The World Cup always draws out the part-time football fans, but with Wollongong back on the A-League agenda, how does your city fare when it comes to boasting a genuine football culture?
Not only will the A-League All-Stars make Wollongong their base before taking on Juventus in August, but Sydney FC have also taken an A-League clash against Newcastle Jets to WIN Stadium next January.
The latter fixture is on the move because the turf at the Sydney Football Stadium is being re-laid that week – funny how that never happens during rugby league season – but the Sky Blues are no doubt wary of recent overtures to include a third Sydney team in the competition.
One of those teams would supposedly represent the ‘southern regions’ of Sydney, although as anyone with a decent map will readily point out, the Illawarra is most certainly not part of Sydney.
In fact, it’s a region with a long and proud football history of its own and it arguably deserves an A-League team before anywhere else – with the exception, perhaps, of Canberra.
But as we’ve all seen in the past, there’s a difference between a bit of local enthusiasm and fans turning up week-in, week-out to get a regular A-League fix.
And of the eight cities which currently host A-League teams, it makes me wonder which boasts the most discernible football culture?
I was waiting in line in a café in one of Brisbane’s trendier inner-city suburbs shortly after the Roar collected their third A-League title, when I noticed Besart Berisha standing behind me.
I turned and congratulated him on his grand final scoring exploits and wished him well in Melbourne, to which he replied “that really means a lot!”
I didn’t have the heart to tell the new Melbourne Victory striker that I couldn’t care less if he bangs home a hat-trick against the Roar next season, but I was pleased to see so many locals pay Berisha his dues at any rate.
It was a different story a couple of weeks later when I saw Michael Theo purchasing what appeared to be industrial quantities of bottled water at – of all places – one of our local office supply stores.
Roar officials will be delighted to hear that their highly effective goalkeeper is staying well hydrated, although when it comes to brand recognition, perhaps Theo is not the first face worth trotting out considering that he went about his business completely unrecognised.
Seeing a couple of A-League stars out and about reminded me, though, that watching football in Brisbane is a pretty agreeable experience.
Not only do the Roar consistently play some of the best football in the A-League, but the club’s rusted-on fans are generally knowledgeable and provide a decent match day experience down Caxton Street, as well as in the stands.
That didn’t stop Berisha from claiming that he’d left Brisbane to “join the biggest club in Australia,” and why shouldn’t he?
Say what you will about Melbourne Victory, but it’s hard to argue that their impact on the A-League hasn’t been immense.
Yet, perhaps more than any other campaign, there’s now a reason for the rest of us to pay close attention to what’s going on in the red-and-white half of the city.
Melbourne City’s potential emergence as a force will be fascinating to watch, and it’ll be interesting to see if they draw any more fans onto the bandwagon along the way.
But what of the rest of the country? Will the upcoming FFA Cup help rekindle some old football flames?
How do fans in cities like Perth, Adelaide and Newcastle rate their respective football cultures? Will there be more supporters on the terraces in Wellington and Gosford this year?
It’s always nice to shoot the breeze about football, so where’s the best A-League city to do exactly that?
bobbym
Guest
Perth population increased by 600,000 in the period of the mining boom that's a third in just 10 years - but Glory crowds dropped during the same period- no new or real growth.
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
Greater Newcastle population just over 500K compared to Brisbane 2.2M and Central Coast 280K.
Cassorelli
Guest
I think the RBB have definitely taken the Latin approach to support. I went to a Boca Juniors game and the loudest support came when they went a goal down. It was phenomenal, then I realised how far Australia has to go. Also, as a Roar fan honestly our chants are pretty sad at times. They need more colour and verve. In saying that, it's a start and I'm sure will improve. Thoughts cello Roar supporters?
Cassorelli
Guest
How many people live in Freo? What is the cultural division between Perth Nd Freo? The AFL derbies seem pretty decent, is there a reason?
