Why coz were the only group of fans, that believe in true Active Support, whom are Against Modern Football, and who stick it to the authorities when they discriminate.
Because we actually stand up for ourselves?
Cant imagine your sad view of what fans should be like.

Edited by LickMyLovePump: 13/1/2010 03:38:08 PM

Everything you say is valid.

Sporting Melbourne and Melbourne Heart were two that I liked also.

I have high hopes that we will be bringing in a top quality marquee player through the contacts of Van't Schip. Either that or we will be getting a few young players on loan from Ajax who will blow this league apart. I wouldn't be too surprised if there will be a link between the Heart and Ajax in the future. Would be great for the A-League to have a power of the game be involved some how.

I think Red and White hoops will look brilliant if that's what they choose also. I hope it is anyway.

Lots of possibilities for the new club, hope to see you at the games mate! \:d/

Yep I'll be there. Have really enjoyed watching the MRS being built and can't wait to see it up and running. Looks like it'll be a great venue for football!

Looking at the advent of Heart into Melbourne as an outsider this is what I see.

Currently Victory play 13 or 14 home games a year with say 22,000 average crowd with 1 or 2 blockbusters against Sydney FC with 30,000 there. That is 309,000 spectators a year on average. Add Heart into the equation. Victory plays 15 home games a year with say 20,000 average crowd with 1 or 2 blockbusters against Sydney FC and 1 or 2 blockbusters against Heart with 30,000 there. That is 330,000 spectators a year on average for Victory or a 6.8% increase in attendance for Victory. Victory = Winner.

Heart will play 15 home games a year with say 10,000 average with 1 or 2 minor blockbusters against Sydney FC with say 15,000 there and 1 or 2 blockbuster games against Victory with 30,000 there. That is 187,500 spectators a year on average. That would make them the second biggest drawing club in the League. Heart = Winner.

Between them Heart and Victory will draw 517,500 spectators to their home games which is an increase of 208,500 or 67% over Melbourne attendances now. A-League = Winner: Football = Winner.

=d> =d> =d> =d> =d>

Well put, 10,000 spectators is a reasonable estimate although I think it will regularly be 12-15,000. An increase in attendance is good for the game and will provide an added bargaining chip when the TV rights are negotiated.

I am one who shall be supporting Melbourne Heart.
I have been impressed with most of the things they have set up so far, and after having a chat with Scott Munn I was impressed with the way they plan to do things.

Can you give us any indications to what that was? Lots of people feel in the dark about the club still!

Benjamin - drums sure as hell are annoying if you're not into yelling your ass off. Also sucks, if you're too close. They're not so bad when you are further away though.

I've always hated drums. Instruments of any kind at the match for that matter. I like chanting to be 'pure'. Used to love standing in the middle of it on the Fulwell End at Roker Park, or in any number of visiting enclosures around England - songs, frequently very funny ones ('Who needs Cantona when we've got Dickie Ord!', which is REALLY funny when you know how Dickie Ord used to play)... Loved it!

Instruments always seemed to me to be the resort of those who can't remember the words or create an atmosphere without them. ;)

I'd love this to be the case, however - you can only play the slick passing Dutch style if you have slick passing Dutch standard players... Witness Pim Verbeek's limitations with the national team - then understand that the national side, even the A-League select, is the best available, and JVS won't have that.

And if he DID manage that, then he'd have to start over next season, because all the players would be able to earn much more overseas.

Mate, if he can get an A-League side playing slick passing football, end-to-end, for the whole season... Give him Pim's job!

The difference here obviously is that JVS will have his team in training EVERY DAY, where as Pim has a handful of days throughout the year. Pim can't really do much in the 3-4 days during training camp.

Heart might not play sexy football from the start, but you would hope that by the end of the season, he may have had some impression on the ability of some of these players.

And waste the opportunity to develop our youth into excellent footballers? No thanks.

You want him developing a few kids a year, in one city, or taking the entire nation to footballing heights we've never seen before?

John Van't Schip will be a revelation in this league, I have no doubts.

