Football fever in Wellington- that’s the headline from just about every news outlet for the last couple of days. The Dominion Post dedicated the whole of the front page on Friday. It has taken the media a while, but they have cottoned on to just how big a deal this could be.
As I have said before this All Whites campaign does not have the epic journey drama of the 1982 campaign, but I have a feeling the effects could be more long lasting. Just as with the 1976 Olympic Hockey win, there is a feeling that football did not quite capatilise on the 1982 success as much as it could. There was a wave of support for football in the wake of the Springbok Tour, but as the 1980s wore on rugby made a comeback with the World Cup, and then in the 1990s when it turned professional, it forever changed Saturday nights in New Zealand, and returned to its cultural dominance.
But the timing looks better for football this time around. In terms of playing numbers football among young people it is surging ahead. Changing demographics in New Zealand also suits the game with growing numbers of people from countries or ethnic origins that have football as their main sport. In other words there is a base for football to build from that was not there last time.
This is not to say that rugby is about to relinquish its hold on our sporting or media lives without a fight. There is the small matter of the Rugby World Cup in 2011. But what a win tonight would do is lock in football on our screens for the next year, and give a generation already in love with the game a full set of hometown heroes.
For me. I love both games- and what is more I love an underdog. Best just to focus on tonight. Its all set, nice day so far in Wellington, huge crowd, great venue. One thing we now need- goals. Take it away lads.
I hope they massacre the opposition!
Well said Grant. This is monumental and I for one cannot wait.
How odd that we have Brendan Burns, rightfully, lamenting the gradual disintegration of the fourth estate and now we have Grant Robertson celebrating the fact that the DimPost used its entire front page to promote a game of soccer.
Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for the media to have used the visit to highlight the human rights abuses in Bahrain? I’m sure Charles Chauvel would be interested in the answers to questions about the way gays are treated in that Kingdom. Perhaps Sue Maroney might like to offer a post on the way women are treated in Bahrain. I’m sure Darien Fenton could manage a post or two comparing the treatment of workers in Bahrain in comparison to New Zealand?
Just asking. I mean, its only a game F F S!
Go the All Whites!!! I am a bit gutted it doesn’t appear to be on free-to-air telly though….the rest of my siblings will all be at the game and I miss out. Boo hiss
Grant .. can you do a separate post about human rights in Bahrain, in the meantime:
what an opportunity (again) for soccer, I mean football, to show case itself to New Zealanders. A bloke from work was in Wgtn Thurs/Fri and rang me about something and said it was going off down there .. fantastic. What a chance for Wgtn to show themselves to be the Melbourne of NZ sport wise.
I have just seen a set of interviews with the 82 All Whites and coaches and it brought back so many memories.
I meet Steve Wooden at a work do a couple years ago and what a pleasure that was.
Gee I hope they do it BUT it will be difficult.
Treat women in Bahrain ???
Do some people not have an atlas. They are one of the more enlightened places in the Middle East
With rugby at its lowest ebb since the war, cricket in chaos and league pushing stuff uphill, soccer has a great chance here to make a play here. Go the All Whites.
gee I wish I was there .. lots of noise already
wow 1 nil .. I thought killen would be the man but Fallon got the goal and a goodie.
A long 45 mins to go
Looks like we did it……….YES!! YES YES YES YES
Great news. It has been a long time between drinks but this is a great reward for a sport that does more for kids than any other in NZ,
Woo Hoo!!!
We’re number one! We’re number one! 
Graham Henry should call Ricky Herbert. He could use some tips about not choking on important games like this
“It has been a long time between drinks but this is a great reward for a sport that does more for kids than any other in NZ”
What do you mean? Im not being nasty or anything, but how do you come to that conclusion?
Very exciting match. I shouted a lot. Great for NZ soccer. So proud of our All Whites. Think you should do another post Grant reviewing the match.
Well, I said goals, but one was enough. I thought Rory Fallon and Chris Killen played really well up-front, and Mark Paston was obviously the hero with the penalty save. Not sure if it came across on TV, but Ryan Nelson was unreal with the ground he covered on defence.
Without doubt the best sporting occasion I have attended. I have been in bigger crowds, but not with the energy and passion of this one. So, who will we play in South Africa. England would be good, Australia we might even beat….
@ millsy – youth numbers, I think football is the biggest youth sport in NZ, having both boys and girls in good numbers is an advantage,and also the coaching and development systems they have in place.