Brett Emerton

433

Years	Team	Apps	Goals	Cards	Stckrs	Progm	Other	TmCSP
1996-00	Sydney Olympic	94	16	0	0	0	0	0
2000-03	Feyenoord	92	11	4	6	1	0	1
2003 -11	Blackburn Rovers	247	13	16	11	7	2	1
2011-14	Sydney FC	57	7	3	0	0	9	2

1997-00	Australia U-23	25	7	0	0	2	1	1
1998-12	Australia	95	20	27	12	4	0	75

Years	Team	Apps	Goals	Cards	Stckrs	Progm	Other	TmCSP
1996-00	Sydney Olympic	94	16	0	0	0	0	0
2000-03	Feyenoord	92	11	4	6	1	0	1
2003 -11	Blackburn Rovers	247	13	16	11	7	2	1
2011-14	Sydney FC	57	7	3	0	0	9	2

1997-00	Australia U-23	25	7	0	0	2	1	1
1998-12	Australia	95	20	27	12	4	0	75

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The collection commences with the Optus World Series Tournament Programme that included Brett Emerton’s debut against Chile. His professional career began at Sydney Olympic in the National Soccer League where played for four years, I am not aware of any cards or stickers produced during his time in at Sydney Olympic but their are likely to be programmes where he appeared on the cover however there are none in this collection. The collection does include two Olyroo Programmes where appears on the cover, the 2000 Sydney Olympics Football Programme and most unusually, but not rare, a Melbourne Met rail ticket with an action image.

In 2000 Brett Emerton transferred to the Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord where like many Continental European clubs they produce postcard size cards of all their squad. The collection includes all three of these Feyenoord squad cards. That year also saw him feature for the 1st time on the cover on a Socceroo Programme for the WCQ against New Zealand and shortly thereafter in the one against Uruguay. In 2002 Panini produced an official sticker collection for Feyenoord with five stickers (four images) of Emerton. The collection also has the only, to my knowledge, Champions League Programme, that has Brett on the cover from a group match against Dynamo Kiev. The collection also has the Matchday programme from the famous international friendly win over Australia’s traditional sporting rivals, England albeit not Footbal. This was the last international for Brett while playing at Feyenoord and where he also scored his 5th international goal. Probably rarest and also last card from his time at Feyenoord is from a 2003 Japanese set that featured players from a friendly match between Urawa Red Diamonds and Feyenoord (shown left). The image of Brett is the same as the one used on his last Feyenoord club card.

In the Summer of 2003 Brett Emerton transferred to English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers where he joined fellow Socceroo Lucas Neill. From his first season at Blackburn Rovers the collection comprises three cards, including a Robert Hood designed cartoon image of Brett, two match day programmes where he is featured on the cover and two stickers. 2004 also saw the start the qualification process for the 2006 World Cup. The collection has three programmes from the Oceania Nations Cup part of the qualification where in six games he scored four goals. Due to most of the Socceroo squad plying their trade in Europe, as preparation for the Word Cup Qualification games Australia started to play many international friendlies in England where Fulham’s Craven Cottage became the home ground. The collection includes Match Day programmes from matches against South Africa, Norway, New Zealand and Jamaica.

In terms of Blackburn Rovers in 2004-05, the Christmas/Boxing Day Match Edition has 15 players including Emerton and Neil in probably the best designed Festive programme.(Pictured Right) For a brief number of years phonecards were became a popular collectable and in 2004 China Telecom issued a Blackburn set including Brett Emerton. The collection also includes both the English and Japanese edition if the Emerton 2005 Topps Premier Gold includes set In the 2005-06 season, Blackburn Rovers like Feyenoord produce as squad series of cards the portrait image used for the club card is the same as used for Merlins 06 Sticker collection. The collection includes the Programmes from both the Uruguayan and Australian legs of the successful final world cup qualification matches. For the Uruguayan leg it also includes a Sydney FC breakfast programme where Brett was 6 years later finished is playing career. Qualification for the 2006 World Cup saw start of stickers (6) that had images of Emerton as a Socceroo. There were also two sets of playing cards a portrait and action series released. The first Socceroo Card was not released until after the World Cup. Brett played in all three group matches at the World Cup and the collection includes both German Programmes and tickets from these matches. He did not play in the knockout match against Italy due to suspension.

The success of the Socceroos also saw Select the premier card company for Australian Rules and Rugby League produce Soccer Cards in 2006. For three years they produced Socceroo and A-League sets. The collection includes all three cards produced by Select. Similarly Futera at time the worlds premium collectable card manufacturer started to increase the numbers of Australian players included in their releases and the 2007 World Football edition is the first Brett Emerton Futera card in the collection. The complete collection does not include many match day programmes from international friendlies played in Asia however in the Emerton collection the 2007 international friendly match played at the Singapore National Stadium just before the 2007 Asian Cup features Brett Emerton on the cover.

For the 2007-08 A-League Season the Mighty Soft Bakery issued Adelaide United and Socceroo Cards in bread packets including a Brett Emerton card. In 2008 Emerton continued to play regularly for the Socceroos and in appeared on the cover of an international friendly programme against South Africa but Brett did not play in this match, The same image of Brett Emerton also appears on the 2009 and last Select Socceroos and A-League card collection and on the 2009 Futera World Football World Online Game Card Collection. For the first time in the 2009-10 Topps Match Attax did not issue a Blackburn Rovers card of Brett Emerton. However Brett did appear on a Blackburn Rovers School Fantasy League card.

From the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa the collection includes one one photo, five stickers, 6 cards, the official match programme and with Brett playing in all the World Cup game the three match day tickets. Panini were again the Official Card Collection manufacturer for the World Cup and that collection of 198 cards that had only three Australian cards is one of best from World Cups. The Brett Emerton card featured left is a clear plastic card. It appears this type of card was only produced from 2009 to 2011. The World cup cards also include the English and French versions fo the Match Attax cards and an Argentinian card.

The 2010-11 season was Brett’s final season at Blackburn Rovers. After an absence of two years Match Attax again produced a Emerton card and the collection also includes the Russian version of that card. The last Blackburn Rovers match day programme to feature him on the cover used the same image as the card. In 2011 Brett again represented Australia at the Asian Cup and collection includes the programme and tickets from the tournament.

For the 2010-11 season Brett Emerton moved back to his home town of Sydney for the final three years of his professional career. In 2012 the Socceroos were invited to qualify for the East Football Federation Tournament and Soccoeroo squad comprised primarily of A-League players. The collection includes the Tournament programme where he played his last three matches for the Socceroos. In 2013-14 SE Products produced an Socceroo and A-League collection, regarded by many collectors as the best Australian series produced. The Emerton collection comprises a base card, autographed card of 500 and rarer an unsigned version of the same card. Due to ongoing injury in 2014 one of Australia’s Golden Generation retired after a 14 year professional career most of which was played in the top leagues in Europe.

Brett Emerton

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