Showing posts with label Grand Final. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grand Final. Show all posts

Friday, October 1, 2010

Football final party raises VND40 million for kids to swim

Football supporters back their teams at last Saturday' AFL Grand Final Party in Saigon organized by the Vietnam Swans. A rematch party will be held this Saturday in District 2 - Photo: Courtesy of Vietnam Swans
When the Vietnam Swans held their AFL Grand Final parties last Saturday the only winners were the kids in Hoi An who will benefit from the money raised to teach them how to swim.

The Grand Final match was a shock 68-68 draw between the two inner city Melbourne teams, Collingwood and St Kilda, and everybody left feeling as deflated as a flat football. But the kids in Hoi An cleaned up.

The party at La Cantine in HCMC’s District 1 had 242 footy fans and raised VND30 million for the Tri Bob Swimming Program for kids in Hoi An, while the party for the final in Hanoi with 150 attendees raised VND10 million. The swimming program was started because more kids drown in Central Vietnam than die in road accidents.

Phil Johns the Swans National President said the first thing that came to his mind when the teams drew was, “Oh my God, it was so exhausting organizing this party… How are we going to organize another party for next week’s rematch.”

He said despite it being a great match the draw result was a massive anticlimax for supporters of both teams, who both had good reasons to think their team was going to clinch it in the end. Johns said Collingwood had control of the most of the match but their poor goal kicking was very costly.

Johns and the crew have organized another party this Saturday at 10 a.m. at a different venue in Saigon while the Saigon Swan team members in Hanoi will hold it again at Jaspas, fourth floor Hanoi Towers, 49 Hai Ba Trung..

Everyone is invited to join the Grand Final Redux Party in Saigon at LesudGaudir, 4 Thao Dien Street, District 2.

Johns said the Redux Party will be chilled out with free entry and pay as you go prices. Dress casually in your team colors and bring your bathers if you want to jump into the pool.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Aussie football club holds big party for AFL grandfinal

Vietnam Swans players (L and second L) play the Lao Elephants. The Swans football club in Saigon is organizing a big party to watch the AFL grand final between Collingwood and St Kilda this Saturday - Photo: The organizers
The Vietnam Swans in Saigon have sold nearly 200 tickets so far to their Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final party in District 1 set for next Saturday.

The president of the club, Phil Johns does not expect any tickets to be left for sale at the door on Grand Final day as interest has been so strong.

“Given the number of tourists, especially Australians, who will want to see the Grand Final and hoping to purchase tickets when they arrive in Saigon, I think they will be very disappointed. I am not expecting any tickets to be available on Grand Final day,” Johns said.

The event will be held at La Cantine on the corner of Dong Khoi and Ngo Duc Ke Streets in District 1.

The final between traditional Melbourne rivals Collingwood and St Kilda is tipped to go Collingwood’s way as they have had an almost unbeatable season.

“They [Collingwood] beat Geelong by a lot in the preliminary final and they will be tough to beat. I hope St Kilda win but you would have to think Collingwood will be too strong,” said Josh Little, a Vietnam Swans member.

“No-one wants to see Collingwood win, because if they do, you will hear about it for the next 20 years,” Little said. He said the party would be “the Swans biggest party yet” and watching the grandfinal in Saigon would more special than it would be in Australia

“In Australia, you would celebrate anywhere and it’s always going to be big. In Vietnam, it brings all the Australians together and who wins doesn’t become as important. It’s the fact that we are all together on such an important day and having fun.”

If there are any enquiries for tickets, please email vietnamswans@gmail.com or contact Jo on 0906 615 958.

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