The World Cup debate

“I wana jump in the stadium full of Australians”
Lyrics form the song ‘Green and Gold’, winner of SBS competition: 'A song for the Socceroos'.

Just 19 days from the start of Australia’s second appearance in the World Cup, debate continues over whether the language of football will unite or divide Australians.

Sports and social commentators have revealed conflicting views
in the run up to the World Cup.

Journalist from The Australian, Greg Baum, ignited debate following the Socceroos World Cup Qualifier against Uraguay in November last year, by drawing the link:

“Australians mass with their flags and their anthem at Stadium Australia and
howl at those who are not like us, then at Cronulla Australians mass with their
flags and their anthems and howl at those who are not like us. The comparison is
unavoidable and disturbing”, Mr. Baum reported.

“It might be coincidence that the riots in Cronulla followed so soon after the World Cup qualifier, but it might not”, he said.

Ethnic rivalry has been a long standing problem in Australian Soccer leagues, exemplified last March when violence between Croatian and Serbian supporters of Sydney United and the Bonnyrigg White Eagles broke out at Edensor Park.

One Hundred police attended the disturbance and two were injured in a fight which involved 50 fans.

Football Federation of Australia Chief Executive, John O'Neill said at the time "we'll do whatever we need to do to remedy that problem".

In a recent interview conducted by George Negus on SBS radio Tony Pignata, chief executive of Football Federation Victoria, said “ I think we have turned a corner at a national level, now we have Italians, Greeks, Serbians and Croats sitting next to each other supporting Melbourne Victory”

“At a local level there is some more work to do, it is an education process where we must get across that our game is not to be used for political avenue”, said Mr Pignata.

Founder of the on-line resource for newly arrived immigrants http://www.newcommersnetwork.com.au/, Sue Ellson, commented on the potential of the Socceroos World Cup fame “some research conducted in 2004 showed people in Australia do connect through sport more than other countries”