've ever seen. Our motley crew of mainly middle-aged, broken down has beens managed to limit the damage to 2-1, although I'm sure the locals were taking it easy on us. Actually, I'm convinced they did. Their skills were silky and they moved as if they were playing on Wembley. If you manage to catch the show on Sky keep an eye out for Matamata's finest - Dave Taylor, Eric Van Waveren, Scott Parsonage and yours truly.

** For the gamblers among you I'd suggest you slip a lazy tenner on Argentina to win this thing. We watched them in the flesh as they demolished South Korea at Soccer City. They have some very, very sharp players and a coach, Diego Maradona, who seems to be succeeding despite his chaotic personality. The biggest of the day was reserved for a special Maradona sideline trick. A nice touch.

** We're off to watch the All Whites play Italy tomorrow in Nelspruit. That means an early start and a four to five hour bus ride. We've purchased some white wigs and piano key board ties just to prove that us country boys can let our hair down a little and get into the swing of things. Maybe you will have seen us on the telecast. We're hoping for another upset but won't be holding out much hope. The day will be all about enjoying the fact that New Zealand will be playing the world champions at the World Cup. That will be enough.

DB's World Cup Diary - on the road again

2010-07-04T15:14:00.001+12:00

Finland is famous for its ice hockey players and motor sport legends. For its lakes and its trees. So naturally Finland's capital, Helsinki, is where I kicked my football world cup off...

Four years ago I missed the opening game because I was on a bus travelling between Naples and Rome. I didn't make any such mistake this time. The Sports Academy, a pub in central Helsinki, was our chosen venue. It came with the highest of recommendations (from a local taxi driver) so we scouted it out a couple of days before the big kick-off. It passed the beer and food test so we were set.

My work colleagues and I squeezed ourselves in with half of Helsinki. An illustration of how global this thing is can be shown by our group, containing two Kiwis, two Americans, an Indian, a Spaniard and a Brazilian, sitting down in Finland to watch a game of football that was being played in South Africa. It's not every day you find yourself in such a situation.

The game itself was not really the best you'll ever see, but it was more about the occasion. The hosts managed a point, and could have won it near the end, which is good for the tournament. It'll keep the locals buzzing. The opening day's second game, between France and Uruguay was described by the BBC as a 'turgid affair', so I'm kind of glad I missed most of it. The choice to go and grab some dinner at a local Greek restaurant was a good one.

I'm writing this in my hotel room on the morning of what is looming as one hell of a long day. By the time I next rest in a proper bed I will have flown from Helsinki to Hong Kong (where we meet up with our tour group) then on to Johannesburg and then watched my first live South African World Cup match (Netherlands versus Denmark). I'd be tempted to say I'm getting too old for this stuff, but I think I'll just have to harden up and force myself to manage!

The Dutch match is being played at the magnificent looking Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, which is where the opening game was played. The stadium looks like one of the modern wonders of the world and from this distance it seems like South Africa is going off, so I can't wait to get there and be part of the atmosphere.

By the time you read this New Zealand will have played our first World Cup match in 28 years. The fixture in Rustenburg against Slovakia presents itself as our best chance of getting a result in South Africa but it will be tough. The All Whites have raised expectations thanks to their pre-tournament friendly results so who knows what we can achieve? The Slovakians will probably be as nervous as us so if we get a couple of breaks we may just pull off an upset. Fingers crossed.

While I'm on the other side of the world, my thoughts are still very much with the Swifts back in Matamata. The team picked up an important point in Auckland this weekend from their 0-0 draw with Western Springs. It's the first time we haven't lost in Auckland this season and, with two home games remaining in the first stage of the season, we've set ourselves up with a bloody good chance of making the top six.

DB’s World Cup Diary returns

2010-06-06T00:28:00.003+12:00

I'll be submitting a weekly article to the Matamata Chronicle. The first one follows, and there will be a least one article a week for the next month or so. I guess that's a good way to keep the blog up to date

*******

Four years after debuting in Germany DB’s World Cup Diary is back. Germany 2006 was great fun but, for me, lacking a little something. That little something, having a team to support, ain’t gonna be a problem in South Africa. In case you hadn’t heard New Zealand, the All Whites, will be at the biggest festival in world sport and this time (whisper it quietly) we may just have a chance of achieving something quite positive.

