@Ali - So whats more important? The quality of football or the volume of noise the fans make? I am losing site of your point....or whatever it was. You could put u5s curling on in front of loud crowd of 30k (or similarly, this darts bandwagon everyone has jumped on, which I think is a complete waste of time) The noise wont make me go 'I need to watch this'. If you want me to watch, make it a quality product. The instant its not, I'll switch off and chances are extremely high, I wont watch the Warriors this weekend. This year, it only took 2 weeks where as last year, it took 4.
@Ali I think also in respect of what Patrick was saying, its probably time for you lads to jog on for a bit. What do you reckon? You are very quick to lob stones in here but when you get some back, you cry? Come on man. Grow a set.
@BM if TW had won yesterday, I would still have called it what it was. An ordinary game of football that did zero to enhance the national league as a product in the mind of the passive followers.
I have no comment to make about the active supporters because that's not what I am taking aim at nor have a problem with.
For me, the quality of the support and atmosphere trumps the quality of the football and I don't think I've ever indicated otherwise. It's the whole game day experience for me and I play a part in creating that. I would love for all supporters of football in NZ to help create a fantastic national league. I'm not necessarily saying people shouldn't support the Phoenix but would love for some of that passion to be directed towards the national league and therefore creating something special in NZ.
As for your other point, it's not a matter of crying and needing to grow a set. I'm just pointing out what I saw on twitter and thought was pretty disrespectful towards people who are putting in the huge effort to create a great atmosphere at our national league. Do you think it's easy keeping up that level of singing for 90 minutes when there's only 10-15 of you? I'm sure it's a hell of a lot easier when your numbers are in the hundreds as I would expect the Phoenix to be. Plus the repertoire is rarely repeated over 90 mins as others would have you believe.
Exactly Ali. I too enjoy the whole atmosphere. I suspect those who don't have never been part of a strong emotional attachment to a team or ever sung a song in a football stadium. I'm not saying they're wrong but I do feel they're missing out on the whole experience. NZers (and Brits) are by tradition usually reserved and inhibited in public displays of emotion. Yet there are football grounds in the UK where the atmosphere is fantastic. I went to a Crystal Palace game in their recent promotion campaign and the fan support was electric.
The regular ACFC supporters who sing throughout a home game are an asset to the game, just as Yellow Fever are. Otherwise there would be no atmosphere in the stadiums. They to me are true football supporters because it's not about whether the weather is fine, there's nothing on TV, the on field match is a classic. It's about supporting a team or enjoying the football. It's more about attitude than anything else. I know lots of people have a lot of commitments and can't make games and there are lots of part-time spectators who will be attracted to a game that's hyped or is a final. But I suspect those who are usually negative about the ASBP (or A League) are probably negative about most things in their life. You can always find something to be appreciative of or negative of. It's an attitude thing. I just choose to be positive rather than join the "dismal crap" brigade..