Titanic Struggle?

I went to see my team the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks play the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday night at the Gold Coast, and while the game itself was a titanic struggle, this post is about my observation of how the Titans as a football club seem to have a titanic struggle getting Titans fans to the game.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not taking a dig at the Titans club, because unlike my feelings for the Brisbane Broncos, I actually like the Gold Coast Titans, so I'm just alarmed at the turn out for the game from home team fans.

The above section of the stand at the southern end was completely empty for the whole game.

And the section of the stand opposite where I was sitting usually contains the Titan supporters, but you can see by the photo just how many turned up to "support" their team.

While my side of the stand had a fairly happy turn out I would have to say that the majority were Sharky fans like myself.

If this was a Bronco match at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane I would be laughing my head off at this kind of scenario, but because I personally want to see the Titans do well in the NRL (but not at the expense of my team) I'm a little concerned of the poor showing of the hometown supporters.

You can't support a team just from the comfort of your lounge chair, you have to make your presence felt at the game.

I've been supporting the Sharks since before '88 as a life member of the club and one thing that almost brings a tear to my eye being a Sharky fan is the loyal support our team gets from the grass root supporters week after week in some very trying and unrewarding conditions.

If we can do it surely you guys at the Coast can do it, too.

The Titan fans that did make the trek to the stadium to watch your team play against my team, I salute.

You guys are the true fans and the backbone of the club.

Being a Shark fan, I personally know the frustration of defeat and the disappointing long bus rides back from the stadium after some humiliating defeats, but I'll support my club till the end, and I think you Titan fans have to get behind your team and put some bums on seats.

You've got a great little stadium here and I want to travel down here for years to come when my team are playing the Titans.
And take it from one who knows ... winning ain't everything when it comes to being a true supporter.

It's kind of ironic that to win the game our player had to boot the ball through the sticks and into the section of the stadium that contained not one single fan within cooee of where the ball landed.