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There’s mystery and history in the FFA Cup round of 32

Melbourne Victory have led the way in the current A-League fan crisis. (AAP Image/David Crosling)
Roar Guru
2nd July, 2015
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I love the early rounds of the FFA Cup. The live TV crosses to venues across the nation give it the vibe of election night but with a lot more fun. The recently completed draw for this year’s round of 32 has thrown up some names cloaked in mystery and others steeped in history.

The draw is not quite random and part of the fudging process is to pit the six worst A-League clubs against each other. Had they been drawn out of the hat it might have provided more interest but these three ‘battle of the A-League duds’ matches don’t hold great appeal to the neutral.

One can only hope they are played at smaller venues to cash in on the community feel of the early rounds.

All the other games have at least one non A-League club competing and this is where the mystery begins. Scanning the list I see that Croydon Kings play Lions FC. Who the heck are Lions FC? The FFA has taken a hard line about ethnic team names but have no problems with animals.

Then there’s this team called Metrostars. It figures that the Metrostars are from Adelaide: they tried to register as the Metrosexuals but I assume that was knocked back by an FFA committee. On the issue of names, perhaps the FFA needs to lighten up a little. It risks being perceived as a mini nanny state.

Darwin Olympic are a great addition to the FFA Cup. Yes, there have been AFL and NRL matches played in the Top End but when have the locals ever had their own football team to cheer for in a national competition? I would say never. That said, I don’t particularly fancy Darwin’s chances against the A-League’s Adelaide United.

To make the most of their home ground advantage I suggest they play the game on the Northern Territory’s field of spiders that has made the news recently. Could you imagine an Adelaide forward going down easily in the box knowing there are 25,000 ravenous flesh-eating tarantulas waiting to pounce? No, those Adelaide boys will have their minds well and truly on the art galleries and cafes back home.

There are no shortage of famous clubs that have made the cut in the round of 32. There are the Brisbane Strikers who once played in a national grand final in front of 40,000 at Lang Park. There is Blacktown City who not only played in the NSL but had one of the world’s greatest players on their roster, for a few weeks anyway. Kevin Keegan, the Liverpool and England legend, had a guest stint for Blacktown some years back and managed to drag 17,000 fans to their home ground.

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Of course one of the standout names is South Melbourne, the old South Melbourne Hellas, arguably the most famous club in Australia’s football history. I do remember reading that the Greek-backed club used to turn out in a white jersey with a red-V just like their VFL neighbours who shared their name.

I am not sure if this was an early attempt at assimilation or a piss-take but it was in the blue jersey that they became famous nationally, and then internationally when they took on Manchester United in the World Club Challenge.

Then there is Sydney Olympic, a club known as Pan Hellenic in my youth. Wouldn’t it be great if South and Olympic advanced and met in the next round. What a celebration of football and Greek culture! To add to the authenticity we could close down every ATM within five kilometres of the stadium.

The name Heidelberg United stirs up fond memories. I have heard many pundits refer to the NSL in their posts but I remember the time when it was the PSL. In fact after the ‘P’ became an ‘N’ it was never quite the same. Heidelberg United was one of these old clubs, along with Western Suburbs, Footscray JUST and who could ever forget Mooroolbark United with their red and white stripes and red shorts?

As a history buff, the match that stands out for me is Balmain Tigers versus Melbourne Victory. A while back I published the article Curly Doodson and the Swimmers: Untold football stories from the Great War in which I described the Balmain football club of 1915 winning the state knockout cup for the seventh time.

I am unaware if the current Balmain team is the same as its predecessor but with a shared name and colours it is at least a distant relative to one of the great old football clubs of Australia.

Can’t you see it? Balmain Tigers versus Melbourne Victory represents the best of 100 years ago and the best of today. It is the epitome of ‘old’ versus ‘new’ football. I for one hope they can play this match at Leichhardt Oval, a great suburban venue with TV quality lighting. I would personally hand out flyers for the game to all the cafes and bars along Norton Street, Leichhardt or Darling Street in Balmain if anyone asked me.

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Then at the ground before the game, especially if I had scored a kickback or two on Norton Street, I would stretch out on the grassy bank and conjure up days gone by; when trams needed a counterweight to negotiate the steep climb up Darling Street from Balmain Wharf; when ‘quaint’ terrace houses worth millions today were cramped workman’s cottages full of great broods of children and where families struggled to make ends meet from the wages of the waterside workers.

And I would imagine Alf Law leading out his black and gold hooped Balmain team to take on the mighty Melbourne Thistle in a fantasy fixture from 100 years past.

Seriously, don’t die wondering about the FFA Cup round of 32. As a famous playwright once said, “get thee to a cup tie.”

70s Mo is a contributing author to the recently released book “Ryde Goes to War 1914-1918” published by the Ryde District Historical Society

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