Teams we love to hate!

With Collingwood enjoying their most successful season since their 1990 premiership and the England Cricket team set to do battle with Australia this summer for the Ashes, I am reminded of the arch enemies we sporting nuts love to hate.

As a youngster growing up playing Aussie Rules in the winter and Cricket in the summer I was taught at an early age that you barrack for your team first and then whoever was playing Collingwood second. Manly enjoys a similar love/hate relationship with fans of Rugby League in Australia, and without doubt Aussie cricket fans enjoy walloping the Poms more than any other opponent.

But why do these teams engender such a passionate dislike like from opposition supporters, why do we love to hate some teams?

While the specific reasons may vary from team to team one thing is common to all codes, history. These rivalries developed in a time when the sporting codes were mostly centralised, suburban sporting competitions where your allegiances were determined by your address. Often the most intense of these conflicts developed in times of social upheaval when sport was one of the few things everyone had in common.

As a kid born to an Aussie Rules playing father whose entire family barracked for Richmond, my path was clear early. The challenge in my house was that my Mum was born and bred in Collingwood and although not fanatical about the footy, she clearly didn’t take kindly to my fathers attempt to indoctrinate the necessary Collingwood hatred.

Manly Sea Eagles enjoy a similar relationship with fans as Collingwood mainly courtesy of their geographical Sydney north shore position. That privileged location meant wealthy benefactors supported the club during its formative professional years allowing the club to buy class players from the more financially strapped areas causing discontent amongst rival fans.

As far as cricket goes, the joy Australian fans receive from beating the old enemy England for the Ashes remains unchallenged. Without doubt this rivalry can be traced back to the early settlement of Australia by the British more than 200 years ago. As hard as it is to believe many Aussie fans have managed to retain that convict attitude for multiple generations.

Success also breeds discontent amongst your rivals and one thing that is common to all hated sporting clubs is a history of winning. Those already mentioned plus Manchester United, New York Yankees and even the Canterbury Crusaders in the still embryonic Super Rugby competition all have success to blame for their predicament.

But let’s face it sports fans, its time to admit the real problem. The simple answer is most of us secretly wish it was our team that was hated because of our success. But we’re not bitter, no way. Sorry but I have to go now I’ve just got to put a fresh Dane Swan photo on my dartboard before this weekends game. Damn those Magpies.

Mondays Expert