Realfootball
Guest
As a Roar supporter who sat very near the RBB, I thought they were superb and lifted the whole event. Can't understand the negative comments, but each to his own I suppose.
anfalicious
Guest
They just need to let everyone bring a horn and then you could have one big freeform jazz improv session ;)
anfalicious
Guest
"There is one common factor; good, strong coffee always seems to be involved." I thought people have been saying that Brisbane has a good football culture ;)
anfalicious
Guest
AR: There is a point of difference in the wording of "World Cup overpass" and "overpass in World Cup host city", and the headline would have definitely been written in house, not by the AP. I don't want to draw any further conclusions from it, but they're not the same thing and there is an editorial decision involved in how the headline was presented.
anfalicious
Guest
Channel 7 have all the journalistic integrity of the Herald Sun.
anfalicious
Guest
I feel that the Heart (or city or whatever) did more harm than good. I can see the point of having two teams in Melbourne, but if we were a one team town then crowds of 40-50 000 would be the norm and that gives the code a lot of legitimacy.
anfalicious
Guest
I, for one, am forever grateful for football fans finally moving Australian chanting along from "aussie aussie aussie, oi oi oi". Not that it doesn't have a time and a place, but it's great to hear more variety. One of my favourite parts of sport is the roar of the crowd. I'm not sure what I like more, the singing during a dull game of roundball or the oohs and ahs coming out of a capacity MCG.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Well I think most of the crowd at the Grand Final would have been happy with any of your suggestions as the pregame entertainment over the fella we had whose name I've now forgotten anyway.
Squizz
Guest
Jets have ranked 6,, 5, 4, 6, 8, 4, 3, 4, 5 for crowd pulling. They only improved when they started giving away their memberships. Brisbane on the other hand have ranked 2, 2, 2, 2, 6, 3, 2, 3, 3. They only dipped when the club got greedy.
Crowd Control
Guest
Not garbage, just a someones opinion on active supporters that doesn't fall inline with your own. The only garbage I see here is active supporters inflated level of importance.
Crowd Control
Guest
No, that's just delusion. Once again, if your supporter group is so good why couldn't they help get your team over the line when in front in the final part of the game? A good supporter group can help inspire a team to come from behind and win. A bad one thinks they can still inspire a losing team even though they failed to inspire them to a win in the first place.
Crowd Control
Guest
Oh yes, what a great way to attract new supporters to the code. It funny when fans think being obnoxious equates to some type of victory. Let me ask you this one question. If your supporters are so good then why couldn't they get your team over the line when they had the front running into the final quarter? Being so good and all RBB's super human chants should have fortified your team, pushing them on to victory with plenty to spare, But here's a bit of reality for you. They didn't and your precious "active" supporter group did sweet f**k all to influence the game, meaning there probably not the good to begin with. But hey, if you want to take it as some type of victory to mend a damage ego, then so be it. The only victory that's matters is the one that happens on the field. And can you tell me AZ, who won that one?
Glenn Innes
Guest
Cludadmarron - I will add I don't think the FFA should lose any sleep over my demographic, it's tiny and most of us are on the waiting list for hip replacements and heart surgery and then off to the dementia ward.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Actually you will note I said even Coaltrane or Sun Ra. I am not huge fan of jazz the lack of melody and endless improvised soloing gets a bit tiresome but is still light years ahead of Supertramp or any other pop rubbish....the musical equivalant of a marvel comic without the technical skills of those who illustrate them who can at least draw.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Ah yes. Classical and jazz. Sit down, shut up, and give praise to those better than you (at the right places only). It's no wonder the RBB isn't your cup of tea Glenn! :)
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
In terms of a City with the best football culture, I've always thought Newcastle were excellent. Going back to even pre-NSL days, the area has always had a great football following and has produced some of the best players we have ever seen in this country. David Lowe, Kenny Boden, Col Curren, Roy Drinkwater and Phil Dando became household names. The club even persuaded one of the greats of the game, Sir Bobby Charlton, to come out to Australia for a marquee stint, while local lad and Liverpool legend Craig Johnston grew up in Newcastle. The Jets always rank in the top 3 for crowd pulling in the A-League, especially in their best seasons and for the population football-following percentages they leave Sydney and Melbourne for dead. In their first season in 1978 Newcastle United set attendance records for the NSL with regular crowds over 10,000 while their 1979 clash with Sydney Olympic saw 18,367 punters turn up, a record for a domestic league match that stood until the inception of the A-League.