I’ve just watched my 13 year old cousin play football for his local team the Tarmoor Tigers in Australia. I’m still astounded and shocked at what I’ve just witnessed and realise why the football here will never be there national sport! It was the quarter finals of the local cup so there was a big turnout. I’ve only recently come to Australia so was quite excited to watch him play and see what the quality was like.
It was a fairly matched game with neither team giving anything away. Half time came and it was a stalemate at 0-0. The second half kicked off with both teams attacking well, parents of both teams cheering their kids on enthusiastically you could tell most of the parents weren’t avid football fans with shouts of ‘good kick!’ ‘Come on get it over the goal line!’ and my favorite ‘that players such a good defensive blocker!’ which added to the mornings entertainment.
With about 10minutes to go still 0-0 I asked the other parents ‘does it go to extra time? Or golden goal?’ Most of them had no idea when the opposition’s manager GLOATINGLY said ‘there is no extra time or golden goal! The winner goes through on who has had most corners and goal kicks and we are winning 10-4!’ I could not believe what I had just heard! In a country where the sport is in decline the kids are being encouraged to get pointless corners and goal kicks rather than scoring to win the game! I would love to know what kind of people make up the Australian Football Federation who thinks this is good for the sport. If this happened in the premiership Stoke would be crowned champions every year and Rory Delap would be the richest sportsman in history! What kind of example are they setting for their future stars of the sport! This is the most ridiculous rule I have ever heard and with rules like this Australia doesn’t deserve our beautiful game!!
On a positive note my cousin’s team scored in the last minute and won 1-0! I made sure I gave my commiserations to the other team’s manager…..
Harry O’Donnell