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Heart replacement is a good thing

15th April, 2014
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Harry Kewell will finish his illustrious career wearing Melbourne Heart's red and white. (AAP Image/Joe Sabljak)
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15th April, 2014
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When it was announced in January 2014 that Melbourne Heart would be bought by Manchester City, the red and white half of Melbourne could barely contain their glee.

They were getting a true world power in football on their side, with the promise of shared resources, player exchange and development opportunities.

But like buying Fernando Torres, there’s often a sting in the tail of these things. The details are out in the open now.

There has been a request made to Football Federation Australia (FFA) by the new owners to change every aspect of the club. The first and most obvious is the name, which is to be changed to Melbourne City Football Club.

The red and white candy cane stripes are also gone, replaced by a sky blue strip.

And that’s where the problems north of the border started.

Sydney spits the dummy
It’s the colour change that has the Sydneysiders, particularly Chairman Scott Barlow, angrier than a Western Sydney pub owner who has sold out of beer after a Wanderers win.

It’s not clear how serious he is, but Barlow has come out swinging in the press, with an impassioned plea that the sky blue colour “is central to our identity” and “represents our club, our harbour city and is the traditional colour of NSW”.

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Perhaps Sydney FC supporters could chip in and get Barlow a Fox Sports subscription or perhaps even a newspaper. It might be helpful for him to see that Manchester United, Liverpool, Cardiff City and Southampton (and Middlesbrough for those playing along at home) have all played in red this year without the sky falling in.

More to the point, supporters have not deserted any of these teams in droves, and crowds aren’t wandering the streets confused after turning up to the wrong stadium on Saturday.

And someone might also have a quiet word to him that the Auckland Blues and Brisbane Heat are also running around in light blue, despite it being representative of the Harbour City and the traditional colour of NSW.

Taking the Heart out of Melbourne
A vocal section of Heart fans are also dead against the change, with protest banners around the ground during the last game of the season. In truth however, a poll of Heart fans showed strong support for a name change, with over 80 per cent in favour.

Apart from having the neat side effect of the Melbourne Club and their Manchester parent being able to use the same stationary because they’ll be sharing initials, there are other benefits.

The name and colour change would bring the club into line with Manchester City and to soon be launched New York City FC, a club also in the City football family. Details like as this can have the very real effect of making the “City” clubs aspirational places to play, as the lure of a worldwide network beckons young and experienced talent alike.

The Heart’s lack of success to date in also works in favour of the change. Fans have no sentimental attachment to the colours they associated with a glorious first premiership or winning streak.

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Without this emotional connection, a switch to sky blue is much more palatable to the wider supporter base.

But apart from all of that, if the FFA has any smarts they will fall over themselves to grant all of the changes.

Why?

Because letting the Heart take the foundation colours of Sydney FC would guarantee a new, volatile and passionate rivalry between the two.

The clubs would be two of the best supported and funded in the league, but with a new mutual hatred that never previously existed. Imagine the passion and animosity as the two met for the first time, each backed by an army of supporters, for the right to wear the sky blue.

Rivalries like that are what the great leagues are built on.

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