I blame Robbie Slater. As soon as he turned up in the Kendall Bar before the match to give us the unofficial thumbs-up, I knew we were somehow doomed.
And when he started reminiscing with Lawrie about the NSL, making jokes like "anyone want to buy some cheap shares in a football club ?" you could almost hear the Mariners' balls bouncing off the woodwork.
Sure, it was a nice idea to bring together Arnie, Lawrie and Robbie to meet the fans before such a big match, but the football gods had other ideas. Bringing together three former coaches/players from "the club that must not be named" was just asking for trouble.
And after witnessing one of the unluckiest matches the Mariners have ever played, who could fail to notice that the curse of North Sydney Oval loomed dark and heavy as the clouds over Bluetongue last Saturday night ?
Or maybe I'm to blame. Last week I gave Arnie a big gold star, this week we just can't find the back of the net. Before the Grand Final in 2008 I gave Lawrie a similar seal of approval and we all know what happened next. Maybe I should try pointing out the coach's shortcomings like any normal fan.
All I know is that I went home with a heavy heart on Saturday and lay awake half the night tormented by other people's questions. Should Griffiths have started instead of Hutcho ? Was Perez less than sparkling ? Could Amini have been subbed sooner ? Should we put more youngsters on the pitch next week ? I was still pondering on Sunday morning and ended up dismally staring at burnt toast.
Having looked forward to this match for so many weeks and really believed this team could at least hold Roar to a draw, I was absolutely crushed with disappointment. No-one minds being beaten by a superior team on the night, but that wasn't what happened. The score-line did not accurately reflect how well we played and if we had put one of many shots away in the first half (Pedj, McGlinchey, Bozanic, Simon) things may have turned out differently.
It was so difficult to go home after the match and not dwell on the 'glass half-empty' version of the next few weeks : loss or draw at Suncorp, beat Adelaide next (no big deal), face Roar again in Grand Final and have to battle in vain against their home crowd advantage and their mighty reputation.
Suddenly it all became way too hard. Disappointment and sweltering in the sauna that was Bluetongue on Saturday had sapped all my enthusiasm.
"Most Successful Football Club in Australian Sporting History. Wins Two Trophies And Ready To Take On Might of Asia." Let's face it, the headlines have already been written and how many neutrals really believe, much less hope, that we will pull off the impossible ?
But we must believe. We must hope. We deserve to be in the Grand Final as never before not to mention another crack at the ACL. As fans we must do everything in our power to ensure our team gets there.
That's why I'll be at Suncorp on Saturday for the first time ever. That'll be us in our usual spot behind the away bench, a tiny splash of yellow amid a massive sea of smug orange people. Sure, I'd rather sit in the away supporters bay, but the FFA (or possibly the Roar management) have chosen to shove Mariners fans in the worst possible spot in the stadium (Bay 15). For reasons known best to themselves (paranoid security, once again ?) the designated away seating has been shifted from its usual A-League spot of Bay 17.
Perhaps the FFA would care to explain why.
Not only is Bay 15 stuck in a corner with many restricted view seats, it is also removed from the edge of the pitch preventing any interaction or celebrations between Mariners players and fans. In a large stadium like Suncorp, this is a complete JOKE. You could even argue that it has a negative impact on the away team.
Make no mistake, this is a massive insult to The Mariners and their fans. No other club has changed away supporter seating for the Finals except Roar. Clearly, the FFA and/or Roar don't believe Mariners' fans who make the effort to travel to Brisbane on Saturday deserve decent seating. Maybe we need to be put a small holding pen because we're Coastie hooligans. Or perhaps they think we're all too impoverished to fly interstate.
We haven't even been given the bay behind the goal opposite The Den. Not only do they want to stop Mariners fans interacting with their team, they clearly don't want any interaction between our fans and theirs either. Fan made ? Too risky !
Makes you wonder what will happen when the Grand Final comes to Suncorp. Will the away supporters be once again restricted to a tiny area of the stadium in some paranoid display of 'crowd control' ? Or will they be given their rightful opportunity to interact with Roar supporters and their own players ?
I thought of putting this question to Lyle Gorman who was in the Kendall Bar on Saturday but maybe it's better to put it in your hands. Start emailing now !
