The Old Testament

It's fair to say when I first came across the book Jack Pollard's Soccer Records I considered it the Bible of Australian football history. For it was the first real book covering the topic. It is not without errors, and I'm not convinced the A-Z encyclopedia method was the best way of going about it, but it sure is something to treasure.

Over the years I've bought three editions, one from a second hand bookshop for $12 which I still possess. Another couple I picked up for under $5 at Op Shops, one I gave to Pave Jusup and another I either gave to George Cotsanis or is still in the box of "swaps" I have in the garage. Even though I had one, for those prices I thought it would be a crime not to buy them.

The other week when speaking to Greg Stock over the phone about what he should send me for scanning and uploading to this blog's archives, he suggested it, also bringing up the issue of copyright. Now if anyone ever got upset about a breach of copyright on this blog, I'd be in a bit of trouble. My only argument is everything I put up is long out of print, and sharing items on here is hardly depriving anyone of any income. I would like to think that sharing a largely hidden, inaccessible history to redress the marginalisation of the game by the media for over a century means anyone with an issue over copyright should really be prepared to look the other way and let it go.

Hopefully what I and others put up on this blog will allow the next generation to surpass previous efforts in writing about and honouring our football history. In Jack Pollard's Soccer Records we have the Old Testament. One day we will hopefully have a new New Testament, a complete Bible for the football worshippers.

Anyway, here it is, Sid Grant's masterpiece,

Jack Pollard's Soccer Records