Cover Page: Wayne Snowden 3 About us
Highs, Lows and Absurd moments of the Noughties: 4 Mike The Football Tragic� Salter 5 Con Stamocostas 6 Shane Davis and Glenn Siever 7 Ben O’Neill 8 Eamonn Flannagan 10 Russ Gibbs and Keiran Pender 11 Tony Wilson and Sunil Awasthi 12 Matt McGrath
Best and Worst of the Noughties: 13 Tactics, Maradona Quote and Best Movie of the Noughties 14 Best goal and team of the Noughties 15 Best player and coach of the Noughties 16 Cheaters of the Noughties
As Australians it’s almost like we were spoilt for choice. What about the ultimate low of the Noughties? Ex –Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett reckons that Australia bidding for the World Cup has the potential to make AFL fans feel pretty low.
Some smart advertising guru type who has dreams of one day being the next Don Draper smugly called the decade we have just lived and about to depart, The Noughties. For Australian football fans it anything but nought. The Half Time Heroes writers have kindly given their time to list their high and low of the Noughties and most absurd moment of the past 10 years. So can you guess what the contender for the biggest high of the Noughties is?
What about your absurd moment of the Noughties? Flying Italians, French head butts and outstretched hands and beach balls anyone? I hope you enjoy this special HTH feature. Everyone here at Half Time Heroes wishes you all a happy and safe new year. Peace and Football Con Stamocostas
embarrassing Socceroo performances ever.
Absurd football act of the decade:Milan goalkeeper Dida
Mike Salter Football high of the decade November 16, 2005. Well, it had to be, didn't it? I was sick as a dog that night, in the midst of a hugely busy period at work, but still made it to ANZ Stadium for The Match and The Moment. Behind the southern goal for the first half, I saw Recoba miss that sitter; in the second, there was Kewell taking Uruguay apart down the left, but to no immediate avail. When it got to penalties, I had hardly any nervous energy left (imagine what it would have been like for the players!). And the feeling after Aloisi's penalty? Indescribable.
(pictured below), on being gently shoved on the shoulder by a Celtic fan who had invaded the field of play, briefly pursued the intruder before collapsing with a pretended head injury. What made the act so ridiculous (not to mention disgraceful) was that there was no chance in the world, given the TV coverage, of Dida ever getting away with the deception. An episode from football's Theatre of the Absurd.
Football low of the decade:
March 5, 2009. It's not that Australia's A-Leaguers should never lose to a side like Kuwait. It was, rather, the manner of the loss that was so dispiriting, and particularly the fact that the powers that be chose to dress certain players in three-figure numbers. One of the most embarrassing things I've seen in Australian football, and one of the most
By puffins1001
Con Stamocostas Football High of the Decade: Sunday 28th August 5:20pm, Dwight Yorke heads in an Andrew Packer cross. Earlier 35 000 fans cram into the Sydney Football Stadium for Sydney FC’s first ever A League game against its fiercest rivals Melbourne Victory. Thousands of football fans are let in for free, the first time the SFS has done such a thing. Football low of the decade: I give up my England v Socceroos ticket to see Icelandic prog rockers Sigur Ros. It’s a great gig with an amazing light show. What ends up being a great concert turns into the dumbest thing I have ever done. The Socceroos beat England 3-1 and I curse my pretentious side.
(All night Dwight!) (Pic by Jonesy 702) Absurd football act of the decade: If you said to me a decade ago Australia would be bidding for the World Cup and it would have a realistic chance of winning the bid I would say that you were ill and in need of a specialist doctor. It’s absurd but the good kind.
Shane Davis
Football high of the decade – Euro 2000, a wonderful all-round tournament and sadly totally contrary to the rest of this decade's World Cups and Euros. Football low of the decade - The death of 22-year-old Antonio Puerta of Sevilla in 2007. Seeing this type of thing live for the first time and on someone my age was difficult. Absurd football act of the decade - Graham Poll's (pictured, right) three yellow cards to Josip Šimunić in Australia vs. Croatia at the 2006 World Cup. An incredible way to end a momentous night.
(Here have another one!) (Photo courtesy of www.freewebs.com/soonerago oner/grahampoll4dvia4.j)
Glen Siever Football high of the decade Highlight 2005 November. I was there, never has there been such a moment. Football low of the decade My low is right now with the AFL playing politics with the WC bid, Absurd football act of the decade My crazy is in Canada they played a game for 33 hours.
Football Low of the Decade: Corruption. Calciopoli exposed it in Italy but recent reports suggest match fixing – especially in Eastern Europe – is wide spread. I wouldn’t be surprised if much of what we’ve seen is in some way tarnished. Most Absurd Football Act of the Ben O’Neill
Noughties: Zinedine Zidane’s head butt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World
Football High of the Decade: November 16 2005. Enough said.
