It’s a common misconception that football in this country came here on a boat, along with the thousands of immigrants fleeing Europe after World War II. The reality is, however, that the game has existed in Australia for almost 140 years – since the first recorded game was played just outside Brisbane in 1875. In 2013 the A-League has made monumental steps forward and the sport looks poised to finally establish itself as one of the country’s leading competitions. This Sunday’s Grand Final has the opportunity to become a landmark in the history of football in this country. But let’s take a brief step back in time. The year is 1880 and in the west of Sydney a movement is taking its first steps. A certain John Walter Fletcher writes to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, and his letter is published: Sir,-I was glad to see in your issue of this morning a letter advocating the introduction of the English Association game into New South Wales, and I am a little surprised that some old English player has not made the suggestion before. I have reason to think from conversations I have had on the subject that if [...]