Heart's half-price deal to AFL fans

[aker39]

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/hearts-halfprice-deal-to-afl-fans-20100831-14fju.html

Heart's half-price deal to AFL fans
Michael Lynch
September 1, 2010

MELBOURNE Heart has failed in its bid to get its Saturday evening A-League game against North Queensland Fury shifted to earlier in the week in a bid to avoid a clash with the Collingwood-Western Bulldogs AFL qualifying final.

So the A-League new boys have decided if you can't beat them, join them, and are now offering any fans of the two AFL clubs with a ticket to Saturday night's MCG blockbuster half-price admission to the round-five AAMI Park game.

The Heart-Fury clash gets under way at 5.15, while the Pies-Dogs blockbuster starts at 7.20pm just across the road at the MCG - a tight deadline for anyone wanting to see all of both games.

Scott Munn, the Heart CEO, said the club had asked Football Federation Australia to move the game because it feared the crush on public transport and parking would make it harder for its fans to get to the match. When the game's governing body refused, Munn and his team came up with the idea to allow members of the two AFL clubs to get in for half price if they showed their membership cards at the AAMI gates.....

[soupman]

I'm up for that. Have been intending to go to their matches after the conclusion of the AFL season, but might jump in with this offer.

[bornadog]

If they pay me I might go:D

[OLD SCRAGGer]

If they pay me I might go:D



Still wouldn't go watch soccer...even if they paid me..HATE the game:)

[Topdog]

I wonder why either of you opened the thread....

[Stefcep]

Still wouldn't go watch soccer...even if they paid me..HATE the game:)

Why?

[BulldogBelle]

Absolutely fantastic initiative.

Definitely getting on board now where I wouldn't have otherwise.

[Desipura]

Why?


Still wouldn't go watch soccer...even if they paid me..HATE the game:)

I will take a guess at what P Webb will respond...
soccer is for gays
hate how they dive (as opposed to footy) :confused:
not enough goals as opposed to the Saints game plan ;)
its boring to watch see above

[bornadog]

I will take a guess at what P Webb will respond...
soccer is for gays
hate how they dive (as opposed to footy) :confused:
not enough goals as opposed to the Saints game plan ;)
its boring to watch see above

Spot on

[jazzadogs]

Trying to convince some mates to come with me...unfortunately, they're not coming to the Dogs game so it's proving a bit tricky.

Definitely a good idea though, it's like Storm for me. Always wanted to go to games, but never organised enough.

[LostDoggy]

I think it's a great idea. I hope they get a good crowd to the Heart game. :)

[LostDoggy]

What's the go here people -- are we Hearts or Victory people? It's tricky setting up two teams in the same town where both of them don't really have a specific identity.. they both sort of represent Melbourne, so you want to support both, and it's hard to hate either.. it's not like Liverpool and Everton where they represent different parts of society, or Real and Athletico Madrid, or Barcelona vs Espanyol, with socialist/monarchist overtones in those respective rivalries.

It's difficult, because we don't want to inflame any of the old NSL ethnic type crap, but it's a truism that a lot of the great soccer rivalries around the world are fought along class lines, or some historic ennui, or something or other.

Maybe Victory can be the real soccer fans team, and the Heart can be like the 'bandwagoner's' team, or vice versa. Or Victory can be the team of the working man, and the Heart is like the inner city fashionable team, or vice versa. You see why this is tricky? They could be anything to anyone. I mean, I'll hate Sydney first before hating either of the Melbourne clubs -- now THERE'S a derby.

[aker39]

What's the go here people -- are we Hearts or Victory people? It's tricky setting up two teams in the same town where both of them don't really have a specific identity.. they both sort of represent Melbourne, so you want to support both, and it's hard to hate either.. it's not like Liverpool and Everton where they represent different parts of society, or Real and Athletico Madrid, or Barcelona vs Espanyol, with socialist/monarchist overtones in those respective rivalries.

It's difficult, because we don't want to inflame any of the old NSL ethnic type crap, but it's a truism that a lot of the great soccer rivalries around the world are fought along class lines, or some historic ennui, or something or other.

Maybe Victory can be the real soccer fans team, and the Heart can be like the 'bandwagoner's' team, or vice versa. Or Victory can be the team of the working man, and the Heart is like the inner city fashionable team, or vice versa. You see why this is tricky? They could be anything to anyone. I mean, I'll hate Sydney first before hating either of the Melbourne clubs -- now THERE'S a derby.

