G'day folks. It's 6am on the morning after the night that was. I can't really sleep with everything that has happened ( and will be happening) so I thought I'd tell you all my thoughts about what went on last night at NSO, home of the NSL record holders (gee, that is all I can boast about after last night! :0) )
With all the other things going on, I sought of couldn't devote my 100% attention to the match. But by the time I was in the train from Wahroonga, resplendant in my Spirit cap, German-style "Kutte" and at least 12 scarves around my belt (no probs with my trousers slipping!) I was very tense with excitement/nerves/anxiety about what I was in for. Nobody really could tell what was going to happen, so I thought I may as well get there early, to settle my jumpyness.
I'm very much an omen person in my matchday habits. And I was getting a few negative ones. I walked through the North Sydney Greenwood shopping centre and was glared at by the yuppies and businessmen as if I was a space creature (no comment required here Forza). I got similar looks at the Rag & Famish, as the mobile phone brandishers parted in astonishment.At least the club had a guy driving around the North Sydney CBD with a massive Spirit placard on the back.
I got to the ground the hear Merrill Birdbrain or whatever warming up and saw my German (Marconi?) friend Florian waiting in the North Sydney Hotel in his Hamburgler SV shirt and scarf. So after bumping into Maris and gang at the lights we went in to the bar and got settled. Along the street came Tancred, Evelyn and John McCormack. Tancred seemed a tad exasperated by a few things in the club's first week and was predicting a major-stuff-up with the tickets. As Spirit listees will know, Ticketek had not got anyone's season passes out, and the tickets that people had pre-booked were somewhere in the traffic.Tancred ended up with a ticket by abusing the lady at the Ticketek booth.It seems that this woman had been telling grandmas and people with prams to go and sit in the Bob Stand (sorry Spirit Point (?) !) and was roundly given a good serve by Remo. Luckily I had bought mine last week so I had no problems getting in.In the queue I was to meet the Bowmans as well as Steve Bradbury who come down from Newcastle.The Bay 23 types were in their SG Budapest shirts at the pub too.Remo saw me and said to me, Mate,you are the one we are counting on to get them over the line!" I walked off with a serious lump in my throat.And that had nothing to do with my recent thorat operation either.
We rushed over to the Bob Stand to get our spots and managed to at least have one whole bay for the sinnger-types. Sadly the rest of the stand was filling with cardboard people. Hopefully the club can make measures to have the whole stand standing and singing, but this will probably come with time. Just inside the ground there was a small stand selling selected Spirit merchandise. The new shirts were on sale for $85, nice Spirit pins for $5, and a selection of caps and t-shirts which were an improvement to those at the Spirit family day.
The shirts are a little disappointing. But as somebody who only had two more days in this country I had no option but to buy one. They were not the ones they wore in the practice matches, nor were they the ones we have seen in the promo brochures. Very white, sponsorless, and with a strange mix of red, gold and blue on the sleeves and chest. But nevertheless I was in my shirt before long.Tancred was unhappy that there were no scarves. I then explained the troubles had at Marconi the Stallions boys have had over the years trying to get any, and he smirked. We were whinging about not having things after one game. Gee, we didn't realise how lucky we were!
I was to meet many people from the Spirit list. Chris Kunz from Canberra,David from Hobart, Julian Floyd (top man!), Phil Munnelly the 'feral Gooner' and several of the Blackburn Rovers supporters club. We definitely have something to work with, but just as the players on the field were to show signs of inexperience it was very much the same story in terms of the support situation. I hung my Swans (well Swans/Spirit flags over the fence but the red and white chequered one drew instant disapproval. Just goes to show how many people Sydney Utd have upset in their history of being in the league.Mahatma Dave started talking about how bad an away trip to Edensor Park is. John McCormack nearly went white. He thought I'd be making it all up.
The most annoying thing about the evening was not Tim Bailey as compare (surprisingly enough) but the band we had to put up with right near us al night. Sure, we clapped along sometimes but they tended to stifle the singing rather than compliment it. What we need is a Dutch-style brass brand smack bang in the Bob Stand so that the whole stand will get going. And so that some of the grandmas will not choose to sit there.But again things will develop with time. A fair amount of work is needed in getting the singing co-ordinated. But at least the interest is definitely there, as shown by the ground that was about 98% full, with most on the hill standing.
The match kicked off with the Spirit players running straight towards us to clap us. As there were no flags on sale yet it wasn't exactly a sea of colour, but one of my giant Swans (sorry Swans/Spirit) flags in an Austrian red white red design was hoisted over our heads, and even into the next bay. The Olympic supporters seemed to be mainly based on the hill but for the whole first half you couldn't hear anything from them. A couple did have Greek flags around their necks. I know Johnny Mac for one couldn't get over that. I'm told others were just plain staring at some of the Greek supporters who were listening to a woman singing in Greek on a tape recorder (more explanation Tancred). This is what soccer was like pre-Spirit. Wonderful, eh?
I will admit that despite the brawl the first half was pretty mediocre fare. Olympic did look the more dangerous of the two teams (Kalantzis), with Spirit offering little. Much to the delight of several of the Newcastle brigade standing with us in their Breakers shirts Clayton Zane poroved to be the clodhopper we'd predicted. The Spirit will need to look at getting a bit of pace in their forward line if they are to do well.
With the score 0-0 at the half the game did pick up a gear in the second. Unfortunately for us this was due to some childlike errors by our defence. Henderson was a big risk as custodian, and I will have to save did NOT look the goods. His kickouts rarely went more than 30 metres away. I'm looking forward with interest to seeing Peter Blazincic between the sticks. If anyone can update me on his situation I'd appreciate it. Someone said he was playing in China or something.
When Olympic put their two goals up the dorks on the hil suddenly broke into song. At least three flares were chucked on the pitch. Our reply was a cheeky "I'd rather be an Aussie than a Greek". People around us were chuckling at that. Nice to be in such an Australiocentric audience. Things got a bit flat in the second half as it became clear that the Spirit were behind the eight ball. But this actually sparked a revival from the lads. The very talented Marusic was starting to show his influence, whilst the rest of the team, especially Slater and Craney were putting in some really good crosses. But sadly the finishing was woeful, with things getting to an exasperating level when Cunico put one into the woodwork.
Probably the most telling aspect of the night was the last few minutes. With the Spirit down and the boofheads already breaking into the ouzo I broke into the traditional song of "Always look on the bright side of life!". It grew. Within long even the cardboard types were joining in. The culture of a club was being born before our eyes, despite the loss.
The match finished. Few people left which was nice on this inclement night. "The bright side of life" broke up again. The players came over to us which was nice.
All in all I'm a littled disapointed by things. But how many new clubs buckle under the expectations of being first gamers? I remember Newcastle Utd doing the same when they came back into the Premier League.A little crestfallen perhaps but I'll live. Just a bit disappointed that I didn't se my new team score a goal before I head off. Oh well, them's the breaks.
From now on I'll be the first member of the Vancouver Northern Spirit supporters club.At least there I won't be having Optus Vision cameras in my face all the time.
I'll be very curious to see how things develop with the club, both on and off the pitch.But one of the best memories I'l have from the match was when I was greeted in the ground by one of my friends from the Swans cheer squad, already resplendant in his Spirit cap. He said he would come to all the games. If this is so then the Northern Spirit will be Australian soccer's best asset yet.