I Come from a Land Down Under
Meet: Kangaroo Jack
Vår yngsta dotter dvs. Josefin kom nyligen hem från Australien där hon tillbringade ett år. Det räckte inte att hon anlände med den bredaste australienska dialekten, hade hon en ”Aussie” kille med.
Australien är ett underbart land där jag också tillbringade 6 månader av mitt liv på 80-talet. Men det finns ett par underliga saker med landet. För det första, finns det inga dialekter. Trots storleken och långa avstånd, låter alla likadant.
För det andra, har (eller hade) de inget intresse för fotboll. Detta är, tycker jag, ganska märkligt eftersom de flesta som flyttade dit var britter från arbetarklassen. Ännu mer märkligt är att de tog med sig de andra typiska brittiska sporterna: Rugby league, Rugby Union (det finns en skillnad) och cricket.
Men kanske håller det på att ändras. Därför valde jag att intervjua den trevlige unge mannen från……………….the land down under.
1. Can you introduce yourself and are you interested in sport?
I´m Jack Lhuede from New South Wales, Australia and I love sport.
2. What are the major sports in Australia?
This is a very broad question. As far as team winter sports are concerned there are many. The main four are: AFL (Aussie Rules), rugby league, rugby union, and............ soccer. There are also other popular sports that are more solitary but readily accessible, such as: tennis, golf, surfing and believe it or not there is also snow in Australia, so skiing and snowboarding are very popular during our short winter. And of course, there is Cricket.
3. Do Aussies call it football or soccer?
The bulk of the population will say soccer as our major sports: rugby league and AFL /Aussie rules) are commonly referred to as footy. Any person with a true passion for the game, or most people with a first generation European background will call it football, which is a vast minority in Australia.
4. Is soccer big in Australia? Are many interested?
As mentioned above, competition for ratings and attention are very high with the 4 sports vying for a piece of the pie; although Soccer has probably the lowest media attention. The other sports dominate. However, Soccer Australia is doing very good things to become a major player. Harry Kewell (ex-Liverpool) and Italian Alexandro Del Piero have recently joined the league, which is gaining more and more attention from all sport lovers in Australia.
5. So the sport growing?
Interest is definitely growing and the new A league has transformed the game to complete professionally. This happened as recently as only 4 years ago. There is a long way to go to compete with the rival sports, but it definitely has a foothold with Australia’s massive migrant (immigrant) population.
6. Are Aussies aware just how big soccer is in Europe?
The majority of people in Australia are very protective over “their” sport. For most, it is usually a choice between rugby league and AFL. So, even if they are aware, then “ignorance is bliss”. However, anyone who follows football (soccer) in Australia is very aware of the world game and almost always has a team in the English Premier League; though many are simply “Glory Boys”..................as here in Sweden, I gather ha ha.
7. Who are the big teams back home?
Sydney and Melbourne are the big financial players and they secured the big names e.g. del Piero (Sydney) and Kewell (Melbourne). That is not to say they have won more championships.
8. What about the World Cup? Do you follow it?
On the occasions of Australia participating in the World Cup Finals, the whole of Australia gets behind The Socceroos (as they are called). Many people are aware that we have done better than expected in the last 2 World Cups and I am of the belief that we were well and truly ripped off in the final 16 game of the World Cup in Germany, where Italy were awarded a very dubious penalty in the last minute.
10. You saw Stoke – Swansea on TV 2 weeks ago. What did you think of the game?
It was the first full game of football I have watched on television in my life. I enjoyed it immensely. My favourite part was when you lost your slippers during celebration of Crouch´s first goal. I think without your animated commentary (a lot of swearing), it would have been only half as interesting. The athletic ability and lateral movement of Peter Crouch amazes me. For such a long lanky man his agility is brilliant.
11. Are you thinking of seeing a game in England?
I definitely will see a game during my stay in England. It is common knowledge that a crowd of 20,000 thousand English fans will create a better atmosphere than 40 000 Aussies. Not sure why that is but I definitely want to experience it.
12. Is it true that you are now a Stoke City fan?
Most definitely
