Post by Bearinator on Sept 24, 2007 10:06:24 GMT 10
Wearing club colours to a national team game - 442 blogs
13 September 2007 12:38
By Nigel Bosworth
At the Olyroos and national team games over the past week I’ve noticed a lot of A-League fans wearing their club kit. It’s got to go.
Now some might see this showing of club pride as a good thing, proof that the A-League is getting bigger and more popular. Fair enough, it possibly means that. But as the game grows there’s an influx of new fans to the game. New fans who are welcome in all ways, especially the young kids who are make up the majority of those wearing club gear. It might even be excusable for the young fans who mightn’t realise the damage that club differences could make on a national level. But unfortunately it’s not just the kids.
At the Argentina game in Melbourne there was some idiot wearing a Sydney scarf at the standing end. This could be seen as an individual bit of poor form by some idiot, but the fact he wore it started a “who the f*** are Sydney FC?” chant. The number of Victory scarves and shirts was also shameful. But this lot weren’t just kids with no idea, this was the all standing, all singing fans. Those who should know better.
But my fear is that this isn’t just utterly ridiculous behaviour by a small group. This is further evidence that some groups just don’t understand the fundamentals of supporting the game.
I realise we’re not a traditional football nation with a rich history of supporting the game. But there are some fundamental, carved-in-stone, though-shalt-not issues here with some supporters.
The news that a lot of Sydney FC fans are departing like rats deserting a sinking ship simply because they don’t like the way the club is run (read, they’re not winning anymore) is bad enough. But there are some of these rats who are now “supporters” of the Central Coast. Sydney till they die (or change their minds). Put simply: you do not change sides.
There’s also news that certain supporter groups who take money from their club for banners and the like. These “official” supporter groups are thereby totally being bought by their clubs and losing their independence. All for some shiny banners (some even with sponsorship, what a joke). How fans of the game can not realise this fundamental is beyond me. Put simply: you do not take money from the club.
Which brings me back to my first point. Clubs colours at a national game brings out rivalries when we should all be united as one for our country. I’ve seen nearly all fans guilty of this, I’m not singling one club out, but it’s got to go. Put simply: you do not wear club colours to national team games.
13 September 2007 12:38
By Nigel Bosworth
At the Olyroos and national team games over the past week I’ve noticed a lot of A-League fans wearing their club kit. It’s got to go.
Now some might see this showing of club pride as a good thing, proof that the A-League is getting bigger and more popular. Fair enough, it possibly means that. But as the game grows there’s an influx of new fans to the game. New fans who are welcome in all ways, especially the young kids who are make up the majority of those wearing club gear. It might even be excusable for the young fans who mightn’t realise the damage that club differences could make on a national level. But unfortunately it’s not just the kids.
At the Argentina game in Melbourne there was some idiot wearing a Sydney scarf at the standing end. This could be seen as an individual bit of poor form by some idiot, but the fact he wore it started a “who the f*** are Sydney FC?” chant. The number of Victory scarves and shirts was also shameful. But this lot weren’t just kids with no idea, this was the all standing, all singing fans. Those who should know better.
But my fear is that this isn’t just utterly ridiculous behaviour by a small group. This is further evidence that some groups just don’t understand the fundamentals of supporting the game.
I realise we’re not a traditional football nation with a rich history of supporting the game. But there are some fundamental, carved-in-stone, though-shalt-not issues here with some supporters.
The news that a lot of Sydney FC fans are departing like rats deserting a sinking ship simply because they don’t like the way the club is run (read, they’re not winning anymore) is bad enough. But there are some of these rats who are now “supporters” of the Central Coast. Sydney till they die (or change their minds). Put simply: you do not change sides.
There’s also news that certain supporter groups who take money from their club for banners and the like. These “official” supporter groups are thereby totally being bought by their clubs and losing their independence. All for some shiny banners (some even with sponsorship, what a joke). How fans of the game can not realise this fundamental is beyond me. Put simply: you do not take money from the club.
Which brings me back to my first point. Clubs colours at a national game brings out rivalries when we should all be united as one for our country. I’ve seen nearly all fans guilty of this, I’m not singling one club out, but it’s got to go. Put simply: you do not wear club colours to national team games.
