Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has defended the decision to travel to Australia just two days after the final Premier League game of the season, arguing that the passionate fans who live on the other side of the world deserve to see their team play… and I tend to agree with him.
With each passing press conference, Ange Postecoglou’s consistently measured responses to pressing questions are becoming increasingly refreshing for Tottenham Hotspur fans this season… He just gets it.
As an Australian football coach who found their passion for the English game from the other side of the world, Postecoglou’s stature speaks to the positive effects of the globalisation of the sport, with more and more of the world’s best talents working in elite football.
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In recent pressers, the former Brisbane man has spoken with authority on so-called “plastic” fans – “tourists” who visit London from overseas to watch Tottenham play in the new world-class stadium. It’s led to more London-based Spurs fans missing out on tickets this season, something that should be addressed by the Club, but Ange Postecoglou certainly wasn’t impressed by the journalists’ questions.
It was announced today that Tottenham would return to Australia just two days after the final game of the Premier League season.
The first team staff will join the players arriving Down Under for the second time in two years to play a post-season friendly against Newcastle at the MCG… and the Tottenham boss was ready to defend the decision to return to Australia to play in front of this country’s many passionate fans.
It certainly speaks to the insular view of the English football media. Like in most sports, locality and geography are defining factors when choosing your football team from an early age, and can even lead to perennial rivalries when opposing teams uproot and move into your turf (such is a rivalry that exists between Tottenham and Arsenal).
But as football continues to grow into the exciting global game that it is today, the commercial product of football has never been more lucrative; overseas tours and exhibition matches generate important revenue for football teams, no matter where they play; they increase fan engagement and social media following which can be huge determining factors for the commercial success of the club in future seasons.
We know there is an unwavering passion for football in Australia – just look at the Matildas. The decision to travel to Australia will have undoubtedly been met with an expected excitement for football fans in this part of the world and I for one can’t wait to see Tottenham play in Australia. I’ll see you boys at the ‘G.