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If footy is a religion in Queensland, Suncorp is its temple
Patrick Effeney
Editor
29th June, 2015
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Brisbane Roar are in a bit of a pickle. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
Patrick Effeney
Editor
29th June, 2015
5

Queenslanders get the love of maroon into you early. Very early. Many would argue it’s unhealthily early.

But I can attest that I turned out alright, though my friends may disagree, and that even though I only spent the start of my life in the Sunshine State, the Queenslander was well and truly there to stay.

The Reds were my first passion. Some of my earliest memories as a child was attending a game against the Natal Sharks in the Castlemaine stand at Ballymore (rattling that metal with your feet, of course) and heading out onto the field after the match to kick the footy, and dive on it in the in goal. Damp with dew I’d report back to my mother, who’d whisk me off to the car. Why was she grumpy? I still don’t know…

Or Broncos games at (in those days) ANZ Stadium. The Broncos aren’t so much a team as a religion in Brisbane, and talk of a second NRL team in Brisbane always has me asking, ‘Who’d support them?’

Brisbane Bears-cum-Lions matches at the Gabba were a rarer treat, watching legends like Richard Champion (if only for his name), Alastair Lynch and a young Michael Voss start what was to become a Lions dynasty in the early millenium.

And then there was State of Origin, which is the Mixed Martial Arts of events for a Queensland supporter. Barely any holds barred, pure disdain for anything blue coursing through my body.

Caxton Street would have been a nightmare for opposing supporters.

While these days I might have to don my sports editors cap when watching State of Origin and Waratahs vs Reds matches, I still get the odd opportunity to celebrate with the brethren up in my former hometown of Brisbane.

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As editor of The Roar, you spend a surprising amount of time looking at calendars. You’ve got to know who’s playing who, when and where, you see, otherwise it’s easy to be taken by surprise by Socceroos matches, club friendlies and one-off Tests.

When is the Ashes, again?

So glancing at the sports calendar the other day, I found three rather juicy fixtures on three consecutive days, all in my home state.

Brisbane Roar, three-time A-League champions, playing Liverpool, 18-time champions of England.

The Wallabies playing the Springboks, followed by the Broncos against the Tigers, all at Suncorp Stadium.

If you’ve never been to what used to be known as Lang Park before, it’s worth the trip.

I’ve made the pilgrimage a number of times, and it is a veritable rectangular shrine to football of all codes. If there was a weekend to pray to the football Gods in Brisbane, this one is it.

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I watched Australia play the Springboks from the bleachers at the Caxton Street end, right up high. It was the nosebleed section, for all intents.

But at that beautiful Stadium, I felt like I was in a helicopter on top of the action. You could see the running lines of the players perfectly. The Wallabies played a good brand of football that day, and it was one of the most entertaining games of rugby I’ve watched live.

That was until I attended the Super Rugby final of 2011. Stuffed in the Northern corner, but close to action, I felt like I could almost reach out to Digby Ioane and give him a smooch as he danced the Dougie. He was right there!

It also helps that Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall is a hop, skip and a jump down the road, and is one of the best bars I’ve been to in this country.

I’m gushing now, but the point remains that Suncorp is a wonderful place to watch footy.

While Liverpool against Brisbane Roar is labelled a ‘friendly’ or ‘exhibition’, the simple truth is you don’t get to see footballers of this quality in Australia on a regular basis.

I was lucky enough to attend Sydney FC against Chelsea at ANZ Stadium recently. The English champions started Diego Costa, Loic Remy and Eden Hazard as their front three.

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Liverpool will hopefully do the same, and put on a show.

Wallabies-Springboks has massive implications for the Rugby Championship, which is the key lead-up to the Rugby World Cup. It’s time the boys in gold got serious, and Brisbane has been a good hunting ground for them in the past.

Any Broncos match at Suncorp is worth attending, if just to see over 40,000 Queenslanders stacked in to support the team. What makes it more remarkable is that this happens every second week.

The only question left now is who’s buying me my plane ticket?

Looking for a holiday?

Aside from watching footy, there’s heaps to do.

Brisbane’s the best place to a find a great mix of world class events in July.

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