The Problem With South Melbourne Hellas - guest post

Another anonymous poster, with another heartfelt missive. Remember when no one used to contribute?

So here I was driving in my car after the game with bottom side Dingley, trying to work out what has gone wrong with the club I have supported since I was knee high. I thought to myself where do i start? Who do I talk to? Where do I go? Am I the only one who cares for the club of the century that I still cant sleep at night when we loose games? If there is any one else why don't we see it at match day? Where have all the Hellas supporters gone to remind the representatives of where they are playing and what a privilege it is to wear the South Melbourne Hellas shirt?

It got me thinking a little more... I just couldnt put my finger on it until ...  The problem is... All the other clubs , players and supporters know what its like to be South Melbourne - they haven't forgotten who we are as we saw the bottom side play us off the park. So I thought a little more about it and said to my self YOU KNOW WHO HAS FORGOTTEN WHO SOUTH MELBOURNE IS? US! The board, the supporters and the players.

We have all taken it for granted South Melbourne is South Melbourne, we are untouchable, no one can be better than us (soccer fans used to come just for a souvlaki and watch the best team play every second Sunday FFS), we don't need to be ruthless on the field or swift in signing the next Trimboli or making the headlines for being the best, it's all going to just happen. Supporters don't scream anymore they just accept mediocrity, they accept apologies from players sticking their finger up.

In years gone past players wouldn't even have the balls to do such things. let alone live to tell us his bullshit apology (and Gavalas, maybe the supporters need to know and I quote "your membership pays my wages, I'm only playing for the money, I can find 100 other clubs to play at". Are these the people you want at your club? What happens to playing people who knew what it was like to play at South Melbourne, the club that made them the players they were? The club they were proud of and we were proud of them - not the people we have now who think it's OK to rock up to training and laugh that they drew to the bottom side because they take it for granted playing at South Melbourne and they have made it a choir.

People knew who South Melbourne was, people were scared of South Melbourne, everyone wanted to be South Melbourne. But as I write this, I who have watched since I could walk, I who as a kid dreamed to be a player one day like so many others ask myself why do I even bother, where is this club heading? No one cares anymore, why do I still get grey hairs. So I wonder as each day goes past amongst the board in house fighting amongst each board members own interests, is there hope, will the real South Melbourne once again shine? What happened to those days at Middle Park or the glory days of Bob Jane Stadium?

Who is going to stand up and say I'm South Melbourne Hellas and I fight for that club - not the club who is trying to change who it is and sell its soul to the devil!