Christmas is a time of year when we are told miracles can happen, so let’s start our own Christmas miracle on this festive day.
AFL fans might just recognise that in other parts of the world there might be bigger games than Collingwood versus Essendon; league fans may possibly admit that there are rivalries that can surpass the passion of State of Origin; fans of rugby union might concede that there are people out there who think that union might not be the game they play in heaven; and followers of football can acknowledge that other codes may just be that little bit bigger in Australia.
It seems that this time of year can bring out the best in people.
The forum that The Roar provides to people like me as a writer and you as the audience is something to be shared and celebrated, but all too often comments can quickly descend into a ‘my code’s better than yours’ argument that is more suited to a playground than an online forum. I’m a football man first and foremost, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the beauty of a Benji Marshall flick pass, a Heath Shaw smother, or the collective team effort of the Wallabies gettin a win over the All Blacks.
I would say I certainly fit the definition of a Roar Rookie, but in the short-time I have been contributing, one thing that has been quite striking is that whilst loyalty to one’s code is admirable, there does seem to be a line over which it can get nasty and doesn’t really benefit anyone.
I understand the need for creating controversy. I’m sure I would get plenty more comments if I had opened this post with, “It’s called football not soccer – and my football is the only true game and the rest of you can get stuffed…” but that doesn’t add to the conversation in any meaningful or positive way.
So let’s end this feudin’ and a-fussin’ and get down to some lovin’.
I’m not naive enough to suggest that we all suddenly start walking side by side in eternal friendship, but I am suggesting that we call a short ceasefire over the Christmas/New Year period.
To start things off I want to send out some festive greetings to fans of the other codes. To the rugby league fans, hopefully the New Year brings your game continued growth as the new Independent Commission gets up and running. Football fans know all too well what it can be like to be frustrated with those who run the game.
To followers of AFL, I wish you the best as your code continues its expansion with the Gold Coast Suns. A-League fans definitely know how hard it can be to handling expansion.
And to followers of rugby union, best wishes and good luck to the Wallabies in a World Cup year. A World Cup in any sport is a massive event, and hopefully Australia can bring Bill back to these shores.
And so to finish off this post I thought it would be nice to see if collectively we could finish the following adaption of the classic carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas. You’ll have to excuse the obvious football and Aston Villa bias, but all contributions are welcome, from football and non-football fans alike.
The Twelve Days of Football:
On the twelfth day of Football,
Frank Lowy sent to me,
Twelve teams in the A-League,
Eleven wins for Aston Villa,
Ten thousand average crowds,
Nine…
Eight…
Seven…
Six…
Five…
Four…
Three…
Two…
And the Asian Cup in 2015.
Merry Christmas!
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