Social Club Artefact Wednesday - Greece visit 2006

Here's something from our more recent history. On this day in 2006, we hosted Heidelberg United at Lakeside. The weather was bucketing down, forcing the majority of the fans into the top half of the grandstand, leaving about 30 odd idiots on Clarendon Corner to get drenched. (was this the birth of the umbrella assassin chant? I can't remember for sure. I was sitting with my Berger supporting dad in the grandstand.)

One of the attractions of this derby fixture was that the Greek national team, including several members of the Euro 2004 winning side, were going to be at the game. Greece was in Melbourne as they were due to play Australia a few days later, in what was the Socceroos' farewell match before heading to the 2006 World Cup.

During the game, there was the absurd moment when the word had got around that the Greek players were in one of the corporate boxes behind most of the crowd, and everyone got up to look behind them, trying to get a glimpse of their heroes instead of paying attention to the game in front of them.

A terrific game by the way, which we won 3-1, including a cracking goal from George Tzirtis, a curled effort by Fernando, and a Coveny goal when we destroyed the Bergers' offside trap. Good times, especially since it would be the last time we would beat them for five years.

While I'm not quite sure what the Greek national team players made of the experience of hanging out with the diaspora on that cold and wet evening, the Hellenic Football Federation presented us with the lovely plate pictured above as a token of their appreciation. Did they train at Lakeside during the stay? I can't remember.