Some people are going to assume that I'm probably an Englishman who has suffered years of shootout torment and that's why I created ADG. I'm actually Australian and as fortune would have it, Australia have now qualified for two World Cups on penalties. So, as a Socceroos fan, these were obviously unforgettable moments. The point I'm trying to make is that ADG isn't about national allegiances, or who has been successful in shootouts and who hasn't. ADG is about the beauty and exhilaration of football and improving the sport.

Growing up in Australia in the 70's, I played football (or soccer) like most boys. I was a pretty hopeless player, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment and love for the game. I remember clearly the 1986 World Cup and Maradona leading Argentina to victory.

Watching the World Cup down here needs some passion and dedication because the matches are mostly in the middle of the night and it's also the dead of winter! The 1994 World Cup final was of course another critical moment. Roberto Baggio had scored 5 goals in the 3 knockout games, including a late brace to rescue Italy from defeat against Nigeria. In the shootout it was left to the Divine Ponytail to keep Italian hopes alive and we all know what happened.

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, with Italy defeating France on penalties, ideas began gestating again. But it wasn't until the 2008 UEFA Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United, that I sat down one freezing Melbourne morning and really began to flesh out an alternative. Once again, I wasn't a Chelsea supporter who had just suffered a devastating defeat, I was just thinking about improving the sport.

Most football administrators will argue that since it's already the world's most popular sport, why bother? The answer, as both rugby and cricket have found, is that updating any sport keeps it fresh and, equally important, fair. Instead, with football we have a tie-breaker that gives one team a 20% advantage, exposes its players to psychological trauma, racism and death threats, and fails to showcase the game.

By contrast, ADG combines the skill, speed, athleticism and dynamic beauty of modern football, with the climactic drama and tension of penalties. Send me your feedback.

Enjoy the Game!
Tim Farrell

email: adgshootout@gmail.com