Atmosphere at the soccer better?

[Adnar]

I am an AFL person first and foremost. I have played it since I was a kid and still do, I live and breath it (I even have a swans tattoo).

But.

The A-League (especially Sydney and Melbourne) ********S all over AFL live. Go and stand with the supporters that stand in either ends. Have a beer and join in the chants and songs that have more wit and originality than 100 years of AFL (Melbourne clapclapclap). The game is of course the major part but it's also about taking the piss, having banter and having a laugh and supporting your city (or region) something the AFL is doing its very best to sterelize.

I was one of the 200 away supportrs last night and I wouldn't usually be one to defend the victory fools but it was basicly a couple of drunk idiots who wanted to start trouble and they where dragged out by police and a 16 year old lit a couple of flares. Most of the the brouhaha was by over zealous police who decided using capsicum spray in an enclosed area with thousands was a good idea. Go to any AFL game (or any crowd of 50,000+ where alchohol is involved) and you will get that and much more.

Also the ends (North and South) call themselves that because that is where the respective groups stood at Olympic Park.

 

[frankc]

HELL NO

I went for the first time last night, and even with 50 thousand people barracking for the one side the atmosphere just doens't measure up.

It isnt' the crowd's fault either, the Southern Death Crew (I didn't make that name up either) and the Blue and White brigade certainly make a bit of noise - but people tend to only cheer when something happens.

And quite frankly, not enough happens, I even left early because of how bored I was and how lack lustre the atmosphere is.

I also get the distinct impression that a lot of "soccer" fans are actually praying that Melbourne get a second club so that teams can have punch ons. Seems a lot of ex-pat poms as well as err... how do I say this without saying racist... um "miscallaneous" (i.e they look greasy have tans and black hair and talk in grunts but i dont' know what kind of people they are, or if they infact are people at all) ethnicities just want to act aggresively without their actually being any chance of a fight (nice and safe of course) consdiering there's no opposition fans, or they're so few in number it would be a mob style lynching.

But in all honesty, the game just doesn't stack up atmosphere wise, at the AFL something is happening every few seconds and in soccer something exciting happens maybe twice in a half.

I'd rather watch Melbourne VS Port at Telstra dome with a crowd of 15,000 (probably optimistic if anything) than watch a game of soccer with 50,000 victory fans alongside me.

Mind you, if we make the final (I imagine there's a final of some sort) I will instantly start buying up a bunch of Victory merchandise cause I like to be seen as cultured and sh*t.

cheers

Rick James for once I agree with you. Soccer brings in one crowd of 50,000 and all these soccer fans come out of the woodwork.

Anyway its all a matter of perception.

Some AFL games have a terrific atmosphere, others don't. Some can be said about soccer games. Too me atmosphere is made by the quality of the game, not by people singing in the stands.

I was at the grand final just gone, and the whole final quater was just constant noise, each goal, each tackle, each act of desperation was widely cheered.

When the game was over, (I was in the middle of a group of West Coast and Sydney fans) what happened, the supporters of each side shook hands and commented on what a great game it was. I seriously had a lump in my throat.

I don't mind watching soccer, but in Australian, it doesn't match AFL. Just as it doesn't match the NFL in the USA. 100 years of tradition can't be matched by 18 months of reorganisation.

 

[WhoAteAllThePies]

It isnt' the crowd's fault either, the Southern Death Crew (I didn't make that name up either)

Tounge-in-cheek you realise.

Mate the "violence" in the stands at the A-League never comes close to the amount of blokes dragged out during the footy.

Still, they'll never get rid of the perception because people will believe what they want to believe.

 

[the big lebowski]

The soccer atmosphere is better than AFL because it is manufactured to give entertainment during a game that has about 1/8 of the action that AFL has. The atmosphere at an AFL game is just a by product of spectators watching the game, there is nothing artificial (except the cheer squads).

 

[Adnar]

The soccer atmosphere is better than AFL because it is manufactured to give entertainment during a game that has about 1/8 of the action that AFL has. The atmosphere at an AFL game is just a by product of spectators watching the game, there is nothing artificial (except the cheer squads).

