Les Murray - no-one's embraced old soccer, not as you know it - we never will!
The new NPL and excitement around the FFA Cup, or proposed cup has got Les Murray and his mates excited about embracing old soccer.
And of course down the track everyone is thinking relegation and promotion.
The question remains, given the "passion" of our crowds and ability to attract a couple of head the ball "supporters" would old soccer really be embraced. I mean really?
Old soccer - riots, flag waving and burning, pitch battles between supporters and general disgraceful behaviour surrounding so called ethnic based football fans in the NSL - ain't ever coming back or being given a chance.
Does anyone seriously think the FFA would enable South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic or any other ethnically drenched team back into top tier football and risk everything we've worked towards?
Les you're dreaming!
Could such mono-ethnic owned teams, from Sydney and Melbourne, grow a supporter base in the modern era beyond the decreasing number of fans who attend these old soccer clubs. I doubt it. And who wants to see a Sydney or Melbourne team with just 5,000 supporter long term.
One flare at those games and the non-ethnic fans - would there be any - would be gone forever.
If you think the media are over reacting now what would they do if a guy in a Greek or Croatian shirt lit a single flare and ran on to the pitch.
Would the clubs themselves have ANY strategies to take their game and club to the mainstream, thus enabling us all to enjoy and be part of such a club. Not much evidence to date as they aimed.
In South Melbourne's case they even aimed to gain the second Melbourne licence.
Sir Lez, foolishly, naively even supported such a bid. Had they/he learnt nothing from the the new A-League? Blind freddy knew they had no chance, not in their current form.
Not then, not now.
I love my football, my Simunic, Boban, and Modric even...hang on has there been any good Greek elite player?....but I don't want to support a team with tinges of overseas nations emanating from the stands, and sheds.
Les Murray might be excited for a return to old NSL grounds and atmosphere, but if the FFA can't allow Sydney Olympic or Marconi to be promoted then really have we really embraced old soccer?
Let's face it, it's never going to happen is it? No matter how much Sir Les thinks we have.
When Sydney Olympic has a chance of promotion then Old Soccer has been embraced and not before.
In there current form these old ethnic clubs have no chance of being promoted do they?
I wish them well but unless they can sell their club and message to the mainstream they will never be attractive to the A-League set-up.
