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The drive is long and quiet through the city on a lazy Mother’s Day afternoon. The A-League is nothing more than a distant memory and there is no football on the radio.
Peaceful chatter filled the car as my mate and I passed the time on the way to our destination. The destination has been seemingly forgotten by the general public, but very much alive in the minds of a few thousand diehards.
As we drove into the single narrow lane that allowed us entry into the surprisingly large and modern carpark, I couldn’t help but feel that we were the lucky ones. After over 50 years of history, championships and a near termination, South Melbourne FC was still here.
Not clinging to the faint remnants of the NSL but proudly transformed and ready for 21st century football.
Today South Melbourne remain a powerhouse of Victorian football, just last weekend they defeated Bentleigh Greens in a match leaving South eight wins from eight games and sitting pretty on top of the NPL’s Victorian Conference this year.
The achievement is especially important considering the new first-past-the-post system and lack of finals matches. It is all or nothing this season, no time to rest on your laurels.
After decades of trauma and instability at the hands of governing bodies and even club people themselves, it appears the anger and bitterness has been positively utilised as a drive to one day prove the many doubters wrong.
Many have touted the NPL as a landmark moment in Australian football. However speaking to fans and reading releases from governing bodies makes something clear, in Victoria at least, the NPL has been nothing more than a re-branding exercise.
It’s scary to think that even now clubs, fans and even myself are unsure of who truly benefits from the new competition structure.
Marketing of the league by the FFV has decreased. Facilities have not improved, standard of play has arguably decreased and a player point system limits state teams from truly competing against A-League opposition.
The footballing landscape has changed and top-down management reigns supreme. Ironically, the governing bodies are funded bottom-up. However, for all the problems, bitterness and exploitation, there was something quite remarkable in the atmosphere at Lakeside on Sunday.
Despite these problems, as I joined over a thousand spectators leaving the stadium at game’s end, we were blessed with the simple fact our club still existed and as long as the club has it’s health, its future lies very much in its own hands.
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