Finally…finally…finally, Western Sydney has been given the honour of having a team in the ‘A-League’. The only question that has to be asked of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) is why it took so long for the west to be given what is ours. Like Luke Skywalker, it is our destiny to bring balance to the force…I mean the expanding universe that is the Australian football.
Anyway…we really should discuss the important issues that fans of Sydney Rovers will battle to the death over or just discuss, whichever method you prefer. (NOTE: instead of just randomly discussing these issues my minions…I’m sorry, have to get used to this writing thing, my READERS…, I will create a list of the top 3 issues close to the heart of the Sydney Rovers fan).
THE LIST
Starting with Number…
3. Team’s Name – Sydney Rovers: A team’s name is naturally one of the most important aspects of creating a new club.
Think of it in terms of naming a child, you want it to be unique but not weird, you want your partner to love your choice and for other people to agree your choice of a name is as wise a choice as buying Apple shares in the late 70s. Just remember a team’s name will represent it forever, so it must be loved.
Therefore…Sydney Rovers, we will have to wait and see if the name can resonate with fans…what has to concluded is that it is a big decision not to include ‘West’ in the name of our team, which many people expected.
2. Stadium – A stadium has to fulfil certain criteria, the rules of the football Gods require complicated features, like having goals at both ends of the pitch…oh yeah, there also must be a pitch, it’s very important to have when you are a football club.
Other minor details that complete the feng shui of a stadium include its actual size, which I feel should strike a balance between a small and large capacity; possibly between 25,000 and 35,000.
The location of the potential stadium should not pose a mental and physical challenge (actually let’s make incorporate that into the football rule book, ‘no bad stadium locations allowed, otherwise it is punishable by…’), many a fan in Sydney has already suffered the horror of going to Sydney FC’s games at the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS).
The location of the stadium will, without any doubt, be one of the deciding factors when it comes to attendance numbers and the team’s overall success. Whether it will be Penrith, Parramatta or Blacktown.
1. Manager – The choice of manager is a complicated, and especially vital in a jungle like the A-League.
It could be the difference between having the philosophy of Bolton or Barcelona, having Mario Jardel or Jason Culina as your marquee player.
Since the Sydney Rovers board are conducting a speaking tour around Western Sydney they need to embrace the type of football the public want to see, now I am not saying the fans should say who the coach should be (for what it’s worth I think Ratomir Dujkovic would be an ideal choice) but their speaking tour should not just be seen as a token gesture, it should allow the fans to contribute to the DNA of the club.
The choice of coach must be like a marriage, based upon trust, respect and mutual goals.
THE FINAL THOUGHT
Sydney Rovers will finally take football in Australia to its spiritual home in Western Sydney, and it will be one hell of a ride.
