Phoenix v Newcastle United | Sat 26th | Westpac | 4:30pm

AFL and League fans would down on you with disdain. Seriously, I appreciate your point of view and also those of the others I have been debating with. Thanks heaps guys. We cant always agree on everything on here .....well, except for having the Topp Twins as entertainment .......

I didn't mind them actually...

The AFL and NRL making an effort one round per year is not doing much for a culture that is 40,000+ years old. All they are doing is highlighting the fact they have indigenous players in both codes.

My point was more along the lines of the amount this country protects and preserves these traditions by embracing them not just at sporting events but in everyday events. Some here may thinks thats boring but I think it is bloody fantastic and it embarrasses me to call myself Australian and know very little about the people who inhabited my country for millennia before Europeans arrived. 

Old white people where all young once

So to date there are a wide range of gripes but none of them are universal and some are hotly debated/contested/

I suspect that we won't reach any consensus over the quality of the game, the food, the crowd noise, the entertainment or the cultural appropriateness of the waiata.

How about we just make Nick Tansley the scapegoat until the season starts and we can find a proper player scapegoat?

Can Nick Tansley pronounce scapegoat?

As one of the white people who "complained" I would like to point out that I have also said the waiata was very good. I am not complaining about the culture at all. And frankly, to drag up the accusation that that is what this is about is (a) missing the point, and (b) somewhat disingenuous...

As has been pointed out what people took offence to was that the minute's silence was disrespected. As I have said already had the waiata been before, or indeed after the minute's silence, or as Jono said if the minute's silence had not be introduced as a minute's silence, but as a minute's tribute, then there would have been no issue.

However it WAS introduced as a minute's silence, and I was therefore offended that anyone, not just the group singing the waiata, were not silent.There are cultural values surrounding the traditions of a minute's silence, and I felt those cultural values were trodden on. Respect for cultural mores should surely not just be a one way street?

Other's have pointed out that there have been other tributes throughout the tour, but that misses the point as well. This was the only minute's silence during the tour that I have been present at, and, as well as having value with respect intending to flow towards John and Liam, their families and the NUFC community, it was ALSO more than that... it my personal opportunity to reflect, and pay my resepcts.... I felt I was robbed of that opportunity and I was embarrassed by the lack of respect shown to the minute's silence.

Clearly different people saw it differently. I just wanted to speak up and register that some people thought it was not okay.

Completely agree.

Just not during a minute's silence please. Doing so at that time, is inappropriate, and offensive.

So your culture is more important than Maori culture?

I don't think anything was trodden on. Was probably just Tansley stuffing up again by introducing it incorrectly.

I know we are taking the piss out of Tansley but if that embarrassment had got his call correct as well as the substitutions and the name pronounciations correct, a lot of this debate wouldnt be happening. Perhaps in reality, if he had been a bit more respectful himself, others might be respectful in return.

He probably had his mind on other things - scanning the team sheets and thinking 'Oh b*gger.  Coloccini.  I hope he doesn't get subbed during the game'.

I agree that was a surprise. Blame the announcer again.  Should have said a minutes silence to respect the waiata

I think if the waiata was done seperately to the 1 minute silence everyone would have kept quiet and respected it.

Cool story bro.

Would this be the same viewpoint if it turns out that the Newcastle fans, or the families of the dead, had requested for the proceedings in the way that they occurred? 

I would love to know who organised it from what directive.

Personally I thought it was a fantastic touch. 

anything that embarrasses an Aussie gives me great pleasure ;)

I don't know why people are still banging on about the waiata.  Everyone knows it's all Tansley's fault.

No.

Nor do I believe the reverse is true.

It's a two way street.

I am now home after a magical experience.

1. West Ham were terrible.

2. The waiata was very moving and highly appropriate.

3. A draw would of been a fair result.

4. Doyle looked totally at home.

5. Thought Brockie looked alright and had a couple of good chances, should of put away that 1 on 1 but the keeper did very well.

6. Alex looked all class.

7. Nice to see Albert and one of the Toon's Spaniards chatting away during the game.

8. I'm feeling a little guilty, but after bagging the choice of the Topp Twins as entertainment, I quite enjoyed them and didn't think they spoiled the day. In fact quite a few around me [including the 2 kids I was with] loved them.

9. I really like Sydney's 2 central defenders - both with good pedigrees too.

10. Looking forward to more of this next pre-season too.

11. If Steve-O was serious in saying the game was terrible, then I wish to break rules 7 through 29 of the forum code of conduct by saying you are well and truly a miserable c**t.

12. Thought Tansley was ok too, had the ability to laugh at himself and loved it when he announced a song that the youngsters would love, played about 5 seconds and told the crowd that was all he could play because he didn't like it very much - cracked me up.

I didn't complain about the waiata at all, I praised it.

I thought the game was pretty average with very few chances at either end. Admittedly I'd had about 8 beers by the time it started so my recollection may not be 100% accurate...

imho we got the best of both worlds. A pakeha minutes silence from the crowd, imbued with a formal polynesian wiata of respect. Not what I expected either, but I liked it, thought it was beautiful and was something unique in my experience. For me it added to the day, as something quite special, as did sharing the 28 minute and 63 minute tributes as fans together. 

