MOST crowds around the world are made up of two types of supporters.
I'm not talking about fans of the home team versus fans of the away team. Nor am I talking about the raucous touchline cheerers versus the chardonnay supporters in the sponsor seats. I'm talking about those who are there for love of the club compared to those there for love of the game.
The first group, if I've spent enough time on the FourFourTwo forums, make up the majority of the online community of fans. They are people that will cheer for their team no matter what. They will declare every new signing as the best of the season. They will happily gloat at the demise of their bitter rivals. Sometimes they will even take their passion unpleasantly far, as was the case when Sydney FC fans turned on their own Robbie Middleby for daring to sign for another club.
The second group aren't so interested in every newsworthy occurrence at their club. They don't care who the coach is or who the players are so long as they put on a decent show come match day. Winning is nice, but losing is ok so long as they get some entertainment for their match-day fare. Football is about witnessing the skill and theatrics of a match in a friendly atmosphere, possibly while having a beer with friends or sharing some time with the family.
Of course, no one person can be categorised as uniquely one way or the other. I myself can get quite fanatical about the Socceroos, and yet would definitely fall more into the latter category when it comes to the A-League. So long as the standard of football is decent, the seats are comfortable and the beer is cold I consider it a dollar well spent regardless of the result.
Many "hardcore" fans bemoan the presence of the "part-time" supporter. They boo them for leaving games early. They are offended that they won't wear the club's replica merchandise. They despair at the lack of noise those sections of the crowd produce. But the reality is that every fan is entitled to enjoy a match of football however he or she sees fit. Just as much of everyone's money goes into the club's coffers and ultimately helps improve the game in this country. The more part-time supporters the A-League can attract the better. For this reason alone, the FFA would be better opening up new markets- as it has done with Gold Coast and Townsville teams- rather than supply second teams to compete in Melbourne and Sydney.
For Gold Coast United, attracting the impartial supporter has been acknowledged. Miron Bleiberg's obsession with constructing a talented squad capable of playing flowing, attractive football is testimony to that. While a passionate and noisy crowd is a major advantage for a team, a full stadium makes a lot more ‘business sense' and getting every possible supporter on offer in the Gold Coast region will be necessary to achieve that. The more passionate sections will naturally follow.
Hopefully when they do, they will respect the benefit to the club they love that the crowd in its entirety has to offer.
