I never thought I’d have the chance to see the MCG full. The chances of the stadium packing out for a sport I wanted to watch seemed rare. The 2010/11 Ashes series came close, but the ever-absent MCC members left a huge gap in the crowd. If that most traditional of contests couldn’t draw enough fans to fill the stadium, then what would? AFL regularly does, but as a keen rugby union fan, that sport has never interested me.
I knew the A-League didn’t have a hope in hell of selling out the MCG, but I never considered the possibility that another soccer team might. So when Liverpool FC announced they were going to play the Victory and tickets sold faster than pies at an AFL match, I hurried to grab my seat. This was my chance to see the MCG full, and lo and behold, it was soccer that did it.
The Liverpool game was an eye-opener. Not only to the passion and fandom that surrounds the premier league, but to how many soccer fans we have in Australia. Most of the 95,000 fans adorned themselves in red in support of the English team. The MCG rumbled with their songs, chants and yells. It was a bittersweet sight. Sweet, because outlandish shows of passion for any sporting side warm me to the core. But it was bitter all the same, because while soccer is obviously loved in Australia, many of the fans present on Wednesday night declare themselves unable to watch the local A-League.
I’m not exaggerating. In Australia, the Premier league is often seen as the only soccer worth watching, and many passionate fans of Premier soccer will turn their noses up at A-League. “I can’t physically watch it,” they’ll passionately state. “Honestly, I don’t even consider those guys professional footballers.”
I call them soccer snobs, and Australia is full of them. Rather than try and promote the sport they love in their own country, they insult the A-League in every way possible. These fans only watch the very best; missed passes and failed put aways are simply unacceptable.
It’s a shame, because without local soccer Liverpool FC would never have showed up on Wednesday night. The same goes for Manchester United who played the A-League All Stars the previous week. Without A-League, they simply would not have had anyone to play.
A-League won’t survive without local support. Personally, I cannot understand not supporting a sport you love at local level. As a tennis fan, I’ve even gone to watch 12 and under tournaments just because I enjoy the game so much. No, those kids don’t play like Novak Djokovic. Balls go long and into the net, serves don’t exactly bomb down and there’s not a recognisable face in the crowd. But the competition is fierce, and I fully believe that you can get attached to any game if you are emotionally invested in it. After all, parents don’t turn up to watch their seven year olds play soccer to marvel at the footwork.
A-League may not have the skill, money or crowds of Premier League. It may never have that. But if we are ever to give ourselves a chance of having a competition to rival that of Europe’s, we need to start supporting the game locally as well as abroad. It’s time for soccer snobs to drop the pretension and pick a local club. They might not be guaranteed the glitz and glamour that comes with overseas football, but I can promise them plenty of grit and competition. There’s enough time in the year to support both leagues. If more Premier League fans have an open mind to A-League the game can only get better. Who knows, perhaps the next time Liverpool visit half the stadium will be blue and white.