Good post.


I have been to about 7 - 10 Victory games each year and all of their finals in Melbourne. I take my 8 year old son to the games.

After supporting an underdog team for all of my life, I was considering switching allegiances to the Heart. I asked my son if he wanted to barrack for the Heart, and he was straight to the point saying Dad, we can't swap teams. I was pleased to hear that from him and now know that however bad the dogs are going, he'll always be a dogs supporter.

[soupman]

What's the go here people -- are we Hearts or Victory people? It's tricky setting up two teams in the same town where both of them don't really have a specific identity.. they both sort of represent Melbourne, so you want to support both, and it's hard to hate either.. it's not like Liverpool and Everton where they represent different parts of society, or Real and Athletico Madrid, or Barcelona vs Espanyol, with socialist/monarchist overtones in those respective rivalries.

It's difficult, because we don't want to inflame any of the old NSL ethnic type crap, but it's a truism that a lot of the great soccer rivalries around the world are fought along class lines, or some historic ennui, or something or other.

Maybe Victory can be the real soccer fans team, and the Heart can be like the 'bandwagoner's' team, or vice versa. Or Victory can be the team of the working man, and the Heart is like the inner city fashionable team, or vice versa. You see why this is tricky? They could be anything to anyone. I mean, I'll hate Sydney first before hating either of the Melbourne clubs -- now THERE'S a derby.

I'm going to be a Heart supporter mainly because I feel I missed the boat with Victory. I've been meaning to attend but due to a number of factors including games on Friday nights (I can't go to these), having no interested mates and being disorganised I never have gone.

Heart however look to be playing Saturday nights, I have 1-3 mates who are all interested, 2 of which actually attend sporting events and I like the colours, signings and just the sound of it all.

[LostDoggy]

I'm going to be a Heart supporter mainly because I feel I missed the boat with Victory. I've been meaning to attend but due to a number of factors including games on Friday nights (I can't go to these), having no interested mates and being disorganised I never have gone.

Heart however look to be playing Saturday nights, I have 1-3 mates who are all interested, 2 of which actually attend sporting events and I like the colours, signings and just the sound of it all.

Nice and random.

I have a feeling it's going to be like this -- some people will just choose because they have to. Heart is supposed to be targeted at the outer Eastern suburbs, a soccer heartland of sorts, but lots of my mates from out that way already go for the Victory, as would have most of Melbourne's soccer people.

I have a feeling that whoever is the most successful at any one time will be the one having the more fans.

[LostDoggy]

After supporting an underdog team for all of my life, I was considering switching allegiances to the Heart. I asked my son if he wanted to barrack for the Heart, and he was straight to the point saying Dad, we can't swap teams. I was pleased to hear that from him and now know that however bad the dogs are going, he'll always be a dogs supporter.

Good kid.

[KT31]

Good post.


I have been to about 7 - 10 Victory games each year and all of their finals in Melbourne. I take my 8 year old son to the games.

After supporting an underdog team for all of my life, I was considering switching allegiances to the Heart. I asked my son if he wanted to barrack for the Heart, and he was straight to the point saying Dad, we can't swap teams. I was pleased to hear that from him and now know that however bad the dogs are going, he'll always be a dogs supporter.

Unlike your name sake.:D

[immortalmike]

Apart from not really being a big Soccer fan (due to my Italian heritage I used to love it but the overabundance of prima donnas and corruption turned me off plus I find myself getting a little bored watching it now especially after watching so much footy). I can't really get passionate about any A-League team as to me they all feel rather samey, corporate and soulless without any real history (not even a fake one like West Coast and Adelaide) or identity. So, I find myself very 'meh' about both the Heart and the Victory.

[soupman]

went to this with a couple of others and thought it was good fun.

Aami Park is a pretty cool stadium, for someone who is used to sitting on level 3 at the Dome you are so close to the action and its such a small stadium and pitch. We changed ends based on the direction the heart were going and the end with the big singing fan club was much cooler. Really loud, fun and a little abusive and I can only imagine how cool the crowd would be in the major European leagues.

Unfortunately though the stadium was pretty empty with only 4,000ish spectators but glad we went. The match was alright, had good bits and bad bits and a cool goal.

Going to such a small stadium however made me appreciate just how big the MCG was as we walked across. It is gigantic. Very impressive structure.