The Moot Point

NRL Footy Show

There’s an old adage that says if you can’t beat them you might as well join them.

Watching the NRL Footy Show on Channel Nine recently one could be forgiven for thinking that they have taken the real meaning of football to heart.

Firstly Tim Cahill made an appearance and then the following week Harry Kewell was a special guest.

They are both arguably two of Australia’s finest footballers in recent years and they were outstanding ambassadors for our code on a television program that not always presents football in the best of lights.


Kewell to Newcastle? Sydney?

Well, who really knows? If would be great if our Harry could return to his homeland to put something back into the game.

There has also been speculation about a move to Melbourne Victory, but it is disappointing if he doesn't end up at Sydney FC.

Kewell is a Sydney boy by birth and Sydney FC desperately need a circuit breaker to get back on the local radar after losing the plot in the last year or so.

Kewell would be a fantastic marketing ploy - and a good player into the mix - for a club that desperately needs to bring back some of the 'bling' in Australia’s most important sporting market which does seem to have lost its affection for Sydney FC.


Good luck to the Matildas

The Matildas were always a favourite for us to interview on our former radio show Sunday Night Soccer which ran for several years in Sydney.

Their professionalism and availability was always commendable and now, finally, they are starting to break into the more mainstream media as the World Cup approaches.

The Matildas leave for Germany on Tuesday to play in two friendly matches against Mexico and England.

Their first actual World Cup match against Brazil is on June 29 before taking on Equatorial Guinea on July 3 and then Norway on July 6.

All matches will be screened live on SBS.

One very interesting note is that seven players under the age of 20 have been selected in the squad. This shows the healthy state of our game amongst the girls.

Returning to Tom Sermanni’s team will be striker Lisa De Vanna who has been selected following her efforts at the recent Gold Coast training camp after falling out with the team some months ago.

According to Sermanni, the wily old former schoolteacher, this is one of his better squads.

"This has been one of the toughest selection processes I have ever had to go through and there were a lot of variables the coaching staff had to weigh up before selecting this final 21 player list."


Welcome Celtic to Australia

Former European Champions, Glasgow Celtic, are going to come Down Under and Sydney will host one of the three games in the tour. The Scottish giants will meet A-League club the Central Coast Mariners on Saturday 2 July at ANZ Stadium.

These types of encounters between European giants and Australian clubs would have been unheard of a few years ago. It just shows how well regarded Australian club football is becoming.

Celtic will also play Perth Glory a week later on July 9 and then Melbourne Victory on July 13. The Scottish heavyweights were last in Australia two years ago and defeated Brisbane Roar 3-0.

Meanwhile, Central Coast Football and the Central Coast Mariners annual charity match, scheduled for tomorrow at Pluim Park, Lisarow, has been postponed. All proceeds of the day will be going to the Cancer Council’s Call to Arms Campaign. The Mariners aim to use the game as a warm up for their forthcoming fixture against Celtic FC. Please support such a worthy cause and head along to the rescheduled fixture which will be announced in the coming days.