Good thread topic again, MCG.

Fair play to you!


I followed the qualification path of the Socceroos when they first qualified for the World Cup in 1973.

I think the TV deal, and  moves by FFA in 2005, made me feel the HAL was for all the population more than the NSL.

14 years later, I feel more excluded than I did in 2005 in my home state regarding local involvement in the HAL.

The FFA Cup has been a welcome addition though.

Country Victoria! That explains it...

My memory of the Channel 7 era is a bit hazy, but it was only for the last 4 or 5 years of the NSL wasn't it?

When SBS covered it, I can even remember seeing a complete 90 minutes of a match sometimes, as well as their weekly roundup.

We seem to have been lucky with our newspaper coverage in SA, The Tiser, the News and the Sunday Mail all had good regular coverage- previews, match reports and stories. I've got scrapbooks full of newspaper clippings to prove it!

I was a massive fan of nrl and cricket although, a fan of the Socceroos too. The outreach that soccer/football has on the international landscape along with success of the Socceroos, led me to watch aleague and football abroad such as epl. I used to play the other codes as a younger person, I got into my 40's when my allegiances changed. Nowdays, my first preference is soccer or as I like to call it by its rightful name, football, makes sense.

The frequency that positive things are happening in aleague football, are happening at a rate I thought would Not happen for many years to come still.
The independence of the aleague, this is so massive its epic. Expansion of the aleague, a second division coming to realization within afew years, perhaps pro/rel even in the distant future.
  
Hopefully the salary cap either lifted alot higher or pulled altogether.
The epl are considering a really high salary cap I heard on an english soccer channel on radio one morning recently.
After the war at the front desk with the FFA for three years, sanity Finally prevailed. There is a freshness in the air with Australian football/soccer.
I hope FTA get involved very soon once they feel the fresh air too.

This discontinued when channel 7 got the rights at around the time of the Iran game. One game a week played at midnight or 2am. The advertised game (usually match of the round) was often substituted for a nil all draw

The Herald Sun would feature NSL results in the weekly round up with very few articles if ever (and sometimes the scores wouldnt even be in the weekly round up). Channel 7 had a Sunday program featuring Farina (part of the deal of 7 paying half his wage) but there were very few NSL highlights. And the Soccer Australia website was terrible

And yes, this was regional Victoria. Things might have been different in other states but market saturation and anti competitive behaviour was what made the AFL the giant it is today. The irony is that now that we have the power of the Internet, duel codes no longer a sin, and several platforms for following the game, people are still hoping to get our game into one of 3 channels or 2 newspapers. Something that would have been nice 20 years ago but no longer relevant by todays standards

Edit: Oh, and as for SBS I wouldnt know to be honest - was barely able to get coverage in regional Victoria. Most of the world cup 98 was spent getting the lounge set up perfectly right down to the last subatomic particle so that the reception was at a stage where you could actually distinguish between the static and the ball. One sneeze and that was the end of the coverage

....and gets relegated !

I've always been puzzled by the people who claim that they couldn't find media coverage of the NSL.

My memory of it is that there was an hours coverage on SBS TV every week, and substantial previews and match reports in the daily papers every week.

There was also a magazine called "Aussie Soccer" which gave a good coverage, you could always see it in newsagents (remember them?!)

At a pinch you could actually attend a match, everyone knew where they were played.

I guess Melbourne must have been different, the AFL has a lot to answer for.

I'm one of the "Iran game" generation of followers

Started Uni 1997. Went from Aussie Rules to an interest in football (lots of ethnics of campus compared to the white anglo country Victorian schools back then). Had alternate national teams (Italian heritage) because Australia was invisible (locally and abroad)

Saw the Iran game. Heartbreak. Started asking about the Australian game (ie- does Australia have their own EPL?)

Started following the NSL late 90s (adopted South Melbourne). By following I meant one or two hidden sports reports a year in 1 or 2 newspapers pre Google days (and you guys think the A League is hidden away. NFI!). The more I learnt about football, the more I hated the AFL (crush, kill, destroy! - insert Barassi image)

In the early 2000s I decided a reform was important and got behind it. Also fully got behind the Australian game. When the A League was announced I dumped the EPL (Arsenal was my club) and decided to exclusive follow the Australian game (Melbourne Victory was my team, but was more interested in the success of the game as a whole)

Then after season 6 the game turned to shit. Was more about popularity, metrics, etc... and developing the game was thrown out the window. Been a miserable bitter prick since

Now I neither follow the A League or the EPL, but my only interest is getting whats best for the game here. Once the A League is a proper competitive league then I'll go back to going to and enjoying games - even if my team loses every game and finishes last

Thank god no rugby in SA... although the AFL mindset is probably even harder to break down.

