Hello!
You’ll find that the June issue of Big is dedicated to football because even if you’re not usually a soccer fan, you could get swept up with footy fever. Did you know that football is the most played and most watched sport on Earth?
The 2010 FIFA World Cup, being held in South Africa in June and July, is shaping up to be the most-watched sports tournament ever 32 of the 204 member nations are vying for the biggest crown in world football. This is the first time that an African country will play host and the advantage of playing host is that they automatically qualify for the tournament.
However, there have been several controversies surrounding the qualifying matches, the biggest of which occurred in the Ireland v France game, which France won because of a goal that should not have been allowed. French player Thierry Henry illegally handled the ball, unseen by the referee, even admitting it later, causing widespread controversy. Why the decision was allowed is a mystery to the crestfallen Irish football fans.
The Socceroos play Germany, then Ghana and Serbia, while the All Whites play Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay. Our Circulation Manager Terry Thelwell will be there in South Africa watching as many matches as he can. I’m not sure whether he will be cheering for England, Australia or New Zealand – probably all three, so let’s hope they don’t have to play each other.
The time difference between South Africa and here in Australia and New Zealand means that matches will be being screened at unearthly times of the night and many fans will be bleary-eyed the next day.
Even if you don’t follow the game, you can get into the mood by solving our sporty clues.
Happy puzzling!
Recent Comments