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.

You can follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

https://twitter.com/#!/OLY4HAL

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Olympic-for-the-A-League-by-OU/303030986389292

-_-

I like amny others would be hesitant to let old baggage back but are these guys an option? Not familiar with the geography of NSW sides but does Olympic have connection with the west of the city?

Naive question probably but it might fill in a gap for others too.

Hi Mate - the interesting thing is the "old baggage" is something that grates Olympic supporters. We see it as an outdated stereotype that media and people get bogged down in.

At our last fan meeting people were clearly denounced this - saying "we are all Aussies". In fact, the fan meeting was attended by people of various backgrounds, and if you go today to Olympic matches you will see many people of various backgrounds, be it Australian, European, Middle Eastern and Asian.

All live in SW Sydney and take an interest.

Olympic would canvasss support from all areas - its strongest affinity running from the South East to the South West.

Our life members are football people who love the club and bleed blue and white. They dropped $16 million inot the club - and that was over 15 years ago!

The potential support is there the infrastrucure is there and they can run a financially tight model.

Edited by olympic1: 21/2/2012 01:04:58 PM

I'm all for it. Best of luck.

Technically they're South West. Sydney United, Marconi and Parramatta are West.


I read this Blog a few days ago and with the state of the A-League, I think FFA really do need to give the clubs up to the owners 100% live by the sword die by the sword and let anyone who can afford to join come in.

If Olympic can meet the minimum spend and stay withnin the Salary cap and can help grow the game bring it on. But they have to accept that if they cannot they like everyone else will fold.

Thank you mate. We are running a postive bid. Of the people for the people.

This is not a franchise - it is a community team, a football family and we love people to get on baord.

The fans are driving it and the board is ready to step in if the time is right. From speaking with our new fans, we have actually found our history is part fo the appeal. Est 1957 - they love it - they also love the community feel of the club - we are all moving forward together.

Well said Rocknerd.

The club has survived over 5 decades so they are doing something right. The minimum requirements by some reports vary. Clive hinted yesterday his licence was $500,000, while others say $6 mill.

Either way - our boutqie stadium, a recommendation of a couple of reports over the past decade is something the FFA should embrace. It does not cost the world. It also has that great suburban atmosphere. Belmore holds over 20,000 people - but even with a crowd of 6,000 it can have an amazing atmosphere.

good to have a viable alternative to the franchises that have been introduced into the game. The panel on TWG last night danced around calling the A-League a failure while Buckley was calling it a wonderful success story; its like the world's worst-kept secret that everybody knows about but nobody wants to admit on camera.

What's impressive about Olympic is that they've been going about their business, they havent simply given up and accepted being a feeder club or decided to fae into insignificance in the State Leagues. They have one of Australia's best youth academies at any level, whose Technical Director is a UEFA Licenced coach with a wealth of experience. Olympic's home at Belmore has recently undergone a $10m facelift and is a wonderful boutique stadium with seating for 9,000 and a great community vibe; anyone at the NSWPL Grand Final knows how electric a 12,000+ crowd is at Belmore, especially with a line from the gate to the road trying to get in.

What's most impressive is how steadily this bid is gaining both legitimacy and momentum. This isnt a gimmick and its not a cameo. This is a club hungry for glory putting in the right investment in human capital as players and staff to reignite the existing fanbase and get new people to fall in love with the club. Olympic is the Belmore team, the team for aspiring youth players wanting to make it to Europe, its the club of all the Olympic fans of years past, its where all these people can meet and unite in an A-League world.

its 1 million for the licence (though you have the option to pay 500k upfront and the rest a little latter)
the 6 million is the budget of the club for the first year

Olympic is already a $1.5m business in State League, sure $6m is a significant step up but so is the exposure of being at the top again as well.

Thank you mate. Yes this is where I hear different messages. I have been told by one club official that it is $6 mill plus another $5 mill on top. While others have echoed your sentiments.

Either way - Olympic can do this. Our fans are our heart and soul, not dollar signs. They have carried Olympic and we know want these fans, and all who love football and want a 2nd Sydney team to join us. If we shout loud enough the FFA will hear us!

The key is a postive bid. We can do this.

Edited by olympic1: 21/2/2012 01:47:00 PM

Olympic would be a force for stability in the A-league. A financially tight, stable model.

It may grate but it's a perception for many and mostly in this world for many perception is reality. However I'm coming around to the the idea.

I have been following football for a very long time but I in no way felt drawn, welcomed or connected to the NSL because I didn't 'fit'. We all know what that means. Now I think that has died down a lot (not gone, but mostly receded). What I haven't seen is the receding of a lot of the old hangers on who revelled in the piss-ant politics that was the ultimate downfall of the NSL. Any of these clowns come near a bid and I would be down on it sharpish. We have found enough clowns in the A-league with Jabba without resurrecting those zombies.

The A-league is a bit manufactured but it has allowed people like myself access. And many more. The attendence figures don't lie. That's not to say it's perfect and we can't learn. You stop learning then you die, but learning is a two way street.

Good luck and I will be watching with interest.

Would this hamper their bid do you think? Would the above supporters follow such a team and therby put a potential 'cap' on their support?

Also could the above three teams (four if Olympic joined) combine and put a bid up themselves. Obviously politics would be horrendous but from an economic point (infrastructure, community connection etc) of view it would be gold. If it would help get a clean skin on the board as CEO with deciding vote etc?

