Nerds FC
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television, Documentary |
| Founded | April 14, 2006 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Documentary series on association football |
| Parent | Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) |
Nerds FC is an Australian documentary series centered on association football. The initial season was broadcast on the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) channel starting 14 April 2006, serving as a lead-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup and complementing coverage of the Australian national squad.
The program chronicles the journey of a football team composed of 14 self-proclaimed nerds who undergo three months of training, culminating in a match against a professional football club. Produced by SBS independent alongside Grundy Television—which later became part of FremantleMedia Australia—the series is an adaptation of the Danish reality format FC Zulu.
Following its initial run, the first season was aired again twice, with DVD copies released on 6 June 2007. The second season debuted on 9 June 2007, and its DVD became available on 16 August 2007.
Cast
The team was intentionally composed of individuals with minimal prior football experience and modest physical capabilities. Recruitment focused on men aged 18 to 25 through university advertisements and online communities, targeting those who identified as intellectually inclined enthusiasts with interests in technical or scientific fields.
The series aimed to mold this group into a unified squad able to compete credibly against (semi) professional players, while offering participants a physical challenge and producing compelling television.
Distinct from conventional reality formats, Nerds FC prioritized team cohesion and collective development without featuring eliminations or audience voting.
Vodcasts
Following each episode’s broadcast, vodcasts were released featuring commentary and additional perspectives from the nerds themselves. These were accessible for download through the Australian iTunes Music Store.
Squad
| Name | Position | Nerd Interest(s) |
| Timothy Weston | Left wing | Performer; collector of Warhammer Fantasy Battle miniatures; member of Sydney Uni's Sutekh society |
| Joseph Gentle | Right wing | Specializes in Computing, particularly Artificial Intelligence and gaming (World of Warcraft) |
| John Truong | Right wing | Background in Mechatronics engineering, physics, mathematics; astronomy enthusiast; fan of Dragon Ball Z |
| Jack Mackey | Centre midfield | Interests include science and philosophy; adheres to solipsism |
| David Smith | Centre midfield (Captain) | Computer enthusiast; classic car restorer (1969 MG MGB); preparing a Mitsubishi Lancer for rally competition |
| Robin Chow ('Nature') | Left back | Computer gaming aficionado (Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Game Boy Advance, Diablo 2) |
| Nick Sifniotis | Left back | Advanced mathematics; accounting expertise; music composition |
| Marika Deku | Centre back | Linguistics with focus on ancient languages; flute and piccolo musician |
| Daniel Jones | Centre back | Engaged in politics and philosophy; activist and reporter for Honi Soit |
| Phillip Massaad ('Mono') | Right back | Enthusiast of historical ships; interests extend to airships, airplanes, locomotives, and architecture |
| Som Guan | Striker | Computer gaming; musical skills (piano, guitar); theatre involvement; public speaking; studying Computer Systems Engineering |
| Phillip Lathourakis | Striker | Ten-pin bowling player; pianist; GameCube gamer |
| Tim Kirk ('Captain') | Striker | Passionate about history, political theatre, satire; linguistics background; interned at The Cato Institute, 2004 |
| Trent Apted | Goalkeeper | PhD candidate in Computer Science researching personalized gesture interfaces |
| Andy Harper | Coach | |
| Milan Blagojevic | Assistant Coach |
Strip
For Season 1, Nerds FC donned a kit consisting of Royal Blue jerseys accented with white piping along the sleeves and neckline, complemented by matching shorts and socks.
Training Ground
The team conducted their training sessions at Wentworth Playing Grounds, situated between Glebe and Pyrmont within Sydney.
Song and Video
In the third episode, the squad recorded their official anthem at 301 studio, under the guidance of vocal coach Erana Clark, known for her work on Australian Idol. The chorus proclaims:
"We will enter history, Failure to victory, This team is proud to be Nerds FC."
