At what point do fans stop supporting their team? It’s a question Adelaide United fans may soon start asking, with the club seemingly ready to go to war with its own fans.
The statement released by Adelaide United yesterday smacked of the sort of overly sensitive reaction to criticism we’re seeing a lot more of in football nowadays.
What did Aurelio Vidmar call Adelaide again? It seems old habits die hard, after the club’s decision to “correct” fans who questioned whether the club was spending the entirety of the salary cap.
“Putting aside the totally inappropriate language used and directed to Adelaide United Board Members and family of our coaching staff, which will be dealt with, the club believes it is important to correct the falsities in the minds of some fans regarding player spend this season,” part of the statement read.
“The club has spent 100 per cent of the Hyundai A-League’s salary cap and we have utilised our home-grown player allocation and marquee funds.”
Touché.
Predictably, Reds fans began ripping into the club almost immediately for what reads like a comically childish statement, with some 240 comments posted on Facebook – none of them complimentary.
If the club wanted to take some of the focus off coach Guillermo Amor and his misfiring outfit, mission accomplished.
But with just one win in 14 A-League games, there’s no doubt the defending champions would be better served working on their football than chastising fans for the heinous crime of caring.
Still, it got me thinking, is there ever a right time to pull the plug on the team you support?
I spent an enjoyable couple of hours at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, as visitors the Newcastle Jets stunned their hosts Brisbane Roar to nick a shock 3-2 win on a sun-drenched afternoon.
But meeting up with some fans at the bar who’ve been attending Roar games since day one, they told me that if a new Brisbane club enters the A-League, they’d be willing to switch allegiance.
These guys weren’t just a couple of casual punters – they’d been to pretty much every Brisbane Roar home game since the A-League kicked off, so their words carried some serious weight.
Their reasons for being dissatisfied with the club were complex, but the crux of the problem was what they labelled a lack of “football culture” in Brisbane.
I understood where they were coming from – to an extent – but when the focus turned towards wanting Brisbane Roar play out of a smaller stadium, I felt like we were only dealing in hypotheticals.
I have no doubt that if the Brisbane Strikers were to play out of a redeveloped Perry Park, a sizeable contingent of Roar fans would switch clubs.
But who is paying to redevelop Perry Park? And what happens to the Brisbane Roar in the meantime?
The home fans trudged off disconsolate following Danish striker Morten Nordstrand’s controversial late winner, with a few boos even ringing out at full-time, despite the fact it was the Roar’s first home defeat of the season.
And while the hosts were certainly flat on the day, there’s surely an argument for suggesting the Newcastle Jets simply played better football than their opponents.
Is the simple act of losing now all it takes for fans to register their disgust – convinced that their own players are refusing to put in the required effort?
Or is it a case-by-case basis, with Central Coast Mariners fans going home happy last night following their team’s Herculean effort in the 3-2 defeat to league leaders Sydney FC?
I may be painting with broad brushstrokes here, but as a society, we seem to be quicker than ever to express our outrage these days.
So how much is enough for fans to call it a day on supporting their club? And is it ever okay to do so?
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
It seems that with a bit of communication between the club and the fans things have calmed down in the city of great wine and creative homicide. Many of these issues arise from frustration born from poor communication as opposed to any substantive belief that people are not pulling their weight.
Truth Bomb
Guest
Bob brown = Bryan orange = cousin Claudio You use all the same phrases you silly little man. You Accuse people of making multi accounts but I bet you are the only one actually pathetic enough to do it
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
AR bags everyone on this football tab, he is a MeIbourne RuIes journalist.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
Mister MeIbourne RuIes, you are always full of something, but its not so interest. We have moved into the 21st century and we don't use the words "soccer" no more. Please come and join us.
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
I think Mister "Football" and his associates take that honour.
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
Depends what you mean by "support your team" Mike. Attendances aren't the only measure of a team's support and its human nature for attendances to increase when your team is winning and attendances fall when they are not doing so well. Look at the number of memberships versus attendances each week in the A-League. Club revenues are a lot more than home game attendance X avge ticket price. The A-League has over 100K fully paid up members, Wanderers have nearly 19K members and avge attendance of about 13K, if you exclude the record breaking derby.
