A-League Which Melbourne team do you support and why?

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BK Eaglesfan

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Interested to get a feel for why people support either the Victory or City in Melbourne.

Obviously Victory have far larger supporter numbers, with a large supporter base already in place before City came along.

So, after the initial flirtation with Melbourne Heart, who now follows City? Did you change your allegiance when they came along and if so, why?

For newer supporters, or supporters who jumped on the Heart, does the tie with Manchester City and the branding that comes with it put you off. Imagine for Manchester United supporters especially, but even Liverpool and other EPL clubs this might be an issue?

What is the point of difference between the two Melbourne clubs for someone looking to get behind one or the other (now now Victory supporters - try and resist the urge to answer this with 'success') and who are they trying to appeal to?
 

The City Boyz

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City, because when I was young and looking for a team my cousin was in Yarraside and told me to barrack for Heart...
 
Jul 5, 2011
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I have been a fan of football "Soccer" for many years which started back watching the Serie A highlights show every Sunday Morning on SBS as a kid in the late 80's. I always supported the Socceroos and leagues overseas but I didn't feel comfortable with the setup of the old NSL with the ethic ties as such. I still had an interest in watching but didn't support a team.

When the A-League started I had a passing interest in season one didn't follow it much only checked scores and the odd highlight. I played it a little cautious knowing the history of Australia Soccer in the past.

Then in season two I decided bugger it! I'll check it out myself and went to my first A-League match, Victory V SydneyFC at Etihad stadium or Telstra Dome as it was back then.

I instantly fell in love with Melbourne Victory the atmosphere the fans created (there was 40,000 that night never thought I'll see it) along with Archie and Fred lol, I had to be apart of it! So I brought a membership and haven't looked back since. I also got my brother his mates and my mates involved over the years some who never liked soccer but now they are all Victory members, love the club, love the game and are the loudest and most passionate in the South End.

The club has provided me with some of the most joyous memories in my sporting life over the past 12 years, I really can't think of what life was like before the A-league. Now it's AFL in winter A-league in summer it feels it's been that way forever! I wouldn't have it any other way.
 
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BK Eaglesfan

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I have been a fan of football "Soccer" for many years which started back watching the Serie A highlights show every Sunday Morning on SBS as a kid in the late 80's. I always supported the Socceroos and leagues overseas but I didn't feel comfortable with the setup of the old NSL with the ethic ties as such. I still had an interest in watching but didn't support a team.

When the A-League started I had a passing interest in season one didn't follow it much only checked scores and the odd highlight. I played it a little cautious knowing the history of Australia Soccer in the past.

Then in season two I decided bugger it! I'll check it out myself and went to my first A-League match, Victory V SydneyFC at Etihad stadium or Telstra Dome as it was back then.

I instantly fell in love with Melbourne Victory the atmosphere the fans created (there was 40,000 that night never thought I'll see it) along with Archie and Fred lol, I had to be apart of it! So I brought a membership and haven't looked back since. I also got my brother his mates and my mates involved over the years some who never liked soccer but now they are all Victory members, love the club, love the game and are the loudest and most passionate in the South End.

The club has provided me with some of the most joyous memories in my sporting life over the past 12 years, I really can't think of what life was like before the A-league. Now it's AFL in winter A-league in summer it feels it's been that way forever! I wouldn't have it any other way.

Really passionate response thank you.

Interesting, first replies have all been Victory supporters since prior to the City and one City fan newer to the A League.

So wondering who each club appeals to now? There's no geographical split, such as we have with Sydney and WSW out west. Is it based at all on EPL alliances because of the Man City connection? Have any Heart / City fans ditched them because they don't like Man City or switched to them because they do? Are certain ethnic communities drawn to one club more than the other?
 
May 29, 2007
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I got on Heart from the start.

There was probably two reasons, the first being that I thought it would be great to follow a team from its inception. Plus i kinda figured that Heart would need fans so i lent my support there.

The second, and main one, which i think will resonate with most City supporters, and i know this will be to the chagrin of the Victory supporters here, is that they werent Victory. Believe me I tried to like them but my interest was never really there.
They were a bloody hard club to like because of their fans mostly, and to a lesser extent a couple of their players. The 'hool' element has always been pretty strong with Victory and the North Terrace were about as off putting an establishment as you can get with their crap that they dished up and continue to dish up. Speaking to a few of my mates that are Victory, even they cant stand the NT and are involved in the South End instead. Muscat made them a hard team to like too, the bloke didnt win World's dirtiest player in a Spanish magazine for nothing.

