The importance of club culture in the A-League
Roar Guru By Pippinu, 10 Aug 2009 Pippinu is a Roar Guru
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- A-League, Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners, football, Gold Coast United, Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets, Perth Glory, Sydney FC, Wellington Phoenix
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In less than 5 years, it’s fascinating to note that each of the 10 A-League clubs has forged its own unique identity and club culture. It’s an important aspect of promoting a club to prospective fans, allowing them to be able to identify with a club.
Even the two new clubs have managed to present themselves with a unique club culture in a relatively short space of time.
I thought I would have a go at describing the unique cultural aspects of each A-League club. Using Tony’s method, I’ll start with Wellington, and then go counter-clockwise from there.
Wellington Phoenix
It’s very much the us and them philosophy (the ‘them’ basically being every other team). The club that is on the outer in more ways than one. If you are born with a massive chip on your shoulder – this is the club for you.
Sydney FC
The original “Bling”, I say that because no doubt, others will appear in the future (as has already happened). Sydney is a club based on largesse and profligacy, where no thought is given to ever needing to pay the piper. A club that mistakenly thinks money is the answer to all the world’s problems. A club that epitomizes the maxim: shop till you drop. A club highly attractive to the me-generation and yuppies of the Eastern suburbs.
Central Coast Mariners
CCM is all about staking its own little spot in the sun, for the most part, in a place about which few Australians know anything nor will they ever visit it. Mariners fans would not want it any other way.
Newcastle Jets
If there is a difference between the Jets and the Mariners, it’s only one of degree. The Jets have history on their side (in terms of football in this country), and above all, have brought home the bacon once. If there is a rivalry between the two, it’s very much about avoiding the title of “least significant club in the A-League”.
Gold Coast
The club of the nouveau riche and aspirationals. A club for all those who really do believe that all that glitters is gold, and what’s more, that some of it is available to them. Scratch at the gold plating, and what will you find? Alloy, cheap junk and very little substance.
Brisbane Roar
A bit like the lion who relied on the mouse to extract a thorn from its paw, the Roar know they have a solid place in this league, the only trouble is that the mouse might ultimately be more valuable and of more use.
Townsville Fury
It’s a bit like that good ol’ pioneering spirit that sits behind much of Australia’s modern mythology. A club for all those who toil in far away places, sweating in the sun, going where no man has ever gone before (inevitably with holes in the soles of their shoes and in their pockets).
Perth Glory
The team could just as easily be called Past Glories, since that is what most takes up discussion amongst Glory fans. A hankering for a bygone era when the colour purple wasn’t viewed as embarrassing and Perth was at the heart of a sporting revolution (which has since moved on).
Adelaide United
This is a club for all those who enjoy being thereabouts. If you enjoy being thereabouts on a quasi-permanent basis – this is the club for you.
Melbourne Victory
The first club to win the double, the first club to win the double twice (even a triple), the first club to get 30,000; then 40,000 and then 50,000 to an A-League home and away fixture; above all else, Melbourne is a club of firsts.
Which is appropriate since Melbourne views itself as both the sporting and footballing capital of Australia. Its massive supporter base is right up there with just about any other football club in Australia of any description.
There is an unwritten contract between the Victory and every Melbourne member: we will always be number one, we will always be the biggest, we will always be the best.
Recommend this story.
August 10th 2009 @ 10:29am
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 10:29am | Report comment
Mid
I’ve already told you – at the Dome – all the cops are on the inside!!
August 10th 2009 @ 10:41am
onside said | August 10th 2009 @ 10:41am | Report comment
What made the FFA decide on giving Townsville a franchise over Western Sydney
August 10th 2009 @ 11:08am
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 11:08am | Report comment
onside
an odd question in the context of this thread – but I think it was just a case of:
1. Townsville and the Gold Coast putting up their hand early on and getting their act together; and
2. I think you will find that each city/town had 5 years exclusivity agreements (the initial one town/one team policy, which has been quite successful early on)
August 10th 2009 @ 11:11am
onside said | August 10th 2009 @ 11:11am | Report comment
Just thought I would throw it in because I couldn’t see the thread going into extra time
August 10th 2009 @ 11:19am
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 11:19am | Report comment
gee whiz – thanks for the vote of confidence!
and I spent hours researching it!