The talk about him bringing this slick passing game is valid, it will be, but in perspective to the players he has. Please don't forget his job is not to be as good as Arsenal, it is to be the best team in the A-League. Perspective. If he can make us the most entertaining team in the competition whilst winning trophies in this league, that's what he is here to do. A slick passing game plan is still what we all want, but lets have some perspective please.

I thank our lucky stars we have appointed a man of his caliber and I think fans around the country should applaud an appointment like this. It will no doubt lift the profile of the HAL around his country, which means only good things, and more importantly with that profile, we can hopefully attract bigger and better names both on the field and as coaches.

This is a pioneer appointment by the Heart organisation. Long may it continue around the league.

I think the drums (if permitted) would be good but I agree they need to be used in transition with traditional chants. I believe they can compliment chants and songs.

BTW the most annoying instrument has to be that John Portsmouth Football Club guy who rings that frickin' bell throughout the entire match. It's annoying just watching on the tv - being at the game must be excruciating.

I say bring on the heart beats but don't over do it. For a club that will have fewer support than our local rival - I think the drums will help create atmosphere early days then it's a case of building a bigger repertoire of chants and songs (with more fans) to compliment.

With respect to our passing style of play... agree you can only play as well as your squad allows. But even at a local level the style of play demanded by the coach (and JvS is from the best school in passing and movement) is evident amongst sunday hackers.

Also - I'd prefer R+W stripes - the hoops will make us fans look porkier than we are :lol:
I just hope they haven't gone with some 'fancy' design to try and appeal - keep it simple. BTW I reckon Wellington have the best strip of current clubs.

That'll do - discuss...

The drums are "Drum Chants". Made with the mouths of supporters, not actual drums although could accompany on a small scale.\:d/
Slow Boooooooooooom or Boom Boom Boom would be done in unison with the voice box, along side traditional type meeeeelbourne Heaaaaarts. 9think long english soccer style.=d>

Ah, drum chants? I see. I still think a bass drum in the hands of a non-idiot would serve well. I do recall hearing a CCM game where the drummer just didn't stop. Annoying.

What about foghorns?

It doesn't matter who you are playing AGAINST, if you are attempting to play a slick passing game it's YOUR skills that matter. Players with poor technical skills can not pass it around just because they are playing against lesser defenders - you still have to be able to collect and control the ball, know where you are passing it and then pass it with the correct weight and direction. If you don't have the relevant skill-set you will end up putting balls to the opposition or out of play way too often.

This is the problem Van't Schip will face. Best of luck to him and I really hope he pulls it off.

Early on this season we saw a lot of slick passing from Gold Coast, but once teams realised what they were doing, they had to alter things and we've seen a far more typical A-League side for the majority of the season (albeit a more effective one than most).

All the talk of Ajax, and the Van't Schip factor, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the strip is mainly white with one thick red strip down the middle, perhaps at a jaunty angle to avoid claims of copying.

Understand your point mate, but the recruiting drive is exactly that, getting players - in A-League standard - that can pass the ball around and play the way the coach wants.

What the Gold Coast did or are not doing is their business.

It's a perspective thing. Guys are talking like it's mission impossible to achieve this in the A-League, because I feel they expect something that is not being said. We will play a style that represents a slick passing, entertaining game, but in respect to A-League standard.

It was said when Van't Schip was appointed he will bring in players who can fit the mold of what he wants to achieve. So in A-League standard, not Ajax standard, not Arsenal standard, not Barcelona standard, but A-League standard, he will bring this style of game.

So long as the recruiting is right, and so far it has to be said it has been with Heffernan and Thompson being talked about playing as defenders and Sarkies has the ability at this level to pass the ball well, so far it looks like they are sticking to the philosophy. Heffernan has said that he was told he will be playing as a Center Back and Thompson as a right or left back. Both you would say have good ball control and good passers of the ball in respect to A-League standard for those positions.

Along way to go but this is not unachievable, just needs everyone to have some perspective on what is being said here.

On our strip, I am desperately hoping for a Red and White Hoop look, similar to Bayern, or if anyone saw the Reading game this morning on Setanta, that look with the red and white instead of the blue and white. Awesome look and really different to what everyone else has.