You do realise soccer pretty much plays non stop for 45 minutes straight and AFL stops every 1-2 minutes..?

 

[gaelictiogar]

2 points.

1. soccer fans often go on about athmosphere. OK but the athmosphere is caused by segregation. 2 segregated groups of young men will rant abuse at each other. It isn't rocket science. In games when most support is for home side the athmosphere sinks.

2. I've spent some time in England, the home of the leading and oldest soccer league on earth. i've been to Goodison with 40,000 Merseysiders - not the Norwegian and Irish glory hunters at Liverpool - to see Everton V Aston Villa. Honestly the athmosphere was so so. Good enough for 10 mins then died off as the game dawdled. unmemorable.

I've been to highbury to see Arsenal V Man united. 2 of socccers greatest clubs. The abiding mmory is chants about a United player being a rapist. Fine if you like that sort of thing.

I've been to West ham, Chelsea which was desperately dull and Spurs V middlesboro and was rescued from neanderthal Middlesboro thugs who wanted to rip my head off cos I sounded foreign which of course I was. I knew an Everton fan and went to Wimbledon V Everton with him and it was butt numbingly dull.

Quite honestly the so called fantastic EPL athmosphere is not all its cracked up to be and I know cos I've been to half of the grounds during my time there before i stopped going through boredom.

 

[deck]

Normally North end starts a chant which is then answered by South end supporters. Sometimes can be quite brilliant.

Last night South end crew to interested in drowning out the 100 or so Sydney supporters.

Oh and if you went early you missed all the fun.

Cops pepper sprayed the crowd on level 1 South end and some drew their batons after the crowd wouldnt move. The spray blew in the eyes of the Sydney supporters leaving them worse for wear and wondering what the hell they had walked into.

We had to camp them out in a function room till after 11pm just to keep them safe.

Different.

They obviously sat at the wrong end of the ground as all the Sydney supporters were at the north end of the ground.

 

[Beckers]

Go and stand with the supporters that stand in either ends. Have a beer and join in the chants and songs that have more wit and originality than 100 years of AFL (Melbourne clapclapclap). Edit.....

Doesn't it go....Hawthorn...clap.clap.clap When did the Demons steal our witty and original chant??

 

[Mr.Kennedy]

You obviously didn't go to Australia Uruguay.

AFL can only dream of the atmosphere and passiona soccer generates.

Yes the atmosphere was fantastic,but these games only happen once every 4 years here in Australia.I dont mind the soccer at all but you got to admit the fake injuries and swan dives kills it. The dive which that Italian took against us in the world cup and the effect it had on our campaign,and theirs,put me off the game for a while

 

[Francis30]

The A-League and Soccer in general suck. If Soccer people are only going on about the atmosphere that means that Soccer doesn't have anthing else going for it, now does it?

Soccer, the A-League and the riots from these Soccer games can kiss my arse.

 

[JF_Bay_22_SCG]

You obviously didn't go to Australia Uruguay.

AFL can only dream of the atmosphere and passiona soccer generates.

I'm a dual code fanatic & am a member of both the Cove & Swans Cheer Squad. i have tried to get European-style football songs going at Swans games. A lot of people just didn'gt get it at all originally.Now they do & appreciate what I'm trying to do. I just find traditional AFL barracking so witless and boring. "what do we chant now? Sydney!!! Sydney!!! What do we chant in ten minutes? Sydney !!! Sydney!!!"

Just seeing a whole terrace of 6 bays full of people jumping up and down gives me chills. we do it in the Cove & the BRB down it at Victory.
Before you say the atmosphere is ******** at the football, make sure you stand in the terrace. There is NOTHING comparable at AFL games, especially at the Dome for night games which appear to get a 'saturday night event' sort of crowd these days.

In the Cove I can
-stand all game
-actually say ******** without somebody telling you off ('because this is family environment' )
-wave a 6 metre flag
-sing at least 30-40 songs. and even better, make up impromptu ones that are witty & cutting (something that has been completely taken from AFL footy culture)
-mosh after goals (and believe you me, when say mosh, I mean bodies fly!