August 10th 2009 @ 11:16am
AndyRoo said | August 10th 2009 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Would have to be the quality of the bids.
Western Sydney is a great area for Football but of the 3 bids that are being spoken of there is only one I like.
The bid linked to Lucas Neil that is set to play out of Parramatta stadium, as long as they don’t play in blue and Gold they seem the best one.
Out of the other two
One is being proposed by someone with a colorful past and is talking about playing games in homebush.
The other has an ownership structure that sounds nice on paper but makes me worry the club won’t get extra capital if it needs it in the first few years. They are also talking about games at homebush but thankfully would mostly be played out of Penrith.
I would prefer the Parramatta based bid gets up, the other two I am not fussed on as I would rather no team than one that will only ever be mediocre.
August 10th 2009 @ 11:21am
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
AndyRoo
I think onside’s question was in terms of the two teams that got in this season.
August 10th 2009 @ 12:12pm
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 12:12pm | Report comment
So Mid – where’s this article of yours?? You’ve been building it up for a while – pressure’s on!!
August 10th 2009 @ 12:26pm
onside said | August 10th 2009 @ 12:26pm | Report comment
Without giving too much away Midfeilders article is ,
‘Should the FFA , Football Federation of Australia ,be rebadged ,the SFA , Soccer Federation of Australia .
Apparently the idea came about by people saying,” I know SFA about the FFA”.Should be room for debate
August 10th 2009 @ 12:30pm
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
If I were a betting man – I would wager that the topic will be anything but that!!
August 10th 2009 @ 12:32pm
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
md
Given your enthusiasm for calling Victory fans “tards” – I wonder if you have a right to have a go at anyone deriding SFC’s efforts??
August 10th 2009 @ 12:45pm
md said | August 10th 2009 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
Well, tards seems like the perfect description for a club who’s entire future planning is K Muscat. Lets face it, Bobby Robson, Kevin sure ain’t.
Given that you teed off, shall I go where you didn’t? First club to require police to do anything other than watch the match along with all the fans and maybe card a few off the younger looking members of the drinks queue. First club to have sustained problems with fan violence and flares. It’s a pretty commendable culture isn’t it.
Cheers
md
August 10th 2009 @ 1:14pm
FIsher Price said | August 10th 2009 @ 1:14pm | Report comment
Quite. Muscat: manager. Pah!
August 10th 2009 @ 2:01pm
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
The merit of holding onto Muskie beyond last season will become visible one way or the other in the coming years.
But only a fool would deny his onfield leadership and his role in MV having won the double twice out of the last three seasons.
What’s wrong with flares??
August 10th 2009 @ 3:20pm
md said | August 10th 2009 @ 3:20pm | Report comment
Well… for starters the smoke gives you funny coloured snot the next day, which can be distressing if you wake up still drunk.
August 10th 2009 @ 1:12pm
whiskeymac said | August 10th 2009 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
md – much of what you described forgets seasons 2, 3 and 4.
SFC’s culture and direction changed with the loss of Turnbull (behind the Yorke signing), ousting of Walter Bugno and the consolidation of Lowy’s power (the Kosmina years) after season one. It’s only now the club is trying to establish “grassroots” and play football that doesn’t bore.
Season 5 represents essentially a new club direction, managmeent and culture and as such bears little resembleance to the shanbles that preceded the board manouevres after season one.
August 10th 2009 @ 2:24pm
mahony said | August 10th 2009 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
Absolute biased writing. I LOVE IT – Go MVFC………
August 10th 2009 @ 2:49pm
Pippinu said | August 10th 2009 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
It’s good to know at least one reader enjoyed it!!!
August 12th 2009 @ 9:49am
Pippinu said | August 12th 2009 @ 9:49am | Report comment
Mike Cockerill wrote today in the SMH of GCU:
” It would be a pity, then, if their fans were to be outnumbered by the empty seats, and the players were robbed of a crucial ingredient – atmosphere. The early signs are sobering – membership sales hovering around 2000, and no sign yet of an organised supporters group, though there is talk of the ”White Shoe Brigade” coming out of the closet this weekend. ”
Pretty much endorses my entry above for GC club culture.