Two weeks ago, when Celtic began their tour of Australia, I made plans with a few friends to attend the match against the Central Coast Mariners.
I assumed that the result was a foregone conclusion – I expected the crowd to be predominantly Hoops fans, I expected a lot of drunken Scots to try and run on the pitch and get tackled, and I expected an easy victory for the Bhoys.
Two out of three isn’t too bad, I guess.
Despite my green and white allegiances, the result wasn’t really a bad thing for anyone. A win against a big European club for any A-League team is good for the game here, whereas Celtic beating what most fans back home would view as a glorified pub team wouldn’t really impress.
‘The Jungle’ as they are known was out in force – filling three or four bays with flags, banners and a lot of singing. Save for one bay of loyal Marinators at the other end of the field, the place was wall to wall with hoops and green scarves. Well, hoops and empty seats. But I don’t want to nit-pick. Anyway…
My friends and I were seated on halfway rather than being in the Celtic fans end, taking advantage of the Ticketek damage-controlling move of offering four Category A seats for the price of one. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the hardy souls around me that had shelled out $100 per ticket where I’d only paid $25.
But back to the game; I’d seen Celtic the last time they visited our shores, flying up to Brisbane to watch them easily dispatch of the Roar. The atmosphere then was as impressive as could be for a pre-season friendly, and this Mariners clash was held an air of similar electricity. I was fortunate enough to be with three friends, none of whom I would consider bandwagon football lovers.
I’ve played football with my friend Peter since we were four and we’ve been going to Sydney games in the Cove together since the A-League started. Alex, a Spurs tragic who pretty much lives at White Hart Lane when he travels to England to visit his family, and George, our fourth; the Mariners fan and diehard lover of the NSW Premier League.
The people behind us were clearly not what you would call football purists – and had come either out of curiosity, or a desire to improve their knowledge of football. The possibility of the latter being the case was quickly quashed… they spent the majority of the time discussing iPhone apps and other sports, which didn’t really bother me.
I’m pretty patient with stupid comments at sporting events having been a South Sydney Rabbitohs season ticket holder for the last three years.
What my good friend George couldn’t ignore to the point that he asked to swap seats with me so he could get away from the “bloody dweebs behind us” was when one of them loudly remarked that the atmosphere at this game was “almost as good as State of Origin…which has the best crowds ever”.
This was what got me thinking.
Unlike myself, none of the boys I was with would consider themselves rugby league fans. I’m as passionate about the Rabbitohs as I am any football team… but ask me to choose between the two sports and its football every single time (this is not a flame, just a personal preference.
They’re both fine choices. But if you’re a white knight for the fine sport of rugby league and are easily offended I’d stop reading now). As someone that’s been to State of Origins, two NRL grand finals, and plenty of regular season games at every ground in Sydney, I don’t think there can be any argument to which sport offers the better fan experience.
Whether this can be attributed to the more intense level that a rugby or AFL match is player at when compared to football (rarely are there injury stoppages, and things like the defenders passing it around to each other and goalkeepers holding on to the ball for several seconds obviously don’t happen) or simply because you get a different type of fan at a football game as you would at an ‘eggball’ fixture, I can’t imagine ever going to say, a Rabbitohs game and getting more involved in the action and the people around me than I would when standing in The Cove.
I was at the Uruguay game in 2005.
It’s safe to say that no other sporting event in Australia has come near the level of crowd noise and excitement that that night brought.
I was also at the “greatest game of rugby ever played” between the Wallabies and the All Blacks in 2000, and at the 2005 semi-final between the Tigers and the Dragons which, was by far the best crowd I’ve ever experienced at a league match… but probably wouldn’t eclipse the tension level of a regular season match between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory.
It’s funny, because the football naysayers in Australia will always trot out the same tired stereotypes about the round ball game; that it’s boring, and soft, and a game for foreigners.
I’d like to think that as a sporting nation we’ve outgrown the “shielas, wogs and pooftas” mentality the Les Murray and Johnny Warren referenced back in the 90s.
When the NSL was at its most amateurish and club football in Australia was an anomaly. And that we’ve outgrown the notion that football is only so crowd-orientated because the on-field action is not as enthralling.
Fortunately, the anti-football bias in mainstream Australia grows smaller every day. All of my friends watched Australia’s games in the World Cup. Most will watch Socceroos games.