Just on our style of play and recruiting drive:

http://www.melbourneheartsyn.com/default.aspx?s=aleague_newsdisplay&id=31945

"The last two months I have spent scouting in Europe have passed so quickly that I can’t believe I will be returning to Melbourne so soon.

Since leaving Australia, I have had the opportunity to watch matches in many leagues, including the Eredivisie in Holland and La Liga in Spain, to see whether there were players with the quality and sense of adventure to play in the A-League.

This has led to discussions with some players who have shown an interest in the A-League. Through these meetings, I have developed the belief that players are really opening up to the opportunity of playing down under, with the performances of the Socceroos and the reputation of players like Robbie Fowler lifting the league’s profile.

As I have explained in the past, I hope to implement a 4-3-3 formation derived from my time at Ajax, which has since been adopted by a number of clubs throughout the world, including FC Barcelona."

I really cannot be impressed more by John Van't Schip, the bloke is class personified and has the contacts to lure some very good players to the A-League. He is a level above anything we have seen come to the A-League.

Looks like he is coming back just in time....the rumors an announcement on the name happening next week looks to be true.

Anyone who has skills to play in the A-League should be able to play a good standard passing game. Too often in the A-League movement, or lack of movement is the problem that hinders most teams. Watching teams pass the ball out of the defence is painful, as the opposition retreats too often the team with the ball resort to the hoof to counteract the opponent getting numbers behind the ball.
If Van't Schip can get his players to be more patient in their build up play then he will have achieved the goal. Playing like Arsenal or Barcelona is unachievable but playing a clean, crisp style of football is very achievable.

Yeah? Where'd ya hear that?

On the Heart Syn Website - he's coming back to Melbourne - I'd say an announcement of some sort is coming :)

Edited by forbze: 14/1/2010 11:44:59 PM

Yeah, that's speculation though. I'm asking about the rumour. From what I'm aware, someone's on holiday and they come back next week, which may mean it gets done. But that's speculation again.

Edited by notveryclever: 14/1/2010 11:49:37 PM

Through the grapevine mate.

I heard that it will be all sorted this week and it is all ready to go for next week.

We will see, don't take it as 100% though, could be wrong, but it is a coincidence that Van't Schip has been told to return this week. Makes you assume an announcement could happen.

Let's hope so anyway.

Good to see we have somebody with some contacts. Thanks for that.

I reckon all this talk of JVS and his connections with Ajax are interesting. The thought of a possible sister-club relationship would no doubt benefit us and the HAL in general. So I did a bit of checking into who Ajax is already affiliated with.

Obviously their most closely connected team is Ajax Capetown. They're an extension of a youth program in Capetown and play in the South African Premier Soccer League. Most notable player to come through the ranks here is Steven Pienaar.

The others are you more typical sister-club relationship where you often see players loaned between clubs etc. They'll also usually share scouting information where relevant. So here's a list of clubs Ajax are connected with:
Beijing Guoan (Chinese Super League)
HFC Haarlem (Eerste Divisie - Dutch 2nd div)
FC Volendam (Eerste Divisie)
FC Omniworld (Erste Divisie)
Palmeiras (Brazilian Serie A)
Stafford Rangers FC (Blue Square North)

So of these six clubs, three are Dutch and three are international. Of all these clubs only ONE of them has Ajax players on loan. Haarlem has something like 6 Ajax players (i can't read dutch and there are conflicting wiki pages) and currently sit in last place in their league. Other than that no sister-clubs currently have Ajax players on loan. Ajax have three Brazilians, one Chinese, one South Korean and one South African in their youth team. Their first XI does not contain any player from China, Brazil, England or South Africa.

In my opinion Ajax are the winners in these agreements with sister-clubs. We shouldn't expect Melbourne Heart to strike up an agreement and suddenly see three dutch boys running rings around the rest of the HAL. It's clear Ajax only like to loan their players to Haarlem. They'll probably take one of our best youth players. On a positive, we'll probably end up with another 5,000 fans simply because of the media coverage. But I don't think we should be expecting much more than that as it doesn't seem likely.