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This week proved to me why football is the world’s true language.
On Monday night, I was waiting at the bus station in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall. As usual, the place was busy, crowded and tiresome, as weary passengers waited for the minutes to snail by before they could take the long and expensive trip home.
I noticed a family of three sitting and waiting – a young couple with a very young daughter. When I realised that they were speaking German, I spoke up and asked them where they were from.
These people had travelled from Bavaria to see some of Australia’s natural beauty (and Brisbane). I felt that the least I could do was make them feel welcome.
The man spoke very good English and we were soon talking at the station and on the bus about their holiday and my own experiences in the Fatherland. Among other things, we inevitably discussed football.
I thought that my new friend did quite well to understand that there were four different football codes in Australia, including two types of rugby. Coming from a nation mad on the round-ball game and nothing else, it must have been quite confusing to be bombarded with so many kinds of football.
The richest conversation, however, was reserved for our love and passion for the game in our respective countries. After my friend had explained his love of 1. FC Nürnberg and Die Nationalmannschaft, I told him of my passion for Brisbane Roar and the Socceroos.
Upon mentioning Brisbane Roar, my friend immediately said, “Thomas Broich!”, a former Nürnberg player. We spent the next five minutes talking about his fall in Germany and subsequent rise to become the A-League’s best player (twice).
This is why football is the true language of the world. In the space of half an hour, I had gone from not knowing these people from the other side of the world to conversing in football tactics and our admiration for individual players.
Of course, we would have been able to communicate without discussing football, but no other subject we discussed was as rich in detail or as unclouded by language barriers.
We see too many stories on the news featuring foreigners being abused by racist idiots on public transport. I am writing to tell you that meeting three foreigners on public transport provided the highlight of my day.
This was thanks in no small part to our common love of the world game.
Sport’s critics say that it brings out people’s most primitive and brutal emotions and only serves to divide us in a bloodthirsty and uncompromising environment. I know for a fact that it can be a great unifier between different cultures.
Whether that sport is football, baseball, equestrian or croquet, our discussion of our love for it is a common thread between people of all nationalities.
So next time you see some foreigners looking a little unsure of themselves on a bus, train or ferry, don’t be afraid to start a conversation. Sport may just provide the perfect segue.
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