The funny thing about Aussie Rules in SA was that nobody was all that fanatic about the local SANFL. The big event of the weekend was watching VFL replay on Saturday night!

great history mate.
Remember the Baartzy incident well - I recall alll of us were in shock that occuring then the anger !
You reminded seeing "B" team, yep we used to see many as such and today pretty similar as not all the top players do the tours.

Just wow to the cycle of change/s and in some case's not reading the thread.......
So glad my schools never had afl, but we played Forcings Back - I thought that was similar to afl lol......
Gov schools had "sochka" in my day But Private ? not a chance, in NSW it was the Rugby bastion no way was wogball going to be accepted the sissy game.
I LOL now for having had my boys in mid end Private schooling Football has taken over so much its ridiculous, sure the bastions still have their place but the schools the boys have played against over the years (some huge rugby schools of the past) have so many wanting to play they have to cut off the amount of teams !
So thats such a positive - the Roos gaining massive recognition in 05 on, HAL ? as much as I was glad to see the big change Nationally I wasn't overly happy the banishment of the ol clubs but I had to move on but I keep supporting both.
The negative, our constant internal Governance barriers taking the game further ahead - I had dreamed waywayway back then that Football finally gain more traction and more so respect and by now it should have been really sticking it up afl/nrl.
This has occured in some shape and form but not in its potential totality - people used to or still lay blame the old regime of the NSL and isn't it typical of our game there is merit to that and TBH I hold the Lowys responsible in similar train of thought holding our game back further as well.......funny how what goes around comes around.

I got into soccer when I was 13, through British and Dutch migrant friends.

When I started high school Aussie rules was compulsory and soccer was forbidden.

By the time I finished high school aussie rules was no longer compulsory, and the school had three soccer teams.

I was playing state league at 19. Played my last game at 44, but did a hamstring and my wife wouldn't let me play anymore.

First big game I saw was SA vs Everton at Norwood Oval in 1964. First saw the socceroos in 1967, vs Scotland "B". Alex Ferguson playing for Scotland, and Ray Baartz scored his first goal for Australia. I was at the Aust vs Uruguay match in Sydney in 74 when Ray Baartz was chopped out of the game. Saw Adelaide City's first NSL match, and Adelaide United first A League match etc etc

Similar story for me. Played as a kid but drifted away in high school. More of a cricket/Aussie rules fan for a long time but also followed the Socceroos but not the NSL.

I remember being distraught (who wasn't) after the 97 fail to Iran and again in Montevideo in 2001. Qualifying for the WC in 2005 and the start of the A-League got me fully hooked again even though there is no team in my area. 

Dont really follow the AFL anymore but still like the cricket.

Reading some of these posts reminds me that even back all those years ago when you started school nearly all the kids from my area started playing sport by signing up to play football but by the end of primary school half would be playing rugby league, you don't see that transition to rugby league now, they mostly seem to be staying with the real football. 

LFC I do remember those lace up ankle boots and all boots only ever came in black and heavy waterlogged leather balls. I recall the pot holed grounds, playing on full size fields from u6 and if it rained and the ground was covered in water you still played with kids doing slide tackles everywhere. 

spot on agree, I tell the wife just that, were to blame when she carries on about our 3 in some shape or form lol......

Back on topic, no matter being a new wave dawnee or otherwise, some good stories on how you became a Real football devotee !
Better late than never as they say.

Pretty simple for me. Family. Older siblings and cousins, Oh, and friends. When I was young, pretty much all of my family and friends all supported Celtic - All with the exception of a couple my mother's uncles - As to them, not even following Celtic was acceptable, as football is the occupiers/invaders game - but that is a story for another day.

As for the A-league... I went along to the first Brisbane Queensland Roar match against the New Zealand Knights, the quality was poor, but the experience was fine. During the first two seasons I went to a match here and there every so often. Come season three, I along with my family move back to Scotland for a wee bit over a year.

Once we returned back to Brisbane (Season four), I along with my younger brother and a few friends (seven of us in total) all decided to get memberships/season tickets, which we continued up to season seven (I think). Our group of seven didn't renew our memberships from season eight onwards. A couple of us moved overseas, others to other parts of the country.  During the time when I had a membership/season ticket, a mate of mine and I use to travel to a few away games every season during that period - Which was always fun.

Now, due to my health I find it hard to go to matches, so I mostly (pretty much completely) watch Brisbane's matches at home.

My interest in the A-league (and FFA Cup) has always lasted as long as that of Brisbane. Once Brisbane's season is finished, my interest in the A-League also finishes for that season. The FFA Cup is pretty much the same as that of the League. Once Brisbane are knocked out, my interest stops.


*On a side note, I am the same with the UEFA Champions League and/or the Europa League... Once Celtic has been eliminated from either/both competitions, my interest in those competitions ends. Same goes for the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup. Once Celtic has been eliminated from those Cups, my interest also stops.


