Football Travel: Melbourne

Finding enjoyment in Melbourne is a fairly simple task. Its boutique cafés, live music culture and fantastic citizens make it an attractive place to be. The city of Melbourne frequently boasts its title of Australia’s most liveable city”, another lesser known title it holds is Australia’s most successful footballing city.

The first title was the reason I chose to live in Melbourne, the latter title was why I fell in love with it. Melbourne, although great, isn’t a city that springs to mind when you think of football but scratch the surface and you’ll begin to see it everywhere.

Melbourne’s two biggest teams are Melbourne Victory FC and Melbourne City FC, formerly known as Melbourne Heart FC. They both play their home games out of AAMI Park with the former also using the newly named Marvel Stadium for the first half of their season.

Visiting Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory is Australia’s most successful football team with four national titles and an FFA Cup title under their belt. It was founded at the same time as the A-League in 2005. The club is able to average crowds of 20,000 regularly and play some of the most attractive football around. In terms of seeing a quality similar to Europe both on and off the pitch I really recommend attending a Victory game.

In the first half of the season, Melbourne Victory plays at Marvel Stadium. The centrally located stadium is easy to get to with the closest train station, Southern Cross being only a 200m walk away. Tickets can be bought at the ticket booths placed around the stadium with entry priced at a reasonable A$30 (£17/€19.50).

However, the best way to experience Melbourne Victory is at AAMI Park, the club’s self-proclaimed spiritual homeland. As a regular attendee, I can attest that the noise and atmosphere in there is world class. For a more English style of support, sitting in the Southern Stand is great and for a more active European ‘ultras’ style of support, I recommend the Northern Stand where the most hardcore fans sit. Note: there is a lot of jumping and moving… you’ll need a decent level of fitness.

Richmond Station is the closest form of public transport and with a whole host of pre- and post-game pubs and bars in the area it’s the best place to soak up the atmosphere. From the station, it’s an easy five-minute walk down Swan Street to AAMI Park, whose unique bubble shape makes it unmissable. Tickets can be purchased on the Swan Street side of the stadium next to the club shop.

Visiting Melbourne City

Melbourne City, owned by CFG (City Football Group) – the same company that owns the Manchester and New York City branches – also plays at AAMI Park. The team formerly known as Melbourne Heart has added some much-needed competition to the Melbourne footballing landscape.

As a relatively new club, it does not have the same attendance as its older sibling Melbourne Victory but that is not to say that the fans can’t create an atmosphere. The ‘Melburnians’, Melbourne City’s active fan group, sit in the Southern Stand of AAMI Park and generate quite a sound.

Attendances average around 10,000 per game making for a relaxed atmosphere and night out for football fans. City has the FFA Cup under its belt but no league titles. The club’s main drawcard has been its string of high profile players who have ranged from World Cup winners like Spain’s David Villa to Australian national heroes like Tim Cahill.

The investment put into Melbourne City make it an exciting prospect for the future development of football in Melbourne and make the club a must-see when visiting the city.

The Melbourne Derby

With both teams now competing at a similar level, the ‘Melbourne Derby’ has become one of the most watched spectacles not just in Australian football but in Australian sport. The passion and noise displayed is something to behold. Roughly three derbies take place annually around the same time each season. If you find yourself in Melbourne in October, December or February-March there is a high chance there will be a derby. Attending is a must and I can’t speak highly enough of the fixture.

The best of the rest

Outside of the A-League, Melbourne is home to a large amount of NPL (National Premier League) sides. The NPL is Australia’s second division, however, it is separate from the A-League and promotion/relegation does not yet exist. The NPL is the home of the once glorious National Soccer League sides who unquestionably influenced and shaped the current footballing scene in Australia.

For the more historically and culturally-inclined football fans, South Melbourne FC (Greek), Melbourne Knights (Croatian), Preston Lions (Macedonian) and Moreland Zebras (Italian) offer an insight into the cultural and social legacy of football in Australia. These clubs are rooted in tradition and give fans the opportunity to view Australia’s footballing past.

From the distinct food to the neighbourhoods they are located in, the NPL clubs embody football’s journey in Australia from immigrant community clubs to the World Cup daring Socceroos. The clubs are spread all over the city and make for a good way to check out parts of Melbourne one would not necessarily visit otherwise. Tickets are generally A$10 (£5.50/€7), and the games make for a great day out.

Melbourne is a hidden gem of world football and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find if only you just look a little closer.

Map of AAMI Park