Taylor Regan’s homecoming should see all his 40 allocated tickets at the Jets’ Stadium taken up by family on Sunday
Mention the name Taylor Regan in the city famous for coal, and there’s a good chance a local will know someone from the Regan family.
Adelaide United
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Taylor Regan is steeped in working-class Newcastle.
The Adelaide United defender’s homecoming should see all his 40 allocated tickets at the Newcastle Jets’ McDonald Jones Stadium taken up by family on Sunday evening.
The former Jets captain is still highly regarded in town despite leaving in 2015.
“I used to surf every morning at the beach before school and every afternoon I was at the park with the soccer ball, that’s how it was and that’s how it will be once the career ends as well,’’ Regan said.
“I love the salt water, there’s a lot less sharks in Newcastle.
“I’ve got a younger brother, he’s a working-class sparky in Newcastle, I grew up probably wanting to surf and play rugby league more than anything.
“Dad was rugby league, Mum didn’t like his injuries so I was pushed towards football.”
Mention the name Regan in the city famous for coal, the largest coal exporting harbour in the world, and there’s a good chance a local will know someone from the Regan family.
Regan, 30, isn’t sure when his dad’s ancestors first settled in Newcastle but imagines they date back to the Newcastle coalfields where Australia’s first soccer club Minmi Rangers was established by Scottish workers in 1884.
“Every single member of my family still lives in Newcastle my wife (Jessica) was born and bred in Newcastle, we go back forever,’’ Regan said.
“My father was in the fruit markets with his father and grandfather, there’s plenty of generations of Regans.
“My father’s side heads out of Scotland but my mother’s side is Newcastle through and through, you don’t have to go too far back to find my indigenous links.”
And Regan says growing up in a community 13km southwest of Newcastle which he likened to TV’s Home And Away had lots to do with the way he thinks.
“Everybody knows everybody’s business,’’ he said.
“I grew up playing for Dudley and went to the Italian club Highfield Azzurri. I was somebody that never really spoke up as a younger player.”
That working-class upbringing came to fore in Adelaide and as Regan matured he has become a spokesman on matters that touch his teammates.
Off contract at the end of the season, Regan immediately endeared himself in October 2016 when he signed for United as an injury replacement for Jordan Elsey.
His no-nonsense defending initially divided social media when he signed under ex-Adelaide boss Guillermo Amor.
Fans that didn’t agree about Regan soon saw what he was made of when he claimed a man-of-the-match performance during his run on Reds debut on January 1, 2017.
Just three months later Regan’s popularity skyrocketing was evident.
His name was trending on Twitter when the club had re-signed him for two more years.
Taylor Regan, @taylorreegs is now trending in #Adelaidehttps://t.co/UaSSEdX4qN pic.twitter.com/haCE1PTpci
— Trendsmap Adelaide (@TrendsAdelaide) March 10, 2017
“On social media we’re all just products of the system where we probably mean to say certain things to keep people happy because of the position we’re in,’’ Regan said.
“That’s a good thing, we are role models to kids.
“But we also have to speak in what we believe in and that for me is the biggest thing.
“That sort of portrays how I play on the field as well.”
His first start of the new season ended in controversy when he was expelled in the 78th minute for a second booking before he drew a mainly uplifting reaction to his Twitter post, a few days later.
His hand on the face of former Red Stefan Mauk in a super feisty 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar at Hindmarsh last month caused much debate.
“I’m black and white,’’ Regan said.
“I stand up for what I believe in family, football, teammates, I’ll speak the truth, speak my mind.
“If I have an opinion that’s wrong or not allowed to be said, I prefer not to say it.”
I did the wrong thing and I take full responsibility for my actions and the subsequent consequences. But I will always stand up for myself if someone wants to try and attack me from behind. Hate me or love me, it's who I am. I will never change my beliefs â¤ï¸ #AUFC
— Taylor Regan (@taylorreegs) December 3, 2018
His Boxing Day Twitter post then saw Regan sarcastically take a huge swipe at Nikola Mileusnic’s critics after the winger jagged a double in a 2-2 draw with Western Sydney.
His posts all get hot and cold reactions but he got serious when Western Sydney’s Roly Bonecavia had been racially abused at Hindmarsh in the 2-2 draw on Boxing Day.
Thanks to all the keyboard warriors who ridiculed my boy @nmileu after last weeks game. He took all your advice on-board and scored a double this week hahaha â¤ï¸ #AUFC #ADLvWSW
— Taylor Regan (@taylorreegs) December 27, 2018
“There’s no place for that in the sport,’’ Regan said
“They (authorities) need to find who it is not us.”
A-LEAGUE round 10
Newcastle Jets v Adelaide United at McDonald Jones Stadium
Kick off: 7pm
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Video assistant referee: Craig Zetter
TV: Fox Sports
Possible teams
Jets
Formation: 4-2-3-1
GK: Glen Moss
DEF:
Jason Hoffman
Nigel Boogaard
Nikolai Topor-Stanley
Daniel Georgievski
MID:
Steven Ugarkovic
Ben Kantarovski
Dimi Petratos
Ronaldo Vargas
Jair
FWD:
Roy O’Donovan
Adelaide
Formation: 4-2-3-1
GK:
Paul Izzo
DEF:
Michael Marrone
Taylor Regan
Michael Jakobsen
Scott Galloway
MID:
Isaias
Vinni Lia
Nikola Mileusnic
Ken Ilso
Craig Goodwin
FWD:
Ben Halloran
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