Edited by RedTillDead: 21/2/2012 02:27:34 PM

I'm not sure what you are asking, can you try rephrasing your question?

community club, i am all for it, good luck with the bid!

Cause ur not from Sydney I'll explain it to u. Western Sydney takes up 1/3rd of Sydney, and majority of it is rugby territory. Only Liverpool and Fairfield districts are footballing areas of western Sydney, and they only take up about 1/4 of western Sydney. As u can see, it's not a great vast region begging for a league. However, Liverpool and Fairfield of western Sydney is a heartland Without a doubt. Olympic on the other hand is on the junction of another 3 regions of Sydney that makes up the other heartland of football. These being st George district, Canterbury-Bankstown region, and inner-west region. These 3 connecting areas forms a heartland that many socceroos came from and 3 ex-NSL Clubs coming from one of these regions each (St George Budapest, APIA and Olympic.) Olympic represents all 3 regions and all 3 regions have a boutique stadium each. Inner-West have Leichardt Oval where West Tigers play + former home of Olympic. Canterbury-Bankstown have Belmore Sports ground, current home of Olympic. st George have OKI Win at Kogarah, where st George dragons play and former home ground for Olympic.

The advantage Olympic has over a West Sydney franchise is that one of two heartlands of football in Sydney are represented, but it's with a safe bid due to infrastructure already in place, an existing supporters base and life members. For me this is a no brainer, rather then the FFA taking another risk with a franchise. Olympic has survived the perils of the NSL and State League demonstrating its a sustainable model.

Minimalisitix- I don't go in here much so I apologise if you have had this question before. If it happened that Olympic were in the A-League instead of a new West Sydney franchise. Would you be happy with fans of clubs such as Sydney United, Marconi, ex NSL and NSWPL clubs etc jumping ship and supporting Olympic? Would they be welcome?

A West Sydney franchise has the ability to combine and unite certain parts of Western Sydney and I have my doubts if Olympic would be as accomodating?

Honest question.

Personally I hope to see it, and i hope the FFA gives Olympic a fair go and the same oppurtunity as everyone else to make it in the a-league

with the greatest of respect olympic might lie within three geographic regions with strong footballing culture and participation but the vast majority of those in the stgeorge region would call syd fc their home team and always will, regardless of whether they show up to games, ditto inner west.

to say that the western football heartland is confined to fairfield and liverpool is way off the mark. theres an equal argument for strength out at blacktown which has been strengthened by recent infrastucture works at blacktown. granville association spans across parramatta and has a very strong base as well. and then theres penrtih, the great smokey but with equal potential.

if ever there was a place to plant a second a-league team in sydney, it would be further west of olympic and belmore.

ive seen many references to the resilience of olympic and i give them credit for that as there have been lean times to go with the highs of last year. its still a massive massive jump from funding a state league outfit to an a-league outfit and thats a jump tooo great for olympic.

This.

Taking nothing away from Fairfield/Liverpool but the entire region is strong.

Alex Poulos has been busy making lots of multi accounts to support this idea.

Absolutely horrific idea - I'd rather Clive extended his license for a hundred years than have this bunch of mono-ethnic knobs with moronic ultras back at the top level.

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Good luck to Olympic... think I speak for all United fans when I say that there's no hope in hell that we'd ever support Olympic in any capacity. I doubt that many would support a new WS club, let alone Olympic.

I'm sure that most Olympic fans wouldnt want to see United fans amongst them supporting Olympic. If they disagree and would be happy to see us supporting them in the stands, then they're no better than the franchises that they currently ridicule constantly.

And here come all the haters to ruin a perfectly sensible thread

I was thinking the same thing. As anyone who's been on this forum for more than 2 years knows, i am not a fan of the Mono ethnic teams and have previously lauded the demise of the NSL.

But we do need to look at the facts and that is anyone who can stump up the funds SHOULD be allowed in to the league and ALL clubs should be the sole property of their owners. THe way the FFA have been running things has failed all Football fans and they continue to cut off their nose to spite their face with the dog chasing a bone that is Western Sydney. If FFA work half as hard finding the last dollars for Canberra we'd have a Capital team by now.

Good luck I say and if they can't raise the funds or get the support needed then at least they tried rather than accepting what has been assumed.

1. No I don't want United fans with us.
2. You're disillusioned of you think United fans would follow any other club/franchise except their own.
3. If Marconi, BWE or anyone else were to jump on board that would be fine and I would welcome them.



You're wrong, I'm in blacktown area at least 3x a week, I know it well. It's rugby territory. So it penrith and so is parramatta. There's still football there but nothing like Liverpool or Fairfield.



No.



I dont want u pricks anywhere near us. And what people here have to realise is that it's not ethnic reasons we hate each other, but rather it's a rivalry in every sense that can be attached to football. Not some plastic manufactured rivalry of Sydney FC vs Victory, Victory vs Heart or CC vs Newcastle. It's a rivalry that emerged over years of games played between the two clubs, not something that the administrative bodies told us who our rivals will be, unlike in the A-league

West Sydney 1 Sydney Olympic 0

That is why Olympic will never be in the A-League. We need a club that will represent all of West Sydney, not just certain nationalities and their egos.

Edited by busbybabe: 21/2/2012 05:28:45 PM

NO ETHNIC TEAMS IN THE A-LEAGUE....EVER!!!!