Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou

To all the viewers from across the globe, to the people who posted, the players who were photographed and the words of encouragement (and criticism)from many.

I enjoyed every minute of my Asia Cup experience.

www.nearpost.blogspot.com/ is where I'm normally writing about Canberra and Australian football, A-League, Matilda's and Socceroos with Carl Valeri and Sally Shipard writing weekly. Join me there whenever you wish for coverage of the Womens World Cup(unless i'm in China of course!), and A-League.

Thanks again,

Eamonn

Oh to be Graham Arnold just for one day.

Three and a half hours to go!

Full scale security for the Australian game but with my small frame I nipped in unnoticed.

And there was Arnie's seat. And it is hot.

Reckon Arnie could do with my help, so if you're reading this Arnie just three hours before the game it's not too late to ask.

I know I know I've just become a football writer and already I want to be the Coach of the whole thing.

Anyway defence is a problem, so here's some advice. There's more but I'll keep it for Arnie.

My advice:

Play Mark Milligan at right back..and push Brett Emerton forward. Left back...maybe play Mark Milligan there as well. He's so good he play both positions, sure why not!

I know Spike, as he is known by Sydney fans, is a right back, but Luke Wilkshire isn't a full back on anyside.

Failing that Arnie, just get the boys to do it, for Australia, for yourself.

It's all a bit tense but don't lose Australia, not tonight.

It's a bit cooler today at the moment but it could change. Bangkok is that sort of place.

I can't bare it....but we're going to win.

We are, aren't we?

update:2:51...it's stinking hot...just been out into the stands...blazing sun and hot hot hot.

The man who changed my life!

Dramatic maybe, but football fans in Australia will not need me to explain.






He has gone down in Australian history. They should rename the end at Telstra Stadium The Aloisi end.

John's Socceroo team-mate Carl Valeri took the photo. The guys had just finished training.

It went like this.

"Hi John would you mind a photo, I work for the Canberra Times and run a blog for Capital Football, which Carl writes for." I asked

"Can Carl write?" asked the older guy about the younger one.

"Sure can, he's one of the best."

John Aloisi clearly amused by this idea was not convinced.

Myanmar's representative

Mr. Kyaw Zaw Linn If you look closely at this photo you will see what appears to be a row of metal prongs sitting in a row above the scoreboard.

These metal prongs were somehow part of the opening ceremony, but as the storm came through before the game, they smashed the 30 metres into the seats below. If people had have been there they would have been killed.

Myanmar's Eleven Media Group Sports Editor, Kyaw Zaw Linn, is here to cover the football. A proud Myanmar football fan he is getting as much as experience as he can.

And like all proud football fans Kyaw assures me Myanmar are the best team in Asean.

The Asean Cup will take place in December.

We'll see Kyaw how good Myanmar are then, won't we?

He's having a larf, innit....at my expense!

Meet Nik, the best Tuk Tuk driver in Bangkok.

That's what his Business Card says. And it was printed by Alex and James Nelson, from Townsville Australia.

Anyway, myself and Massimiliano are standing on the side of the road discussing various entertainment strategies. How to get there? Taxi's. motor bikes or Tuk Tuk's. Which one will we flag down. When before you know Nik screeches to halt in front of us.




"Ha ha ha." Were his first words, and points to my feet.

"1000 baht, 1000 baht." He seems to be describing the price of my shoes. Maybe he wants them, thinks they are cool.




Then the geezer points to his, and says 150 baht and much much better. And he roars laughter.
An infectious laughter, and I've been done.

And no I didn't take his Tuk Tuk. I sent Max off with Nik.

And, of course the next day, wandering around downtown Bangkok, I happen to bump into Nik again.

I just get the feeling I'm going to see more of this guy.

It's not such a bad job, I suppose.

How much would you give to be here?

After the hard interviews, well I interviewed Carl Valeri today, I thought I deserved some (more) down time. Interviewing Carl is more like a chat with a mate, but there you go.

I just had to find a pool to cool off.

The Royal Orchid is a very posh hotel, for a lad from Burton-on-Trent, with a pool. The sort of place Socceroos stay but not lads from Burton.

Carl had to go to his room at 2pm, as all good athletes should after training all morning. Socceroos are told to rest and keep out of the sun between 2 and 4pm.

So the pool was empty, and as luck would have it I had my bathers, swimmers or even togs, depending on where you are from.

So with tight security around the pool I managed to blarney my way in.

Back again tomorrow I guess!

All the media stars!

Simon Hill (Fox Sport) is laughing not at the incredible storm in the background, but because Robbie Slater, out of picture, has taken a photo but forgot to turn the camera on.

