To see behind the scenes on the show...

 

Dasey is becoming ‘Mr Football’ across Asia hosting FourFourTwo TV on Astro as well as hosting their EPL coverage with Aussie pundits ex-Socceroos Abbas Saad, Scott Ollerenshaw and former-NSL winning coach Gary Phillips.

Dasey works across Asia and co-hosted last year’s AFC Awards with TV presenter and model Asha Gill. He’ll be back next month hosting the glamour event in Kuala Lumpur alongside former Channel V veejay Paula Malai-Ali.

The journo and presenter has his finger on the pulse of football across the region so he’s ideally placed to give us an insight into Asian football and of course the level of support for an Australian World Cup bid.

Jason, as you move around Asia what is your sense of support across the region for Australia's World Cup bid?
I think people across the Asian would love to see an AFC country win the bid, but I don't think Australia would be at the top of the list of AFC nations bidding. People in Asia - I mean general football fans not administrators necessarily - are still slow to embrace Australia as part of Asia. However, they definitely respect the strength of our football and the competitiveness of the Socceroos.

What has been your experience with the FFA like when they've come to Asia?
It was a huge honour for me to meet FFA chairman Frank Lowy a couple of times at the 2009 AFC Congress and the 2009 AFC Awards which I co-hosted with Malaysian actress Asha Gill. I personally thanked Mr Lowy for his amazing service and financial generosity to football in Australia. I was also pleased that he acknowledged the presence of an Aussie in the region, being involved in the AFC Awards.

And the Asian Cup in Qatar... who do you fancy? Could Iraq do it again, or South Korea perhaps? And what about Holger's Socceroos?
I have a feeling that the Socceroos will do a lot better at Qatar 2011 than they did in 2007. I'm not saying that we are going to win it, but expect us to go further than last time. I like Osieck as head coach as he seems committed, receptive and smart about taking our football forward. My tip is Korea Republic to win the Asian Cup but expect a west Asian team to surprise everyone (but not Iraq).

I know you follow the A-League... what's your take on season six so far?
I watch almost every A-League game on the AFC website. Funnily enough, I am not really a Sydney FC fan even though I was born and raised in the harbour city. Being in Asia and watching the Champions League, I've developed a soft spot for Adelaide after their great run a couple of years ago. I also met the Reds' staff when they came through KL last year and think they will be hard to beat this season with the likes of Leckie, Flores and Van Dijk leading the way. I also like to see Gold Coast United do well as I like their squad and style of football. If I were in south-east Queensland, I would definitely significantly boost the Skilled Stadium crowds with my regular attendance!

Do you believe expansion in the A-League is a good idea?
I think the A-League has to be careful in not trying to grow too fast and learn from the bumps along the way that the J-League and MLS suffered at this similar part of their growth cycle. I believe FFA took their eye off the ball in promoting the A-League - because of their obsession with the 2022 World Cup bid - but the crowds should rebound. I'm not sure if we're ready for a second Sydney team yet. The A-League must learn to better embrace its grassroots, which, in turn will lead to more people going through the gates at stadiums.

au.fourfourtwo.com saw you at the recent Borneo Cup in Kota Kinabalu... how important are tournaments like that? And how big a hero was Scotty Ollerenshaw in Malaysian football?
The Borneo Football Cup in Kota Kinabalu was a fantastic event, which attracted teams from all over Asia, including Korea Republic, Japan and, of course, Australia. Unfortunately, there are too few of these junior tournaments in Malaysia. Good on Scott Ollerenshaw for organising it. Scott is still very popular and easily recognised in Malaysia after winning the Golden Boot twice in the 1990s during his time with Sabah - and scoring against Manchester United (beating Schmeichel) during their 1995 tour. Believe it or not, they used to call him the Ginger Maradona!

Would it be fair to say European football is more popular in south-east asia? Can you give us an example?
European football, especially the BPL, is much more popular in south-east Asia than the local leagues. An example: next season's games in the Malaysian league will no longer be played on Saturday nights because of falling crowds: almost everyone was staying at home to watch their favourite Premier League club.

Any show called FourFourTwo has to be good so enlighten us and why should we watch it next time we're in Asia?
FourFourTwo is the first TV show of its kind anywhere in the world. It started in August 2009 and adapts the FourFourTwo brand into a one-hour highlights magazine programme that airs twice a week. There is also FourFourTwo (BPL) on Tuesday nights and FourFourTwo: EuroZone on Fridays. You should definitely check it out next time you're in Asia because if you're a football fan I guarantee that you will find it interesting, entertaining and informative.

Loved your EuroZone promo... how much fun was that?
The EuroZone promo was lots of fun. The four hosts/reporters/experts in the show all dressed up in different European garb to become characters promoting their favourite league. My co-host Jay was Spanish, I was French, our reporter Roshan was German and our chief pundit - former Socceroo Abbas Saad - was Italian. We even spoke phrases from our respective languages. The Astro promo department did such a good job - it's hilarious - that I am going to recommend that they put it in for a promo award!

What's the best thing about working across Asia? What do you miss most about Australia?
I love the diverse cultural aspects of south-east Asia, its closer proximity to Europe and the USA and of course the weather and the food. From Australian life, I miss my family and close friends and of course the beach - and the A-League!

Finally, if one football club in the world could sign you up on a lucrative deal tomorrow, who'd that be and why?
Hmm, that's a tough one. I would have to say Arsenal. While I'm not a Gunners' fan as such (I follow Queens Park Rangers - long story), the opportunity to work alongside Arsene Wenger would be too hard to pass up. I have a lot of respect for him and what he's brought to English football. I attended a coaching seminar he gave in Kuala Lumpur in June 2009 and it was riveting stuff.

To see behind the scenes on the show...