Now I am not going to get pissed off that some pommie git decided that standing up in the middle of a game of football while a 'Nix corner was being taken was a good way to respect these guys.  I respected that.  And I would hope that others could respect that a tribute was given in a particular way, that was well meant, during the minutes silence.  You live in a NZ that embraces multiculturalism.  Sure it might have been introduced better.  But, I'd say, embrace rather than be offended.

Not criticising anybody here; I can understand some initially being unsettled or offended or embarrassed. But if we can look beyond your own traditions and embrace another's gesture in another culture, our live's may be richer.

Otherwise pull out the muskets and blast away at offense taken.  Your choice.  

Personally I quite like that you ex pats have come over here and want to sing all the way through a game of footy when all sport should be watched stoically in the true NZ fashion.  I promise not to shoot any of you for your lack of sensitivity and insult to NZ sporting culture.

Overall it was a great day - weather was perfect, football less so. I brought along a couple of "non" fans who were impressed enough to want to go again - Unfortunately it was the WHU  support that got them hooked, but we'll work on that later. 

In other gossip - between games I shared a lung dart with a West Ham fan who had a picture of Big Sam on his phone from the night before. He was at Shed Five and absolutely trousered on whisky (Big Sam that is) - apparently ranting about what a bunch of c**ts the WHU board were. Anyway, with that build up no wonder they were so shite.

What we've learned from this thread: people from far-away Newcastle, Tyneside, England, have more respect and appreciation for Maori culture than certain Pakeha New Zealanders. This does not surprise me one little bit. Someone has to vote Conservative or ACT.

I liked the Waiata - but then in general I think we should embrace Maori culture more; despite thinking the Topp Twins were a bad idea before hand I thought they were actually fun - although I missed them because I was stuck in an f'ing queue (how can a sport event sponsored by a beer run out of beer?)

The nix were mega, I thought they played better against Newcastle than against West Ham and were unlucky not to draw or win it, through yellow stained goggles I thought the nix were the best team on average throughout the tournament. The learning to play tired philosophy of Merick seems to have helped, I just hope that in preparing for this we don't exhaust ourselves in the season propper. We have had by far the most complete pre-season in the A-League so far.

If only West Ham put in half as much effort as their fans, apart from the chant at the start about West Ham used to be good the Hammer Fans really showed Yellow Fever what for. I was in Aisle 22 and the fever seemed a bit of a mess with multiple conflicting chants. I guess it was all the casuals. Anyway heard plenty of the Hammers nothing of Newcastle though. 

Speaking of casuals, a couple of guys near me were moaning about having to stand, and also saying things like "I understand why the english fight at foot ball games SHUT THE FUCK UP!" to the fever and hammers. I don't understand why these people buy tickets to the (extended) fever zone. Go sit in one of the many empty yellow seats and let others enjoy themselves.

Anyway great day - the only fault being the announcer, that was seriously unprofesional and embarassing.

Always thought NZ Football was a little too "White".

Hahahaha! Bye-bye Sam sooner rather than later. Daily Mail say sacking imminent.

Rolf Harris gives you pleasure?

That's what HE said!

Some other positives...

Every West Ham and Newcastle fan I met were brilliant and having a great time, the whole event was very good natured (no arrests at the stadium which must be rare for a near sell-out)

The way the whole crowd respected the applause at 27 and 63 minutes was exceptional concidering a lot of people there would be unfamiliar with this kind of tribute.

The tills were ringing in town afterward - some bars and resturaunts saying it was similar to an AB's test 

Even the Dom Post is sharing the love today!

All this goodwill bodes well for the coming season - I hope!

Post of the day thus far. Many more positives about this event than negatives. Can 

The waiata was the perfect thing to do. Made me feel proud.

The only problem was that it obviously caught a few people by surprise. Don't know whose fault that is but don't really care.

On my way up from the station to the stadium I saw a security guy run after a guy who was drinking from a can to check what he was drinking. Was just an energy drink and the guy asked the guard if he wanted a taste to make sure.

Also my partner was asked to remove her sunglasses when we were in the queue for food/drink. She had to ask if she could put them back on as they were prescription glasses and she needed to see. I only tried aisle 25 for food/drink and the guy in front of us asked for Carlsberg and the was told "you know we don't sell that here, I told you earlier." Wasn't the whole thing sponsored by Carlsberg?

So the fun police are off to a good start and the beverage staff dont know what they are meant to be supplying. Looking good for this season too.

The can thing happened to me too. Was walking up from the car park below one day with a small can of red bull, walked by a hired goon standing next to a wheelie bin, he asked me to throw it out. I said id finish it and throw it out at the bins by the entrance. He immediately went full retard. I still didnt throw it out though, i just stood there next to him until i finished it. Emailed the Stadium about it, never got a reply.

Clarsberg is to blame for my non compos mentis state on Saturday evening. Bring back 33x!

An awesome event.  Cheers to the board for taking a not insignificant risk and pulling it off with style.  Football was definitely the winner on the day, and soooo amped for the season.  We look very strong, and very ready to punish all those who may be inclined to come at us incorrectly.

I winked C-Diddy.

You might like to have a look at Bruce Chatwin's book "Songlines".  Some fascinating and interesting insights into aboriginal culture and their relationship to the land.