The conversion to Heart was only slight at first, went to a couple games in season one before getting involved in Season 2. Since Season 3 Ive barely missed a game at home and made plenty of away trips as well. I love what the A League has become to the point I'd watch it before any other League in the world tbh.

Now just waiting for a f!@#ing trophy!
 
I have been a fan of football "Soccer" for many years which started back watching the Serie A highlights show every Sunday Morning on SBS as a kid in the late 80's. I always supported the Socceroos and leagues overseas but I didn't feel comfortable with the setup of the old NSL with the ethic ties as such. I still had an interest in watching but didn't support a team.

When the A-League started I had a passing interest in season one didn't follow it much only checked scores and the odd highlight. I played it a little cautious knowing the history of Australia Soccer in the past.

Then in season two I decided bugger it! I'll check it out myself and went to my first A-League match, Victory V SydneyFC at Etihad stadium or Telstra Dome as it was back then.

I instantly fell in love with Melbourne Victory the atmosphere the fans created (there was 40,000 that night never thought I'll see it) along with Archie and Fred lol, I had to be apart of it! So I brought a membership and haven't looked back since. I also got my brother his mates and my mates involved over the years some who never liked soccer but now they are all Victory members, love the club, love the game and are the loudest and most passionate in the South End.

The club has provided me with some of the most joyous memories in my sporting life over the past 12 years, I really can't think of what life was like before the A-league. Now it's AFL in winter A-league in summer it feels it's been that way forever! I wouldn't have it any other way.
Pretty much exactly the same for me, but shift the timeline forward a few years (I'm going out on a limb here - I'm guessing I'm not as old as giggler99.) (I really missed the Serie A show on Sunday mornings then EPL on Monday nights).

I've often thought about what I would have done if both Melbourne teams began at the same time. Before the City takeover I probably would have gone with them because I'm not really a fan of the NT, nor the club using it as a marketing tool, but with City on board, the thought of supporting them would not have even crossed my mind (still bitter over the whole Lampard thing).
 

Bomberboyokay

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Unless you're a Manchester City fan and/or a Eurosnob I don't know why the * you would pick them over Victory.
 
Victory but dont go anymore,lost the passion,seen them win the championship live while my beloved Richmond still miles away from success which breaks my heart and drew my heart away from Victory.
Watch a bit here and there on the TV.
Waiting for Melbourne town to explode when Richmond win there next,I may be 6 foot under or some ash by then.
 
Jul 5, 2011
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Unless you're a Manchester City fan and/or a Eurosnob I don't know why the **** you would pick them over Victory.

A lot have been turned off Victory by the actions of a few in the NT as been mentioned above. I've bumped in to a lot of Heart/City fans that give me that excuse all the time especially the early days. I get that and I don't like it myself but there is more to a club then just its delinquent minority fans, which lets be honest all clubs in any sport you follow would have.

For instance I love the way Victory engage and have built a presence in the Community how it's always made itself available to the media, players, coaches etc.. at football clinics. It doesn't try to step on anyone's toes it knows where it stands in a very difficult environment in this City and its one of the reason its been able to attract a lot of fans. It understands Melbourne it is Melbourne! Having the Big V on its logo and shirt played a big part in that!
The club didn't try to spin crap like 'Yoof policy' or 'Real Football' like Heart did when they come in which everyone saw right through it! It was a more this is your club! Melbourne's club! not Greece's, not Croatia's it's Melbourne's! and everything else rolled from there.
Having early success plays a big part too but I honestly believe the club will still have become as big as it is without that early success the seeds where planted and you can see how big the club was going to become even as early as season one! proof come in season two we moved a match to Telstra Dome and we attracted 40K in just our second season! which resulted us moving all our games their! the club already out grew Olympic park in just one season!
 
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Oct 23, 2014
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Melbourne Victory, and I wish people would call them Melbourne instead of just Victory. Unfortunately having a second team in Melbourne means that we have lost the ability to just refer to ourselves as Melbourne without causing some confusion.

I support Melbourne Victory because they were the first team, and it's been 10 years of great memories now so there's no turning back.
 

AJ_2000

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Melbourne City for me. I started watching football towards the end of the NSL without supporting a team. So when the A League rised like the phoenix from the ashes of the NSL I was thrilled I would have a team, but the Victory just didn't resonate with me. I would watch them on TV but never went to watch them, they were the local team but not my team.

