What's your Expat ID?

Becoming an Expat is a huge step in your footy life. While it’s not without challenges, there’s a big silver lining in the form of the contribution you can make to the game and the fascinating changes that take place over the Expat journey.

We deserve recognition!

As I mentioned briefly in the previous post (What is The Footy Expat?), as Expats we are more than just fans. Not only do we see things differently and appreciate our game on a deeper level, but we also live on what can only be described as a footy frontier. We make up a large slice of the players, coaches, umpires, administrators, volunteers and supporters holding the game together in the expansion states and allowing it to flourish. Without our endless passion for the sport, our hardiness in the face of a weak footy culture, and the tireless work many put in, the future of footy in Queensland and New South Wales wouldn’t be as bright.

All of this means we belong to a very special group of supporters that deserve to be recognised; to be given a proper identity and celebrated as more than just fans. The Footy Expat has done just that by creating its very own special badge of honour: the Expat ID.

What is an Expat ID?

The Expat ID is a unique identification system assigned to every Expat, consisting of:

1) Your Expat Number – representing the date you became an Expat. For me, arriving on the 3rd August 1994 makes my Expat No: 9408031. The last digit is used to distinguish Expats who may have arrived on the same day.

2) Your Home Club – representing the footy club you were tied to back home – either local or in the AFL. Using myself as an example once again, I support Collingwood and played junior footy at the Dingley Football Club prior to making the move to Queensland as a 15 year old.

Putting those two elements together, my Expat ID would be: 9408031/Collingwood FC or 9408031/Dingley FC.

More than a badge of honour

The Expat ID not only gives you the chance to proudly show off your Expat credentials, it also makes a couple of other remarkable things happen. Firstly, with an Expat ID you can spot other Expats and instantly connect based on a couple of key bits of information. Who knows, you might come across a fellow Expat from your old club or one that became an Expat on the same day as you? Secondly, by wearing your Expat ID with pride you automatically help build a greater presence around your local area, which plays a powerful role in establishing the stronger footy culture we all crave.

See how you can wear your Expat ID with pride in the Expat Shop.

What’s your Expat ID? I’d love to hear from others about when their Expat journey began and where they played their footy back home.