I always thought Bling FC didn't work for Sydney because they haven't been Blingy since season 2?

I was once a big supporter of Sydney FC, particularly the first 3 seasons. Season 1 was awesome, and I really felt that the club represented ALL of Sydney. I would regularly travel from the Blue Mountains for games and was not fazed. Sydney FC attracted supporters from everywhere. The club had the best players and it seemed to have the money to make itself into an asian powerhouse. Many people actually didn't mind the bling, because it would mean Sydney FC could conquer asia.

At the end of season 1 anything seemed possible.

Since then, the club has shot itself in the foot so many times it's unbelievable. Many people became disillusioned. The club has sacked coach after coach, CEO after CEO. It hasn't done what was required to hang on to all the fans generated in season 1. There is discontent amoung the football fans of Sydney. The question has been growing louder and louder since season 1. The question is "does Sydney FC represent me?". Many people say yes, but many people also say no, particularly those people in the west, far away from Moore Park. Many fans feel forgotten by the club.

If Sydney FC held onto me as a season 1 fan, maybe I would be sticking with the club now, despite me being from the west. But the reality is that a Western Sydney club is far more attractive, not only as an alternative to Sydney FC, but as a club that will bring out my passion.

The point I make is that originally Sydney FC marketed itself as the "asian powerhouse" club. Therefore it made sense for ALL of Sydney to get behind it. But reality soon hit the club hard, the reality being that Sydney FC didn't become the regional powerhouse as promoted, and that it is mighty hard for one club to represent ALL of Sydney.

Sydney is just too big for one club to claim everything. Sydneysiders are too tribal to travel across town to see a club play, particularly if they don't feel they're being represented by that club. A Western Sydney club therefore makes so much sense.

Edited by jowel: 3/4/2012 10:26:37 AM

I think there's plenty of room there, though the running track might have to go.
And I doubt there is really any need for 4 softball fields anymore. I'm sure at least one could be sacrificed for more parking.
What they would need to do is find a way to make a footpath from Rooty Hill station to the park. At the moment even walking you have to follow the road all the way down to Eastern Rd and walk back up. When the Sydney Blue Sox play they run a shuttle bus, but as the crow flies it's not that far from the station if there was a direct route.

Parramatta Stadium should be the ground its as simple as that.Its 20,000 is already good enough and its walking distance from a train station and also walking distance from bars and nightclubs.
I dont see any negatives apart from the club not having a car park big enough for non members but there is plenty of parking nearby.

There must be enough room somewhere there because its where the World Cup stadium was to go and the 2036 Metropolitan strategy lists it as a site for possible development of a rectangular stadium.

The Master Plan strengthens the access from the city in Stage 1 with dedicated walkways etc.

I think you guys might be talking about two different venues, Blacktown football park (home of Blacktown Spartans and the Blacktown sports complex off the M7. I thought the article was about Spartans new home field.

Have fun lads

To be fair, I don't think many West Sydney fans would agree with the way your club was treated and the fact we are taking your spot in the league, would have loved the away trip to the Gold Coast.

Ugh Ajohn conundrum

Now i got hope again lol.My only concern is that the FFA i believe will choose to play a few games at ANZ if not all which will be a huge mistake but overall id just be happy to have a team.
Fingers crossed.

+1

Guys email the articles about not playing at ANZ. get it out there that we dont want to play out of that staduim

Both have their address as Eastern Rd Rooty Hill. I'd be interested in more detail of the Spartans home ground and actual location if anyone has it. I've found an article about the $6.8m development it had but it didn't have a location.

the spartans home ground is across the road from blacktown olympic park. its actually right near aquilina reserve, to get into the spartans home ground you need to turn into the same driveway/side road as for aquilina reserve

I know we've covered names extensively, I have two more suggestions.

Cumberland Sydney.

It sounds kind of weird at first, like saying Fulham London, but it is a possibility.. it shows the local area being represented (which is technically still large enough for people to not feel marginalised), it allows for expansion later when other areas of Sydney are large enough for an A League team, and is still internationally recognisable due to having Sydney in the name. People would end up just calling it Cumberland or a nickname, but officially it would be Cumberland Sydney.. it is kind of similar to Manly-Warringah/Canterbury-Bankstown in a way, obviously they have nicknames to go with it, and that is still possible with this name.

And if you don't like that:

West Sydney Cucumbers.

Sounds vaguely like Cumberland, which is the area it would be representing, and then all the media can have a field day with "Cool as a Cucumber" type headlines.. imagine if Harry Kewell came back to Western Sydney! "Kewell as a Cucumber".. headline writes itself really. They could have a giant cucumber as a mascot, handing out vegetables to children at games, good club message/philosophy about eating healthy.

:D

Sydney Partisan FC for me.
A white home strip with a little bit of red and black.

lol @ cucumbers,i wouldnt be supporting them if thats what they were called.

x2. Being a semi-regular visitor to Sydney, even I know that for the 2 sides to share the SFS or worse still Homebush would be a disaster.

Welcome to the HAL, BTW:cool: Hope to high heaven you make a better fist of it than Clive & Co.

Exitement levels?

so torn.
about bloody time we got a team, so excited.
but trying to remain calm cos of what happened with the rovers.
cant help but get excited for it

I've been waiting for a community based elite level football club in western Sydney for about 40 years. Pity I don't live there now but they will be my team and I'll fly up for two or three games a year and over to Melbourne for a few of their away games.

Congrats on the new team, being part of a club from the start as if finds its feet and then grows and sharing it with people who have that common interest for the club and the game is a great experience and really enjoyable.

Edited by kapow!: 4/4/2012 02:56:14 PM

Dear West Sydney and fans,

As a Sydney fan I promise to hate you with a passion. You are all bogans and the last time you took a bath was in 1993 (for some of you that was a baby bath). I will look down on you the way we look down on Newcastle scum.

I also couldn;t be happier with today's announcement, it's long overdue. Hope it's a massive success on and off the park and you guys tap into football's heartland.

I look forward to the rivalry for many years to come.

Oh and please stop beating your wives.

That is all.

Imagine 90minutes of the cove on one side, western Sydney on the other...

Well I guess this thread can stay alive then huh? :cool:

So much of this teams success depends on where the homes games are played from, for the A-Leagues sake I hope they use Parra Stadium.

Every cop in the country gets to work that night :lol:

Kebabs in the west, lattes In the east.

Welcome to the A-League, West Sydney.
As a Melbourne Victory fan, I hope you run all over your eastern brothers and sisters.
For me, I dislike Sydney FC > Heart > Pissants > West Sydney Housos.
Will travel up if we play you in Parramatta. But wouldn't waste my money to see a game at Homebush.

Wessties will stop beating their wives just as soon as you lot stop abusing your kids.