Australia to leave OFC for Asian federation

[hamish]

Fantastic round up there Snoop Dog. Saves me checking for all that info.
I'd love to see the Aussies in the World Cup.
I wonder would there be a possibility for FIFA to organise a "small nations" group (for want of a better term) with , say, the Vanuatus, Luxembourgs, Andorras, Vietnams etc etc involved. Maybe give it a title, with a Cup etc.

The winner could the qualify to a group in the area its based. Eg If say Andorra qualified, the put them in a European group.

Logistics would obviously be a problem.


Maybe a series of small nations groups could be organised.

As you can see, I'm mulling on this as I type.

Just a thought.

[Gerrit]

Hell no !! Luxembourg and Vanuatu have all the rights to compete with the big boys. This is country vs country football, every country has the right to participate. If it has to be about money, then the players should just ditch their national teams and go for 100% club football. The idea alone of putting the smaller nations in a pre-qualification group is breaking with all football ethnics... If Spain feels too good to play Andorra, they're a very very tiny football nation really...

As I stated before on bigsoccer.com: no Aussie will care, but anyway. I have supported Australia always in their struggle to reach the World Cup. To this sympathy I put an end. Roll on New Zealand (or even Vanuatu !)

[Gerrit]

I reckon Antartica should get a spot too.

who are you going to put in the Antarctica team ?

[Thunderblaster]

who are you going to put in the Antarctica team ?

11 Penguins!!

[Snoop Drog]

[QUOTE=sirhamish].
I wonder would there be a possibility for FIFA to organise a "small nations" group (for want of a better term) with , say, the Vanuatus, Luxembourgs, Andorras, Vietnams etc etc involved. Maybe give it a title, with a Cup etc.

The winner could the qualify to a group in the area its based. Eg If say Andorra qualified, the put them in a European group.
QUOTE]

Sirhamish, I think a small nations cup is a great idea & would go along way to developing the game in these regions.

Giving them a WC place though would be very controversial. Imagine if Andorra qualified through this comp & took a qualifying spot that otherwise would have gone to Ireland...

But anything to develop the game has to applauded. Alot of these regions already have comps (I'm thinking Tiger Cup in Asia, WC & Confederations Cup qualifiers in Oceania). The standard of football though in Vanuatu & Solomon Islands and the other Oceanic Island States is very poor $ football infrastructure at times non-existent (Sydney FC play in Tahiti next month to qualify for the World Championship. Apparently the Tahitian stadium, Stade Pater, does not have any phone lines for journos to carry match reports)

I guess I've gone off the subject a bit but certainly Vanuatu would give 11 Antartic penguins a good run for their money

[dancinpants]

Australia 4 4 0 0 66 0 +66 12

Thats Australias record from the 2002 qualifying. Thats fookin' rediculous - averaging over 16 goals per game!!!!, even Fiji scored 27 in their 4 games (averaging nearly 7/game and STILL finished 2nd). If Australia are going to improve they HAVE to make the move to the Asian Qualifiers.

[dancinpants]

I guess I've gone off the subject a bit but certainly Vanuatu would give 11 Antartic penguins a good run for their money

Snoop Drog we're trying to have a serious discussion here - there's no need to be goin' insulting penguins man!!!

[Snoop Drog]

Sorry dancinpants- Let it be put on the record that I am not racist towards penguins. Or nuns in general.

[Gerrit]

Country football is about bringing the whole world together, not about improving and getting higher and richer, that's why we have club football IMO. If Australia resigns it is an insult to the likes of Tonga etc, it's like "we feel too good for you because you cannot reach our level". I don't think we can accept this, not me anyway. I have much more respect for those Samoans out there who were beaten 31-0 but still go for it out of love for the game, THAT is the true football spirit, not the ones that just want to get higher and richer.

