Australia’s James Troisi, Tomi Juric and Mark Milligan react after a missed opportunity during the game against South Korea in Brisbane on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
PREDICTABLY it didn’t take long for the whining to emanate out of Sydney about Newcastle hosting a potential Asian Cup semi-final featuring the Socceroos.
Social media was abuzz on Saturday night following Australia’s 1-0 loss South Korea in Brisbane.
‘‘An Asian Cup semi-final in Newcastle? Really?’’ was one typically Sydney-centric Twitter message.
Another tweet answered with ‘‘Tasmania didn’t have a suitable venue’’.
Then on Monday both the Sydney Morning Herald and Daily Telegraph ran articles suggesting it would be embarrassing to see an Asian Cup semi-final, potentially between Australia and Japan, at Hunter Stadium.
Admittedly it is less than ideal that Hunter Stadium’s capacity will be diminished to 22,000 due to Asian Football Confederation’s rules preventing tickets being sold for the southern and northern grassed hills.
Even if temporary seating can be installed, the capacity will fall well short of the ground’s usual 33,000.
Meanwhile the other semi-final venue, Homebush’s Stadium Australia, has a capacity of 83,000.
Correctly, the AFC has already ruled out transferring the match from Newcastle. This is the game Newcastle and the Hunter deserves.
The region gave birth to one of the country’s oldest clubs, West Wallsend, formed by English miners in 1884.
The Northern NSW region has also produced 97 Socceroos and one of our country’s greatest ever footballers, Liverpool legend Craig Johnston, grew up at Lake Macquarie.
The Newcastle Jets are on track to miss the A-League finals for a fifth straight season and are beset by ownership turmoil, but still boast 10,000 members.
Would Sydney FC supporters front up to Allianz Stadium if they were served up five seasons of mediocrity?
No one was complaining when everyone expected the Socceroos to beat South Korea and top their group, meaning Sydney would host an Australian semi-final.
Or when Newcastle was handed a one-sided match between Japan and Palestine or a dead rubber played between Middle Eastern minnows Kuwait and Oman in the same timeslot as the Socceroos blockbuster against South Korea.
Instead, Novocastrians turned out in droves to support the world game.
The Socceroos have played in Newcastle just three times in the past 40 years. The last time being an Oceania Nations Cup semi-final against New Zealand in 1995.
We’re certainly overdue.
Here’s an idea for the Sydneysiders who are moaning about the Asian Cup semi-final – get in early and book a ticket and take a drive or train ride two hours north.
I suspect you’ll enjoy what a Novocastrian football crowd can deliver.
source: theherald.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 