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What stood out for me during Melbourne Victory’s clash against Liverpool on Wednesday night, was that Melbourne will never be the ‘sporting capital of the world’.
That’s not easy coming from a proud Melburnian who likes to think his city is far and beyond any other in Australia, especially when it comes to the sporting sphere.
While the Melbourne Cricket Ground may have been a sight to behold, as more than 95,000 braved the chilly conditions to watch what was, in all truth, a pre-season friendly, the lopsided support on the evening certainly left a bitter taste in the mouth.
As one turned their head to look around the magnificent stadium that is the MCG, all that could be seen was a sea of red.
Picking out a Victory fan in the crowd sometimes felt a bit like browsing through a ‘Where’s Wally?’.
All this, not at Anfield, but at the stadium that is the pride and joy of this city.
Compounding this paradox are the reports that Melbourne’s players were jeered – yes, that’s right, jeered – by a sizeable section of the crowd as they entered the pitch for their warm-ups.
Granted, some interstate visitors may have been the main protagonists, but the audible levels of the jeering suggests many locals jumped on the bandwagon, too.
What a shame, if true, especially considering Victory’s massive underdog status heading into the game.
Australians are known for their love of getting behind an underdog, so why did so few Melburnians choose to do so for the side representing their own city at the MCG?
If England’s national football team came to town to take on the Socceroos, any Aussie who chose to chuck their support behind the Poms would be lambasted. That is despite the fact many locals actually throw their support behind England at World Cups if our side has been eliminated.
The scenario should not be any different for when it comes to club football.
Until Melbourne decides to throw its allegiances behind its own football team over one from 17,000-kilometres away, this city can forget about ever being labelled the ‘sporting capital of the world’.
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