ROO BEAUTIES!
Expat fans gather for Wales Euro glory movie in Australia
A N expat Welsh football fan who now lives in Sydney was so keen to see Don’t Take Me Home, the story of Wales’ unexpected and glorious Euro 2016 campaign, that he’s arranged for it to be shown in Australia.
Now Jon Watkins is inviting Wales football supporters Down Under to come along and watch the film, which has received rave reviews from Welsh fans.
Made by Merthyr Tydfil filmmaker Jonny Owen, the movie will be shown at The Entertainment Quarter in Sydney on Tuesday, with supporters flying in to see the one-off screening – and one fan even jetting in from New Zealand for the showing.
The screening has been brought together by Jon, 45, who has been living in Australia since 1998.
From Cardiff, the lifelong Bluebirds fan travelled Down Under on a backpacking adventure with a group of mates – all of them on the rebound.
“All of us had been dumped by our girlfriends not long before,” he said. “Only two of us are still here.”
Currently managing software projects for an Australian investment bank, he met his English partner Eve in Australiaia and they have two young children – Jeanie, who is five, and Solomon, two – who, Jon joked, “will grow up to support Wales and Cardiffdiff City if they know what’s hat’s best for them”.
A founderder member of Bluebirdsrds DownUnder, a fans group for expat t Cardiff City fans ans in Australia and New Zealand and formed 12 years ago,o, Jon said d he and t h e film’s director Jononny Owenn have been n friends for or years.
“I heard eard rave reports about thee movie from mates es in the UK and it was obvious from the com- ments that he had perfectly capturedcapt the best summersu of our lives,” he sa said. “I told Jo Jonny that I c could not w wait until th the DVD c came out and he put me in to touch with th the film distri tributors, who were very helpful. “W “With the help of a frien friend in media I rented a cinema cinema, arranged for the film to be sent over, and now we are about to view it with a cinema full of people from Wales.
He added: “Other Bluebirds Down Under members stepped in to help, and Jonny Owen has been amazing, at a time when his father Brian so sadly passed away. On behalf of all of us seeing his movie next week, my heartfelt condolences and grateful thanks go out to Jonny.”
As the tournament began, travelling to France was a dilemma.
“As an expat with a young family, travelling to France was initially not an option,” said Jon. “It was souldestroying. Many of my friends from Cardiff were travelling to France, along with a number of Welsh expats from Sydney. Fortunately, there was a group of us who couldn’t get to France and we watched the games in a 24-hour sports bar in Sydney.
“As the tournament progressed the excitement amongst us was as intense as it must have been in Wales.
“After the Russia game I put a bet on Wales to reach the semi-finals by beating Belgium and then a bet on Iceland beating England.
“That was an amazing night and I found myself at 9am drunkenly cashing in my winnings and phoning my boss to ask for a week off.
“Getting to Lyon and being able to catch up with friends I haven’t seen for years and to be part of the Red Wall, filled with such passion and excitement, is a feeling that will stay with me for ever.”
Don’t Take Me Home will be screened at Hoyts Private Luxury Cinema in the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney, on Tuesday.