Okay, booze-fuelled optimism aside (it was late on a Saturday night when I wrote this), I think anything close to a result will be an achievement for New Zealand. We have a decent team now, but this is the World Cup and I’m not sure how many kiwis actually know how big this thing is. And how small New Zealand really is. So I’ll be happy if we can score a few goals and maybe nick a point against Slovakia or Paraguay. Anything else will be the stuff All Whites fans dreams are made of.

I’ve been lucky enough to secure tickets for eight games in South Africa. For a long time there it was ridiculously easy to get tickets so I basically made a pig of myself. It seems people were wary about travelling to South Africa – I can’t imagine why. Along with the three NZ games, I’ll be watching some of the biggest names in football. Holland, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Spain and (possibly) England is not a bad line-up!

My schedule in South Africa follows:

June 14 arrive in the morning, then watch DENMARK V THE NETHERLANDS at 1.30pm. Then crash!
June 15 NEW ZEALAND V SLOVAKIA
June 16 Sun City tour
June 17 ARGENTINA V KOREA
June 18-19 Free (for now...)
June 20 NEW ZEALAND V ITALY
June 21-22 Free (for now...)
June 23 GHANA V GERMANY
June 24 NEW ZEALAND V PARAGUAY
June 25 CHILE V SPAIN
June 26 ROUND OF 16 GAME (possibly England v Germany or Australia)
June 27 Rest
June 28 Fly home
July 1 to June 2014 Find a way to pay this trip off before heading to Brazil for the next World Cup

There is actually a group of five of us travelling from Matamata. We’re part of a tour group being led by former All White captain, Danny Hay. Two of us headed away on June 8 as we’re travelling to Finland first (work beckons). At this stage I expect to be sitting in a pub in Helsinki for the opening couple of games.

We meet up with the rest of the group in Hong Kong on Sunday before heading off to Jo’burg. Our hotel is in Pretoria and we are literally on the doorstep of Loftus Versfeld Stadium, a legendary rugby stadium, which has been hijacked by the round ball for a month. A good location for a great couple of weeks I reckon.

A new game

2010-05-04T21:07:00.002+12:00

My new favourite website is FIFA.com - specifically the ticketing section for the 2010 World Cup.

I click on the 'Check Availability' page too many times a day. The reason? I want to see which game I can get to next. It's a great game!

You see, the availability page lists which tickets in which category are available for which game. It's been widely reported that ticket sales haven't been great, but that's fantasitic for those of us actually going to South Africa, because we can pretty much pick and choose which games we want to go and see (budget allowing, of course).

The twist is that, as sponsors and national associations return their unsold tickets, games that previously appered sold out become available again. That's why I'm in there every day - too see what comes up next.

Just today, in fact, it looks like we've been able to secure tickets to the Ghana v Germany group game. That brings to eight the number of matches I'll be going to. And I'm only in South Africa for 14 nights!

From memory, my schedule in South Africa goes something like this:

June 14 arrive in the morning, then watch DENMARK V THE NETHERLANDS at 1.30pm. Then crash!
June 15 NEW ZEALAND V SLOVAKIA
June 16 Sun City tour
June 17 ARGENTINA V KOREA
June 18-19 Free (for now...)
June 20 NEW ZEALAND V ITALY
June 21-22 Free (for now...)
June 23 GHANA V GERMANY
June 24 NEW ZEALAND V PARAGUAY
June 25 CHILE V SPAIN
June 26 ROUND OF 16 GAME (possibly England v Germany or Australia)
June 27 Rest
June 28 Fly home
July 1 to May 2014 Find a way to pay this trip off

I wish it had been this easy to get tickets in Germany 2006. Now, which game can I go to next...?

Pet Peeve

2009-12-19T18:27:00.003+13:00

People who smoke while they drive!

I was following one the other day who was casually flicking ash out the window as he drove through the centre of town. Pretty anti-social that, to be honest.

Is smoking while you drive not the same as texting and talking on cell phones while you drive? I mean, what happens if a smoker tips ash on themself while they're driving? Trouble...and a potential accident.

Why can't people who smoke and drive wait until they're out of their car before they light up? Surely no-one's really that addicted?