And I thought I was the worst photographer at the Asia Cup. Sorry Robbie.

SMH's Mike Cockerill, The Age's Michael Lynch, and AFC Director of Communications Clare Kenny-Tipton discuss stuff.

Pre-Match warm up anyone.

Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok..six hours before kick-off

Looks like we're having marching bands tonight, and then Tata Young will sing "I believe" to me in my special seat.

There are great huge forecourts outside the stadium. Large grass and concrete areas. A contrast between the hustle and overcrowded pavements of Bangkok with its teeny weeny shops all selling the same but different things.

So far the only other space I've seen in Bangkok is in the lobby of the AFC's hotel. Simply enormous.

I spied some small goals under the stadium, I guess they'll be out later.

This place has a good feel. A football feel.

Guess who was the first writer at the Asia Cup?

Well, I've made it.

Thai photographer, Bank, took this shot.

At 11am I walk into the stadium to be greeted by Tun the AFC Media man.

"Eamonn, we have your tickets....later."

"Am I in the Mixed zone, and Press Conferences?" I plead!

"Yes, you are. We just gave you the Press Conferences access, we thought standing in the Mixed Zone would be too much for you."

A quick rant about letting me make that decision and Tun agreed.

I'm in. The Press Centre is empty 6 and a half hours before kick-off...apart from me.

And I have a special seat number in the Press Zone for the actual match in the stadium.

"No-one can take your seat, we've set it up specially." Said Tun

Tun I could kiss him. In the middle of all their planning and organisation the guy has taken the time to make my reporting happen.

Off to Rajamangala stadium just now...well after brekkie:)

Notice the swimming pools. People who know me know I'm a mad swimmer. So I'll be dipping in no doubt before the game.

All work and no play etc.


Okay I'm off to the media centre...for tonight's opening ceremony with Tata Young singing, !I believe" to me.

Thailand v Iraq. Can't wait.

Will have photo's and stuff through the afternoon. If I get in.

Got my accreditation but you just never know.

Go through the cbox on the right of this blog, I'll be on all arvo, if you have anything to say at all at all:)

cheers

Your man in Asia

Eamonn:)

Sometimes it pays to be unwell...just sometimes:)

Got my uniform on...and I'm off to Bangkok!

Here's the little boy off to follow his football team! 44, dead excited. Big kid grow up!

On the other hand, this was me leaving Canberra Airport after six years of ill health, and retired from work (see earlier posts..from sicko to Asia Cup.)

See that smile, it goes right down to my little toe:)

Anyway here's the craic.

Get to Bangkok, you know long flight, tired, every one's tired and hot, and then the 50o people standing waiting in line to get through immigration.

Not me.

I'm last off the plane, the very last, then wheel chaired through the airport. It's a long airport.

"I can walk a bit," I said to the Qantas steward. Always trying to be helpful.

"Mate, this new airport is so big, we land in Vietnam and walk to Bangkok!" Love the Aussie humour.

So we wing past everyone in my wheelchair. It's not my wheelchair, I don't use one, but that's another story

Anyway straight through a side door at immigration, past 500 hundred very healthy people, grab my bag, into a taxi and I'm in bed before half the plane collected their bags.

Wow! Now that was amazing, and it felt good. Not to beat everyone, just to be pushed.

So that's that now it's football talk from here on in.

Got to get down town today to pick up my media accreditation and go and listen to Mohammed Bin Hamman head of the AFC do an official press conference.

Bit of a giggle to see if I get in and who is there.

Can't go yet, got in at 1am, it's now 5am and I slept for thirty minutes!

Told you I was a big kid:)

Football writer's journey: 4

Ever felt like this?

That's me on a good day!

In case you joined me late. This is my story of how I got retired from teaching 18 months ago due to ill health. Now I'm off to cover the Socceroos for The Canberra Times at the Asia Cup. You can see previous episodes under the labels at the bottom of this post.

Football writer's journey: Part 4

Bill, my Netfa editor, challenged me to write a Grand Final diary. As luck would have it, I'd planned and got tickets to go to the Grand Final in AFL country. So I set off for Melbourne, met a few fans and wrote my Grand Final story. Then I wrote a weekly article, while my editor over in the South of France chopped and changed it. I learnt

After writing a weekly article for a few weeks, I perused the Net, and stumbled across the Asia Football Confederation.

Before I knew it I had applied for accreditation for the Asia Cup based on my http://www.netfa.com/ writings.

My health was hopeless. I could never do that. Go to Asia I mean, but the dream. It's nice to dream. Besides when I'm sitting I feel able and can do anything. Just the leg muscles don't friggin work much.

