Nothing could emphasise better the timeliness for South Melbourne FC bid to got to the A-League than the team’s spectacular win over Dandenong City, last week, when they managed to score four goals in 13 minutes, turning a 1-4 score to 5-4. And yet, the bidding commitee managed to offer an even more spectacular show, hosting an official event at the Crown Palladium on Tuesday night. It was an event featuring Brazilian Dancers, current and veteran football stars and at least one legend: Roberto Carlos. Hailed as one of the best left backs in the history of football, the Brazilian athlete (who made history during his 11-year stint at Real Madrid) is in talk with ‘Hellas’ to become their inaugural coach, should they succeed in their bid to join an expanded A-League. As far as he’s concerned bid chairman, Bill Papastergiadis is determined to make this happen.
The bid got overwhelming support on Tuesday, when Victoria’s Premier, Daniel Andrews delivered a very strong speech championing South Melbourne as a team of pioneers, stressing out the clubs significance not only in football but also in Victorian Multiculturalism.
Expressing his government’s support to the South Melbourne bid, Daniel Andrews said: “Melbourne and Australia owe a lot to Greeks; we must support this bid”. The Victorian Premier also pointed out that his government’s deal with ‘Hellas’, regarding the 40 year leas of Lakeside Oval is another tangible evidence of the reasons why the club should ascend to A-League, given that it can break even, with as many as 1500 spectators, whereas other clubs need 14,000 spectators to cover expenses.
From the team’s part, inviting Roberto Carlos for the event was something more than a Public Relations stunt, but rather an opportunity for the team’s potential coach to have the opportunity to inspect the oval and get an overview of the club’s facilities. “My idea would be to come here and keep winning and continue that mentality and keep winning things,” Carlos said to the press, during his visit to the Lakeside Stadium on Monday, expressing his desire to bring his family over to Australia. “What I’ve seen here has moved me, the complex and the people.The most important thing now is for the club to go to the A-League and that together we make more history on top of what we’ve seen.”
The Brazilian veteran trained the club’s juniors, “one of the best in the country”, according to Mr. Papastergiadis, who also stated on Tuesday, at the Crown Palladium event: “Hellas is not a business. It is a club with long history and roots in the local community”.