Mr President

2009-12-14T22:05:00.003+13:00

It's the middle of December already and my promise in an earlier blog to write more regularly has well and truly fallen over. No matter. I'm sure I'll more than catch up in 2010.

At the recent Matamata Swifts AGM I was elected President of the club, which is a fairly logical move, I guess. Yep, the time is right for me to step out from under the cloaks of others and take up the primary leadership role. To be honest this is not a natural or entirely comfortable position for me, given my personality type and mode of operation, but they say if you believe in something enough you can do anything. So, here goes...

It's clear that in life, timing is everything, so I just hope I've got this one right. There is so much potential for football in the Matamata community, built on the back of the great work of many people over a number of years. I am confident that the management committee elected for 2010 is the best mix of administrative talent this club has ever had. It certainly is in the time I've been involved.

That potential, when turned into potent reality, should see the Swifts start to really fly across all levels. We're looking at an exciting facility development project and a much need coach and player development programme. Both those projects should see significant progress in 2010. We have the not insignificant challenge of re-entering the Northern League, re-branded as the Northern Region Football League (NRFL). And we're all waiting to see what sort of explosion there is going to be off the back of World Cup qualification.

It's my belief this club will be a very different beast in 12 months time. It can't not be.

So, what now?

2009-11-29T18:35:00.004+13:00

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.

Yes!

2009-11-15T22:11:00.002+13:00

Yyyyeeeeeeeesssssssssss!!!

Wellington? Amazing!

The All Whites? Fantastic!

Son of Fallon? New legend!

New Zealand's sporting self-confidence? Never been so high!

The All Blacks? Priceless...

The ultimate road trip

2009-11-12T23:01:00.002+13:00

Well, it will be for me.

I'll be setting off at about 10am tomorrow morning (hopefully my brother will be on time - it's his car). We're heading down to our nation's fine capital, through the very heart of the North Island, for the biggest game of football (all codes) in New Zealand this year.

I'm sure we'll stop off at a couple of places on the way. Enjoy a little of this country's fantastic scenery. Grab a coffee. Take a leak. Whatever's needed. But we'll want to get into Wellington at a reasonable hour to start sucking in some of the atmosphere that's already building.

Maybe Friday night will be a quiet one. I don't know. The plan is to meet up with the remainder of the Swifts contingent in the evening. So maybe it won't be so quiet. Any group headed by Dave Taylor and Pete Vossen, and with the sly, some might even say devious, promptings of people of the calibre of Mike Collins and young Scotti Parsonage, has trouble written all over it.

The farmers hit the big smoke indeed. A place called Mermaids has been talked about. I don't know what that is. An aquarium, perhaps...?

Saturday promises to be quite the footballing experience. Wellington is set up for matches, in fact events, such a these. The old town will be heaving as the good and great from all around our tiny island nation descend for our country's 90 minutes of truth.

I'm expecting the day will be as close as it will ever come to what I experienced in Munich and Hamburg during the 2006 World Cup. The town will be loaded with fans, covered in nervous tension and in high spirits. The only difference will be this time I actually have a team to support. And that team is playing for the highest stakes any team representing this country can ever play for.

So, no pressure then.

I'll report in again when I get back. Hopefully (please, please, please) it will have been the ultimate road trip. The result of one game of football will have determined that.

The future

2009-11-08T14:52:00.003+13:00

Firstly, an acknowledgement. It's clear I suck at this bogging thing. I have every intent of posting something new every few days. Then suddenly it's two weeks later...

I promise to do better in future.

And on the subject of the future, it was both pleasing and more than a little bit scary to watch the progress of the NZ under-17's a the World Cup in Nigeria.

Pleasing because the team achieved something no other New Zealand side had - made progress to the second round. It was scary, however, because all the games, and particularly the 5-0 loss to Nigeria, showed just how far we have to progress if we wish to become contenders.

To be clear, I don't want to knock the efforts of the Junior All Whites. Their efforts were history making and something we have to build on. But that's the question - how do we build on it?

In his book The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle explains how greatness isn't born, it's grown. He describes the three key elements that work together to form myelin, a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movements and thoughts. The three things: Deep Practice (specific kinds of practice can increase skill up to ten times faster than conventional practice. 10,000 hours of deep practice leads to world class skills), Ignition (not just motivation but a higher level of commitment - passion - that accelerates development) and Master Coaching (the world's most effective teachers do things differently, and better, than the rest).