Almost everybody I know supports a team in the Premiership (Incidentally, there are roughly five-million Liverpool fans in Australia by my estimate, a dozen of them could tell me where Liverpool is on a map of England) and although the A-League crowd numbers dropped last year, I don’t think it’s in any sort of crisis.
I sat in the grandstand at Brookvale Oval the week after that Celtic game and save for being prompted by the annoyingly over-zealous ground announcer, the place was quiet as a mouse.
You would never need a microphoned hack to yell, “Lets go Sydney” to prompt The Cove into action. Nor the Squadron, or the Marinators.
The number of times I’ve attended an NRL fixture where the home team can only muster a chant in the 79th minute when they’ve been assured victory (again, as a Souths fan in the 2000s, hearing “Roosters! Clap clap clap! Roosters! Clap clap clap!” in the dying seconds of yet another loss has gotten pretty old) is absurd.
And going back to last week, when the Rabbitohs took an unlikely lead, Brookvale was an absolute cemetery for the next few minutes. Only after Kieran Foran scored twice in quick succession did the crowd start to murmur.
And this is where the two sports, and indeed their fanbases, differ. The fan experience at a League game is patchy and inconsistent. Like a beer-soaked rollercoaster with missing teeth. A football game is a sustained buzz; before the game, through the entire 90 minutes of action including the interval, and afterwards.
The Celtic fans descended upon the Sydney nightlife after that game, as they did (I assume) in Perth last weekend and Melbourne on Wednesday. It’s very difficult to imagine that St George Illawarra fans were running wild through Wigan after their World Club Challenge encounter back in February. In fact, it’s very difficult to imagine any rugby league fanbases’ post-game shenanigans that don’t involve a leagues club… or a McDonalds.
With all this in mind, I was still at ANZ Stadium for the Rabbitohs’ thrilling win in golden point against the Roosters. It took roughly 75 minutes for the crowd to find a voice.
Still, it was nice to beat them.
Matt
Guest
After living in London a stones throw from both craven cottage and Stanford bridge it would have been rude not get a season pass for either Chelsea or Fulham, at a Liverpool supporter the idea of buying a pass to Chelsea appalled me on a number of levels and Fulham had Mark Schwarzer so Fulham it was. There was a great atmosphere at that ground, for around 20,000 people to make that much noise, incredible... Hearing the noise when Brede Hangeland put them up late on against Arsenal is something that i will never forget. I have also been to storm finals, state of origin and a Melbourne victory grand final. Agreed that world football does bring a new element to the games, but having been at a few anzac day clashes and a grand final between Brisbane and Collingwood (the close one) the AFL still stands out for me within Australia for the crowd atmosphere. If we are bringing in O/S then Football would have to be the game, seeing a game at the camp nau or anfield is a life long dream, Football may get there one day in this country but for now it needs more history, so people will cheer like a 3rd generation Victory Supporter....
Karmikel Funk
Roar Rookie
Nice article and some interesting recollections. I've had the pleasure to watch some great sporting events and was in Sydney for the Olympics and the Uruguay WC qualifier. I've seen some great rugby league games including grand finals and State of Origins and even the RL World Cup. Its hard to choose which was the best and each to their own, but football seems to have that international flair that takes it to another level. Even though league, AFL and Rugby are played all around the world to some extent, football is the only game I think of as truly international and likely to ignite passion from all different races and types of people.
Kasey
Guest
I agree with everything you said, but I'm a recent convert from the " you can get away with the ocasional oval game" school of thought. After the last two Adelaide United games at AdOval and the Socceroos v All Whites I've begun to think no Sod it, no more fotball at AdOval until the redevelopment is done..that might improve the accoustics and the fel of being so far from the action...if the new stands have an increased rake. Or maybe I've just been spoiled by the awesomeness of Hindmarsh....even the storied Wembley has 20 odd metres between the goal line and the first row of seats, Hindmarsh is barely 2:) As for United's squad, Assuming Serginho stays and McKain signs, I'm fairly optomistic we'll be able to make a solid tilt for the dunny seat:)
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
Basketball matches in Southern Europe - they let off flares inside the stadium. Coppers don't bat an eyelid. Only if they 'shoot' firecrackers at each other do they get involved. There's plenty of videos on youtube showing a lot of this. Unfortunately, a few big games have degenerated into riots as well. Not pointing my finger at anyone, but the Greek fans tend to be the worst offenders.
