Episode 83 - Glorious lockdown shambles

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Still doing the show from our respective home bases, and boy oh boy, technical problems! And being caught out saying bad words! And Frank Brunoskevic! And tedious banter! And strange noises in the background! And Ian not speaking clearly into his mic, even at home!

Then catching up with feedback, sort of, because we're a bit discombobulated. Ian's also still stuck in the 1930s, and what's going on with Preston at that time, and the arcane, unclear nature of player transfers, and spelling variations in player names.

(Paul is also distracted by scrolling through Brunoskevic related antics on Twitter during the show)

Tony Persoglia has been trying to update the first four seasons of the national women's soccer league from the 1990s on OzFootball. Paul also relates some correspondence he received from the son of long-serving Victorian referee Jim Fokianos, and the difficulties in trying to track down referee appearances.

Then Paul gets a bit upset at the "Greece" episode of the Football Belongs episode. You can read a version of his issues with that segment here.

After the break, 100 Years Ago Today, we begin in Ipswich, with a multi=sport carnival, including junior soccer as the feature of a Colliery employees day; then to Brisbane, and the story of a landslide and a delayed mail train, and the Queensland state soccer team; an update on said team, which got off at the next stop at Armidale; the beginnings, sort of, women's rugby league in Sydney, and why they might not have chosen soccer instead; and then finally to Melbourne's results.

In the final segment Ian continues with his research into George Macaulay, including the invitations to trial and play with the Victorian state team. It's an insight into the process of being selected; trialling, travel, publicity, equipment, and all necessary arrangements. Ian also discusses a letter written within the Macaulay family, which alludes to a soccer committee meeting taking place in the Macaulay household, and a soccer match to Wonthaggi - what that means for George Macaulay's playing career, and his personal life.

Episode 79 - Dylan Arvela and Woonona's 2020 championship

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Interminable married couple banter. Some news on the Merewether soccer Anzacs honour board. Then Ian follows up on his research on Footscray Thistle player and Victorian representative George Macaulay, which included meeting George's children, and taking scans and photos of Macaulay football memorabilia - including medals and member ticket booklets. We try to figure out where one of the photos with a scoreboard "G.B.P." on it - Paul thinks maybe the Motordrome. Ian tries to sum up what we've learned about Macaulay and the people he played alongside, and how he seemed to be lost to local soccer - and the ways in which the pre-WW2 soccer culture doesn't necessarily follow through to the post-war period. Also, how Melbourne soccer seems afflicted by a lack of depth, and a lack of native-born players to help carry the culture into second and third generations.

After the break we chat with journalist Dylan Arvela, about his book  A Drop in the Ocean: the story of Woonona's Illawarra Premier League championship, (available for purchase via Amazon). which covers the titular club's unexpected 2020 title run. Among the things we discuss are the history of Woonona, and its comparative lack of success; the current power balance within Illawarra football; what football was like under Covid conditions; what's more important, a league title or grand final win; is it a championship or a premiership?; how different clubs value different titles in terms of importance; the nature of the rivalries of Wollongong soccer; a dramatic final day of the league season; and what else Dylan has lined up to write next. 

(also Paul gets to talk about driving around Wollongong's northern suburbs soccer grounds with Travis Faulks).

We finish with a brief edition of 100 Years Ago Today, where finally we have some news of the Melbourne season, and we finish off with the segment's first ever reference to the Northern Territory, with the arrival of the Geranium in Darwin.