Coyle shows that it's not just money or location or any of the usually cited things that determine whether someone is world class. It's a good read and I recommend any aspiring coach get hold of a copy, read it properly and apply the lessons immediately.

A study on this country's so-called elite athletes would be fascinating. I'd suggest our rugby players, netballers, leaguies et al, wouldn't need to come anywhere near the approach explained in The Talent Code because the measure of what is world class in those sports would be far less than what it takes to be world class in sports like football. Why? Because the global depth of talent in those sports is negligible, so you don't even need to be all that good of a sportsperson to be considered a great.

I'm not for a second suggesting the people representing our country at those sports don't work hard. I'm sure they do and I'm sure they've put in the 'hard yards'. It's just that those hard yards wouldn't stack up if these sportspeople wanted to emulate Tiger Woods, Alberto Contador, Roger Federer, Lionel Messi or Kaka. We're talking two completely different concepts of excellence here. Our rowers and cyclists, on the other hand, will no exactly what's required to be the best.

Anyway, bringing this right back to where we started: how do we improve the quality of talent coming through the footballing ranks in New Zealand? It won't be easy, of course, but I believe it all starts with our levels of expectation. Every young player, parent, club coach and fan must expect more and contribute more. I know we can't just flick a switch and make that happen, and I know we're infected by the 'just enough is good enough' outlook I explained above, but we have to try. And if we fail then we try in another way. And again, and again, and again.

My personal interest in this is the rapid aging of my two sons (man, they grow up quick!). As a parent it's my duty to set standards and expectations, show them the way and support them 100% in what they choose to do. Naturally, they'll both choose to be footballers, so I'm going to have to ensure they have the best opportunity of reaching that goal. And I'd prefer they aim to be like Kaka or Messi rather than some journeyman international sportsman like Dan Carter or Richie McCaw.

I've got my work cut out for me.

It's just better

2009-10-26T14:22:00.005+13:00

We've just had a long weekend here in New Zealand. The sun was finally out - I think summer may actually be on its way.

So, what did I do during this last holiday weekend before Christmas...? Well, I spent most of it in front of the TV watching football and playing with my new toy (...keep it clean!).

Our household finally entered this century last week when we hooked up MySky HD and boy, does the football look so much better now. It was a timely TV intervention too, with so much round balling to be viewed.

Before we get into that I must confess I even had a look at some rugby, mainly because I was still getting used to (and being blown away by) the picture clarity. This only served to confirm my belief that rugby players, in general, are fat, ugly and more hairy than pretty much any other type of sportsman. It's clear - rugby should be watched with your eyes closed.

Anyway, back to more important things. The football. We had the Premier League, the A-League and under-17 World Cup on offer this weekend.

In the Premier League Chelsea was the only big team to win. Man U slipped up at Anfield, keeping Rafa Benitez in a job for a few more weeks. Actually, that's probably part of Alex Ferguson's long-term plan - keep Benitez employed, which will ensure the scousers continue as also rans. Arsenal drew (at West Ham), Man City drew (at home to Fulham) and Spurs lost to Stoke.

Speaking of the Spurs game, it just goes to show you can actually kill a side and get nothing for it. This is far from the first time we've seen that in football (or from Spurs...) and was a classic example of what I call the joyous frustration of the beautiful game. Spurs had all the shots, all the possession, hit the woodwork and yet lost. It's the way it goes sometimes when the only thing that matters is whether or not you put the ball in the net.

On Sunday afternoon I settled in to watch the Phoenix in the A-League and, once again, I saw a side that had all the shots, all the possession and hit the woodwork. Thankfully this time that side (the Phoenix) won 6-0. Not only was it a drubbing but it was against a Gold Coast side that would have gone top with a victory.

These two games were a classic illustration of why football is the biggest thing on the planet. Like life, you don't always get what you deserve. You can work hard, perform well and be better than your opponents, and still not win. Just like in life. What's that old saying?: "Life's not fair"? No, not always. And neither is football.