EDIT#1: Sorry for the essay length post 🥵
EDIT#2: In pecking order, Celtic comes first easy, followed by Brisbane 🙂

I'm probably the epitome of the phrase "new dawner." cricket was number 1 growing up. AFL in my early adult years. I always loved football and the Socceroos, but it was really hard for a "skip" such as me to get passionate about the NSL as there was no team for me to follow. That all changed when the HAL started. i went to about half the games in season 1. i went to about 90% in season 2 and started dragging mates to games. By season 3 I had become a Victory member and was hooked.

ha ! I am your vintage and remember those days well.However in defence of the current day kids ...they can only play and develop in the world as it is . We oldies produced these kids to be the way they are. Each generation now wants to make life as easy as possible for their kids..and as admirable as that is... it may not be the best thing for them .
We are breeding competitiveness out of them and in a (still) dog eat dog world they will be eaten by bigger harder dogs who haven't had life so easy.

LOL, I can picture that goal in the wet cow paddocks we used to play on.
Sorry to steer off course for a mo for your post reminded me what we grew up way back then !
You lucky blokes growing up with light weight boots and balls !
I'm sure the other ol blokes will vouch, the boots available back in the '60's when I started were Ankle high - massive studs and laces near on like Rugby boots of the day. Some were even plastic if I recall right.
Later once Adidas the main big brand evolved nice low cut leather boots were the go, now replaced by vinyl Nike jewellery, nah some of the boots and colours are great but they don't last long for the money they ask. 
The ball we played with was full on heavy leather, weighed a ton and farfar worse on wet days as Footballking55 reminded me.
You copped one of those balls in your face in full flight was as bad as being king hit by Thor's hammer ! LOL.....lucky to be alive and not like today where they stop play, its get the fuck up and get on with it.
Now I have to bite my lip watching my sons teams play on synthetics and see players whinge over this or that, a little kick or even no contact a kid plays Neymar role model etcetc...drives me nuts these prima donnas. 

+ yes Peter Wilson was a top player in his day.

I first played as a 9 yr old in 1964 in Armidale, NSW. Older brother played, and followed in his footsteps. Father had played Rugby League, but steered us to Football. Followed South Coast United from afar, loved Peter Wilson, Aussie '74 captain. Man United fan also, George was the Best! I have played on and off through later years, the last being 3 years ago, joint top scorer with 2 (don't laugh) goals.
Fun Fact, when 10 or 11, I remember a goal I scored, I was on the 18 yard line and kicked the ball toward a trench about 8 inches (20 cm) deep that ran across the goal line, which was about half full of water.On the goal line it was over a metre wide. Fortunately, the ball landed in the water with a great splash, then slowly drifted over the line as the Keeper looked on. He wasn't about to get wet for the team!

Wanted to play Rugby League when I was 5 as that was all anyone watched or talked about (Newcastle in the 90's hey!) but my Dad was too smart for that and signed me up to play football and I never looked back. Still playing now over 25 years later. Went to plenty of Breakers games back in the day (now a bloody greyhound track) and remember watching SBS on Sunday's for hours of football content (seem to remember the Italian leagues getting heaps of coverage) that started a lifelong obsession with the game. Still give the Jets my money every year, even managed to drag my girlfriend along for a Perth away trip last season. 

We sound similar ..I first played football in Sydney in 1966 for Padstow RSL..soccer was huge in the Bankstown District back then. I did not know anybody who play Rugby League and most at my club were Aussie born  .That's how it was in Padstow back then. Very few migrants. There were two clubs just in Padstow alone . Padstow RSL and Padstow United (who I think are still going ) . My school only played soccer as a sport .

I watched Man Utd play NSW at the Sydney Cricket Ground (I think) in 1967 and watched George Best, Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law live at their peak.
Man Utd fan ever since.

I then moved to Brisbane after two years playing in Sydney . I grew up watching Match of the Day and Star Soccer. I was obsessed by football....
Played football morning ,noon and night and read every comic, book , and watched and played every game I could .
Stopped playing from age 40 to 50 but coached kids for most of that .
Took up playing again 12 years ago and am still going
.... and loving it .
I am a Roar supporter.

