Football Thread!

[Bij]

Aw, sad that WSW lost today :-( they're a great team. It would have been a great end to the season had they won.

Oh well, guess the Mariners were the better team. Fuck it, they've had enough experience at grand finals.

[Phoenix]

In Australia it's the grand final for the reason you just stated but in world football technically it is whoever finishes first during the league hence why WSW are already qualified to participate in the ACL next year for finishing first in the league.

I don't like this GF system.
Case in point is todays result, Western Sydney have been the best team during the year and lose the GF and all of a sudden their fine achievement has been a little watered down...the same thing has happened to the CCM's...finished on top, only to lose GF's.

[Bill77]

Aw, sad that WSW lost today :-( they're a great team.

Once the league takes away those extra marquee allowances and it becomes a level playing field, once the team hit a slump (like every team does) and all the hype dies down which is when the band wagoners turn away, WSW will be another Sydney FC.

Well done to the Mariners who were the most consistent team during the year regardless if they finished second. They well and truly were the better side today and the better team one.

[EgejskaMakedonia]

It has to be the ugliest trophy.

EM.....in your opinion, which is the most important achievement.
Finishing first or grand final?

I think it's the Grand Final. I can name you the last 5 grand final winners, but have no idea who finished first in those years.

The Grand Final would have to be the most important. That said, I don't really like the finals system for soccer, but it's probably necessary for the A-League at this stage. I think one of the main reasons they have stuck with it is that it generates more interest amongst the supporters and ultimately gets people through the gates. Could you imagine if there was no top 6, most of the bottom teams would struggle to get half decent attendance figures (on top of some crap figures as it stands lol).

Congratulations to the Mariners. They were the better team on the day. I would've liked to see WSW win the whole thing in their first season, but they still have plenty of positives to take out of this season.

[Bij]

Once the league takes away those extra marquee allowances and it becomes a level playing field, once the team hit a slump (like every team does) and all the hype dies down which is when the band wagoners turn away, WSW will be another Sydney FC.

Well done to the Mariners who were the most consistent team during the year regardless if they finished second. They well and truly were the better side today and the better team one.

Bill, I was a Sydney FC follower but got dragged along to a few WSW games this year against my will (at first). I'm not from Western Sydney so it was an effort to get out to their matches, but mate, the vibe is amazing. The crowd, the atmosphere, the buzz... much better than any FC or Victory games I've attended. I don't know how the hardcore fanbase will change, time will tell I guess, but this is a club I think has made by the fans and I hope that doesn't change.

[EgejskaMakedonia]

Bill, I was a Sydney FC follower but got dragged along to a few WSW games this year against my will (at first). I'm not from Western Sydney so it was an effort to get out to their matches, but mate, the vibe is amazing. The crowd, the atmosphere, the buzz... much better than any FC or Victory games I've attended. I don't know how the hardcore fanbase will change, time will tell I guess, but this is a club I think has made by the fans and I hope that doesn't change.

Just looking at the two supporter bases today, the mariners 'terrace' doesn't even look like a football crowd. Definitely seems like a more friendly environment, but the WSW side looks like your typical European fanbase.

Lol, do they sell kebabi outside WSW home games?

[Phoenix]

Bill, I was a Sydney FC follower but got dragged along to a few WSW games this year against my will (at first). I'm not from Western Sydney so it was an effort to get out to their matches, but mate, the vibe is amazing. The crowd, the atmosphere, the buzz... much better than any FC or Victory games I've attended. I don't know how the hardcore fanbase will change, time will tell I guess, but this is a club I think has made by the fans and I hope that doesn't change.

The Western Sydney fans have been awesome and add to the spectacle each week.
I doubt they will ever match the Victory for sheer support and bums on seats each week but they've added a spark to an otherwise abysmal Sydney sporting landscape.

Sydney...Australia's sporting (and most other things) arsehole.

[Phoenix]

Just looking at the two supporter bases today, the mariners 'terrace' doesn't even look like a football crowd. Definitely seems like a more friendly environment, but the WSW side looks like your typical European fanbase.

Lol, do they sell kebabi outside WSW home games?

what about all those blokes spitting out pumpkin seeds...?

[Bill77]

Bij,

WSW Fans make the most noise by far. The atmosphere would be undoubtably great.

But they are the scumiest of scum, sore loosing, disrespectful, pichka supporters (mainly the RBB) that anyone can ever see.

Their visit to Melbourne........about 1 thousand of them marched to AMMI Stadium before gates opened. There was about 50 early bird Victory supporters made up of young kids with grandparents or parents wanting to get early good seats. These kids were spat on, abused, mothers crying and young girls that were handing out promotional gear outside the ground ran for their lives after being threatened.

You probably seen on the news the one single Sydney FC SUPPORTER at a restaurant pre game being attacked by hundreds of Wanderers supporters. Tough pichki aren't they.

Today, they showed no respect for the pre game national anthem. After the game, RBB disrespectfully turn their back on the presentations. They don't like it, piss off after the game. We will hear about it tommorow, how They Damaged plenty of seats and lit up numerous flares which our sports reputation has been already damaged by previous events so what do they do? Act like morons and further tarnish our game. It's bad enough they light these flares but they have to take it to a new extreme and throw them on the pitch before a penalty.

I'm sick of these Sydney siders, biased, fox sports commentators (Harper and co) licking the arsses of the Wanderer fans and labelling them the best supporters. Singing for Sydney Wanderers, doesn't make you "Best Supporters"

Rant over.

[Phoenix]

...I'm sick of these Sydney siders, biased, fox sports commentators (Harper and co) licking the arsses of the Wanderer fans and labelling them the best supporters. Singing for Sydney Wanderers, doesn't make you "Best Supporters"

Rant over.

I actually like Andy Harper as a commentator, I think he brings some much need intelligence to what is essentially a pretty shallow IQ pool that most of the commentators come from across all sports...Just take Tom Harley as an example...what a fuckin' useless dickhead that bloke is, Mr Fuckin' Obvious...you couldn't get him to cough up a gem if you kicked him in the nuts.

[Bill77]

I actually like Andy Harper as a commentator.

MMMMMMM Mel McLaughlin......now that's one presenter I like.

She is beautiful and knows a lot about Football.
If only she can cook, then she would be the perfect woman.
lol

[EgejskaMakedonia]

what about all those blokes spitting out pumpkin seeds...?

Lol, I admit to being one of these blokes on the odd occasion. Sport, beer and salted pumpkin or sunflower seeds...nothing beats it. Whether it be at the game, a bar or a mates place, they are good for every occasion.

Reminds me of going to Preston games as a kid as well. The entire hill would be covered in semki by the final whistle.

[Phoenix]

Lol, I admit to being one of these blokes on the odd occasion. Sport, beer and salted pumpkin or sunflower seeds...nothing beats it. Whether it be at the game, a bar or a mates place, they are good for every occasion.

Reminds me of going to Preston games as a kid as well. The entire hill would be covered in semki by the final whistle.

EM, they're very good for you, great source of zinc, excellent for the reproductive system and mens health...just stay away from the salted ones.

[Phoenix]

MMMMMMM Mel McLaughlin......now that's one presenter I like.

She is beautiful and knows a lot about Football.
If only she can cook, then she would be the perfect woman.
lol

...I'd happily cook for Mel if she can't.

[EgejskaMakedonia]

EM, they're very good for you, great source of zinc, excellent for the reproductive system and mens health...just stay away from the salted ones.

Nothing beats the salted ones though, it's what makes them so good.
Salt perfectly counters bitterness, hence why beer and salted seeds are the perfect combo.

Sorry Phoenix, no can do beh.