So... just putting it out there. Who here has followed Sydney FC from day one simply because it was the only Sydney team in the competition but are now looking forward to the Sydney Rovers coming into play and want to "switch support"? I'm a Western Sydney lad and know all too well that the Rovers are supposed to be more West-inclined than the City team that is Sydney FC. Some would argue that Sydney FC had their chances to appeal to the biggest catchment of football fans in Australia but lost their chance; only trying to really make up for it during this year's pre-season. Are any other FC supporters looking to become solid Rovers supporters when they enter the competition due to their Western ties?
There are plenty more like me, Z². My support for Sydney FC has been real; not the kind of thing you'd see from a plastic bandwagoner. I didn't stop cheering on Sydney FC after Season 1 because they didn't do shit. I didn't quit watching them last season when they were abysmal. At the end of the day they won't best represent who I am once the Rovers come to town, because the Rovers will be a Western Sydney team. I'm not from Cronulla... I'm not from Bondi. I'm not from the North Shore or Inner City. I'm a Western Sydney boy so it wouldn't feel right continuing to support Sydney FC when there's a team that is going to be about the Blacktowns, Penriths, Nepeans and Hawkesburys.
Lotsa 'wills' and 'is going tos' in that. SFC is not a eastern, southern, inner or northern team. We have fans in the mountains and beyond - and they aren't ditching. You're going for Rovers before they've signed a player, picked a stadium, or build a club spirit. All you're working on here is a logo and some marketing talk. They may turn out to be Westies par excellence and hand out winnie blues at the gate but right now they're still a brainstorming session on some whiteboard in Rowden's office. It seems weird to ditch a club you've been loyal to on the strength of some suit's promises.
I'm a westie CM- but I can't just switch after putting in four years of effort into FC. I'm sure there will be some who do switch and good luck to you all- but I'm a loyal person.
Well, Z² does have a point. There's nothing to say that the Sydney Rovers will be a truly 'Western' club; it is all conjecture and most of that comes from the fans themselves. However if it does turn out that this club will be based in Blacktown, Penrith or (God forbid), Campbelltown then it would be disloyal of me to barrack against a club I'd have more in common with than Sydney FC. I'd bet there are a lot of Sydney FC supporters that are from the Mountains and beyond who aren't switching... but for the life of me it'd seem as though that they're truly the not-so-loyal ones if they're willing to go against a real Western team just for the sake of keeping up appearances and following an Inner City team. Let's not fob around here. Sydney FC is a Sydney team - first and foremost. It's not a Western Sydney team, it's not a team for Penrith, the Hills Districts or the South West; and the Greater West. It's for 'The Cove', the ex-Northern Spirit folk and everyone who's close to the SFS. If I had to choose between a Western team and Sydney FC in season one, it would be a Western team all the way; however I didn't have the comfort of that choice back then, so why should we be criticised for it now ?
I know a lot of people in the western suburbs who support Sydney FC by default more than desire. There's undeniably been a neglect of the west in SFC's overall strategy, and a lot of people are dissatisfied with that. The SFS is not that accessible to a large portion of the Sydney population. In that sense I wouldn't accuse them of abandoning their club for one that doesn't have a logo or colours or a name or players. Because for them, SFC has never been 'their' club. It's more like the start of the A-League for them - or like for football fans in Townsville who traded the Roar for the Fury. I'm sure there'll be quite a number of western-dwelling rusted-on fans who have genuinely developed a love of the light blues though.
why is there anything particular about Cronulla that deserves this effect that other parts of Sydney dont in your view?