Hostile Ties

Although in a footballing and fairness sense, Australia’s move into the Asian Football Confederation and the World and Asian Cup qualification paths that come with it has been welcomed by many including myself, what is going to happen in terms of big match ties such as the Uruguay game in 2005?

The match played on that warm night in November will go down as the best sporting and football event I have been associated with in my short lifetime as a fan. It was not only a match, but rather a whole footballing experience. The hostility in the crowd on the night and even during the whole week leading up to it with the team in the hotel in Sydney and everything could be described as crazy.

Now with Australia's move into Asia and playing lots of smaller nations within groups, are we going to miss out on this experience that the old qualification route brought with it? The way the crowd booed the Uruguayan anthem and were all over the players backs whenever they were out and about was and is all part of a big home football tie and I really want to see this trend continue. In saying that, it does have to be done at the right time and towards the right teams. For example booing the Bahrainian anthem or showing intense crowd hostility in the recent game would not be appropriate as they are basically a footballing minnow and our qualification was secured.

If however we were paired with say an Iran or the Saudis and the match was a crunch match what is the crowd and media reaction going to be if the crowd shows hostility? Will it happen again and will it be an accepted practice? Australian culture, meet footballing culture! We should be turning our grounds into fortresses and make Australia an intimidating place for an away team to come to get points.

I really do believe that without the intense crowd intimidation that was present for the Uruguay match we probably would not have gotten as far as we did and just hope that it continues at the right time and place of course.

Crowd hostility in home and away ties is one of the great things in football and I just hope that our move to Asia enhances and not deducts from how we receive traveling nations.

DANE