Vince Grella

473

2005_06 - Panini (Spanish Issue) - Football Stars - Australia - Serie A - Parma F.C. - Vincenzo Grella - Card No. 34

Years	Team	Apps	Goals	Cards	Stckrs	Progm	Other	TmCSP
1995 - 96	Springvale City	16	0	0	0	0	0	0
1996 - 97	Canberra Cosmos	14	1	0	0	0	0	0
1997 - 98	Carlton	23	1	0	0	1	0	2
1998 - 04	Empoli	60	1	4	3	0	0	1
1999 - 01	Ternana	27	0	2	0	0	0	1
2004 - 07	Parma	92	2	8	4	0	0	1
2007 - 08	Torino	28	1	2	1	0	1	3
2009 - 12	Blackburn Rovers	38	0	5	2	1	0	2
2012	Melbourne Heart	1	0	0	0	0	1	1

1996 - 99	Australia U-20	11	0	0	0	0	0	0
1996 - 00	Australia U-23	17	0	0	0	0	0	0
2003 - 10	Australia	46	0	15	12	2	0	46

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There are not any items from Vincenzo (Vince) Grella’s early career at Victorian State League Club Springvale City and National Soccer League Club Canberra Cosmos. In 1997-98 Vince moved back to his home town of Melbourne with a transfer to Carlton, a new National Soccer League Club. The club was affiliated with the Australian Rules Football club Carlton and played at the same ground. The first item in the collection is a “Kick Off” match program that has him on the cover. He is also in a starting line up photo on the cover of the 1997-98 Carlton in Review Magazine.

Like many Socceroos before him, but not many since, Vince Grella’s first Australian matches were International B Friendlies. The collection includes two programmes where he played against a FIFA All Star team at the new Sydney Olympic Stadium and then in a two match series against Manchester United. In 1998 he moved to Italy, the home Panini the world’s largest producer of football cards and Stickers. He signed with Empoli and was loaned out to Serie B club Ternana. The collection has two Grella Panini Ternana cards. The first of seven Empoli items in the collection is a 2000-01 dual Panini sticker with his fellow Socceroo and “Brother” Mark Bresciano. There is also a Vince Grella, Empoli, WCCF Japanese card from the 2002-03 season that is featured right.

The collection includes the programme from Vince Grella’s full international debut in the famous Australia’s 3-1 win over England at Upton Park. For the 2004-05 season Vince Grella transferred to fellow Serie A club Parma. There are eight Parma cards and two stickers featuring “Vincenzo” Grella. The Index card (above left) is unusual in that it is a Spanish issue and is a mixture of both club and country. Vince in his Parma Kit but it has “Australia” written rather than “Parma” on the front . On the back of card there is his club history and the Australian flag. The same image of Vince and design (except for the Australian references) are used on Panini’s 2005-06 Italian Serie A Parma card. Also from 2005-06, there is a unique sticker featuring both Parma Socceroos Mark Bresciano and Vince Grella celebrating a goal.

From 2005 Vince Grella established himself in the Socceroos starting line-up. The collection includes programmes from the 2006 World Cup qualification games including both home and away legs against Uruguay in November 2005. Following qualification, Vince is on four stickers and four Socceroo playing cards released prior the 2006 World Cup. He played in all four Socceroo matches at the World Cup with the collection comprising programmes, tickets and postcards including a Japanese magazine where he is on the cover playing in the Socceroos historic 3-1 win over Japan.

Post the 2006 World Cup there were various Australian issues celebrating the Socceroos success by successfully qualifying out of the group stage and controversially losing to eventual champions Italy. Six different newspapers across Australia issued a series of cards with attached medallions. The images of all players including Vince Grella are the same but depending on the newspaper there was either a 15 or 20 card set. Weet-Bix, the breakfast cereal company, issued two sets of cards including the card featured left and then in 2008 issued a “Memorable Moments” set, three cards from this set are in the collection. Select, Australia’s major card company, also entered the Soccer card market producing A-League and Socceroo sets including a Vince Grella card. On the less positive note Panini produced a sticker set celebrating Italy winning the World Cup, Vince is on two stickers from Australia’s one nil loss to Italy.

The collection includes the tournament programme and tickets from Vince Grella’s only Asian Cup Finals appearance in 2007. In 2007-08 Vince transferred to felllow Serie A club Torino. There are seven Torino items in the collection including two different postcards. The most interesting Torino item is a 16 Page Vincenzo Grella e-max Spanish produced “Minimag” for the 2008-09 season in which he never played. Another unusual item comes from Adelaide, where Mighty Soft produced a series of Adelaide United and Socceroo cards that were inserted into their packets of bread. On the last day of the transfer window for the 2008-09 season Grella transferred to Premier League club Blackburn Rovers where he joined his Socceroo teammate Brett Emerton. There are ten Blackburn Rovers items in the collection including only one programme which is primarily due the injury plagued seasons he had at the club.

Vince Grella’s participation in the Socceroos successful qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup was limited due to injury. There is no doubt when fully fit he was was an automatic choice for the starting line-up. This is also demonstrated in that he continued to be included in “Selects” Socceroo card set for both 2008-09 and 2009-10 issues. The collection has four World Cup qualification programmes, one ticket, four stickers and two cards post qualification. The esteem to which Vince was held, despite ongoing injuries, is also demonstrated in him being on the cover of the programme for the World Cup send off match against New Zealand. The opening World Cup match against Germany was his 5th World Cup, 46th and last full international. The collection includes the ticket from the match. The last Socceroo item in the collection is a unique Futera Autograph card from 2010. The collection finishes with the final cards and stickers from his last two seasons at Blackburn Rovers including a Russian Match Attax Card. A club sticker from Melbourne Heart is the final item where he played only one match and then announced his retirement due to his ongoing battle with injuries.

Vince Grella

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