Okay, time for an interview I thought. My first ever interview. Can I do it? Nikolai Topor-Stanley then Sydney FC, now Perth Glory. An Olyroo, a man playing across Asia and, of course a Canberran.

A phone interview. You wait forever for the phone to ring, you ask a few questions, then write it up. Seemed easy enough for a bloke with nothing to do. And the Canberra Times published the story. Wow!

And suddenly I was able to get published on the FourFourTwo website. No money, but I was able to interview the Olyroos or Matildas in Canberra and get a story out. There are no other specialist football writers in Canberra. Which is great for me.

Bill, my Netfa editor, my mentor, suggested I start a blog.

Yeah good one Bill. So I researched blogs, found it was easy to set up. http://www.nearpost.blogspot.com/ With my media accreditation through from the AFC, and now from Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Football Federation Australia, I was suddenly up and running.

Three weeks later I pitched my idea to Capital Football. Pay me to write my blog, bring football knowledge and Canberra football stories to your website. CEO Heather Reid saw the vision. I'm employed again! See my nearpost blog linked at http://www.capitalfootball.com.au/ on the right hand side of the home page.

So now I'm a paid football writer. And The Asia Cup tickets came through. I'm getting the odd story in the Canberra Times.

I approach Carl Valeri, Sally Shipard, Matthew Kemp, Kaz Patafta, Shaun Ontong and Adam Casey to provide material for the nearpost blog. All Canberrans, all eager to help spread the football word in Canberra. All will assist with interviews or writing during the Asia Cup, Women's World Cup and A-League season.

The Canberra Times will take my analysis pieces for every Socceroos game in the Asia Cup.

I get my first story in the Melbourne Herald Sun and on to the SBS website!

Mx, a Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane paper review my blog!

And tomorrow I fly, I fly to Bangkok.

It seems so easy now. It's happened so quick. And no you couldn't afford to eat on what people pay but it's the opportunity, the life experience that is vital for me.

Yes I'll have problems:

I went to get my Thai Baht yesterday. There were three people in the queue. Yes just three. (insert very bad word here!)

Having to wait in a queue, for how long, is one of the most difficult things I ever have to do in my life.

Stand and wait. Feel the pain rising and know that recovery could take days. my immune system can collapse quickly, headaches and sore throats can quickly appear, and my body shakes. It's not pretty. It's not dignified, and all the time trying desperately to present as normal.

I swallow my pride. Ask an assistant for a chair and wait. Of course the teller forgets me, others jump the queue. When I'm finally remembered, the next in line complains.

"I was here before him."

Sod off I think, but don't say it.

I feel the eyes in my back as I get my baht. I leave not concerned by the bank experience, but I am going to Bangkok tomorrow, where nothing is familiar. Am I mad?

Out of my comfort zone, with minimal walking ability. How the hell am I going to do it?

I don't know. I really don't

But I'm going poor health or not I'll be on that plane. Deep breath's and one day at a time.

Let the journey begin, but only after I have a good long lie down:)

Football writer's journey: 3

AJ Rochester: Host of The Biggest Loser

So I'm retired from teaching after 17 years. A virus left me unable to walk very far, and with a low immune system. See earlier posts under labels attached to get the whole picture.

Phone rings.

I'm sitting with the heater on, four tops and a beanie. I'm cold. I'm always cold. And Canberra can be very cold in winter, particularly if you can't walk to get warm.

"Hi it's Aj Rochester."

That's what happens when you can' t work and have been retired due to ill health. If you sit at home long enough a celebrity is sure to call!

I'd never heard of AJ, but within minutes I recognised her talent and potential.

http://www.healthybodyclub.com/

Aj would be the first to say her business skills were not fully rounded. But she did have a vision and she is a highly talented individual.

Her achievements in life are truly amazing. She went from 117kg's to 65kg's and is now the host of Channel Ten show 'The Biggest loser."

So what could sick boy do for her?

I have some business skills. And her business was in turmoil.

I put my energies to work, came up with a plan, and threw myself into it.

My health deteriorated to a point where I just had to stop.

So an opportunity to get involved in a startling business opportunity slipped away.

Aj's website and business has improved dramatically, and her business problems appear to be resolved. Did I help? Sure to a point, but when I left there was still some major issues to be worked through.

So back to doing nothing, my eyesight started to go in one eye. My walking was up and down, and my bed was getting plenty of use.

Time to stop, to rest. I decided to take rest until my daughter went back to school in Feb. I wanted to see if I could slowly improve my health, and my walking.

Feb was 4 months away.

