This is never easy to say, but this week Liverpool bested Manchester United.
The atmosphere at last night’s friendly against Melbourne Victory showed how much noise can be made when you fill a ground with genuine fans, and showed that the A-League All-Stars concept doesn’t have the merit I originally thought it had.
I don’t like to admit it, but ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ is a magnificent football anthem.
It ebbs and flows in the right places, and the rousing finale presumably leaves home fans shaking prior to kick-off.
I’ve witnessed it live once, at Celtic Park back in January (Celtic claim ownership of the song too), and it was moving.
Last night it was electric. I turned the volume up, and by the second round of the chorus I thought my telly was about to lift off the table.
Craig Johnston, whose pioneering career on Merseyside did so much to create Liverpool (and football more broadly)’s enormous fan-base in Australia, said he’d never heard anything like it outside Anfield itself.
He would have heard a few renditions.
Perhaps, and I promise I am not being snide here, Liverpool’s comparative lack of success in recent seasons has weeded out the bandwagon jumpers.
As I wrote here earlier in the week, the bandwagon mob were out in force at Homebush on Saturday night.
Don’t get me wrong, as a United fan I had a terrific night on Saturday, but I felt it lacked a bit of atmosphere during the game itself, as if many were watching thinking ‘Is this it?’
By contrast, the Liverpool crowd was charged with energy throughout, chanting and singing and clapping as the unfolded in front of them.
Where the United game had the feel of a hit and giggle exhibition match, the Liverpool game was accompanied by the sound of a near-religious fervour.
An example was the almost uniquitous standing ovation for Steven Gerrard as he left the ground.
In Sydney, the departure of Ryan Giggs was engulfed by anticipation for the arrival of Robin van Persie. The people who got in on Wednesday night knew their history better.
The size of the ground probably helped too. United’s game in Sydney sold out in the time it takes Usain Bolt to run 100 metres.
The extra seats at the MCG allowed everyone who sought a ticket with relative urgency to get one, rather than simply the quickest people on the ‘Buy Now’ button.
The final factor in the electricity may have been the fact that Liverpool were playing a real team, rather than a marketing confection like the All-Stars.
Originally I thought the All-Stars would be an excellent annual curtain raiser to the season, making people aware that football is back in town and that the A-League is not far away.
However the merit of having a club side oppose the foreign giant was clear on Wednesday night.
There was a united bunch of home supporters to add to the atmosphere, a more genuine feel to the spectacle, and the combinations and understandings of a club side added to the quality of the game itself.
The scoreline reflected that last point, Melbourne’s terrific performance was surely assisted by the fact they had trained toether for more than a couple of days before the match.
The result of this experiment should be that the A-League Premiers from the previous season play the big visiting club. However the match should be played at the MCG regardless.
The ‘G and Melbourne more broadly proved their credentials yet again on Wednesday night. Don’t worry if next year Perth or Brisbane are involved, their fans will travel.
So we’ve learnt a lot this week, and as much as it pains me to say it, I reckon the all round better set up allowed Liverpool to shade the battle of the English giants.
Still, on the pitch it’s 20-18. Bring on the new season.
yewonk
Guest
"But attempts to accelerate the upgrade will need to be done in consultation with joint tenants Parramatta Eels who are currently in the thick of the rugby league season." someone forgot to tell parramatta they are in the middle of a season. the thing is there are still so many football fans in the west yet to go along and support this their local club and the club have realised this and are keen for availability in seating for others to come along week to week.
Peter Care
Guest
Fuss, you didn't go. Yes there was genuine football atmosphere, and some of it from the Victory support.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Rubbish, turncoats, the lot of them! ;)
Jason
Guest
Some of you people are full of absolute sh*t... I barely know where to start. Next time U2 come to Melbourne I'm not going to see them because I'm a true music lover I would only ever support local music in Melbourne. Also I am such a hardcore melbournian that I only drink sh(t Aussie beer, not the good European stuff... Wednesday night was amazing. And as an actual SCOUSER AND LIFE LONG KOPITE I can confidently say that the game and the atmosphere was quite close to the real thing. I went to 10 plus games at anfield so I should know. Also, I love seeing others embrace the club I love. It's a free country and if a small Asian dude loves singing YNWA at the top of his lungs then good on him. It's the minority of sports fans that have their little clicks that ruin things. IE the northend at victory. Also some idiot on here said something about the liverpool fans only singing the only 5 songs that they knew... A few points... We sat a couple sections from the Kop and it was us that started every song. Songs that where used in 60s through to today. A lot of people joined in. But I found the Kop section pretty disappointing. Also the MCG is the worst place for atmosphere. Sound is lost too easy you can't do anything.