Doing all of these things in an AFL Cheer Squad would get me not only told to leave the area but more than likely ejected from the ground.

Hey, I love both codes & always will. But before you say the atmosphere was crap at the Dome, go and stand with the BWB/Cove/Gate/Shed and learn about a culture devoid of banal Oi Oi Oi-ing & n00bs.

I could say a few more things about the 'supporters' of Melbourne Victory on Friday night , but on this forum I choose not to. Bloody bunch of muzzas!

There is nothing wrong with appreciating two different sports at two different times of the year. Forget Mike Sheehan and his interviews with Ben Buckley where the first words he said were "how could you" (change to become CEO of the FFA). You are NOT selling your soul by embracing the world game.

Friday's night's match was a highly tactical top of the table battle. Both coaches had done their homework and did a good job nullifying their opponents attacking options. Do NOT be discouraged by the 0-0 casual fans. It was football played at the highest of pressure level. Hence unlike in AFL footy one mistake can be your downfall. Hence especially Sydney were cagey. from a team perspective I was stoked we not only got a point out of that cauldron but kept our shape defensively.

JF

 

[westdog54]

HELL NO

I went for the first time last night, and even with 50 thousand people barracking for the one side the atmosphere just doens't measure up.

It isnt' the crowd's fault either, the Southern Death Crew (I didn't make that name up either) and the Blue and White brigade certainly make a bit of noise - but people tend to only cheer when something happens.

And quite frankly, not enough happens, I even left early because of how bored I was and how lack lustre the atmosphere is.

I also get the distinct impression that a lot of "soccer" fans are actually praying that Melbourne get a second club so that teams can have punch ons. Seems a lot of ex-pat poms as well as err... how do I say this without saying racist... um "miscallaneous" (i.e they look greasy have tans and black hair and talk in grunts but i dont' know what kind of people they are, or if they infact are people at all) ethnicities just want to act aggresively without their actually being any chance of a fight (nice and safe of course) consdiering there's no opposition fans, or they're so few in number it would be a mob style lynching.

But in all honesty, the game just doesn't stack up atmosphere wise, at the AFL something is happening every few seconds and in soccer something exciting happens maybe twice in a half.

I'd rather watch Melbourne VS Port at Telstra dome with a crowd of 15,000 (probably optimistic if anything) than watch a game of soccer with 50,000 victory fans alongside me.

Mind you, if we make the final (I imagine there's a final of some sort) I will instantly start buying up a bunch of Victory merchandise cause I like to be seen as cultured and sh*t.

cheers

You drew a bad hand on this one RJ. Sydney FC seemed hapy to play defensive all match, kill it as a spectacle and take 1 point away from the game.

Had no interest in winning at all.

It was the equivalent of Adelaide's chip-around in round 1 against Collingwood, boring as bats***, yet it won them the game.

If both teams had've actually turned up to play, not just one, you would've had your money's worth

 

[JF_Bay_22_SCG]

Normally North end starts a chant which is then answered by South end supporters. Sometimes can be quite brilliant.

Last night South end crew to interested in drowning out the 100 or so Sydney supporters.

Oh and if you went early you missed all the fun.

Cops pepper sprayed the crowd on level 1 South end and some drew their batons after the crowd wouldnt move. The spray blew in the eyes of the Sydney supporters leaving them worse for wear and wondering what the hell they had walked into.

We had to camp them out in a function room till after 11pm just to keep them safe.

Different.

Disgraceful, that is what it is. Close friends of mine were all badly affected by the capsicum spray. Many could not see properly and were seen staggering with scarves over their mouths onto the playing arena with their eyes unable to be opened.

When we play any other club except Melbourne, we let opposition fans come to our pub. We go to theirs when we travel. The Marinators love it when we come to their Kendall Bar before CCM-SFC matches. We taunt each other to gee each other up & both really enjoy it. In Melbourne we are hidden inside the ground for an hour so as not to be attacked by Victory supporters.
Melbourne's support should be the pride of the league. But sadly it is a timebomb waiting to explode.