I never had a favourite in Asian football (yeah Mongolia, but they will not be true competition I'm afraid) but I rather see the Asian team -whatever it will be- win the playoff that the Aussies now. Can't help feeling disgusted by their act and it will take a while before they're in my good books again. Japanese fans are much nicer to look at anyway

[hamish]

Country football is about bringing the whole world together, not about improving and getting higher and richer, that's why we have club football IMO. If Australia resigns it is an insult to the likes of Tonga etc, it's like "we feel too good for you because you cannot reach our level". I don't think we can accept this, not me anyway. I have much more respect for those Samoans out there who were beaten 31-0 but still go for it out of love for the game, THAT is the true football spirit, not the ones that just want to get higher and richer.

I never had a favourite in Asian football (yeah Mongolia, but they will not be true competition I'm afraid) but I rather see the Asian team -whatever it will be- win the playoff that the Aussies now. Can't help feeling disgusted by their act and it will take a while before they're in my good books again. Japanese fans are much nicer to look at anyway

Gerrit, I'm not saying anything along the lines that Spain are too good for the likes of Andorra etc.
I was just thinking that a small nations group would enrich their love of football and focus on improving their standards. They would have a competition to win and a play-off against the big guns - NOT automatic qualification to the World Cup Finals.
It surely must be dispiriting for Fiji, Vietnam etc getting the siht beat out of them, match after match, year after year. I honestly can't see how it helps the development of football.
How about this alternative?
A World Cup Shield to run concurrently with the World Cup Finals and in the same country as the Finals and at the same time.
The small countries qualification group could be used as a method to have, say, eight qualifiers for this Shield.
OK it's not perfect but it might give the minnows a little exposure.
I'm just teasing this out with you guys - there must be some way that smaller nations can be helped. I'm aware that FIFA organise development programmes in these countries and coaching schemes etc. but that's not enough I feel.
Fcuk the penguins - I'm a Greenland supporter - they have football there too I believe.

[Green Tribe]

Fcuk the penguins .

Jesus, any animal's going to get it where you're concerned.....

[hamish]

Jesus, any animal's going to get it where you're concerned.....

Oh Jaysus I walked right in to that one, didn't I KT?

Trust you to spot it.

Evil KT

[Green Tribe]

Oh Jaysus I walked right in to that one, didn't I KT?

Trust you to spot it.

Evil KT

Hee hee hee! It'd be cracking though if Australia could get into the WC, their fans are mad craic!

[hamish]

Yeah, the Aussies are great steam.

Whew still coming down from the Final!!!

Took my mind off sheep for a full two hours!!

[Snoop Drog]

If Australia resigns it is an insult to the likes of Tonga etc, it's like "we feel too good for you because you cannot reach our level". I don't think we can accept this, not me anyway. I have much more respect for those Samoans out there who were beaten 31-0 but still go for it out of love for the game, THAT is the true football spirit, not the ones that just want to get higher and richer.

Gerrit, it's not an insult at all. In many ways it is good for the region- They no longer have one nation (Australia) dominating all comps. Countries like Fiji, Solomon Islands and New Zealand ( ) can now be Oceanic Champs, which will develop the game in these areas & allow them to play in prestigious tournaments like Confederations Cup & World Club Championship (unless they change the rules...) Not only was Australia unanimously voted into Asia by the member nations, the member nations of Oceania unanimously voted to allow them to leave (ok, this might have been a bit of political rubberstamping but I belive ethe island nations of Oceania see the benefits of Austalia being out).

It won't be easy sailing for Australia in Asia either- It is a tough region to qualify for WC out off.

STOP PRESS- Aussie Kewell wins a CL medal (not that his performance this season meritted it...). I think only the second Aussie ever to win one- I'm pretty sure Craig Johnson would have won one at Liverpool too. Don't believe any other Aussie has ever won one (but could be wrong )

[Gerrit]

Hamish, the problem here is that these countries don't care getting beaten 10-0 all the time. They play for the love of the game, and don't care how much the score is. And that is the true spirit of football, I respect the players of San Marino much more than the Zidanes out there who wouldn't even think of going on the pitch without getting paid for it. The players of San Marino, Andorra, etc have to pay money to travel for their games, they have to sacrifice their holidays at work for it, still they show the biggest enthousiasm and motivation every game again. THAT is the pure football spirit, not seeing sports as an economical thing.
By putting the tiny nations in a pre-qualifier I'm a bit afraid they're getting punished for their spirit and attitude towards the game, while in fact we should reward them and help them to make things better. I doubt that Australia leaving will make the Solomon Islands any better. Maybe I'm wrong, hopefully...