Monday morning saw the NZ under-17 side open their World Cup campaign in Nigeria with a 1-1 draw against Costa Rica. In conditions favouring their more technically proficient opponents (hot and humid) the kiwis scored first, only to commit a defensive howler to let Costa Rica get the equaliser. Hamilton Wanderers' Michael Built (remember him diving all over the Matamata Domain a few weeks ago?) scored for NZ. This means the kiwis are still very much alive in the tournament with games against Turkey and Burkina Faso still to come.

Normally our sides are out of it after the first game of tournaments like this. It looks like we've actually got some decent players too. I heard someone mention this is the first wave of Wynton Rufer's WYNERS kids coming through. If so, nice work Mr Oceania Player of the Century.

A final mention goes to some Matamata players who were at the NZ Under-19 Youth Championships in Napier over the weekend. Andrew Clothier was a guest player for the Tauranga City Utd side that lost in the quarter finals. Apparently he so impressed some of the Tauranga fans that the suggested he play at Links Ave next season. That was, of course, without out realising he will likely be playing at Links Ave next season - for Matamata.

Ex-players Dima Slack and Gareth Clark, were in the Cambridge side that lost 1-0 in the Satellite Tournament final to Dunedin Technical. Dan Frischknecht was also in Napier, although his Hamilton Wanderers side didn't appear to do so well.

Whew. I'll be glad to get back to work tomorrow after all that. Actually, I lie. I'd much sooner watch football all day every day. Maybe that would even motivate me to get off my fat lazy backside and actually play again.

Whaddya reckon?

The whole world in our hands

2009-10-17T16:12:00.006+13:00

We are four weeks away from what could well be one of the greatest days in New Zealand sport.

On Saturday November 14 the All Whites have a very real chance of qualifying for the World Cup. The proper World Cup. A win at home against Bahrain will do the job and the odds on that happening are, I would suggest, quite favourable.

It won't be easy. In football - in sport - it never is. But hard work, supreme organisation, a little skill and the sort of luck we had in Manama last Sunday morning could see us though.

This is big. Really, really big. And yet I can help feeling the country's sports fans won't fully be behind the team. Not yet. Football fans will be, of course, but many others will be secretly hoping for failure.

Already I've read and heard people - kiwis - saying it would probably be good if we didn't make it because we're likely to get smashed in South Africa. Well I'm sorry, but that line of thinking is about as clever as the logic used to present Barack Obama with this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

We have to want to win, to try to win, to be so desperate to win in everything we do. If we get to the World Cup the whole country has to ensure our team has the very best opportunity to perform at its best. And if we fail, then we fight and claw to qualify for Brazil in 2014, and the chance to do it again.

We don't just slump our shoulders and shuffle away to the bland, grey safety of our isolated little hole at the bottom of the world. That would be true failure.

The World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet, at least by most measures. It dwarfs the rugby version by a few million light years. Just being there would bring our small country the kind of profile money could never buy.

The benefits to football in this country would also be huge. It would be the kick up the arse this country needs to really start embracing the game. How so? Because your average kiwi sports fan would finally see how massive and all encompassing football really is. Enlightenment it would most certainly be (and not before time).

It is not an endearing fact that we are one of the few countries who don't have football as our main game. It's ignorant, immature and stifling. Typically kiwi, you might be tempted to say. Well, typically 'us' in the past tense, for sure. Hopefully not words to describe our country and our people as we finally start to grow up.

Embrace growth. Embrace change. Embrace football. It's simple really, if we value the health of our nation.

Hopefully one small result in November will be the catalyst for real and long lasting change. Not just for football in this last outpost of the world game, but also for the true enlightenment of our nation's sports fans.

Hallelujah!!

Has the All Star lost its shine?

2009-10-07T22:03:00.003+13:00

It seems the Waikato Bay of Plenty Football Federation can't be arsed putting anything on their website about the annual All Star Game.

Interesting...and a little frustrating.

I know it was a fairly low key sort of a match, and many of the best players were missing, but it did have six goals and a penalty shoot-out. And some of the football was played to a decent standard.

Sorry to bag you Peter, but this isn't really good enough. Football is a 12 month of the year deal nowadays and it shouldn't take the best part of a week to get a basic report up (if it ever appears). I do despair, sometimes, at the level of PR nouse involved in our game.

I might be harsh in saying this, but it seems to be up to the clubs to do all the work to generate a profile for the game in our region, and yet it is the clubs that basically fund football in our region (we pay for refs, we pay excessive fines and, hell, we pay to keep the Fed and NZ Football afloat).