Games
Nerds FC's inaugural match was against the Young Matildas (Australia women's U21), resulting in an 11-0 loss. Later fixtures included an 8-0 defeat by a team of prison inmates and a 5-0 rematch against the Young Matildas. Their final professional appearance ended with a 12-2 loss to Melbourne Victory before an audience of 25,000 at the 2006 A-League Semi-final.
Cameo appearances
- Episode 1: A Wiggles member cheers "Go Nerds FC" during the credits
- Episode 2: Actor Anthony LaPaglia shows support during the credits
- Episode 6: Blue Wiggle Anthony Field showcases a blue Nerds FC jumper and declares himself a fan
Squad
| Name | Nickname | Player No | Position | Nerd Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Pemberton | Goalie, Octopus, Silver Surfer, Thac0 | 1 | Goalkeeper | AD&D2, soft drink can tab chainmail, computer gaming |
| David Collien | Flash, Snake | 4 | Centre back | Building robots, ukulele |
| Matt Chen | Chi Qui | 2 | Striker | Asian culture, film, computer vision |
| Patrick Neumann | Paddy, Goon Warrior, Gooner | 15 | Defender | Aerospace engineering, Society for Creative Anachronism, history |
| Matthew Rochford | Rochy (Rocky) | 14 | Midfielder | Cross-dressing, social theory, Star Trek, poetry, installation art |
| Michael Lake | 6 | Midfielder/substitute | Apple enthusiast, 3D puzzles, RoboCup rUNSWift 2006 | |
| Ben Smith | βΣπ $mith | 11 | Left back/substitute | Memorized Pi to 486 decimals, aspiring math teacher, anime |
| Rahul Prasad | Poodle | 9 | Right back | Stamp collecting, butterflies, coins, popular culture |
| Glenn Leong | Strafe | 7 | Striker | UNSW Revues performer, PC gaming, anime cosplay |
| Thomas Cunningham | Scout | 12 | Midfielder | MUDs, scouting; notably has a girlfriend |
| Gareth White | Ruby | 8 | Central midfield (number ten) | Rubik's Cube, mathematics; represented Australia at 2002 International Mathematics Olympiad |
| Chris Anderson | 13 | Defender | Software development, piano, magic illusions, poker, art, hypnotherapy | |
| Felix Lawrence | 3 | Centre back | Coffee connoisseur, physics | |
| Richard Merzian | Richie | 10 | Holding midfielder (Captain) | Activism, environmentalism |
| Craig Foster | Coach | SBS Chief Football Analyst and football expert | ||
| Francis Awaritefe | Assistant Coach | Computer programming |
Strip
The Season 2 uniform for Nerds FC consisted of a yellow shirt featuring black stripes on the shoulders and collar paired with black shorts, socks, and footwear. The goalkeeper's kit was entirely grey—shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes. During a radio interview on 2SSR, Adam (the goalkeeper) explained that his grey shoes were chosen because of his large foot size rather than due to his role as goalie; he would have worn them regardless of position.
Training facility
For the second season, training sessions were conducted at the Sydney Academy of Sport.
Theme song and video
The Season 2 team anthem is a rock adaptation of the previous season's tune, featuring Australian Idol finalist Chris Murphy on guitar and vocals, complemented by orchestral arrangements during the finale. The rap segment was revised to better represent the interests of the Season 2 squad.
Matches
In the opening episode, Nerds FC competed against the New South Wales Under 11's Elite Squad at the Marconi Stallions venue, suffering a 6–0 defeat (with one goal subsequently ruled offside). By episode 3, they played against the Season 1 Nerds team, who secured a 3–0 victory. Episode 4 showcased a game against celebrities at Bluetongue Stadium, ending in a 5–2 loss. In episode 5, they faced military personnel, concluding with a 2–0 defeat.
Championship match
The concluding match took place on 27 February 2007 at Pittwater Park in Warriewood, where Nerds FC challenged an "International All-Star Team." Prior to this event, a preliminary game featured Nerds FC Series 1 against the New South Wales Under 11's Elite Squad.