Is soccer a threat ?

[Pessimistic]

There's a callback program on 3AW which I listen to regularly called Sports Tonight. While I listen to it mainly for footy news it irritates me that they call it 'sports tonight' but it should really be 'Footy plus a few other sports when we have time left over but don't be upset when we compare it to footy or express horror when a sport becomes so popular as to be a threat to footy'

Horror was expressed the othe night when the Perth Glory got 43,000 to a game at subiaco. They should have been happy at popularity of sport in general rather than seing it as a threat to footy

I like to look to spain as an example. Barcelona and Madrid regularly get huge soccer crowds but that doesn't affect the popularity of some indiginous sports/entertainments. The same could be said here with AFL

AFL has more to fear form it's own mismanagement than Soccer, in my opinion

PS Carlton Soccer club got a pathetic 2,500 to their semi-final, so the 'threat' is not even around the country

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Interesting that you raise Spain as an example Pess because we have a similar situation here in Australia.

We have sports like Soccer, which is very popular, we also have other popular sports that are followed closely in Australia like Cricket, The Rugby Codes, Hockey, Tennis, MotorSport, Sailing and Lawn Bowls.

Then we have FOOTY, which is much, much more than a mere sport for its followers. Footy is less a sport and more of a national obsession, a culture, a lifestyle, a definition of who we are and what occupies the heart and soul of Australians.

Much like the position that Bullfighting occupies for Spainards ... less a sport, more a way of life.

 

[Pessimistic]

I agree, Angel. I deliberately didn't mention bullfighting cos it's not PC and wondered if someone else also saw the analogy. You did and described it beautifully. Bullfighting has had enormous pressure put on it from other countries but survives because it is so entrenched in the culture. Not that I particularly agree with it. I prefer the portuguese version where the bull has a few fights and then is put out to pasture for life (a bit like being a boundary rider for channel 7)

 

[Arch]

the glory are huge but the NSL isnt.
Its just a perth thing- mostly because of the large population of poms that live here.

the only reason people over here love going is because of the crowd atmosphere,its bugger all to do with soccer actually being entertaining in its own right.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Hmmmm - yeah I haven't actually attended a bullfight but have seen some pretty graphic footage of a big bullfight and yeah its upspeakably cruel and barbaric and because I am not Spanish I just couldn't get into it. But hey - its survives and lives on in a PC World because its part of the national culture of all Spanish people.

Another example of what we are on about - Japanese Sumo Wrestling.

Same situation.