CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Despite the fact that SBS has been blaring on both the radio and TV in his living room for over 50 years, Nonno says he hasn't heard any updates on how Italia has performed in the 2026 World Cup.
After migrating from Naples in the post-war years to work on the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme, Francesco Mancuso (93) can remember a time when nobody played football in Australia.
Luckily, the Italians, who are the world's best when it comes to playing football, came to Australia.
Nonno says it was up to him and his fellow migrants to introduce this world game to the Australianos, as they built their local ethnic clubs from the ground up.
However, with the recent success of Australian 'soccer' - this recently retired cobbler from Betoota's Flight Path District says there is almost too mucha football.
That's why he now relies on his grandchildren for the most important sporting updates, as the family patriarch struggles to keep up with the local competitions, the domestic competitions, the European cup and, of course the World Cup.
"We are doing great this year, Nonno" says his grandson, Adam.
"You might have missed, because we are playing very late at night. But we have already played this week and Italy are doing very well this world cup"
"We have a very strong world cup side"
Nonno then demanded to know what parts of Italy the players came from.
"Napoletana mostly" assured his grandson.
"The good ones anyway"
This sounds about right to Nonno. He's satisfied with these updates and now wants help putting the bird nets over his fig trees.