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
RD - Thanks for the clarification as I'm not being pedantic, more just not necessarily getting the jist of your meaning. Can happen on internet forums. All I'm doing is relating my own anecdotal experiences. I gave an example and a couple of posters in Brisbane and Perth suggested that nowadays there the sporting landscape is evolving to encompass all teams that represent the city, not just the football clubs. Great. May this continue. Only concern for mind is general community sports funding and options are still heavily skewed in favour of football codes. I find the systems in place in Europe to be a better model. Not every country out of 860 million inhabitants is the same in terms of demographics and sporting culture. I think that would be a silly argument (and I'm not suggesting that's yours either).
Rugby Diehard
Guest
GR - I think you'll find I said that the lack of snow "contributes" to your "deflating experience" of Australian winter sports. You are being pedantic. The point I was making was why would you compare the range of interests of 860 million inhabitants of the continent of Europe to that of 20 million Australians. I think it would be safe to assume that the numbers would make this a pretty silly argument.
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
@RD: "I didn’t realise Europe was a country thes[e] days…" - nor is it. "And mate for the record Rugby League and Soccer are definitely different sports..." - football codes are football codes. "I have spent 5 years in Europe and sorry I missed this passionate public interest in such a wide range of sports. - since you seem to think that sports played in winter are confined to 'big tall mountains' and the snow, this doesn't surprise me in the least.
Brian
Guest
Honest, We obviously disagree but yeah I'd say the top 15 in Eng, Ger, Esp, Ita makes 60 add top teams in France, Portugal, Holland, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Greece we get to 90. I know the old firm used to be better but look at their starting 11 and ask yourself honestly how many would get a start at an EPL club.
Rugby Diehard
Guest
GR - I didn't realise Europe was a country thes days.... I think you may find our lack of big tall mountains and the associated white stuff that falls on them contributes to your deflating winter sports experience in Australia. And mate for the record Rugby League and Soccer are definitely different sports, geez Greco you are having an off-night with your nit-picking on that one. I have spent 5 years in Europe and sorry I missed this passionate public interest in such a wide range of sports.
matty1974
Guest
As fuss said there is not enough time for football supporters to watch/read about all the football these days. As a kid/teenager I watched everything i could, football, both rugbys, cricket. tennis, F1, basketball, lawn bowls, snooker, whatever. now with full time work, kids etc and the increased football content available, i only have time for one love other than my wife, the world game. this is why the code wars exist.
Realfootball
Guest
What a waste, though, for Celtic and Rangers to be stuck in a D grade comp like the SPL. Imagine Man U away to Celtic as a regular season fixture.
Realfootball
Guest
Javelin only gets really interesting when someone gets in the way.
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
@Titus. Kind of similar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMY3ULRbbAc
Titus
Guest
Is this a "Hello sailor" joke?
Nathan
Guest
I have to admit, I did nearly require transplant surgery for the gut I busted laughing during that coverage. Nothing against the sport, though its not my cup of tea. Then again, I'm not very interested in individual sports as a general rule, couldn't say why though.
agga78
Guest
Celtic are a far bigger club than any in England, the history of the club will show you they were the biggest supportered club in Europe and weekly in Britain up until Man Utd built there stadium to 75k in the early 2000's. I think Celtic have every record in Europe for the biggest crowds 146,433 FA cup final, 133,961 v Leeds European Cup SEmi 1970, record away support 80000 Seville Spain 2003. If they ever let Celtic have the tv money of all the EPL teams the plans to make Celtic Park 85k will come true then Celtic will overtake Man Utd absolutely no doubt. But they will never let Celtic into the EPL so they will have to continue in the SPL until a European Break away league is established. As Paolo Maldini said "Every professional footballer should seek to play at least one game at Celtic Park. I have never felt anything like it"
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
I've heard that so many times. Only thing most people know of the sport. It was funny though. Much prefer that though than Ken Sutcliffe slagging off wrestling saying it was like watching paint dry.
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
@Punter: ???
Nathan
Guest
But you also have to consider what level of media involvement is required or even desirable for sporting groups. The gaze of the media can bring a lot of heat and stress as well as attention and funds.
Nathan
Guest
Wouldn't blame him; Greco-Roman wrestling in this country never recovered from Roy & HG's media coverage in 2000.