It was a quiet Saturday morning
around 8:15am. Many stall holders were still setting up at their top-end
stalls. But above the cacophony of noise normally associated with set-up at QVM there was
an occasional excited murmur, followed by loud exclamations, and even a loud
cheer or two.
The site was the
Intone Photography container in String Bean Alley and the occasion was
Australia’s World Cup match against Chile. As the match progressed, it was
possible to determine the state of play purely from the sounds emanating from
the crowd huddled around a small TV screen at one end of the market.
There were
the disappointed moans as Chile scored its first goal, closely followed by
another. Then there was the crescendo of cheering as Australia scored its goal
which surely must have been heard in A shed and beyond. Then there was the loud
cheer tailing off into a gentle moan as Australia slipped one the wrong side of
the post.
QVM has its
fair share of soccer (football) addicts and the balance of traders no doubt
reflect Australia’s passion for all things sport. The World Cup is a huge
event. One trader’s wife rarely attends the market as she looks after a young
family but at World Cup time she fills in as her husband is given one month off
to indulge his passion for the world game.
Australia’s next match is against The Netherlands on Thursday morning at 2:00am. Expect some bleary eyed traders on Thursday.Have Your Say - click here.