Hey my friends, remember I asked you to send me some personal thoughts or anecdotes or memories or simply cool stories about our team, our players, your dreams or whatever?

Ryan Brown is getting to be assistant moderator real soon, after taking very cool pics back in 2008 and now contributing this cool blog post.

I am waiting for you to send me stuff to: netherlandsworldcupblog@gmail.com.

“Hey my name is Ryan Brown on the blog im known as OranjeAussie or Stijnis, here is my story for you about my love for dutch football and the Netherlands in general and why i bleed Oranje, I hope you enjoy.

This is the only disappointment about this bloke: he’s an Ajax fan 🙁

To get started, of why i have such a love for The Netherlands and Bleed Oranje is that my Mother is Dutch, born in Amsterdam and moved to Australia when she was around 10 with her family. Stijnis is my mums family name, my mums name is Mieke (very dutch) so thats where it all starts.

i was born in 1984 i grew up with a strong Dutch up bringing as my mums Aunties and Uncle’s all decided to move here and we where part of small Dutch community in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne mainly Brighton and Hampton. Unfortunately i never became fluent at the Dutch language but can understand it quite well. Living in Melbourne, Australia i grew up loving and still do our national game AFL (Australian Rules Football) where i follow the Essendon Bombers who coincidentally enough have the most famous dutch expat to play AFL known as Paul van de Haar who was a cult figure in the 80’s known as the “flying dutchman” for his fantastic aerial marking abilities.

As well as my love for AFL you could often find me in the back garden of my Opa & Oma’s house having a kick of the world famous round ball with my Opa who would also tell me stories about the Dutch national team and his beloved Ajax and the days when he would go to the famous “de Meer”. at the time in Australia there was not as much exposure of the game that ruled the world except a highlights show of the Premier League on a Monday night and a Serie A highlights show on a monday morning as there a a lot of Italian immigrants living in Australia.

Ryan with his Dutch oma….

But it was in 1994 and the World Cup in the USA which was my first time to watch Oranje ply there trade and from then on i was hooked. Within two week’s i had my first dutch national top its was a kit made by Lotto and of course i got my hero’s number on the back the one and only “Iceman” Dennis Bergkamp who to this day is still and i think will always be my favourite dutch player. I dont want to blab on and bore everyone to much with my background so i will get onto more of my memorable football moments of why this country and team mean so much to me.

To keep it short and sweet i will just name my top three most memorable Oranje moments going from 3 to 1…

3. Euro 2008 and the games against France & Italy, its simple the way we totally destroyed two of the worlds soccer powerhouse’s was lovley to watch it had me going crazy even if i was watching the games live at 4am in the morning.

2. Would be the 2010 World Cup and if things had of been different and we where to change the final result. i agree we didn’t stick to what Oranje football has always been about which wasn’t nice, but for me personally living in Australia if you said when it comes to great soccer countries in the history they would say Brazil, Italy, England, Germany and Argentina, The Netherlands would not even get a mention so the success that the dutch had brought a great deal of respect for dutch football and its significant history in creating the most attacking, creative and exciting football the world has seen revolutionising the game to what is today.

Ryan in Orange, looking like the deer with the headlights, etc… 🙂

1. I have two joint number 1’s. Firstly is my hero Dennis Bergkamps wonder goal against Argentina, Yet again i was watching the game live at the early hours of the morning on the edge of my seat in my Oranje top it was a game with everything lows, highs and a dramatic finish. i had my older brother who was drivng to the snow on his mobile the whole of extra time doing the best i could to be a commentator… and when that long ball came to Dennis and his cut in and goal all i can remember screaming on the phone to my brother GOOOOAAAALLLL! it was amazing all the dutch fans behnd the goals the comentary and Bergkamps celebration will stick in my head forever. sends shivvers down my spine thinking about it.

1. Take 2… was when the Dutch team travelled to Australia i decided two buy four tickets in the Dutch end of the stadium of course, i convinced some mates to join me on the trip to Sydney. I went up early hoping to catch a training session but was unable too. the only dissapointment was a nil all draw but that isnt where it ended me and my mates decided to head out after and went to Sydney’s hottest nightspot The Ivy… halfway through the night and many drinks later across the packed nightclub i see a short statured guy at the bar and who else could it be then Mr Sneijder himself enjoying a drink with Cocu, i didnt even think i went straight up and offered to by him a drink he declined, saying to me… ill get you a drink opening his wallet filled with cash i was speechless i talked about my dutch background and love for oranje, after the chat he said to me would you like to come up to the Ivy’s famous private pool bar on the top of the hotel to meat the rest of the players… i met the whole team and they even came down to the club and met my mates, they where just like any other guys it was surreal… i had my camera in hope that something like this may happen and it did and they where more then happy to take photos partying with me… at the end of the night i even had help Johnny Heitinga and a few of the boys get a cab as they where finding it difficult….. It is and will always be one of the greatest moments of my life.

i dont want to go into to much about the disappointments but all i can say is my life will not be complete if i dont see this great country win a world cup…

Anyway to finish up i love oranje so much even at my Opa’s funeral my Oma in her eulogy talked about his grandkids and when she talked about me, “Ryan the second oldest grandchild is as dutch as any dutchman i know and would always make his Opa proud that i will continue the families strong dutch traditions” i was extremley proud.

Anyway thats me and my story of how i Bleed Oranje….. I would just like to finish with a big thank you to Jan who has brought all us passionate dutchies together he keeps me in contact with everything Oranje and without the job he has done here i dont what i would do. and a second thank you to all the other contributors on this website, everyone is so informative and makes the website what its is today, thanks guys hope you enjoyed

HUP HOLLAND HUP