Del Piero is coming to town!
Okay, well don't read that story too closely. But after initial talks Tony Pignata is on a plane to Italy sign him up.
Did I say Del Piero?
The reason this is important is two-fold. First is Del Piero is coming to town! Well, Sydney.
Which brings me to my second point- as a Phoenix fan I will have to stop hating Sydney FC.
Sydney FC were known for a while as Bling. In the Phoenix's first season we announced ourselves with a magnificent goal from Felipe away at 1:10 in this clip (add link http://www.youtube.com/watch?
We seemed to have the wood over them for a while- they were our bitches. We beat them everywhere, even as we succumbed to other teams easily.
Then it started- Alex Brosque dived at the Ring of Dirt, a terrible home game away from home. Then he niggled and Matterazzi-ed Troy Hearfield into a send off, Terry McFlynn hacked everyone and then tried to hand ball a goal, and infamy-apon-infamy Chris Payne succeeded in eliminating us from deep into a finals series with a goal any volleyball player would have been proud of. Wanker.
A pack of reviled big city, cheating, New South Wales scum-bags.
Except now they have Tony Pignata as CEO. The man who with Ricki and Terry built the Phoenix in the first season and much beloved by Phoenix fans for his recruitment, his commitment, passion and personable style. He often dropped by the Yellow Fever message boards to tell us what was going on. A complete champion.
Much like the man who he is going to sign (as yet, actually, no pen has yet touched paper).
So Sydney in two foul swoops may become my second club, nay even challenge my first in our increasingly austere times (wash out my mouth!), from a place of well, pure hatred.
Del Piero is coming to town!
Written by Martin Bates
P.S. It should be mentioned that if he does sign, his first game of the season may very well be a sold out game in Wellington on the 6th of October against the Phoenix. I'm checking grab-a-seat as we speak.
