Episode 48 - Early days of SBS soccer; Tarrawanna's poor sportsmanship

Download and listen to this episode here.

Paul talks about something stupid he did a few weeks ago, namely the purchase of a medal from the 1926 Dockerty Cup.

Moving on to video games, and an edit file for Pro Evolution Soccer 2020, for which someone has compiled a 1990s National Soccer League league and team set.

Then on to what people have been scanning and uploading.

Paul notes that while trying to find articles with tags in Trove (to help Ian), he came across two letters - one by a J.O. Wilshaw a soccer person, and one by George Cathie, a former VFL player and delegate, and one time editor of the VFL's Football Record. In these letters from early 1953, Wilshaw puts forward the case for why soccer should get access to an enclosed ground in Albert Park, while for his part Cathie responds by making stuff up about soccer in the 1880s both in Australia and in England.

After the break it's time for 100 Years Ago Today, first off to Hobart, where the HMS Renown manages at last to not lose a game, albeit in fortuitous circumstances; to Melbourne, and an extended discussion on the return of the England vs Scotland game for the first time since the end of the war; then to Newcastle, where we look at the recently improved spectator amenities of the Tramways Ground; then south to the Illawarra, where after looking at some results, we get into a heated letter writing stoush on Tarrawanna's apparent lack of sportmanship and manners, with real beaut 1920s polite outrage.

In the final segment, after noting watching a video of Anderlecht-era Eddie Krncevic, Paul discusses this 1980 review of soccer by SBS, as uploaded by George Cotsanis from a video given to him by Tim Paton. An artefact from the very earliest days of SBS TV, Paul discusses:

• the host of the review, Vladimir Lusic, whom Les Murray described as "the quintessential ethnic, almost a living and breathing caricature of the New Australian".
• the critical tone of soccer discussion which SBS brings to the table from the start, and which goes on to influence the nature of Australian soccer discourse for decades to come - including when rival networks seek to play against that tone - as well as a comparison with other sports and their networks.
• the sheen which has worn off the national team since 1974, and the the decline in optimism in the game's fortunes as a whole.
• the sideline and media persona and antics of Socceroos coach Rudi Gutendorf
• a very uncomfortable press conference with Gutendorf, Socceroo captain Murray Barnes, Australian Soccer Federation chairman Arthur George, and Tasmanian delegate Vic Tuting
• what seems like a gradual degradation of team spirit amid mixed results of a long overseas tour.

Episode 20 - Darren Giancaspro; Spencer Gulf soccer; Como Cup

The Como Cup, the trophy for a defunct
Doiwn tournament hosted by defunct club Prahran City.

Download and listen to episode 20 here.

We begin with noting that Mark Boric's efforts this week have been augmented with match programs courtesy of Greg Stock and Graeme McGinty. During the week Tony Persoglia also launched his Vicsoccer project.

George Cross supporter and historian Victor Brincat had a question about the provenance of a trophy called the Como Cup - and through our wide ranging social media networks, we were able to establish that it was a pre-season tournament from the 1970s and 80s hosted by the now defunct Victorian club Prahran City. (see the tournament program from the 1978 edition)

Ian tries to float the idea of naming historical liars (regarding their own personal histories) in Australian soccer, starting off with Mark Bell, who claimed he was a Scotland international.

Then follows 100 Years Ago Today  covering Victorian Dockerty Cup results (including criticising the slackness of the local journalists); a good time had at the Spotswood Soccer-Football Club; moving to the Illawarra and the Gardiner Cup.

We then chat with Darren Giancaspro, who has uploaded films mostly from the early 1990s, but also some from eras before that - including priceless footage from the 1950s. In a wide-ranging discussion Darren explains the nature of the different towns within the Northern Areas competition; how he got access to the films; the history of the different clubs, and the various industries and migrant groups involved with them; the logistics of the competition with regards to travel; the struggle to gain local media coverage, despite the local popularity of the game; what's happened to that soccer since those films were made, especially once the Port Pirie clubs joined the Adelaide competition;

We finish off the show with Paul's foolish pledge to update the infamous Victorian-Italian club merger-de-merger flowchart.