Steve Price 'Drive Time' 3AW Melbourne says…

"It was a flat let down this morning (Socceroos V Uruguay in Montevideo) and again Australian soccer will retreat to the sub-standard suburban free for all that saw Northern Spirit supporters on the weekend threaten a referee.

All those soccer supporters who have for four years been predicting the rise and rise of the 'so called' world game will all fall silent again for another four years. Soccer Australia will struggle to avoid going broke and the game laughed at by soccer supporters, Aussie Rules football, will continue to prosper and grow.

So no I'm not glad we lost but I'm sure glad we can now stop talking about what a great game soccer is, it isn't, and how many kids are playing it, they're not, well only those who don't want to get hurt.

At least today's result has given us someone to support in the World Cup - Uruguay"


Price on Viduka…

"That was a pathetic effort this morning. Tell me about multi-millionaire Viduka. Where was he? Where was he when you needed him? Where was he when the pressure was on? The only time he got the ball was when he got in the way.

A couple of times they crossed it and it hit him in the back of the head. He was pathetic and they (the Socceroos) were pretty pathetic to be honest."


Price on Farina…

"I sat there thinking to myself after the half time break did Farina point to the coat of arms on the strip and tell his players 'come on your doing this for Australia?'

He has never struck me as being the sort of person who can turn the team on with an inspirational speech.

A country of 19 million people got beaten by a country of 3 million people."


Price on the virtues of soccer…

"I don't give a stuff about it (soccer), there's not much to know.

Domestically the game is rubbish and it will always be rubbish because all the best players go overseas.

It's a boring game. There's not enough scoring.

I wasn't going to go to the game at the MCG but I got convinced because someone gave me free dinner and a drink."


Price on why more people in the world than any other sport follow soccer…

"If you live in England there's not much to do…"


Price on 3AW listener's criticism of his comments and ignorance about the game…

"Ok I will not speak about soccer again. We won't promote it. We sent four people to South America to cover it. After today's show I will not talk about soccer again."

Diegos Comment: IS THAT A PROMISE STEVE??

27th November 2001



Jeff Kennett on 'Sports Today' 3AW Melbourne says…

"There is a long overdue requirement for fundamental reform within soccer. That's not to say that those who are there haven't put their best foot forward, they obviously have but this sport has unleashed again an enormous power for good"


David Hookes on 'Sports Today' 3AW responds…not to Jeff directly though ...funny that

'George Negus, David Hill, Jeff Kennett, soccer just continues to get a profile person who does absolutely stuff all"

27th November 2001

Diegos Comment: Yeh. It's kind of like people in the Aussie media who know 'stuff all' about the game, continuing to comment on it.

Sadly Hooksey's has never really recovered from being hit in the head by that Andy Robert's bouncer and probably wouldn't know any better.