I have been dreaming of seeing Sydney win the Grand Final in front of a seething Telstra Dome. Seeing the **** fans smashing up their own city would give me such joy! but when police have to mace people to stop them attacking opposition fans, I have grave concerns for not only myself but my fellow travelling comrades.


JF

 

[jnash196]

First of all go to any soccer game in the world and you will hear the same chants as a Victory game but with the team names changed. The Barmy Army at the cricket also used those chants.

The only reason why Soccer atmosphere is better than AFL atmosphere is
1. Atmosphere makes the game of soccer, imagine how boring a match would be without it whereas you can watch footy on TV by yourself but not soccer
2. On Friday night it was 50,000 people supporting a common cause when at AFL games you get a 50-50 or 60-40 spread in the support so in a crowd of 50,000 only 30,000 would be cheering at any one time.

 

[gaelictiogar]

Who's a w*nker referee?...You're sh1t and you know you are.... Bullsh1t Ahhhh!!!....


I could go on and on with the endlessly inventive soccer chants were it not for the fact that they are all the same. I've been to 8 premiership grounds in england and the chants were exactly the same at all of them.

 

[Adnar]

Who's a w*nker referee?...You're sh1t and you know you are.... Bullsh1t Ahhhh!!!....


I could go on and on with the endlessly inventive soccer chants were it not for the fact that they are all the same. I've been to 8 premiership grounds in england and the chants were exactly the same at all of them.

So what? They are the generic ones. Not like the ones that are funny and made up on the spot. Specific to the team

i.e Melbournes "what's it like to see a crowd" etc. or our "we're in asia, you're in Melbourne"

I have been going to AFL for 15 years and I don't think I have heard anything except <team name> clapclapclap or slowchant of a team name.

 

[BK Eaglesfan]

Of course this is one ofthose highly subjective debates that will never have a winner. I love AFL first and foremost, and have always liked soccer but never been a regular goer. I live opposite TD so I have been 4 times since Victory made the move.

The atmosphere on Friday night was fantastic pre game, it got a little less fantastic as the game wore on. That said the Mariners game rocked late from what I'm told (missed that one). Reality is though that using Friday as the benchmark for atmosphere (given the way the game played out) would be like using the Richmond v WCE Rd 22 game as an example of AFL atmosphere. It is AN example, but not what it can be.

Arriving at the game on Friday night, gave me almost the same sort of chills as arriving at the G for the last 2 GF's. Strange given I didn't care about the result anywhere near as much.

The biggest challenge soccer in Melbourne has is the small peanut minority. I've been to 4 games at the Dome.....

1st one - the 'one off' at TD v Sydney: Some idiot lights a flare and throws it off the 3rd tier. Like myself and my fiance many around me (we were on level 2 and watched it sail straight past us to the ground) likely pondered how it would feel to have a lit flare land in your lap. We stayed, a family in front of us and a couple alongside us didn't. There's a few new fans to the game lost.

2nd one - vs Brisbane: no real trouble to speak of.

3rd one - vs Adelaide: having been discouraged from setting off flares inside, the peanut majority instead lit one on the concourse as 25 odd thousand people were all jammed in trying to get out of the Dome and head home. There was also a mass congregation of people as the Adelaide fans were escorted out, no idea if that lead to anything.

4th one - vs Sydney: we walk home (thankfully having left via the exit near the Medallion club, not Gate 7) only to have police cars fly by us, followed by an ambo. The sad thing is, we didn't even wonder where they were going. We pretty much guessed straight away they were headed for the soccer.

Both the other half and I have enjoyed the different (not better, not worse) atmosphere of the soccer, but my chances of getting her to the next game at the Dome are now slim. 4 games, trouble and potential danger 3 times. Why would she want to go back? For the white knuckle ride the prospect of a flare in the lap provides, or the chance to have pepper spray in the eyes for leaving via the wrong exit when the peanuts decide to play.

