Australia played an Anzac series football mini-tournament in 2009 at Gallipoli. Isn't it about time to do it again?
After the 2002 World Cup campaign – which finished when Australia was outfoxed and outplayed by Uruguay in Montevideo – the Socceroos coach, Frank Farina, was asked to submit a report to the Board of then Soccer Australia.
Amongst other things, Farina’s report recommended developing a program of games around “events in Australian history or culture” – for example, ANZAC Day – as one way of giving the Socceroos more high-quality international games. (This was in the pre-AFC days).
Farina another go at a World Cup campaign.
It took more than seven years, but FFA did organise an ANZAC football series.
Two international friendly matches were played at Canakkale and Gelibolu between the U-17 teams on 24 and 26 April. Here’s one FFA news report of the time.
It was a great way for football to show its relevance to Australian history and culture in a broader global context.
As then CEO Ben Buckley is quoted as saying:
“This has been a wonderful opportunity for the young players to not only get international football experience but come to Turkey and understand the significance of Gallipoli and the shared history of Australia and Turkey.”
The series had another motivation.
One that was less about football and more about pressing the flesh of the Turkish Football Federation and the Turkish FIFA Executive Committee member (ie. voter), Senes Erzik.
It’s funny now, but it was high drama at the time.
At an event planned in Istanbul for this purpose, the Turkish FA President refused to attend if Harry Kewell attended. Harry was then playing for Galatasaray.
It wasn’t personal.
The powerbase of the FA President, and almost the entire federation, was Fenerbahce, the arch-enemy of Galatasaray.
His refusal to attend was also nothing to do with on-field rivalry.
It was everything to do with Turkish football politics – and some would say Turkish politics. (Some of the reasons can also be seen in Benjamin Best’s award-winning documentary, Dirty Games.)
Harry, who research showed was the best known Socceroo worldwide in 2009, did the diplomatic thing and did not attend. That also meant Galatasaray officials did not attend. A posse of Fenerbahce officials did.
The one man we wanted to be there, Senes Erzik, didn’t turn-up either – even though he is known to favour Fenerbahce. To be fair to him, he was one of two Executive Committee members who said from the outset that he would not vote for Australia.
Meanwhile, the two games for the U-17 Joeys which included Australians of Turkish ethnicity, Kerem Bulut and Ersin Kaya, were terrific. Glorious autumn sunshine in boutique stadiums in Canakkale and Gelibolu in front of about 4,000 supporters from Turkey, Australia and New Zealand. Australia’s then Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, also attended.
At a time when the Australian government, and other western governments, want to convey inclusivity towards Turkey perhaps April 2018 would be an opportune time to hold another ANZAC football series.
