The mother of all Socceroos fans

The 70-year-old Ingleburn mother of three who used to be self-employed, has spent the best part of her life travelling the world to watch her beloved Socceroos.

And when the draw for the final phase of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup pitted Australia with Uzbekistan, it did not take Kayatz long to make up her mind where her next football trip was leading her.

Pim Verbeek’s Australians won’t be without support at the Pakhtakor Stadium on Wednesday (Thursday 01:30 AEST) to take on the local tough guys in front of a fanatical 30,000 crowd, because Kayatz will be in the crowd cheering our boys with about a hundred other Aussies supporters, mostly from the growing Green and Gold Army.

The appeal of the Socceroos as they criss-cross the world in a bid to find football glory is getting wider and wider.

Even here in Uzbekistan, a far-flung muslim country in the midst of Ramadan, it was heartening to see many tired but excited Aussie supporters wearing their green and gold paraphernalia jamming the visa counters at the airport.

It was not an invasion of Genghis Khan proportions but a little sporting invasion nonetheless that emphasised once again the power of football to bridge gaps between peoples and cultures and religions, that politics cannot even dream of achieving.

“My first big trip was for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany,” Kayatz said.

“I managed to watch Australia’s three games against East Germany, West Germany and Chile.

“After that I have tried to watch them as many times as I could.

“I have not been anywhere where I have not had a magnificent time.

“I say to people I’m going away to watch football, which is the biggest sport in the world.

“I just love the game. It’s poetry in motion.”

Kayatz said she was particularly pleased with her efforts to make the trip to Tashkent for her fellow G & Gs as affordable as possible.

“When the first costings for the trip came out we were talking about $4000 each but I said we sure could do better than that,” she said.

“We got it down to just over $2000 so there was nothing to stop us going there.

“The boys need our support especially in remote places and I’m sure they appreciate what we are doing.”

Kayatz said one of her biggest thrills while watching the Socceroos came in Doha in the previous qualifying phase when Harry Kewell scored a vital goal and “came to celebrate right there with us and embracing us.”

“No money can buy these sort of moments,” she said. “I’m just glad that more and more Australian people are beginning to exploit and enjoy these experiences.”

Pablo Bateson, another G & G stalwart from Sydney, went through the trouble of holding a welcome get-together in Tashkent for members of the intrepid group.

Australia’s first secretary in Moscow, Sue Burgess, FFA chief executive Ben Buckley, and about 60 supporters were expected to turn out at a downtown hotel and turn it into a ‘little Australia’ for a couple of hours with each participant no doubt relishing the special occasion in a mysterious and far-flung country that only the magic of football can provide.

"What I like is the camaraderie," Bateson said.