The worst thing for the Victory, the attitude of some of these clowns. Wondering what had happened to have so many police turn up I had a look at the Victory board. Some fans seem disappointed yes. But many simply blame the police for causing the trouble, as "oh nothing happened, just a couple of flares got ripped and they over reacted". These morons count 'ripping' a flare in amongst a crowd of 50 000 as nothing to worry about???

 

[Lazlo]

AFL can only dream of the atmosphere and passiona soccer generates.

The cold, hard, sobering reality!

 

[Adnar]

These morons count 'ripping' a flare in amongst a crowd of 50 000 as nothing to worry about???

I hate flares more than anyone, but in Europe hundreds are lit throughout the game without incident. It's just the 15 year old try hards that don't have the balls to hold onto what they have done and do something stupid like throw one.

 

[snr529jnr]

HELL NO

I went for the first time last night, and even with 50 thousand people barracking for the one side the atmosphere just doens't measure up.

It isnt' the crowd's fault either, the Southern Death Crew (I didn't make that name up either) and the Blue and White brigade certainly make a bit of noise - but people tend to only cheer when something happens.

And quite frankly, not enough happens, I even left early because of how bored I was and how lack lustre the atmosphere is.

I also get the distinct impression that a lot of "soccer" fans are actually praying that Melbourne get a second club so that teams can have punch ons. Seems a lot of ex-pat poms as well as err... how do I say this without saying racist... um "miscallaneous" (i.e they look greasy have tans and black hair and talk in grunts but i dont' know what kind of people they are, or if they infact are people at all) ethnicities just want to act aggresively without their actually being any chance of a fight (nice and safe of course) consdiering there's no opposition fans, or they're so few in number it would be a mob style lynching.

But in all honesty, the game just doesn't stack up atmosphere wise, at the AFL something is happening every few seconds and in soccer something exciting happens maybe twice in a half.

I'd rather watch Melbourne VS Port at Telstra dome with a crowd of 15,000 (probably optimistic if anything) than watch a game of soccer with 50,000 victory fans alongside me.

Mind you, if we make the final (I imagine there's a final of some sort) I will instantly start buying up a bunch of Victory merchandise cause I like to be seen as cultured and sh*t.

cheers

Fine. Don't go then. Record crowds say something exciting is happening here in Melb.

 

[Barrabus]

This whole thread reeks of insecurity.

Soccer is a different sport, get over it, comparing it to AFL is ridiculous, there is completely different things to appreciate in both sports. This is the kind of insecurity you hear from NSW NRL-heads, who feel threatened by AFL. It's quite easy for both to co-exist, and to support both. If you're not into soccer, who cares, it's all subjective.

 

[Le KooK]

Fine. Don't go then. Record crowds say something exciting is happening here in Melb.

That's right, Melbourne - not everywhere else.

I'd like to see the rest of crowd figures from the other A-League matches, because by the looks of the crowd at the Roar - CC clash it's not all roses.

 

[Cuzz09]

If the game was on in AFL season it would have got half that crowd if there was any AFL game on that night in Melbourne.

Its more of a novelty at the moment.

People will come to see how boring a game it really is and all we be as it was.

 

[peoplespoet]

When the Strikers won the old A-league lang park had a full house and soccer was set to take over. It didn't and the stikers are now gone.
That said I think the A-league is a great concept but the biggest draw card will always be the national side. I see soccer slotting into a market like the cricket team and the wallabies in years to come were the national side will be superstars but the national league alot of rungs down.
Soccer will never keep its superstars in Australia and that will always hold it back at club level.
By the way the the best atmos is lang park on Origin night.

 

[1858]

Who's a w*nker referee?...You're sh1t and you know you are.... Bullsh1t Ahhhh!!!....


I could go on and on with the endlessly inventive soccer chants were it not for the fact that they are all the same. I've been to 8 premiership grounds in england and the chants were exactly the same at all of them.

Or there's this as the goalkeeper lines up to kick it back: "You fat bastard, you fat bastard, you fat bastard, you arrrrrrrrrre (kicks the ball) SH1T! Aaaaaaahhh"

Plus other chants about being w*ankers and the like.

Put me and my family off from ever going back.