On the first day of the new school year. I was happy. My daughter was back at school and I could sit around the house and do nothing.

I'd entertain myself by following football through fans websites and watched the A-League on TV.

I have an Arsenal fan as a friend. He's a nervous Arsenal fan. He'll only talk about them when they are winning, which is most of the time.

"Why don't you write something," said my Gooner mate.

"I'll meet you at Tilleys on Friday and we both bring something we've written."

I went away and thought about this.

I had written a book before. Ten years ago. About Sexual Abuse. A Catholic priest named Fr. Sam Penney abused me for ten years. At times the abuse was daily.

I told my story, Penney went to jail. I survived!

So I had written this story. But I'd never written anything since.

Football is my passion, so I went home and searched the web for a football job.

You see I need to be motivated, with a purpose.

I found Bill.

Bill was a retired journo, living in the South of France. Over 30 years in Sports journalism and having just finished work at the 2006 World Cup, Bill was setting up a football website. http://www.netfa.com/

He wanted Australian football writers.

I watched a game on television and sent him a report.

Bill edited it brutally, but he published it on his site. I noted every change.

I was published by the time I got to the cafe on friday to meet my Gooner mate.

No money, of course. That's another story.

But suddenly I was a published writer of football. I lay in bed a little taller that week.

"Bill, I'm off to the Grand Final in Melbourne next week."

"Write a diary piece. You know the fan's you meet, pub you went to etc."

Now that was a challenge. To travel was going to be hard enough. To meet and greet and put a story together, well that would be something else. And a very different style.

Part 4: of this five part story.

Writing for Netfa, self-promotion and my first ever football interview.

Football writer's journey: 2:

AJ Rochester, host of TV's The Biggest Loser.

AJ only a phone call away!

Well I'd better get on with it. The Asian Cup is just a few days away, and I want to finish this story by then. I'll make it a five parter

So as I was saying in my last post (which you can find in the archive below) I was sick, could hardly walk and still teaching.

"You are a puff!" that was how Albert, a particularly menacing student, greeted me as I refused to allow him into the classroom one morning. He was late, generally more abusive than this but I was ill and besides he was threatening another student. Whether Albert was right I neither knew nor cared. But I had little resilience any more and schools are no place for sick teachers!

The school was great. After six months of sick leave I was back part-time. I had managed to improve my walking and my swimming.

I was able to swim a km twice a week in a 50 metre pool but I couldn't walk that distance or stand comfortably for more than two or three minutes. Headaches, sore throats were just continual. I'd come home from my very part-time job and sit. My partner was understanding, she was great, but keeping the part-time teaching going was hard, damned hard.

Why did I do it? Dunno. Money, family responsibility or just pure bloody minded to beat this thing.

I lost. I used all my craft over the teaching years to reduce my load in the classroom. I sat when I should have been standing, used old lessons in my head to save time and time again.

Survival at any cost in the hope that one day soon I'd recover.

After 5 years, it was time. I'd been reduced to tears on so many occasions. Not in front of the students, although I'd come close. No, my colleagues saw my fragility. It's not a great look crying at work, not for a bloke!

One hour of teaching was followed by three hours in the sick bay just to do another hour of admin. Admin for god sake! I wanted to teach.

And school sick bays are no place for a teacher!

Finally the day came.

Three women, all middle aged from the Department.

I'd managed to get myself to the meeting.

"Well, I could work in administration," I offered

Silence.

I looked at each women in turn. No emotion, no signals, no words. Unusual for women I thought.

And then it dawned on me.

"You want me to leave."

And everyone relaxed. I got it finally..and home I went.

What a relief, not having to get out of bed to go to work, to go anywhere. It was fantastic. My pain was still ever present but I had some relief, finally.

And then what? Ever restless the days turned into weeks and the Specialist visits became my weekly highlight and the struggle went on.

"I'll tutor. I'll advise on business, I'll set up an interactive education smartboard business." And I did all of these. Well sort of until my health and body screamed stop.

And I did stop. So now I had nothing and yet everything.

No work, little money, but I had a child, a partner, and a time to rest whenever I needed to. And I did.

My body gets cold. And Canberra doesn't help. Three pairs of socks and ugg boots. See the Carl Valeri nutmegged video, I've still got my ugg boots on!

Five layers and a beanie, that normally is the go, in winter, inside with the heater on.

And while filling my days doing nothing, vowing to rest and enjoy the 5 minute daily walks I can do, the phone rang.

"Hi I'm AJ Rochester host of TV's Biggest Loser show."

Part three coming soon:

Life with AJ, and the writing journey begins.