Heart is announced and there was the connection, that has evolved to City, and I'm even more onboard now.

In general, some if the football played last season across the league was like nothing we had seen here before. It was glorious as a Heart/City supoorter to watch Bruno, Mooy and Novillio link up, something we haven't witnessed in our short history. Can't wait to see what this season holds
 

TheKanga

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Started supporting City only last year.
I don't know why but they just seem the right fit for me.
Helped that players like Mooy & Fornarolli were running around, great to watch.
I also like how the club interacts with the fans via social media.
 

BK Eaglesfan

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Started supporting City only last year.
I don't know why but they just seem the right fit for me.
Helped that players like Mooy & Fornarolli were running around, great to watch.
I also like how the club interacts with the fans via social media.

Being an Arsenal supporter the City connection doesn't bother you?
 
Being an Arsenal supporter the City connection doesn't bother you?
Not in my case at all.
And, Many of the players have EPL teams they support, and respect for Man City but not support.

MC for me.
I like the coach- read a lot about his background, met him, a really decent and great bloke. JVS won't be there forever, but it was a good start.
I saw Muscat put a young Adrian Zahra out of the game with absolute intent, and this backed up what his reputation was.
I liked the idea of getting into a team from its inception, and I still do.
MV has an element of what I regard as ugly supporters, and it is pervasive.
 
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May 29, 2007
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A lot have been turned off Victory by the actions of a few in the NT as been mentioned above. I've bumped in to a lot of Heart/City fans that give me that excuse all the time especially the early days. I get that and I don't like it myself but there is more to a club then just its delinquent minority fans, which lets be honest all clubs in any sport you follow would have.
No doubt every club have them, some of the little hooligan twats that run around in the City end pretending to care about the team shits me no end. There is however a distinctly larger presence of these types in the RBB and NT, obviously the amount of supporters is a factor, and both of those have little subgroups that are pretty much full blown criminals (a certain group that rhymes with border comes to mind).
 
Jul 5, 2011
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No doubt every club have them, some of the little hooligan twats that run around in the City end pretending to care about the team shits me no end. There is however a distinctly larger presence of these types in the RBB and NT, obviously the amount of supporters is a factor, and both of those have little subgroups that are pretty much full blown criminals (a certain group that rhymes with border comes to mind).


It also doesn't help when the anti football media reports on flares lighting as violence and hooliganism which it isn't sure it's wrong and illegal but violence come on! It gives the general public the wrong idea.

Is more then just flares though from some of these groups as you said and I accept that. The good thing is well from a Victory point of view anyway, the club has and are trying real hard to get rid of these so called hooligans! It isn't easy through and you don't want to pisssoff the real supporters in the process like what happen a couple of years back.
 
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May 29, 2007
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It also doesn't help when the anti football media reports on flares lighting as violence and hooliganism which it isn't sure it's wrong and illegal but violence come on! It gives the general public the wrong idea.

Is more then just flares though from some of these groups as you said and I accept that. The good thing is well from a Victory point of view anyway, the club has and are trying real hard to get rid of these so called hooligans! It isn't easy through and you don't want to pisssoff the real supporters in the process like what happen a couple of years back.
The problem is that many of that group are already banned but still cause a lot of the outside of the ground trouble both home and away. Not the clubs fault whatsoever, not like they can issue prison sentences haha
 
Jul 5, 2011
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The problem is that many of that group are already banned but still cause a lot of the outside of the ground trouble both home and away. Not the clubs fault whatsoever, not like they can issue prison sentences haha

True and honestly I'm sick of it just like the club is.

I think now it's gonna have to become a generational thing and wait for some of these hooles to step back. The hoole element has been reduced in the NT believe me it's not as bad as it use to be. Will be interesting this season as the club has a 3pts suspension hanging over its head one of the biggest indication will be the way the rest of the supporters responses to the bad behaviour once it happens, a lot of us are sick of it because not only does it give us the supporters and the club a bad name but also the game which is what we're all there supporting in the first place.
 

Steven Gerrard

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I support Victory simply because they were the first team in. Not going to change teams simply because another team came in.