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
If you take out the best attendances from your figures, the average attendance would be less of course, as it would be for any sporting code. What is that supposed to prove?
duecer
Guest
Both have been successful on the field. Have the Storm every in their 15 or 16 year period been ahead of 1 or 2 AR clubs - they've finished top of the table and won premierships on numerous occasions, so surely must have had some boost.
Republican
Guest
....despite being 10 when that flag was celebrated I dropped St Kilda because as with most of these 'clubs' ours are 'St Kilda' by name only. They continue to compromise their DNA to remain relevant commercially and are now talking up being a NZ entity in order to top up the coffers, which is akin to playing on Pluto truth be told.
Rob McLean
Guest
That's me in the cover photo to this story - I'm not going to stop supporting AUFC, but far out, it's hard supporting them this year. Hard to believe that just six months ago I was celebrating one of the greatest days of my life at Adelaide Oval. I'll be there Thursday night, hoping for a Reds win.
Snert Underpant
Roar Rookie
Getting back to the question asked. There are only three acceptable reasons for changing teams. 1. If you team merges with another or folds. 2. If a son or close relative is drafted to a different team. 3. If you've followed St Kilda all your life and never seen a flag and the doctor has given you twelve months to live.
j binnie
Guest
11gwa.- When analysing figures to achieve an "average",great care has to be taken when drawing out the best attendance, for, to do the right thing, you should also remove the lowest figure and then calculate the average. So if we subtract the "Cahill figure" of 20,198 and the 13,110 that watched the WSW game we are left with an average of 15,326 (76,630 at 5 matches).This is still approx 2500 more per game than last year's average of 12,850. There is a worrying trend however. Waz has indicated this improvement is due to "marketing" but since the "Cahill game" there has been a steady drop in attendance of almost 2500 per game that was not arrested until this latest match against the Jets which again showed a slight increase (up 1,350). Hopefully that will steady the previous falling off. Cheers jb.
Republican
Guest
TEAMS or clubs do not exist anymore, these are brands so yes it is ok to drop your 'BRAND' for another consumer product.
j binnie
Guest
Mid -There was never too much wrong with the teams playing football in the NSL ,it was the behind the scenes shenanigans that spelled out the "end " that had to come. Most ,if not all ,the NSL teams were run under the "committee" system.and although Perth and Adelaide did make the "crossover" it was behind the scenes the biggest changes were to be made,in the main, the introduction of full time football playing as a career, and of course the change of management structures behind the scenes that changed drastically to allow out and out "purchase " of an operating franchise. In a few of your examples you mention a simple change of name took place but I suspect you know that is not the case for franchises were purchased at $5million and my friend there were very few, if any, former or active NSL clubs in 2003 had access to that sort of money. You mention SFC as a new identity when anyone who was involved in the game at the time, recognised that it was the re-birth of Sydney City/Eastern Suburbs, who had been withdrawn from the NSL by their major sponsor mid-season in 1987.not by Frank Lowy,but the Hakoah Social Club based out at Bondi at the time. It is well known that Frank Lowy was one of the original investors in Sydney FC but was forced to withdraw due to a "conflict of interest" potential problem. Just a few facts my friend, Cheers jb.
Nemesis
Guest
"It will be interesting to compare the TV ratings of the Giants (women) against the Wanderers (men)." Will the GWS women's team be wearing singlets & tight shorts or, perhaps, outfits similar to the Lingerie League? TV ratings are all that matter in sport.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The men's team is probably a failure, but maybe the women's team will go ok? It will be interesting to compare the TV ratings of the Giants (women) against the Wanderers (men).
Mister Football
Roar Guru
RBB You, of all people, should know I am a long time soccer fan. Have I ever mentioned that my dad used to take me to Juventus games?
Mister Football
Roar Guru
This helps explain why the FFA persists with a top 6, in a ten team comp, because every fan can stay interested right up to the 11th hour.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
It doesn't matter how the ball goes into the onion bag, as long as it gets in!
j binnie
Guest
Waz - Have misplaced your e-mail address which you supplied in recent weeks but as you know the Supporters association idea has created some interest which I am looking into for you. Suggest you google MILLWALL Supporters Club to get an insight into the potential benefits ,and problems, in establishing such a body. Keep in touch Cheers jb.