'Gatty'
SITTING on my father's shoulders with people all around us.
That was my introduction to our great game and it is an image that will stay with me until the day I die.
Like most of us, my love of the game was ingrained through my father, who often took me to games, especially at the Sydney Athletic Field where the once mighty Prague used to play.
Being of Maltese background you might ask why Prague, a club steeped in Czechoslovakian culture. Well, it had some of the best players ever brought to the country. They played exciting football and it caught the imagination of the public. Still, the mighty Melita Eagles, which became Parramatta Melita Eagles, were never far off the radar and many cold, winter's afternoon was spent at grounds such as Mona Park and Garside Park.
My first football hero was a German, who lived in Yugoslavia and came to Australia as a 15-year-old. He went on to captain and coach the Socceroos - Les Scheinflug.
What a thrill it was when I became a journalist to eventually get to meet him and to know that we lived within five kilometres of each other - Les in Fairfield and my family in Cabramatta.
Along with many others, I have forged a wonderful, lasting friendship with Les and that has been one of the greatest advantages of being a football writer.
Strangely, though, my first job in newspapers (Daily Telegraph 1972-1980) mainly involved horse racing, rugby league and general sport though I managed to cover a few real football games, including Ampol Cups. It wasn't until I joined the Sydney Morning Herald in 1980 that I was given the football round on a permanent basis before joining the now defunct Sydney Sun as the replacement for the late David Jack. Sadly, the Sun closed down just three months after I joined. I was the rat that joined the sinking ship!
After a short spell at Australian Associated Press I was asked to join The Australian as chief football writer in 1989 and have been there ever since.
It has been a wonderful journey, full of many ups and downs. Covering the football at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and finally getting to cover the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006 are my undoubted highlights of a 39 year career in sports journalism.
Follow Gatty on Twitter: @gatty54
That was my introduction to our great game and it is an image that will stay with me until the day I die.
Like most of us, my love of the game was ingrained through my father, who often took me to games, especially at the Sydney Athletic Field where the once mighty Prague used to play.
Being of Maltese background you might ask why Prague, a club steeped in Czechoslovakian culture. Well, it had some of the best players ever brought to the country. They played exciting football and it caught the imagination of the public. Still, the mighty Melita Eagles, which became Parramatta Melita Eagles, were never far off the radar and many cold, winter's afternoon was spent at grounds such as Mona Park and Garside Park.
My first football hero was a German, who lived in Yugoslavia and came to Australia as a 15-year-old. He went on to captain and coach the Socceroos - Les Scheinflug.
What a thrill it was when I became a journalist to eventually get to meet him and to know that we lived within five kilometres of each other - Les in Fairfield and my family in Cabramatta.
Along with many others, I have forged a wonderful, lasting friendship with Les and that has been one of the greatest advantages of being a football writer.
Strangely, though, my first job in newspapers (Daily Telegraph 1972-1980) mainly involved horse racing, rugby league and general sport though I managed to cover a few real football games, including Ampol Cups. It wasn't until I joined the Sydney Morning Herald in 1980 that I was given the football round on a permanent basis before joining the now defunct Sydney Sun as the replacement for the late David Jack. Sadly, the Sun closed down just three months after I joined. I was the rat that joined the sinking ship!
After a short spell at Australian Associated Press I was asked to join The Australian as chief football writer in 1989 and have been there ever since.
It has been a wonderful journey, full of many ups and downs. Covering the football at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and finally getting to cover the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006 are my undoubted highlights of a 39 year career in sports journalism.
Follow Gatty on Twitter: @gatty54
