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“The matched was fixed to finish in a draw”. “Why?”. “Because both teams would come out of it honourably”. “What do you mean?”. “Well, both teams are from same city. It would not be a good look if one of them lost”
If you happen to stumble into an Greek kafenion (café), this is the sort of conspiratorial conversation you would come across as the elderly men, between throws of the backgammon dice or as they are waiting for the next move in a card game, vigorously debate the issues that matter between sips of gritty coffee and hits of tsipouro (grappa).
Arguments rage incessantly on subjects like which games of football were fixed on the weekend, to how everything would’ve been better if the dictators were still in power, to what would have happened if the communists had won the civil war.
Eventually the arguments reach a zenith, and the men light up a cigarette, slurp on a coffee or take a hit of the hard stuff and proceed with the game in front of them.
Of course, you only need to give it a few minutes before the cycle is repeated again without fail.
Why am I telling you this?
Well, after the last Melbourne Derby, I was magically transported into the “rigged” world of the kafenion courtesy of the train journey home. Opposite me were three elderly Greek gentlemen, two of whom were responsible for the exchange which began this piece.
“How can you be so sure the game was fixed?” I interjected in my rusty Greek. “Are you going to tell me when Dugandzic hit that rocket of a shot from outside the box in the final minutes of the game that he intentionally hit it straight at Covic. That shot could have gone anywhere, even the back of the net.
“Well, I suppose you’ve got a point there” replied George, the elderly Greek proponent of the fixed match theory.
The ice had been broken and I proceeded to have an enlightening conversation on football and other matters with George until I had to alight at my destination.
George, being from Northern Greece, was a Heidelberg Utd (Fitzroy Utd) supporter in the old NSL. He attended games regularly.
We reminisced about the derbies against South Melbourne and the greats who played in them, like Branko Buljevic, Charlie Yankos and Gary Cole.
This was the first A-League game George had ever attended and he really enjoyed being part of the big crowd at Etihad Stadium. His son, who happened to be a Victory member, could not get to the game and asked his reluctant father to go in his place.
George then dragged some of his old mates along to watch the game with him.
“Don’t you follow the A-League?,” I asked.
“No, I follow the A-League, but I’m too old. I like to stay home and watch it on TV,” George replied.
Well, that does make sense.
Melbourne’s “old soccer” generation is not completely indifferent to the A-League. When I visit my local chippy, I make a point of having a gander at the Greek newspaper on the counter.
What you will not find are articles on the AFL. What you will find is football coverage of the local leagues, the A-League, the Greek League and international football.
It’s not uncommon for papers like Neos Kosmos to break A-League stories.
If a member of the old “soccer generation” can afford Foxtel they would be watching A-League matches.
It’s not just “new football” watching the games.
For example, my retired uncle, who used to take me to South Melbourne Hellas games, would love to watch the A-League games but can’t justify the expense on his pension.
And, just like George and other members of the “old soccer” generation, my uncle just doesn’t attend games anymore, anywhere. The last match he attended was when I bought him a ticket to the World Cup qualifier against Qatar in February 2008.
As I prepared to disembark the train, old George, like a good Greek uncle, made sure he asked me those old chestnuts about marriage and kids.
When I see to my uncle again, I will be asking him to come to a Melbourne derby at AAMI Park.
What I won’t need to ask him is why he doesn’t go to the kafenion.
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