And I am a northpole obsessed since age 5, so I did lot of research on the Far North and yes also football there. Greenland is very fanatic. Towns hold an average of 5 clubs even if there's only 1000 people in the village, and despite the hard travelling conditions (often it's air only) towns run empty when their teams play away games because the whole town travels to support their teams. Games are often played at midnight even, as the sun doesn't go down in the summer.

The northernmost competitive team in the world is the Greenland league team from Qanaaq near Thule, a 2000 people settlement in the extreme Northwest of Greenland and the quarter Siorapaluk is the northernmost settlement in the world. It has no running water in winter and temparatures go down to -50 Celsius sometimes in winter. Still, in summer there's a football team here entering the league.

Needless to say given my passion for the arctic, that Qanaaq is my favourite club in Greenland.

And I am being very serious here, don't think I am making this all up. I did my research well as I hope for extended travels in the Arctic and maybe, though I know chances are little in their economies, to live in the arctic for a while. It's been a lifelong dream of mine ever since first watching the globe. Probably will never come true, but you never know and where's light there's hope (and light is there, even though only for 3 months a year !)




Now back on-topic

[hamish]

[QUOTE=Gerrit]Hamish, the problem here is that these countries don't care getting beaten 10-0 all the time. They play for the love of the game, and don't care how much the score is. And that is the true spirit of football, I respect the players of San Marino much more than the Zidanes out there who wouldn't even think of going on the pitch without getting paid for it. The players of San Marino, Andorra, etc have to pay money to travel for their games, they have to sacrifice their holidays at work for it, still they show the biggest enthousiasm and motivation every game again. THAT is the pure football spirit, not seeing sports as an economical thing.
By putting the tiny nations in a pre-qualifier I'm a bit afraid they're getting punished for their spirit and attitude towards the game, while in fact we should reward them and help them to make things better. I doubt that Australia leaving will make the Solomon Islands any better. Maybe I'm wrong, hopefully...



And I am a northpole obsessed since age 5, so I did lot of research on the Far North and yes also football there. Greenland is very fanatic. Towns hold an average of 5 clubs even if there's only 1000 people in the village, and despite the hard travelling conditions (often it's air only) towns run empty when their teams play away games because the whole town travels to support their teams. Games are often played at midnight even, as the sun doesn't go down in the summer.

The northernmost competitive team in the world is the Greenland league team from Qanaaq near Thule, a 2000 people settlement in the extreme Northwest of Greenland and the quarter Siorapaluk is the northernmost settlement in the world. It has no running water in winter and temparatures go down to -50 Celsius sometimes in winter. Still, in summer there's a football team here entering the league.

Needless to say given my passion for the arctic, that Qanaaq is my favourite club in Greenland.

And I am being very serious here, don't think I am making this all up. I did my research well as I hope for extended travels in the Arctic and maybe, though I know chances are little in their economies, to live in the arctic for a while. It's been a lifelong dream of mine ever since first watching the globe. Probably will never come true, but you never know and where's light there's hope (and light is there, even though only for 3 months a year !)




Amazing information on Greenland football, Gerrit - have read bits and pieces on the game in Greenland but, boy, you filled up the gaps. Thanks a million. I love football stories like that.

I never mentioned economics regarding the smaller football nations. Of course I agree with you and their love of the game, true spirit etc. What I'm thinking about is a method to increase their profile eg a World Cup Shield as mentioned above and an opportunity to improve their football standards. I also don't agree that Zidane is money obsessed. Remember this guy came from an impoverished Algerian/French background and has always declared his love for the game, money or no money. I suppose it's easy to do that when one is earning thousands a week but I'd be inclined to believe Zidane as he seems a pretty straight up guy.