(Cartoon from www.buzznet.com/.../zidanes-
Cup Final. Unorthodox and a sad and wrong way to close such a classy career.
headbutt/?id=2984276 by iheartpatstump)
Sydney home A-League game. As the whistle blew there were maybe 5,000 in the ground. The cynics were twitching. By half-time the official crowd was 26,000 but many more got in for free. Great game too, ended 1-1. Cynics were loving it!
Eamonn Flanagan’s Football Decade. 1 Wollongong 3-Perth 3. 7-6 on penalties. 2000 NSL Grand Final. Just squeaked in depending on your definition of a decade I guess. In front of 43,000 Perth stormed to a 3-0 half-time lead, only to be pegged back by a Scott Chipperfield/Paul Reid inspired Wollongong. All in front of a live FTA audience.
4. January 1, 2006. The single greatest moment in Australian football this decade. The Asian Football Confederation invites Australia in. Thank you thank you Asia! 5. The night of our lives. Australia v Uruguay. November 16th, 2005. Myself my partner and my six year old daughter had seats in the very last row at the top of the Olympic Stadium. If I never go to another game I’ll die a happy man!
2 Implementation of the Crawford Review.Tony Labbazotta and his mates getting the boot from the game. Pain before the game.
6. Overhearing two “older” women discussing the Socceroos latest Germany World Cup game in the local shops, and of course Timmy Cahill’s goals, Harry Kewell’s goal and every bit of the Socceroos 2006 campaign.
3. Sitting with my two Aussie football cynics at the Sydney Football Stadium one and a half hours before Dwight Yorke’s Sydney FC took on Archie Thompsons Melbourne Victory in the first
7. Abolishing big sided games at my local club. How slow is this nation to teach our kids good football skills and habits? (And now we’re bringing them back at Under 10 level. Give us a break!)
(16 November 2005, Australia playing Uruguay)(Photo by Adran Furby) 8. Travelling from Canberra to Seville to watch a Henrik Larsson inspired Celtic lose to Jose Morinho’s cheating, diving Porto in the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. Great game. Celtic fans slept in car boots, hedges and the gutter on that balmy Spanish night. Not this Celtic fan, I had a bed! 9. Watching football invade the heart of AFL country when Archie scored 5 in front of 55,000 fans at the Telstra Dome.
10. Attending Canberra United WLeague games in the new W-League with the 1,000 or so other fans. Great atmosphere, great games and it’s the only football club we have in Canberra at an elite level. 11. And Simon Hill and his mates at Fox Sport for bringing all the ALeague games, Socceroos, and Asian Champions games live into my lounge. I’ve been in Australia over 20 years and waited a long time to see a game live on TV on primetime, weekends, midweek etc etc. Love it!
Russ Gibbs High of the Decade: Manchester United's 2008 'Double' of Premier League and Champions League from a personally selfish point of view! Also, the introduction of the Westfield W-League - a masterstroke from the FFA and a huge boost to the Women's game in general. Low of the Decade: The forced retirement of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer through premature injury - the guy is a football legend. And anytime that England were knocked out of a major international tournament. Hint: Practice penalties, it can only help!
brought Juan Sebastian Veron and Diego Forlan and Kleberson and Eric Djemba Djemba.....how on earth Fergie thought these guys were United players is beyomd me. Oh, and then there was George Weah's 'cousin' getting Premier League time for Southampton.......I could probably go on...........
Kieran Pender Football high of the decade: Has to be Australia reaching the 2006 World Cup, and coming so close to the quarter finals.
Football low of the decade:
Absurd Moment of the Decade: David Beckham (pictured above by Calebrw) signing for LA Galaxy from Real Madrid, Really, how bizarre can you get, and the fact that Alex Ferguson
It may still be very recent, but Barcelona beating Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final, and spending the whole day being ridiculed at school, was very low indeed.
Most absurd act of the decade: Definitely the Zidane head butt, quality.
(That moment! Photo by Rusty 8)
Tony Wilson Football high of the decade: 'Aloisssssssiiiiiiiiiiii! At last. At long long last. Thirty-one years, four months and 24 days have passed since Australia ended its campaign at the 1974 World Cup and now - finally, belatedly, wonderfully and joyfully - Australia is back on the biggest stage of all.' Thank you, Simon Hill.
Sunil Awasthi Football high of the decade: Qualifying for the 2006 World Cup by beating Uruguay in Sydney. Yeah, like you need an explanation.
Football low of the decade: Losing to New Zealand 1-0 in the final of the 2002 Oceania Nations Cup. The nadir, but at least from this pile of footballing manure, a fair ol' plant grew...
