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Celtic's Paddy McCourt (centre) kicks ahead during the friendly match between Scottish club Celtic and the Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Sunday, July 12, 2009. Celtic defeated Brisbane 3-0. AAP Image/Dave Hunt
What is the point of an international club friendly? Is it because a game against a European side gives your club an element of prestige they would otherwise miss out on? Could it be to offer your fans the opportunity to watch their team play against some of the game’s finest? Or is it simply to make money?
I ask this question not to be facetious, but because the answer is key to understanding whether a tour like the one Celtic wrapped up in Melbourne last night was a success or not.
From my perspective it was a strange evening at AAMI Park where a couple dozen physically underdone players ran around haphazardly for 90 minutes before swapping shirts, waving to the crowd and disappearing down the tunnel. All the while a strong crowd of over 20,000 vociferously entertained themselves despite the mostly mundane spectacle in front of them.
It would appear that for the stakeholders of Celtic, their A-League opposition, the tour’s promoters and spectators, the three-game Australian tour ranked as a moderate success and above.
Personally, Celtic’s 1-0 victory last night restored at least some of my faith in pre-season tours. By that I mean I was reminded that it’s possible for such occasions to not leave all involved feel like they’ve been ripped off.
The truth is the game in this country has had quite a roller coaster relationship with these types of events.
In 2008 the Italian community celebrated together as an almost sold out Etihad Stadium watched Juventus defeat Melbourne Victory, while back in the old NSL days AC Milan’s friendly in the same city was curtailed by flood light problems.
However what’s really left a sour taste in my mouth has been the meddling British clubs arriving unfit and unprepared for an overpriced and financially driven sojourn down under.
Unsurprisingly, the public has rarely responded.
Poor crowds, anti-climatic spectacles and money leaving the local game is no what these events should be about.
However in a trend that started with the Newcastle Jets fixture against David Beckham’s LA Galaxy last year, a game that captivated an entire city, this has begun to change.
Last night 20,000 people once again showed that when done right, pre-season friendlies can still be a positive occasion for the game.
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