The money thing is a touchy area to venture into. It's starting to get really annoying, though. The football business model here appears to be built on clubs run by volunteers being cash cows to fund eveything else. Am I wrong? I hope to be proven so.

On a positive note, there is footage available of the All Star shoot-out. Okay, the South side (my side) lost, but how often do you actually get to see real digital video (or any other type of video) of our local football. Have a look at http://www.youtube.com/user/Swiftlyone

Waiting...

2009-09-22T22:44:00.003+12:00

Last week was one of the strangest in my life. It seemed like everything just went on hold for seven days as I waited for my second son and Matamata's first Federation League title to arrive.

The draw in Tauranga was unreal. Not only the result but the way the result happened. Only in football!

The due date for young Theo's arrival had already passed as I set off for Links Ave. The seismic shock of that game wasn't even enough to make him arrive. Maybe he wanted to avoid his grumpy Dad. Smart kid.

No, he waited for another seven days to make the grandest of entrances. Perfect timing, I reckon, and hopefully a portent of things to come during the rest of his life.

When Jean woke me at 5am on Saturday morning I figured I'd have to write off making the trip to Galloway Park. Fast forward two hours and Theo was in our arms. Not only smarts and perfect timing but rapidness with it. All attributes of a top class centre forward...

So, I had plenty of time to get myself sorted for the Claudelands game, and this week there was no mistake. We won, and the internal pause button that had caused me so much frustration last week was switched back to play.

My life in this challenging world began again. It was smiles all round and a little chuckle at the folly of what my mind had forced me to endure.

The world game

2009-08-30T15:39:00.002+12:00

I'm just back from a few days in India. I could write several blog posts on some of the amazing things I saw, such as the massive contrast between the extreme wealth and the depraved level of poverty on show, or the fascinating way in which Indian people interact with each other.

As I'm still pretty buggered, after the travel and then the emotion surrounding our win over Taupo yesterday, I'll save all that for another day. Instead I'll just mention something I know a little bit about: football.

You would think India is very much a cricket nation. On so many levels it is. But it's also a football nation if the media coverage is anything to go by.

We had six sports channels available in the hotel I was at, and the sports coverage was split evenly between live cricket, cricket re-runs, live football and replayed football. Football was all over the papers, too.

It wasn't just the premiership either. There was a five team international tournament going on in India while I was there and that got primetime coverage, despite it involving football minnows like Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Syria, Krgystan (sp??) and the locals. The standard wasn't terribly high, but I did notice the positive way in which the games were broadcast, unlike here in NZ when it doesn't take much for the media to bag the All Whites.

Perhaps that points to a key difference between our two countries. India is an incredibly ambitious nation and have, quite correctly, identified football as a window to the world. It's a means by which they can progress as a nation. If only we were as enlightened here in New Zealand.

Weekends like these

2009-08-19T13:14:00.002+12:00

Football's back. That's how the Premier League is promoting the new season. In truth, football never went away. It can never go away as it's everywhere and anywhere, all encompasing and all inclusive, like nothing else on this planet.

But I'm glad football's back. I'm a Spurs fan and it was back with a bang for me at the weekend. Bad luck Liverpool. Unlike last season, this time 'round you were outplayed at the Lane. And no amount of bleating from your slimey manager can change that. Fantastic!

That result topped off a fantastic weekend for me.

On Saturday the Swifts (www.matamataswifts.co.nz) won again to carry on our good unbeaten run and keep pace at the top of the table. The performance was good and some of the goals were superb. Brilliant!

Then we had the Phoenix popping up with a pretty good performance of their own. A 2-1 home win over Perth may not be the things championships are built on, but it's better than the dispiriting draw they looked like having to settle for. Leo Bertos - what a strike!

I've also secured my tickets to the NZ v Saudi Arabia or Bahrain World Cup Qualifier in Wellington in November. That's a game I just couldn't not be at. The chance to be a part of some real sporting history for our small nation... the prospect sends shivers down my spine!

So that was pretty much the ideal footballing weekend for me. Is it too much to ask for more of the same over the next two months?