Ian
Guest
much the same as the all stars united game then. as i've said before, strange concept seeing australians booing australian players and australian clubs. (when its not in a-league season)
mahonjt
Guest
Cheers! Top post. I am a lifelong Liverpool fan - but did not stand and/or sing the other night. The Australian game has changed forever. After 9 yearsof the A-lEague there isno confsion in my mind about wo my (and my sons) team is. Liverpool will always be in my heart - but my son will never know them. And that as it should be.
mahonjt
Guest
Actualy - many who agree with Fuss are such fans. We have 'built a bridge' and got over it. We did so becasue we, as we always did, wanted the best for domestic football and its fans. The Eurosnob on the other hand is a very different beast. Lurking among their fasion parade are people who wish domestic football to fail. Some of them are very honest about this. The one thing A-League and NSL fans (and people who are/were both) can agree on is that our national league is critical and its development our priority. We may sometimes disagree about HOW to achieve this - but where such disagreement is genuine and not political - that is just healthy.
mahonjt
Guest
GOLD!
mahonjt
Guest
I was not supprised. Clearly the FFA are far superiorin thei administration of the game than their predecessors. This has always been the case despite the World Cup bid mistakes. It never even ooccured to me for a minute that any FTA rights holder would have anything other than a tight contract to protect the games interest.
Dillan
Guest
Yep, I was surprised there were no ad breaks. I noticed twice per each half, channel 7 would decrease the picture, still allowing to watch the game, and have an add in the border for about 10 seconds. I wouldn't actually mind that too much in the A-league if it brought in sufficient extra funds. However I do enjoy no add breaks at all...
Steele
Guest
I said many, obviously you misinterpreted me. I am fully aware that many Vic's do have historical connections to their club, but I would argue that a lot more don't. It is nowhere near as tribal as it used to be. Many kids nowadays just choose which club they like best at the time. It doesn't work like that in Europe. You tend to support he team in your region and that's it.
Ralph Nadeer
Roar Rookie
No Real links to? Most of that crowd has a real link to Liverpool FC in some way shape or form or they wouldn't have dressed in a Liverpool uniform and gone to the game. Its only cringeworthy because you don't understand a world sport like football fella and you can follow a team from anywhere on the planet, just like GWS.
Ralph Nadeer
Roar Rookie
The Bloc is FULL. http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/277550,wswre-gonna-need-a-bigger-stadium.aspx All WSW home end memberships are sold and they are desperately trying to get 3,500 more temporary seats installed at Parramatta Stadium in time for the start of the season, which is still nearly 3 months away. I told you fellas to get in early!
AZ_RBB
Guest
there's a huge difference between what GWS calls members and what WSW calls members. GWS members are largely made up of people with non ticketed memberships. WSW is largely made up of people with season tickets as shown in many parts of the stadium being sold out. at this stage i'm ok with the club selling its soul and home ground advantage and take at least the second Sydney derby to the Olympic Stadium. at this stage the best this club has done is sell out a 20 000 seat stadium. impressive but nothing mind blowing. 50 000+ at Olympic should get some more attention.
yewonk
Guest
well see the giants have twelve thousand members but whenever the games are on seven thousand are TOO busy to go,EVERY HOME GAME.
Allan
Guest
So WSW now has more members than the failed expansion project the GWS Giants ?
1860melbourne
Guest
OFF TOPIC BUT MORE IMPORTANT NEWS STORY! WSW over 13000 members! Sold out sign being prepared as I speak.
1860melbourne
Guest
Watching here on my dodgy stream could hear the Victory chanting. But the Liverpool theatre attendees couldnt be bothered to chant ? Sounded like the atmosphere was stale!
Matthew Skellett
Guest
From time immemorial in the australian sporting landscape there has always been room for every sport to grow and develop and be free to fill the potential of its own merit if its own administrators are able in this regard -australian football has taken this long to get to where it is now and is enoxerably moving forward .Most of my colleagues here cant contain the excitement of anticipatig the playout of season #9 of the A-League - memberships are close to 15,000 at WSW already ( including mine) every single club in the league has something new to jump about -I say bring on the whole shebang - from here to Rio will be one helluva ride and a throng is lining up to buy their ticket
Robbie
Roar Pro
Yes I would much prefer to see these big clubs play Australian teams we can connect with, not a mish-mash of All Stars. The FFA should organise these clubs to play the winner of the previous grand final, or perhaps the winner of the round robin version of the league (as you don't really get any rewards for finish first on the table but not winning the finals series)