Before you read, know this is going to be a long rant. It is not directed at any individual, but certainly at groups who want to blame or bash parts of the club.
I've been biting my tongue for so long about the Campbelltown debate that goes on on this forum. The fact that so many from the inner suburbs constantly come up with reasons to not come to games at Campbelltown, or run the stadium down, or the whinging about the lack of atmosphere at the ground, or every other complaint that exists.
To put it simply, if you don't come to games at Campbelltown, for whatever reason you choose, then you are also to blame for the problems at the ground.
I as a Campbelltown resident and a 16 year ticketed member of the Tigers, plus a fan since day 1 (and yes the Magpies before that, but because they were my local team) I try to attend every single game at Campbelltown, only missing games due to being sick, or having something that has to take priority, but trust me that has to be something pretty big as Tigers games do take precident. But when I sat that I also travel to all Leichhardt games (again unless something prohibits me), and (painfully) to every game at Commbank as well, even though I hate it as a stadium.
But doing this means that I travel the 15 minutes to Campbelltown, but also the 1 hour or more to each of the other grounds, battling the horrible traffic for games scheduled at times when traffic is guaranteed to be heavy, or having to pay the stupidly high tolls on the M5 and M8 (or previously having to get down Canterbury and Old Canterbury road or any other way I had to go, sitting in traffic on the M7 or side roads for ages due to accidents, or just heavy traffic, and having to fight to get parking at Leichhardt, or having to pay and give money to Parramatta to park at the leagues club.
Do I complain, or come up with excuses as to not go and support my team? No. I go because I want to support them, no mattert where they are playing. That has included the SFS when we played there, Homebush for those games as well. I do it for the love of my team, no matter how much of a "hassle" it may be.
The fact that people can't do the same but in the opposite direction to get to Campbelltown is the weakest excuse that I ever hear. Campbelltown is easier to get to than Leichhardt as there are no side streets to have to take, it is literally just off the freeway, and then main roads to get to the ground. Can't drive, then the station is a 2 minute flat walk that anyone can make. Can you say the same about Parramatta or Leichhardt in some of those options? Not a chance. Parramatta is a nightmare to get to by car at times due to the massive amount of traffic, and the walk from the station is not easy for those who struggle to walk long distances (not me personally, but for a lot of fans), and Leichhardt can be just as bad, and is certainly not an easy walk from the light rail up the hill.
Then add to this the complaints about the atmosphere. Is campbelltown the best stadium design? No. Is it the perfect stadium? No. Could the atmosphere be better if the ground is sold out? Absolutely, but admittedely not perfect. But you make the best of the situation.
And the arguement about the Magpies playing at Leichhardt. The costs of playing at Campbelltown would be the main reason (not the clubs fault, that is on the Council. Though if the club showed more support for the area, and had a better relationship with the council that could be fixed) as I am sure Lidcome is far cheaper to play at, especially with the low numbers of fans that go to those games when they are stand alone fixtures, and of course the scheduling of those games not alongside NRL games also makes the decision easier again for costs.
And sure our results are not great out there, but really in recent years how many results have really been that great for us. Perhaps the negative perception of the ground does filter through. Maybe with a better attitude from fans it will help. Perhaps if those who are so passionate about Leichhardt and show it while being there brought it to Campbelltown there might be a change in the whole results and atmosphere.
The simple thing is, if you want the team to do well, you want the club to get the stadium we deserve in Campbelltown while no longer having to play at the soulless and not home ground stadiums like Homebush or Commbank, then drop the complaints, stop making excuses, and actually get off your backsides and come and support your team, no matter where they play. As much as I do see Leichhardt as a stadium we cannot lose as a home ground (the atmosphere is undeniable), it is unfortunately limited in any major infrastructure upgrades that could help it be a major home ground. Yes the staduim upgrades will help, but the lack of parking, and other infrastructure surrounding it is a major hindrance to the ground. Campbelltown has that potential to expand and grow, and to have a stadium that could have a wider precinct around it to improve the area massively.
So how about we finally get off the whole who is to blame, or the stadium sucks, or any sort of whinging about the fans in Campbelltown (that is a whole other rant if people want to keep going down that route) or anywhere else, and how about we all come together as fans of the Wests Tigers, and support the team as one, and finally put the stupid divide between the two sides away as we are one club, and have been for 25 years. Division only hurts the club, we have seen it at every level. But starting at the ground floor with the fans will flow through to the rest in time.
So just get out (to wherever it is) and support the club.
End rant.
