Hi All. Below is a statement from grassroots football fans.
Let me begin by saying this is an exciting time for Sydney Olympic. Football in Australia continues to go from strength to strength.
We, the fans have made it our stated aim, to do all we can to get our beloved team into the A-league. Rest assured, the Sydney Olympic board possesses the same ambition as the fans, to play in Australia's premier footballing competition. It would be an injustice to ourselves, our club and our great footballing history to desire anything less.
At the core of the movement is something special. The supporters. Each individual that carries the clubs flame within them is a part of that enduring ideal that is Sydney Olympic. This is a movement of the fans. The driving principles of the bid are; community, family, passion and history.
Sydney Olympic represents the Australia's footballing history over the past half century. It's triumphs and it's struggles. We are interwoven into the fabric of Australian Football, an intrinsic and inseperable part of the game's history, it's present and its future.
We are proudly Australian, being the only team, of all teams in the A-league and NSWPL to display the Australian Flag on its sleeve. At our most recent fans meeting were supporters who had recently become dyed in the wool Olympic fans. I asked one of them what is was that drew him to Olympic. He said it was the clubs community and sense of history. The fact that it was a grass roots team. We refuse to be boxed in by dated stereotypes and have had the honour of welcoming fans of all backgrounds to our family.
And here is the main thrust of our bid. We see ourselves as a team of the people. We welcome fans of all backgrounds, old and new. We believe our history is something we should be proud of. Not something that should be swept under the rug. It is in fact, an asset that draws people to us. To the fans, we promote ourselves as a family, not a franchise. Bottom up not top down. We seek to bring both disenfranchised and new fans into the A-league, and into our stands. In short, we like to think of ourselves as promoting those qualities, which fans want.
We are under no illusion that we face a herculean task. But if the FFA chooses to embrace us, they would be sending a clear message to the Australian footballing community that Australia's footballing heritage is being embraced. It is therefore also a fantastic opportunity for the FFA.
Apart from the intangible assets, Olympic also has many other strengths. We have a ground, infrastructure, and people with years of footballing knowledge. We also have life members who love the club, and in the past have contributed millions of dollars to the club. By getting more and more fans to support us, we can go a long way to convincing both the FFA and the life members (as well as any other potential investors) to get on board. In short - if people want it - it can happen.
We will employ a variety of strategies. From initiatives launched online (we have an active Facebook page and Twitter Account, as well as a fans forun), to old fashioned "role up your sleeves and get out there in the community" projects. We have to let people know that we are here, and we want them to join us and to contribute. Over 10,000 people at the NSWPL Grand Final is an indication of the potential support that is out there. We already have an existing fan base that can be built upon.
We are seeking to meet (and already have met) with groups out there who also seek a second Sydney A-league club. We want to build bridges. To mount a positive bid. To give to the people, that which they have desired for so long.
Our initiatives are designed to have a cumulative effect. Every week is important, every week we will move forward just a little. We more and more people Olympic games. We see the Brett Emerton Cup against Sydney FC later this year as a chance to make a huge statement. We want Belmore to be packed and rocking.
Importantly it is the fans who are the heart and soul of football and the fans will drive this. We are all football people with footballing knowledge. Clive Palmer came out publically denouncing Football - (yes granted a result of various frustrations). Contrast this however to the statement made by Olympic President George Giannaros: "I love the game, my club, our community and our fans".
Our ultimate goal is to once again hear the chant "O-LYM-PIC" reverberate around Belmore as Olympic takes the field at the highest level of competition in Australia.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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