Losers

2009-08-09T15:01:00.005+12:00

I, probably like many other New Zealanders today, dipped into the Weekend Herald and read the article on NZ being a no-win nation (click on the Blog heading above - the word Losers).

Whether you believe this hypothesis to be accurate, or wildly incorrect, the bizarre logic around which this particular article was based floored me. A large chunk of the writers' case was centered around our national rugby team.

The All Blacks are, apparently, "the country's global ambassador embodying all the values New Zealanders hold dear."

Really?

I'm tempted to ask how a team playing a regional fringe sport, popular in a few island nations and a couple of small European pockets, can be considered global ambassadors. Global means the whole world. You know, the planet Earth, made up of large continents and containing over seven billion people.

As far as embodying all the values New Zealanders hold dear...? Hmmm. Monosyllabic grunters, who can't execute the basic skills they're paid to execute. People who need other people to do all their thinking for them. Playground bullys who go to pieces when opponents with even the smallest grain of intelligence present them with a situation that takes them outside their comfort zone. And that's just the backroom staff...

Now, I do realise that many Kiwis actually believe some of this rugby myth stuff to be true. It's the mentality that says, "if it's important to me, then it's important to everyone." Their perception is their reality. And rugby is important to some Kiwis, although quite obviously far fewer of us than in the past, so I can even understand the creation of this perception.

But please, no-one (and I mean this from a global perspective) really cares about rugby and they certainly don't care about our rugby. I'm so embarrassed for my many fellow countrymen who suffer from the delusion that rugby matters. They're all infants, still kicking around in their sheltered, insular little primary school sandbox. In fact, I'm embarrased for my country, or would be if anyone actually noticed this cringeworthy state of affairs.

Rugby is what it is. A sport that is important to the heritage of our young country. It has helped us find our feet as we stretched our legs and took those first baby steps of adolescence beyond our borders. But now it's time to grow up and make our way in the world like a real live adult.

This world is full of far more interesting, fulfilling and inspiring things than rugby. You'll appreciate that if you only open your eyes. Our country has a population that is more diverse than ever, and becoming even more so by the day. Let's embrace that and consign rugby to our past - where it belongs.

Fine lines

2009-07-26T21:09:00.003+12:00

The line between this being a glorious week and a wholly crappy week was very, very fine. Certainly, that's the way it seemed at about 4.15pm yesterday.

Sometimes (well, okay, quite often) completely mysterious stuff takes place on the football field. The penalty decision, and subsequent re-take, in yesterday's game against Whakatane fell into that category. We felt several incorrect decisions were made during the moments surrounding the incident and that, coupled with the fact the goal (when it finally did go in) gave Whakatane a massively undeserved lifeline into a game they should have been out of, led to a boiling sense of injustice rising to the surface.

We all see different things, and see things in different ways, so this whole kerfluffle shouldn't be surprising. I'm glad Neil appreciated the situation enough to know that the frustration expressed by some of our players was a natural human reaction and didn't start flashing the cards around.

He let us get on with the game... and that's what we did. The release of emotion when Ishy's goal went in was a real gusher, I'll tell you!

We all take something out of yesterday. I know the officials will review the key moments and will hopefully appreciate, in hindsight, that what they thought they saw happen didn't actually take place as they believe it did. The real elbower confessed as much after the game.

Thankfully, the only thing Whakatane's goal from the spot did was ensure the final quarter hour of the match was a Matamata master class. So maybe I should be thankful for the intervention from Phillip and Neil!

And yes, I know, I wouldn't be anywhere near this gracious if we hadn't won the game. But we did, so this will be a glorious week.

Good times

2009-07-18T23:16:00.004+12:00

It's tough to know what to say or whether I should say anything at all. There are other's far more qualified, able and suited to offering a tribute to Brian Good than me. Indeed, they have already. I won't try to match them. I'll just give it my best, then go.

I could have known Goody better than I did, but I didn't and now I never will. To me he was remarkable in his unremarkableness. A regular kiwi guy, into his sport, having fun with his mates and being there for his family. That's how I knew him, anyway. I was never close enough to know any more.

My reality of Goody was confirmed for me by the slides at his funeral service on Wednesday. A regular guy doing regular things in a regular life. And that made him unique, like all of us. Those shots had me choked up. I don't do emotion, but on Wednesday I came bloody close.

