http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/tim-hilferty/ Tim has been working for almost 20 years as a journalist specialising in sport. Until recently he was the deputy sports editor of The Daily Telegraph in Sydney and last year moved to Adelaide after being appointed sports editor of The Sunday Mail. The ex Sydney boy who grew up on a diet of rugby league is now developing a passion for the SANFL.  en Copyright 2013 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-the-socceroos-have-to-do-before-the-world-cup/ Remember the good old days of Australian soccer, when a 0-0 draw to the Dutch would spark jubilation in the crowd, shirt swapping on the pitch and a victory speech from the coach? I can almost picture old Eddie Thompson saying how delighted he was with the result, and what a privilege it was for his boys to mix it with some of Europe’s finest. Eddie, a wonderful servant of the game and one sadly missed, would be delighted with 1-0 losses, such was our standing in the game and the lack of really meaningful matches. How times have changed. Saturday night’s draw was dire. We should have been beaten comfortably. It exposed a host of deficiencies.  And thanks to the game’s new-found maturity in this country, people are not afraid to admit it. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tim Hilferty) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-the-socceroos-have-to-do-before-the-world-cup/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-the-socceroos-have-to-do-before-the-world-cup/#item1455 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:56:12 +0000 Tim Hilferty | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-red-hot-aussie-go-a-brief-history-of-our-love-of-losing/ Australia loves a winner, but not with the same affection as we love a loser. Our entire national psyche is built on it. Triumph over adversity is great, but what is more important is effort. Ned Kelly fought the law, and lost, and we loved him for it. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tim Hilferty) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-red-hot-aussie-go-a-brief-history-of-our-love-of-losing/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-red-hot-aussie-go-a-brief-history-of-our-love-of-losing/#item1307 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:54:08 +0000 Tim Hilferty | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-myth-that-soccer-is-a-family-friendly-sport/ I was going to take my six-year-old boy to the soccer on Friday night, but I decided not to. After what I witnessed at the Adelaide United - Melbourne Victory game at Hindmarsh Stadium, I doubt we’ll go to a game together this season. And that should be a huge concern for Adelaide United and the A-League. In the end, I decided to go with a couple of mates, and keep one eye on the match and one eye on the hardcore fans that are a giving the sport I love such a bad name. I took a seat in the southern grandstand, behind the Adelaide ``ultras’‘. I deliberately chose that spot so I could keep an eye on any trouble, but there were many young families around me who just had the misfortune to be sitting near the idiots. The first thing that hits you is the swearing. While you still occasionally hear older supporters at footy games telling young hotheads to ``mind your language’‘, that’s not the case at the soccer. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tim Hilferty) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-myth-that-soccer-is-a-family-friendly-sport/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-myth-that-soccer-is-a-family-friendly-sport/#item1269 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:50:08 +0000 Tim Hilferty | Author bios | The Punch