In any event, Melbourne Heart was a disaster. The powers that be from Melbourne Heart said Melbourne Heart would do things differently, and yet they didn't. Same name (Melbourne), same venue and nothing much else. The name Heart was stupid IMO and I didn't like their strip. Having said that, I was looking forward to a real derby rivalry, but when your team (Victory) was the away team and was still getting more support in the stands, you knew it was never going to be. Heart will say they were the second team in and thus were starting behind the 8 ball, but look at WSW, they did things differently, different area, identified itself with a region of Sydney and basically offered a point of difference to SFC. Melbourne Heart offered no point of difference and thus I rate them as big a failure as Gold Coast, the only difference is the City Group bought Heart out, they could have easily have bought Gold Coast out, hence why this shambles of a club still exists today.

Hopefully the City Group comes to its senses and changes things a bit, relocates them, maybe calls them something else other than just 'Melbourne', and then some fans might turn up for them, because I'm still hanging for a real derby rivalry. Coming from Adelaide originally, it was hard to beat the Showdown rivalry between Port and the Crows, there was just no where to hide if your team loses the Showdown, I mean even the players punched on that time at the pub in Henley Beach. I don't ever expect the Melbourne derby to produce that sort of intensity but at least it should be equal to that of the Sydney derby.

I don't dislike Melbourne City (Heart) because I see them as a threat to Melbourne Victory, I dislike them because they have not been a threat to Melbourne Victory. It's fair to say that the Sydney derby, at the moment, is far better than the Melbourne derby, and we can thank those in charge of the Heart for having no foresight whatsoever to do anything different, even though they said they would be different.
 
Jul 5, 2011
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Not in my case at all.
And, Many of the players have EPL teams they support, and respect for Man City but not support.

MC for me.
I like the coach- read a lot about his background, met him, a really decent and great bloke. JVS won't be there forever, but it was a good start.
I saw Muscat put a young Adrian Zahra out of the game with absolute intent, and this backed up what his reputation was.
I liked the idea of getting into a team from its inception, and I still do.
MV has an element of what I regard as ugly supporters, and it is pervasive.

You must be the only Heart/City fan that actually likes JVS lol I guess it's easier when you meet the guy. But boy some of the comments i've read from City fans towards the guy let's just say is really uncalled for no matter how bad a manger he is.

You know I never actually liked Muscat either when he was playing for Victory, sure he had that C*nt element every club needs and I appreciated that, but I didn't like some of his antics either especially that tackle on Zahra. I remember being there thinking what an arsehole!
That all changed when I meet the man myself at a club function, let me tell you Muscat the player and Muscat the person are like chalk and cheese.
He was very nice, easy to approach and talk to, had time for anyone in the room and his knowledge on the game left me thinking this guy knows his s**t! I walked away thinking this guy will be coach one day no doubt about it. He is and premiership/championship one at that :D
 
I support Victory simply because they were the first team in. Not going to change teams simply because another team came in.

In any event, Melbourne Heart was a disaster. The powers that be from Melbourne Heart said Melbourne Heart would do things differently, and yet they didn't. Same name (Melbourne), same venue and nothing much else. The name Heart was stupid IMO and I didn't like their strip. Having said that, I was looking forward to a real derby rivalry, but when your team (Victory) was the away team and was still getting more support in the stands, you knew it was never going to be. Heart will say they were the second team in and thus were starting behind the 8 ball, but look at WSW, they did things differently, different area, identified itself with a region of Sydney and basically offered a point of difference to SFC. Melbourne Heart offered no point of difference and thus I rate them as big a failure as Gold Coast, the only difference is the City Group bought Heart out, they could have easily have bought Gold Coast out, hence why this shambles of a club still exists today.

Hopefully the City Group comes to its senses and changes things a bit, relocates them, maybe calls them something else other than just 'Melbourne', and then some fans might turn up for them, because I'm still hanging for a real derby rivalry. Coming from Adelaide originally, it was hard to beat the Showdown rivalry between Port and the Crows, there was just no where to hide if your team loses the Showdown, I mean even the players punched on that time at the pub in Henley Beach. I don't ever expect the Melbourne derby to produce that sort of intensity but at least it should be equal to that of the Sydney derby.

I don't dislike Melbourne City (Heart) because I see them as a threat to Melbourne Victory, I dislike them because they have not been a threat to Melbourne Victory. It's fair to say that the Sydney derby, at the moment, is far better than the Melbourne derby, and we can thank those in charge of the Heart for having no foresight whatsoever to do anything different, even though they said they would be different.


This is why I don't understand Victory supporters showing their dislike for Heart/City in wanting the club to close/disappear. Without them you don't get a derby!
 
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