Started playing at age five in local Central Coast club and played from then until 28ish with only one season off due to a leg I broke in the 16s in the final game of the year against St George.
Funnily enough, for all people keep banging on about the Central Coast being an NRL area, I knew heaps more kids at school who played football than league. Everyone watched league though.
As a teenager I found out my great uncle was pretty high up in the NSW youth coaching set up, but I never had much to do with him and couldn't say he influenced me in any way. As a Coastie I played in the Sydney comp but our representative area was with NNSW. Which meant we were only really watched by the NNSW coaches during the state title long weekend, once a year.
As far as watching the sport goes, it was the German league. A full game in the morning on the weekend on the ABC. Then match of the day highlights from England on ABC Monday nights. 
I became an Arsenal fan very early on due to their appearances in the FA cup final which I was allowed to stay up for each year due to it falling in the May school holidays back when we had a three term year. For the first few years I think that was the only time I saw them and I was amazed to find out that their actual kit was red and not the yellow away kit I usually saw them in.
As for the Socceroos  I never really tracked them much. Watched the Iran game but had no real feelings either way.
I remember actually feeling weird in the 2006 because normally I would pick 3 or 4 teams to follow based on what I was liking in the first round of games. In 2006 I couldn't just pick my favourite team based on how they played!
The NSL just pissed me off as it was never the same format 2 years running and was a really chaotic, awful time in Australian football. It ran like a legless chicken and had all the sense of direction of a blind goldfish. As a youth player with a bit of talent trying to find the way to go forward in the game at time I can only marvel at the relative opportunities and clear pathways the kids have now. Back then you never knew if the club you were supporting or trialling for would even be in the comp at all the following year. And never for football reasons.

The FIFA video games and PES to an extent got me into the sport, it wasn't until the 2006 WC that I started caring about Australian football.

depending how your body has stood up, importantly your legs/knees/ankles your never too old today.
Great to see Midfielder and Footballfirst posting around my vintage.
Hats off to you Midfielder, your up on me, I'm 59 and can't wait to get back next season having had a ACL op cutting last season short - had op last August I'm ready to go again, I had a couple of training runs with my team coming into the finals recently.
Steady as you go and can't wait.
Others I know who recently retired saying I'm mad, yes I'm football mad and miss it so much being on that pitch with team mates.
Some good memories Footballfirst you qouted, remember them all and loved Kangaroo @ Liverpool.

Bossing it at 61.  Good effort mate.  And here I was thinking I'm getting too old to play.

Brilliant.

I thank my grand father for giving me the football bug as a youngster. Dad was a football fanatic also, but never at any stage was he as influencial and my grand father. 

I have always been surrounded by people that played the game so I started kicking a ball as soon as I could walk.
I played my first club game at four years of age and maybe my last club game in my early fifties. I keep telling myself I am just having a rest, missing it so I might play next year.
I coached my first team at 15 then had a lengthy break but have been back coaching for many years now and have coached this year.
Like LFC I grew up watching  ABC's  English 1st division and also SBS with Johny Warren and Les Murray.
Worst memory and it still hurts is that WCQ against Iran. I still detest that pitch invader, not going to mention his name.
Good memories of Brazilian world cup teams. 
Maradonna at the 1986 world cup.  
The world cup qualification match against Uraguay  and the John Aloisi penalty.
Kewell and Viduka playing in England at Leeds etcetera. 
Craig Johnston at Liverpool.
The 2006 Socceroos and all Socceroo victories.
And  just being involved in football, playing ,coaching etcetera. 
And I still keep hearing this tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZSU7bdSGVU

Starting playing at 4…

Stopped at 14 and played league for 3 years.

Went back to Football at 19, stopped at 25 and picked up again at 35..

Last game I was 61 … plan to play again next year ..

In-between coached for 22 years, served on a local committee for 7 years as a technical advisor for people who needed assistance in coaching.

Teams followed as a fan and went to games, Auburn, Blacktown Demons, The Northern Spirit, Mariners.

Sadly I have never seen professional Football in Australia well managed, some administrations not as bad as others, but none have been good, errr maybe Hal years 2 to 4.

Best short vid on Football follows about the years leading up to Nov 2005.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUIP6STNxSA&t=307s

Was in London in 1972/73.  Absolute scandal in the UK papers that England was not going to the World Cup (knocked out by Poland) and Australia WAS!  Caught my attention, and then when I got back to Oz, watched our three World Cup matches in black and white beamed in live from Germany by the ABC.  I was hooked! 

It went from an interest to the beginnings of a life-long passion when my local club Mooroolbark United became the first club to take the leap of faith and officially join the National Soccer League (Fun fact - actually the first club to join any national competition).  Poor old 'Barkers lasted just one season and without an NSL club to align myself with I had to console myself with Socceroo matches for the next thirty years until the A-League and Victory arrived. 

For all those years I used to fantasize about there being a club like Victory - had to keep pinching myself in those first few seasons.  Just had to keep believing I guess.  
 

My Dad used to always watch SBS - Les Murray's world game show when I was young. I remember that SBS song always...  'Soccer.... Soccer...   Soccer is the real football!'
I started getting into it, when the Socceroos played Argentina for a world cup spot in 93. USA 94 was my first true world cup that I followed.

I went through the heartbreak of Argentina, Iran, Uruguay (episode 1)