Golden Soft Sombrero Moment with Damien Lovelock

Four Diegos Profile:               

Respected journalist, author of 'Soccer - Great Moments, Great Players in World Football', long time rock musician with the CELIBATE RIFLES, ABC radio and TRIPLE J sport's correspondent and amongst other things, a self- confessed soccer nut.

He has in his travels, met the Dalai Lama and of course, the self proclaimed gurus of world footy, The Four Diegos.

Diegos Verdict:                       

How about a soccer show on Triple J 'Daimo'?

Maybe Lovelock’s Celibate Soccer Show – a rock music / soccer show that shoots blanks.

Not unlike the Socceroos against Uruguay in Montevideo in 2001.

Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with Damien Lovelock

Lovelock on his book on world footy…

Diegos: “Your book, 'Soccer - Great Moments, Great Players in World Football' has served as great bedtime reading for the Diegos.

It’s a uniquely written book that we personally found as unpredictable as a David Beckham free kick, as easy to read as a Canberra Cosmos build up and as entertaining as a Fabrizio Ravanelli goal celebration.

What prompted you to write the book?"

Lovelock: "Well there's always the capitalist side of things l suppose.

You always hope that you'll do something in life that will generate huge amounts of money.

You hope that someone will decide to make a film out of it or a 16-hour documentary starring David Attenborough, none of which has happened so far, l might add. I thought of the idea of writing because l had been a full time musician for 11 years, always on the road, and then became a full time single parent. The thought of leaving my son at home for 8 months of the year with a credit card to look after himself didn't appeal, so l started writing. The first thing that came to mind was a cookbook for single dads.

The next thing l thought that l would really enjoy writing was a book on soccer. It's a game that I've always loved. l didn't want to write some impenetrable text for adults because that would've been really hard to sell, unless your name is Max Walker, of course.

I wanted to do something for kids and the challenge was to write a book that would interest them and be funny. It definitely had to have some bad jokes in it were possible."

Diegos: “What type of soccer books do you believe would best attract the average Aussie sports lover to the game of soccer in this country?"

Lovelock: “It would have to be a passionate book about soccer, and you have to get Max Walker to write it.

That's the only way it's going to work. It would have to be titled 'Max Walker or Dean Jones Favorite Soccer Moments' and then you're definitely got a best seller."

Diegos: “The book commences with a recollection of your most memorable game.

Along with the Four Diegos famous win in the St. Kilda - Copacabana Beach Soccer - Best of the Rest - C Grade Cup final, many people would've picked the Italy V Brazil or the France V Germany encounter in the 1982 World Cup as their most memorable game, but you went for the Belgium V Soviet Union match up in the 1986 World Cup.

What made this game so memorable for you?"

Lovelock: “I just want to say, that I would personally rate the Four Diegos win in the Copacabana Cup, number two on my list of most memorable games.

I think that the Belgium V Soviet Union game is my most memorable game because it had all the elements of great drama.

I witnessed in that game the strange thing that can happen in sport, where an underdog with essentially no hope of winning, comes out on top over a far more superior opponent. It was a game that had everything."

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999

Lovelock on writing songs…

Diegos: “When you’re not writing books you perform with the rock band the Celibate Rifles.

What is it like being an author by day and a rock band member by night, and has the band ever thought of changing musical direction from rock music to soccer love songs such as 'I Left My Heart in the Gippy Falcons Change rooms' or 'I Love to Love But My Baby Just Wants to Watch Manchester United'?

Lovelock: “We’ve talked about writing soccer themes; the problem is that SBS TV has so totally embraced techno that it’s kind of left us behind. l just think that the rock classic 'It’s a Long Way to the Top' with rewritten lyrics and a techno beat just doesn't quite work as an overall concept."

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999

Lovelock on soccer in Australia…

Diegos: “You are a self-confessed soccer nut.

Living in Australia, this can become quite frustrating at times.

In your opinion, were does soccer stand in the minds of Aussie sports lovers?”

Lovelock: “I think there are three levels. There are the devotees, the blokes who have been supporting the game since the 1950's.

They're great people to go to a game with because they've watched every game their favorite team has played in the last 40 years.

They have this great encyclopedic memory for soccer, even though they probably can't remember their own name, but their sense of history is terrific. Then you've got the Socceroo followers.

There are a huge number of people in Australia who will now get behind the national team. Most of them have a vague sense of how long and parched the journey has been since 1974.

Then you have your AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union and your cricket fanatics who don't really acknowledge that there is any other sport. l think to them, its still a game they call 'Wogball'.

The only way we can turn this group around is if we can get Max Walker or Dean Jones to come out of retirement and play for the Gippsland Falcons." 

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999

Lovelock on meeting the Dalai Lama…

Diegos: “We have been told that you have met the Dalai Lama, a great mate of the Four Diegos.

Did you ever find out whether he supports Glasgow Celtic or Glasgow Rangers?"

Lovelock: “I did ask him about the claret and gold and which club colours they represent, but he didn't seem like he really wanted to get into that. I suppose it's tough when you're regarded as 'God'.

You don't want to alienate people so you can't really support any one team. I did suggest in all seriousness, that one way of garnering great support for Tibet in their struggle for recognition on the world stage and to get a little of their share of human rights and dare we say it, land back from their Chinese landlords, was to get a Tibetan soccer team to play in the World cup.

He looked at me with that kind of look that only the Dalai Lama could really muster but I think a Tibetan soccer team would be great to watch. I reckon those levitating Monks they would be hard to beat."

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999

Lovelock on Ned’s goal…

Diegos: “In your book you wrote about Ned Zelic's incredible goal against Holland in the 1992 Olympic games qualifiers.

In your mind is this the best goal scored by an Australian on the world stage?"

Lovelock: “No, Jimmy McKay's was definitely the greatest.

Firstly because it was a great goal and secondly because of what it achieved in getting Australia to the World cup for the first and only time.

Ned's is certainly a very close second."

Soft Sombrero Moment 1999