Meet the original Socceroos fanatic, who was even there in '74

June 11th, 2010

Geoff Grant remembers when World Cup tickets cost him just $5.

"And there wasn't all this razzamattaz you've got now," he said, pointing to the huge bar at Fanatics HQ in Durban.

"Back then me and a few mates just hired a campervan and went around the games. The tickets were very cheap - probably about $5."

The elder statesman of the green and gold contingent in South Africa, the 62-year-old is among a tiny group of Ausralians who are backing up for their third World Cup after witnessing Germany 1974 live.

And he's perhaps the only one, who, after this tournament, will be able to say he's attended every World Cup finals match the Socceroos have contested.

"I went to all three of the games in 1974. We were completely outclassed by East and West Germany and we got a 0-all draw with Chile, but they dominated the whole game," recalled Mr Grant, from the NSW border town of Albury.

"There was only about 1,000 Aussies in Germany for that tournament and I had to wait another 32 years to go back. I saw all the games in 2006 and we're booked to do the same here."

A former U16s Australian representative, Mr Grant was 26 years old during Australia's first World Cup campaign. Fittingly son Dean is the same age for his first World Cup in South Africa, with the pair camping together on Kingsmead Oval alongside 1,000 fellow Australians.

Dean travelled from his work base in Dubai to link with his father, and had matching boxing kangaroo suits made up for the trip.

Fanatics boss Warren Livingstone said almost half the fans booked on his tour were veterans from Germany four years ago. The group's activities will ramp-up from tomorrow as former Socceroos star Mark Bosnich and Aussie rock legends Powderfinger join the tour.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/11/155311_ntsport.html