Thursday, May 12, 2005

Dullsville Is So Yesterday

The soccer started again last night. It was the FIFA World Club Championship qualifiers and Perth Glory, the National Soccer League (now defunct) Champions, were taking on a new team, Sydney FC (part owned by Anthony Lapaglia who attended the match) - who were probably Marconi in disguise. Sydney kicked all three goals in the match but only won 2-1.

What a miserable night for soccer. Since Perth Glory started in '96 it has only rained about three times in total. Last night it poured with rain. I took my umbrella but didn't have a jacket as I had come to the game from work and only had my work clothes on. Pants and business shirt. Must have stood out as a bit strange. At one stage I was huddled under my umbrella with five Englishmen, in much closer proximity with them than I would be with my wife, and then a security guard said that we weren't allowed to have an umbrella in the grandstand. I would have to move to a grassed area. Grandstand? I was in the standing area on concrete. There was no bloody stand. One of the Englishmen was going to have it out with the security guard but I think he may have been stoned and it was all talk. Just as the half time break finished the rain cleared up for the rest of the night and I was able to resume my position. I did manage to get absolutely satched (saturated - for those of you that don't speak Strine).

My position was standing next to the big guy from the West Coast Eagles Cheer Squad. You may have seen him on TV - he stands right behind the goals and waves pom-poms. Looks quite retarded but doesn't come across that way in real life. I asked him if I was to shake some pom-poms around would I be able to get a build like him. No, was the short answer. I asked him what his secret was and he refused to tell me. I had mentioned earlier in the night that the Eagles suck and that drew a bit of a reaction. Late in the match he yelled out "You should play for Bombers!" I hadn't told him that I am a Bombers supporter and decided to keep my mouth shut.

Gee, I didn't get home until after 10pm. That is pretty late for me. Just before I finished work I had a customer ring me and he needed a product in a hurry at a mine site some 400kms away. As I wouldn't be able to get a courier I decided to run it out to the airport myself. It was a nice little time filler between work and the start of the game. I hadn't planned to go home after work. Nice to get to use the lungs once again at the soccer. There's nothing like being able to yell a bit of abuse and get some agro out.

Now that the Glory has lost there won't be any more soccer until the new Hyundai A League starts in August. Bugger. It was a bit strange that there were no dancers girl to ogle, no Steve Armstrong singing to ridicule, and most importantly, we didn't sing the national anthem before the game. Perhaps all of this will return once the A League is underway.

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