Footy in danger as passion for soccer grows through the ages

Round-ball game attracts born and bred AFL fans, writes David Douglas

IF you are anything like me, then there is no bigger thrill than watching your children participate in sporting events and witnessing the sheer joy they experience from taking part.

For my two young boys, soccer is the source of this joy, it is something they live and breathe.

They are totally enthralled by it and, trust me, they are not alone.

People have been kicking a round object back and forth for a very, very, long time, but it is our UK allies we must thank for introducing us to what we recognise as the modern form of this infectious team sport.

Played and viewed by hundreds of millions of people, there can be no argument that soccer deserves its title as the world game.

That being said, I am somewhat alarmed, because I believe that with its evergrowing popularity, soccer is slowly but surely deflating my fellow Tasmanians’ enthusiasm for our beloved footy!

Now before going any further, please let me assure you, Dear Reader, that I myself, am a fan of our state’s favourite code, but I am well aware that soccer is beginning to make its presence felt.

I for one am at the stage now where I can sit and watch an entire English Premier League game and enjoy it.

I can’t wait for our family outing each Sunday to South Hobart Oval, an opportunity to bounce up and down in the old grandstand, cheering on our Souths.

For me, soccer is a combination of things — skill, energy and excitement. But it is not only what happens on the pitch. I watch these televised games and for 90 minutes the singing, chanting and cheering coming from the crowd is a constant. It always leaves me wishing I was there.

As a child growing up on our state’s West Coast, footy was it. To us, soccer simply did not exist.

I remember looking around Tullah oval, with the cars parked hard up against the fence, horns honking, every time a goal was scored. I would constantly look up at the old wooden scoreboard, just to make sure the Tullah Roos were still in with a chance.

These days, it’s a case of the camera never lies. Whether it’s panning across Aurora

Stadium or Blundstone Arena, I am forced to bear witness to near-empty stands.

Along with the rest of Tassie, the powers that be must see that our state’s TSL is in severe need of some TLC.

Aussie rules has been played in Tasmania since the early 1860s and it terrifies me, as it must do other fans, as we are forced to bear witness to what can only be described as the steady decline of our beloved game.

Soccer is an ever-increasing presence in my life. My boys have recently changed clubs, having been welcomed with open arms into South Hobart Football Club.

Come the weekend they simply cannot wait to lace up their boots.

The games I am lucky enough to attend remind me so much of my own childhood, except the crowds are much larger.

The atmosphere around the ground is fantastic and I don’t mind admitting I am at the stage now where I often think to myself, footy better pull its socks up.

I am a firm believer in honesty being the best policy so I will be the first to admit that when I hear people mention a Tassie AFL team, I shake my head in disbelief.

I am not what you would call business savvy, but surely with the TSL being in such a state of disrepair and with soccer’s popularity flourishing, a Tasmanian A-League team would do a better job at filling the stands.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think it is definitely a case of footy having been shown the yellow card. And we all know what comes after a yellow … don’t we?

Sports fan David Douglas has a growing appreciation for soccer. His two sons play for South Hobart Football Club.