This is not my tragedy. But I have this selfish way of making everything, even if just in a small way, and only internally, about me. Goody was only a few months older than me and had a young family, like me. He was more physically active than I've been during the last little while, yet he's gone and I'm still here. For the first time, probably ever, I feel genuinely mortal.

Guess what - life IS too short. It makes you think, but you shouldn't think too much, you should act. It's what you do that matters and you'd better do something while you still have the time. I'm going to try. Cheers Brian. Your passing was the punch in the face I needed. But I so wish it didn't have to be this way.

Great work

2009-07-08T16:36:00.003+12:00

I stumbled across this short movie (http://www.greatworkmovie.com/) a couple of days ago.

Before I go on I suggest, respectfully, that you have a look. Go on, it'll only take a few minutes...

Okay, welcome back.

Now, you may or may not be into this type of thing. Some people are highly self-motivated and will just shrug their shoulders and say, "So bloody what?" For other people it could be just what you need to get going.

Personally, I thought it was pretty cool. And it got me thinking about doing Great Work in football. Specifically in my club, for my club and regionally. God knows the game in this country could use great work at all levels.

Do we really do great work in football, or do we all have ready made, built in excuses not to? Do we do just enough and, if something we could or should or wanted to do just happens to slip by the wayside then, "Bleeh, too bad. I'm just a volunteer. I'm not paid. I do this for the love of the game. I don't have to do it. Blah-de-blah-de-one-excuse-after-another-blah."

But is cutting corners, doing the bare minimum, setting low standards and failing to meet them really good enough? Do you really love the game if you sell it or yourself so short?

Okay, we don't all have unlimited free time. But we can all do great work with the time we do have available. If we really want to.

If you're a player you can commit to an extra night's training a week (even though it's so cold and miserage at the moment).

If you're a coach you can work a little longer with your strikers this week so they have a better chance of potting the crucial chance when it arrives on Saturday.

If you're an administrator you can make contact with a local business this week and ask if they'd like to sponsor your club.

If you're a referee you can talk with a player or coach after the game on Saturday and ask them how they think you performed.

If you're a fan you can bring along a couple of mates to your club's match this weekend.

Small things. But together they can all lead to doing great work for the great game in this great little country of ours.

Here's the movie one more time http://www.greatworkmovie.com/. Just in case you missed it earlier.

Taupo by the tail

2009-07-03T19:07:00.002+12:00

It's been a long, long time since we tasted anything remotely resembling success against Taupo. We've been serial runners-up to Taupo's enduring championship success and, quite frankly, I'm getting a little sick of it!

They've done the double over us during the last two seasons. We'll say we've found some pretty bizarre ways to lose those games while Taupo, I'm sure, will insist they hammered us each time. Whatever anyone believes, the scores remain: 0-3, 2-4, 3-4, 1-2. Taupo has found a way to win and we've found a way to lose. And it sucks.

Taupo even beat us on goal difference in the 2006 end-of-season, cobbled together, play a few teams but not the others, top four play-offs. We managed a 1-1 draw in that competition (late goal from Lamby...), but Taupo won 5-0 at TA (did I hear you say, 'hmmm, dodgy result, that one...?') on the last day to knock us down to what would soon become the familiar silver medal spot.

The law of averages might suggest we're due a win. But the law of averages didn't help Tottenham when they failed to beat Chelsea in any game, in any competition, for the best part of fifteen years. As a Spurs fan I'm glad that run's been buried in the history books. As a Swifts fan I'm hoping the Taupo stranglehold is loosened tomorrow.

A first time for everything

2009-07-01T21:24:00.002+12:00

It's time to give this blogging thing a go.

I've had a fair bit to say for myself on the Federation League forum. And we've had some decent discussions over there, too.

Now is the time to bring some of that 'creativity' (yeah, okay, I know...) back into the Swifts domain. Or should that be, Domain.

My aim is to opine (you can thank my friend Bill O'Reilly at Fox News for that word) on a frequent basis. I won't promise a fixed interval because there's no way I can know how often, if at all, those creative juices will be flowing. Let's just hope it's often enough to keep you all interested.

So, I'll do my best. Feel free to have a go, have a laugh or even have something to say in support of my blathering.

Okay, that's enough words used to say absolutely nothing. We'll talk soon...