Since USA '94, the first major World Cup tournament staged outside traditional power bases CONEMBOL and UEFA, football has promised deliverance for grassroots leagues, offering developing football nations washed-up megastars and a fat cash injection into often floundering semi-professional leagues or non-existent footballing cultures.It's been more than 15 years since World Cup football fondled North America. To examine how the just-add-water version of the World Game first touched this part of the world, look no further than the ageing megastars and glittering sponsorship dollars that drove some of the biggest players to a fledgling league that lasted less than a generation. The reason, a lack of organic history.
The New York Cosmos have been cited as a perfect example of how to setup a football club, and a football league for failure. Recruiting ageing yet high profile players like
It's been argued that the NASL was built on the euphoria following England's World Cup victory two years prior to the leagues inception in 1968. Players like
As the North Americans experienced first hand in the late 1960s, it's difficult to generate a excitement and a sense of history for a just-add-water football league with no real heritage or tradition. The NASL, MLS, J-League and A-League are prime examples where the backing of financial corporations is no replacement for the organic, natural growth of a supporter base. It's little surprise that the South African national league is looking to capitalise on global interest in high stakes football arriving on their doorstep in 2010.
The question remains, is growth sustainable when a football club doesn't have the support of seasoned, passionate, tradition-bound football fans? Who is willing to take the younger generation to see a brand new club in an empty stadium with plastic supporters and an awful anthem?
Contains at least 79% Football, 29% Truth
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