Most absurd football act of the Noughties: Graham Poll giving Joe Simunic three yellow cards for Croatia v Australia at the 2006 World Cup. Silly pommy bastard...
Low of the decade: ‘The Tragic Death Of Marc Vivien Foe’ (26/6/03)
‘Moments of the Noughties’ by Matt McGrath High of the decade: ‘The 200th Merseyside Derby’ (11/12/04) On December 11th 2004 (my eldest sons birthday) Lee Carsley scored a 68th minute winner in the 200th Merseyside derby my home town team Everton’s first victory over its bitter rival in 5 years. The match was particularly special & memorable as it was being viewed with a visiting old mate, a fellow Scouser of the ‘Red Shiote’ variety. The moment the ball left super Lee’s foot I went up & before even getting the ensuing scream out something snapped in the back of the throat or vocal box & no word of a lie I was unable to speak until the middle of the following week! (Some said this was a good thing!)
We often get caught up in the trivialities of both life & football but one fateful June day in 2003 reminded us all of the very fragility that is the wonder of life after Manchester City & Cameroon star Marc Vivien Foe collapsed & tragically died of cardiac arrest (later revealed to have been caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) during Cameroon's Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia, lest we forget. Absurd moment of the decade: Sepp Blatter - ‘Tighter Shorts For Women Footballers’ (16/1/04)As far as the absurd goes the football world is a treasure trove full of anecdotes but who other than FIFA supremo ‘Septic Bladder’ a regular peddler of the absurd could come up with a proposal so out of touch, sexist & generally offensive to Women? After being quizzed by a Swiss journalist regarding possible solutions to enhance the broader appeal of Women’s football Herr Blatter suggested that “they could, for example, have tighter shorts!" But hey this is the same gentleman who (seriously) was once elected president of the ‘World Society of Friends of Suspenders’ a 1970’s organisation formed solely to protest women replacing suspender belts with pantyhose!
The Noughties; it was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
Tactics Damn you 4-2-3-1! The Noughties has seen the death of the striker and the rise of 4-2-3-1. Best Quote about Tactics: “140 years of tactical history seemed to have produced nothing more sophisticated than moving a player a little bit forward or back”
Best Maradona Quote: After qualifying for South Africa 2010 against Uruguay in the final game of the South American qualifying, Maradona was at his most humble. "They can suck it and carry on sucking it," he fumed in the press conference after the dramatic win. "This is for all Argentines, minus the journalists.
(Maradona grafite by Antonio from Mijas, España)
Best Football Movie of the Noughties The Damned United “The Damned United may not be the
best movie about an English Football Manager ever made, but it’s in the top one.”
(Michael Sheen as Brian Clough)
paintings but always put the signature upside down. "This was a replica, with the same path, the same acceleration with every touch, the same pauses and feints, always escaping on the same side.
(Photo of Lionel Messi against Getafe 18/4/07 by Darz_Mol)
The only difference was Messi finishing with his right foot - that was the upside-down signature."
Team of the Noughties Best Goal of the Noughties Messi’s goal against Getafe 18/04/07 Click to see the Maradona/Messi split screen comparison Read excellent Spanish football writer for the Guardian Sid Lowe on that goal. “So, you can copy a work of art, after all," wrote AS's Alfredo Relaño, comparing Messi to Elmyr D'Hory, who forged famous
(FC Barcelona 2007 by Xavier Salvador )
Player of the Noughties Messi or Ronaldo? HTH couldn’t decide. So both superstars share the honour.
(Lucky Guss, not so lucky Russians) (photo by Paul Blank)
And for the Europeans “The Special One” Jose Mourinho but surely Josep Guardiola winning six titles with Barcelona has to be the gaffer of the Noughties?
(CR9 pick by Elamaki)
Coach of the Noughties For Australians there was “lucky” Gus Hiddink getting the Socceroos to the world cup after 32 years!
(Josep Guardiola celebrating Barcelona's 2009 UEFA Champions League Final with Uefa boss Michel Platini) (pic by funnydae)
Cheaters of the Noughties The lasting legacy of the Noughties must be the cheating The Italians, French and Germans lead the way. In no particular order was the match fixing scandals in Italy and Germany. On the field it was the French head butting and handballing their way to football immortality. While the Australians found out the hard way that Italians are likely to dive over lunging defenders in the last minute of a World Cup knockout game! Let’s not forget Australia had prominent players Kevin Muscat and Craig Moore involved in their own betting scandals during the Noughties. Though we may pontificate like we are clean skins in Australia, like the rest of the world we can cheat with the best of them.
That wraps up the Half Time Heroes review of the Noughties!
Thanks to all who contributed we wish you a Happy New Year and bring on the Tweenies!