In conclusion, what I'm musing is how can football standards be improved in the weaker countries. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that Ireland was one of them - I only remember too bloody well from attending international games with 6000 turning up to watch us play Chechoslovakia in the 60s.
How, by the way, can you be sure they don't care being getting beaten 10-0?? That can't do their spirits much good.

[Gerrit]

Well okay, Zidane was a bad example. I am talking about the average football star that wouldn't even bother to run after a ball if he didn't get paid really well, while my respect goes to those Andorrese amateurs who have to afford their own football trips, take days off at work, get beaten every game but still play with the biggest enthousiasm because of their love for the game.

A tournament for the smaller nations may not be a bad idea yeah, but then there must be more to it than just tickets to play the big ones. If we do this, it must really actually boost their level. So maybe the FIFA or a sponsor could make it a Setanta Cup-wise thing and give a really huge amount of cash to the winning nation, which the national FA could use to build better facilities, invest in youth projects, etc. - then the tournament for the tiny ones would be really interesting and a direct improvement. If they play each other for 500 people and only 20% of them proceeds then to lose 8-0 to England, the situation is not improving at all.

[hamish]

Well okay, Zidane was a bad example. I am talking about the average football star that wouldn't even bother to run after a ball if he didn't get paid really well, while my respect goes to those Andorrese amateurs who have to afford their own football trips, take days off at work, get beaten every game but still play with the biggest enthousiasm because of their love for the game.

A tournament for the smaller nations may not be a bad idea yeah, but then there must be more to it than just tickets to play the big ones. If we do this, it must really actually boost their level. So maybe the FIFA or a sponsor could make it a Setanta Cup-wise thing and give a really huge amount of cash to the winning nation, which the national FA could use to build better facilities, invest in youth projects, etc. - then the tournament for the tiny ones would be really interesting and a direct improvement. If they play each other for 500 people and only 20% of them proceeds then to lose 8-0 to England, the situation is not improving at all.

Agree with you 100% on the above Gerrit and must say I'm thoroughly enjoying this conversation. Hope I' don't appear patronising to you.

Good point re 500 people and 8-0. That's why I'm musing/thinking out loud about the situation to see if we can come up with ideas fe football without losing the game's soul.
I thought that the likes of Andorra receive grants from UEFA/FIFA to assist with expenses for players. If not, I must say I'm astonished that they have to pay to play, travel etc. How, in God's name, can they afford it?? What you've said about this has really opened my eyes.
The Shield competition sems to work well in rugby union with the likes of Kenya, Fiji etc getting a chance to improve a little but of course that's seven a side, isn't it?
There must be some way the smaller countries can get a better deal. To be fair to FIFA they SEEM to pour millions of dollars into projects in Trinidad etc for coaching etc. What do you think? I'm stumped at the moment for ideas.

[Gerrit]

No no, I'm enjoying this sort of conversations as well... usually I get very mean answers when I refuse to go with the mass wanting results above and for whom growing bigger is all that matters, most of them don't understand some people still like the amateur spirit. Some people I know used to go to football for the sake of the atmosphere, now since we promoted a few time it's suddenly about results and some disgust someone being even interested in if there's any football in Andorra or San Marino...



And I'm sure their FAs get some money to cover expenses, but not all countries. Sometimes players do invest personal money in it, and know that they don't get paid (even if they'd actually not lose a game their reward would not make up for the costs they make). And even the ones lucky enough to have an FA paying all: none of these tiny nations have professional players but maybe one or two of the squad, so the others have to sacrifice their holidays to play the away games (except for maybe the happy very few who have an employer that gives them extra days off because of their national team duties, but I don't think many employers will do that)

Given the fact that it takes a long while to travel from Bahrein to Guam, you can imagine they don't have much holidays for the family left if their team survives a few rounds.