A kid's T-shirt or World Cup winner?
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday February 5, 2010
Could these be the home-and-away strips the Socceroos will take to the World Cup? A website, footballshirtculture.com, claims the multicoloured uniforms are those Australia will wear in South Africa later this year - and manufacturers Nike made no effort to deny the claim. "Nike files different patent applications at different stages in the kit design process and for different design options," a Nike spokesman said. "The national team shirts will be launched later this year, and until then we can't confirm the designs involved." Football Federation Australia spokesman Rod Allen wouldn't confirm the designs were the official prototype, but said the search was certainly under way. "We're dealing with the sponsors to come up with the right strip," Allen said. Opinion was split among contributors to the website over the design. "It looks like a kids' T-shirt," said one. But for every word against there was one in support, as another predicted the home design could be the "yummiest kit at the finals". Being a Socceroos kit, or any kit for that matter, it is bound to be controversial - perhaps even more so than the players eventually sporting it.LONG ARM OF FEVBrendan Fevola wants to be a policeman when he grows up. The new Brisbane full-forward - who infamously disgraced himself on Brownlow night when at Carlton - told grade six students at Cooroy State School on Queensland's Sunshine Coast of a long-time desire to work in the police force. Attending the primary school as part of the Lions community camp, Fevola, 29, was king of the kids in a question-and-answer session with Brisbane teammates Josh Drummond, Sam Sheldon and Callum Bartlett. The full-forward announced he would officially begin his second football career on February 14 when he lines up for his new club against the Western Bulldogs in the opening round of the NAB Cup in Canberra. Once his playing days end, Fevola will consider finishing a university course he started three years ago. "Three years ago, I actually studied for three months at Griffith University, here in Queensland, to be a policeman," he told students. Asked later if he wanted to finish the course and enter the force, he said: "I actually do want to be a policeman." But Fevola, who also revealed maths was one of his favourite subjects at school, would rather be in forensics like "Grissom from CSI" than walking a beat. "I just don't want to do the patrol stuff ... but unfortunately you have to." His alcohol-fuelled antics at last year's Brownlow Medal ceremony led to an end to his 11 seasons at the Blues, allowing the Lions to swoop at trade week.KIM A LIVING DOLLNow little Jada will still have her mother to play with, even when Kim Clijsters is off competing in grand slam tournaments. Clijsters was immortalised as a Barbie doll on Wednesday, and her daughter, Jada, is also now available in a mini-version of the doll phenomenon. "When I was a young girl I played with my Barbie doll," Clijsters said on Wednesday. "My family means everything to me, so I was really excited when I found out that Jada would also receive her very own 'Jada Barbie' doll." There was no version available of Clijsters's husband, Brian Lynch, as Ken.WALKER GO! GO! GO!Murray Walker, for so long the voice of formula one telecasts around the world, is heading Down Under again for the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide next month. The unstoppable Brit, who called his final F1 grand prix in 2001, is barely slowing down (although Wikipedia killed him off late last month). The disarmingly energetic 86-year-old enthuses that the Clipsal race, along with the two Goodwood historical events in England, are his annual motor sport highlights. He told The Sun-Herald that he still missed the buzz of formula one. Walker said he was "still busy, doing a column for F1 Racing magazine, stuff for the BBC, talking on cruise ships - which isn't too hard to take, and various other things which stop me from mouldering away".BURNT MY WHEELSUnited States midfielder DaMarcus Beasley's BMW has been set on fire in Glasgow, Scotland. The incident happened on Monday outside the Rangers player's home. "Someone blew up my car," Beasley said on Wednesday on Twitter. "Glad no one got hurt." Strathclyde Police said it was treating the incident as "wilful fire raising" and that inquiries were ongoing. Rangers said it was a "disturbing and deplorable incident".PHIL IN GROOVEWorld No.2 golfer Phil Mickelson is still steaming over new rules governing clubface grooves, but he won't use the old Ping Eye 2 wedge when he defends his title at the Northern Trust Open this week. Mickelson was at the centre of a storm over the rule change when he carried the controversial club at the PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines last week. As it was made before April 1990, the Ping Eye 2 doesn't conform to the new groove requirements of the US Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Club, but it is allowed for play in the US because of the settlement of a lawsuit between Ping and the USGA in 1993. Mickelson's use of the club last week was called "cheating" by fellow pro Scott McCarron - which he later retracted. Mickelson branded the rule "ridiculous".
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