FOOTBALL fanatic Matt Holland has been to every FIFA World Cup since 1998.
The English-born Tuscan Raider (Fidel’s Café team), sometimes-Miramar Ranger, and five-a-side Nations United team player has tickets to all the English games in South Africa, and hopes to score some All Whites tickets too. But the World Cup is not the only footy event on his mind.
This week he will compete in the Culture Kicks five-a-side football tournament in Berhampore where Wellingtonians representing cultures from around the world battle it out for the Culture Kicks trophy.
The social competition has been running for four years and attracts more than 60 teams each year. Holland’s team, who play at Wellington Indoor Sports Centre every week, is a mix of English, American, South Africa, and Welsh players who have been involved in the Culture Kicks tournament since its inception. They’ve made it to the semis before, and aim to win the competition this year.
“But we are not going to be swearing at each other if we don’t,” Holland says. “[But rather] laughing at those who take it too seriously”.
The community event is hard on the body.
“The games are about 10 minutes a side, and involve a lot of sprinting so you have to keep hydrated. Unlike 11-a-side when you can be out of the game for a bit.”
The Phoenix season holder has played football since childhood and vividly remembers watching the World Cup in Mexico on telly when he was nine years old. He has stuck with the sport since because he likes to stay fit and enjoys the competitiveness of the game.
“And I don’t go to the gym.” Holland disagrees with the old saying: “football is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans”.
His team doesn’t tolerate bad sportsmanship, however they are not averse to getting rowdy. “There is nothing wrong with shouting encouragement and if someone is having a bad day we give them constrictive advice.”
Culture Kicks is a welcome warm up to the World Cup only two months away, says Holland, who reckons Spain is the most likely to take the cup.
“They won the European Football Championships in 2008 and they are a really strong side.
Obviously Brazil and Paraguay [are contenders]. I don’t think Italy, Germany or Argentina will win. I’d like to think England will get into the semis [despite no David Beckham].”
Holland, who attended the All Whites v Bahrain World Cup qualifier in Wellington, says it will be a very difficult competition for New Zealand who are in a tough group (Paraguay, Italy and Slovakia). But acknowledges what a “fantastic feat” it is that they qualified.
“I hope they get at least one goal at the World Cup,” says Holland. “They are good at corners and headers, so they might nick a header.”
Culture Kicks 2010, Martin Luckie Park, Berhampore, March 28.