“How do you pronounce that?”
Steve – Ground Announcer

His is the voice that is instantly recognisable. That smooth sound that booms across the stands, informing the fans of the team line-ups, sponsors’ messages and matchday entertainment. On the Central Coast, the ground announcer is Steve Allan.

Allan is well-known as the man who has announced every rugby league grand final since 1999. He also hosts his own sports radio show
on the Central Coast.

His favourite part of the job? “You get paid for being at the game! You’re an extension of the crowd!” But the job can be testing at times. “Just when you make a mistake,” he says. “If you get a pronunciation wrong, or call something that’s incorrect, that can stay with you long after
the game finishes.”

With football being one of the most multicultural sports in Australia, some names can be a challenge. But Allan appreciates the importance of getting things right. “The key is to actually introduce yourself to them, and ask, ‘how would you like me to say it?’. You can have a lot of people associated with the team tell you, but unless you introduce and find out the exact pronunciation, then you struggle.”

Steve is hugely experienced, and has experienced some testing times. Footballers like Tommy Pondeljak and Mile Jedinak may be a challenge, but they aren’t a patch on the Tongan rugby team. “That was incredibly difficult,” he says. Allan’s pronunciation of a particular player was drawing several laughs from the crowd in front
of the box.

“I found out afterwards that the way I was saying it meant… err ‘anus’ in Tongan!” he laughs.



“Fancy a drink?”
Ben – Bar

Along with the pizza, beer is spectacularly popular. Sometime snowboard instructor, Ben has bar experience from everywhere between Jindabyne and the famous Brewery in Newcastle. When The Full90 met up with him, Ben had only started pouring beers at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium three shifts ago.

“We sell alcohol to the spectators: spirits, light beer, full-strength beer, mixed drinks and red and white wine,” he says. Preparation is left to the managers, giving staff like Ben a smooth ride in their three to four-hour shift. “We turn up, put the ice in the drinks and make sure there are cups out to pour the beer in.”

A difficult situation may arise from time to time. “Only if you’ve got to cut the fans off [from more drinks], but it doesn’t happen that often. They get a bit upset!”

Ben recognises that you do need skills for the job: “personality, knowing how to pour a beer, and you’ve got to be able to give the right change.” But he thinks he goes alright. “It’s a piece of cake!”

“Let me pick that up for you.”
Rob – Cleaning

Rob Farmer ensures Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium is clean. He co-ordinates a team of staff that work during matchdays, as well as in the days before and after the game.

“We have a weekly program,” he says. “For events, we clean the whole place before. We have people at the event to look after the concourse, the corporate areas, change rooms, and we get a team in afterwards.”

Rob used to work at the tax office, but is now officially retired. That hasn’t stopped him from taking on the broom though. “I wanted something to do, this was a chance to keep fit,” he states. “I get satisfaction walking around saying, ‘look what I’ve done’ and keeping the place as clean as possible, which is hard now with all the water restrictions.” He even combined work with his last holiday, working at Wimbledon and other events on a trip to England.

In his five years in the job, Rob still can’t understand how filthy the fans can be. “I honestly can’t see how people can put the amount of rubbish they do under the seat and enjoy the game with it all there. I wonder what their places are like at home!”

But what’s his home like? “Probably not as clean as it should be!”

Reproduced from TheFull90 – the official matchday magazine of the Hyundai A-League www.a-league.com.au Get it at the game!