AS I stumbled along Brunswick Street late Friday night, I was faced with the tough decision: Souvlaki King or Souvlaki Bar?

They’re essentially neighbours and both offer the lamb sandwich at a similar price. I liked the neon lights better at the King so, as I waited for my souva (extra garlic sauce naturally), I wondered how Melbournians would tackle a similar decision in regards to a second local team entering the A-League.

Last week, Frank and Ben reiterated their desire to have another Melbourne team for the 2010/2011 season. It was way too late to get stuck into the whole new team debate (and perhaps it’s a discussion for another time), so in between bites my thoughts turned to how awesome it would be to have a Melbourne derby.

You know, 100,000 football fans at the MCG watching Victory and [insert yet to be named franchise here]. Some garlic sauce dribbled down my front and I quickly came to my senses. I guess I can appreciate what the FFA is trying to do – they’re giving Melbourne a red hot go at having this marvellous spectacle and that has to be commended.

But it won’t happen overnight as most of the classic derbies around the world have truckloads of history...

Inter formed after splitting from Milan (one hundred years ago) over a feud about signing foreign players. Inter fans were also traditionally middle class while Milan was blue collar.

Atlético was formed by Basque students (1903) but a whole heap of disenchanted Real fans signed up too (1904). The class divide was also apparent with Real supporters perceived as the middle class and Atlético, the working class.

The Fla-Flu divide in Rio was a hearty row over management and money (1911).

In Manchester, the debate has raged for 120-plus years over which club has been more successful. Some fiery games have helped keep the rivalry bubbling along the way.

These infamous rivalries have all begun somewhere. I guess that’s the point. Ours is set to start in 2010 (or whenever the new team is announced). Sure it might take a while; five, ten or even more years for it to develop, but at least the FFA is laying the foundations for that history to begin.

All it takes is a little controversy, a few cracking games, a big name player to move across town. Multiply that by a whole heap of passionate matches, maybe half a dozen Championships shared between the teams and you can tell your kids/grandkids that you were there when it all began.

Sometimes you need a rival to bring out your best. History has proven that adversaries can coexist and prosper.

I wonder if Real would have been as successful without Atlético. Would Milan and Inter be so dominant without each other? Maybe Souvlaki King needs its Souvlaki Bar, and maybe the Victory needs its new neighbour?

Tristram is a Victory fan and wishes he could say that a knee injury curtailed his promising football career.