- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The incessant alarm goes off in its attempt to wake me from my sleep, its whiny tune blaring loudly through the speaker.
Little does it know that I have already been awake for half an hour, too excited to remain in my slumber when bigger and better things await.
With a big grin on my face I swiftly rise out of bed – mind you, this grin has been visible for a few days now, unable to be wiped off for any reason.
“It’s finally here, derby day is upon us,” I think to myself as I get ready. As a football tragic since birth, nothing can supersede this day.
I put on my red and black jersey, the glorious star glowing above the emblem, and, puffing my chest out with pride, make my way down to my local sports club in the mid-afternoon to meet up with my friends. I’m ready.
A group of 11 meet up, all of us friends since high school due to our passion for football. We play together – have done since Under-12s – and the belief that we are one game away from being scouted to represent Australia at the next World Cup still lingers in our hearts.
Days like today are special, not just because we all love football and support our local teams, but because of how rare it is for all of us to spend the whole day together. The derby gives us an excuse to trump all other plans, silence our partners and parents, and come together to re-live memories from our school days.
When arrive at our local sports club an immediate sense of anticipation sweeps over us. It’s finally here! After all the talk leading up to this day, we are finally together.
Two of my friends are Sydney FC fans, the rest of us are Western Sydney diehards. As one of my friends said during the day, “We are the same but different.” We all love our clubs and the sport, but we celebrate it in our own ways.
Talk flows from childish barbs and silly banter to intense discussions about the game we’re about to witness. Will Mark Bridge hold the line on his own? Who will score first? Will Filip Holosko fulfill his ‘marquee’ tag? Will Andrew Redmayne be assured in goals? How will the Wanderers cope without Alberto? All of these questions will eventually be answered, but that won’t stop any of us from believing our predictions are the only ones which will come to fruition.
After a couple hours at the club, we embark on the journey into the city, getting off at Central and heading to a pub we frequent when we come to this part of town – our home away from home.
The vibe here is vastly different. We rub shoulders with other fans from both sides, all revelling in the excitement of the derby. Everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves with their friends and the random event-goers around them. Childish jokes and calls are exchanged between rival fans.
“So which one of you West Sydney blokes are going to cost your team three points tonight?” says a Sydney fan to a group of lads wearing red and black.
“If you’re that desperate to catch up to us you can wear my jersey and let off a flare I have in my pocket, we know you guys could use all the help you can get,” quips a Wanderers fan.
“I can tell you a hundred different things I’d do before wearing that jersey,” comes the reply.
“I bet you thought of all 100 during the last Sydney game, can’t really blame you for not paying attention,” retorts the Wanderers fan. A chorus of amusement ensues from all within earshot of this rib fest.
We hear the news that we’ve missed the march to the stadium, which is unfortunate as it was one of the day’s events we were looking forward to. We decide instead to journey to PJ Gallagher’s near Allianz Stadium, as a lot of fans congregate there.
“That’s it boys,” I say to my mates “I’ve had enough, I need to get inside the stadium!”
We make the short trip to Allianz, joined by fans who have reached a similar conclusion. We turn the corner and see hordes of red and black and sky blue. This is when it hits us. It’s on.
We walk in and take our seats, buzzing with anticipation. This is not our first derby, yet we are still in disbelief that Australian football has grown to such an extent that we are able to enjoy a game like this. A game that brings such a buzz to the city. A game that brings out around 40,000 people, all ready and willing to brave the rain and watch our teams square off for supremacy in the city.
I love the away derby almost as much as I love the derby at Wanderland. The difference is an away derby crowd is split close to 60/40 in favour of Sydney. This adds an extra bit of spice, as both teams are supported heavily, so the noise of one supporter group does not drown out the other. Both sets of fans create the unrivaled atmosphere which has the whole city talking about this one game. There is a great mix of people in the crowd; young and old, a mix of all races, here together for 90 minutes in this cauldron.
The players emerge from the tunnel, sparking The RBB and The Cove to life. Credit to both sets of fans for providing the atmosphere which makes the A-League unique in Australian sport. Even greater credit to both sets of supporters for not setting off any flares, for not being involved in any antisocial behaviour, and, most of all, for not giving any fuel to those who look for negative stories to write about our league.
I’m sure the crowd wasn’t perfect – they rarely are – but as a whole the 40,000 fans were wonderful, supporting their teams in a tense and exciting game.
I walk away from the game feeling disappointed that we could not get a win, but thinking that a draw was more than a fair result, considering the chances that fell for both teams. We make the arduous journey home filled with pride from the performance all the players gave us. That they all looked to have just run a marathon by full-time, disappointment clear on their faces, proves they left nothing on the field. It felt like we ran that marathon with them, and everyone, players and fans alike, was exhausted after that exhilarating encounter.
As I lie in bed, a thought flashes through my head. I remember my time as a child, growing up watching games of football all around the world. The EPL highlights show would be on every night before I had football training. The Serie A highlights show would show me how to play the game beautifully, the great AC Milan team of the day having me suspended in awe and admiration.
I watched these teams frequently on SBS with the hope that one day we could get something remotely similar in Australian football in terms of noise, colour, vibrancy, quality and, most importantly, passion. Fast forward all of the years between then and now, and here we are with a product that can rival most leagues around the world for atmosphere. We have a long way to go as a league and as a sport in this country, however the inroads made in a short amount of time are something to behold.
Here I was enjoying everything I had never thought I would be able to in Australia. It wasn’t just one day for me, but a week of anticipation, hype and excitement leading up to the 90 minutes I witnessed. It was surreal to realise it all happened in Sydney, and that it’s only going to get better.
As I reflect on Saturday’s game, it dawns on me that I wasn’t just watching a game. I wasn’t merely an audience member. I was a part of the game. A cog in the machine that is Australian football.
There were 22 men on the pitch, 40,000 fans in the stands, and countless more watching at home. This game would have no significance if it weren’t for all of these people. Because of them, this game will one day be part of the history books, and hopefully it will be a history people will look back on with fondness.
We are making history folks, and boy does it feel good!
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.