Opinion: Chris Dunkerley went to Suncorp wearing yellow, and survived to bring us ..

A Splash of Yellow!
(The cameras pick out one of the Central Coast Mariners yellow 'splashes' in away bays: Photo for BOTN by Chris Dunkerley)

Season 6 of the Hyundai A-League is now over, well and truly over - the 11th club axed, Victory's coach fired, the Grand Final played and won, and today there is a parade in front of 2,000 Brisbane Roar fans of the Premiers and Champions, Brisbane Roar FC and keys to the City! Emotions still high but we have a few months now to enjoy State Leagues and our local associations.

For Central Coast Mariners fans, it is a day for the stragglers to get back from Brisbane, for the teary eyes and shattered looks of the nearly two thousand fans who travelled 2,000km just to watch their team attempt their 3rd Grand Final win in only 6 seasons. Ordinary fans; families, small business people, tradies, students, retirees - further than from Manchester to Munich - just to watch their team!

By air, road, and rail they had come, with the Sunday morning quiet of the CBD of Brisbane sprinkled with yellow as the morning progressed. Critics may have criticised us for the FFA's fantasy crowd count of 7,539 - but few teams would take more than we have to Brisbane for a Grand Final.

For those not going straight back overnight; find (and dump the non-football baggage in) the hotel. A bit of sightseeing, a wave to fellow yellow (even those we had never seen before), grab a bite to eat and off toward Caxton Street where the Yellow Army had booked the 'Calypso Bar', opposite the pubs and bars of the gathering Den and other orange clad fans.

(Hundreds of Mariners fans flood Caxton Street, with the focus being the Yellow Army booked 'Calypso Bar': Photo for BOTN by Lowenna Rappo)

There we were wound up by Lawrie McKinna and his guest speakers former Socceroo and ex-Mariner Tony Vidmar and ex Brisbane Striker and Roar supporting Fox reporter Nick Meredith, and our owners mixing seemlessly in the throng handing our flags to the kids, and soaking it up too. With way too many alcoholic refreshements for even the humid afternoon. The yellow just kept coming.

(Caxton Street, with Orange clad Roar fans in defiance of the 'splash of yellow' in their town!: Photo for BOTN by Chris Dunkerley)

Across the road, and streaming down Caxton Street toward Suncorp Stadium were the Roar fans. Am hour long singing contest, set-piece insults, and then a march to the ground where there were hundreds of Mariners fans already in the ground.

(Hundreds of yellow clad Mariners fans flood Caxton Street, with the focus being the Yellow Army booked 'Calypso Bar': Photo for BOTN by Lowenna Rappo)

What a great Stadium Suncorp, the old Lang Park, is! To walk up the steps onto the podium and through the wide entrances reveals a vista of a real football stadium. With it filled with 50,168 it is truly impressive.

The game is described in detail by Andrew Demack, one of our Brisbane writers, here: Match report but it was a real privilege to be there with my fellow Mariners fans. Standing and singing, clapping and waving, tense for 90 minutes, 20 mins of football stoked high, and 10 minutes of cascading emotions ...

(A shocking way to lose a Grand Final - penalties: Photo by Chris Dunkerley for BOTN)

We stood there for what was maybe 20 mins .. totally and utterly shattered .... tears or numbed expressions .... to some an eternity, some a flash of uncomprehended time. Security ushered us out of a near empty stadium

The Brisbane fans were generally gentle, with one pleasant looking lady coming up behind and giving me a hug and saying "well played". In the bars and cafes they enjoyed their moment but left us alone. Around the city the next morning, and on the train and at the airport they were kind, in a smug sort of way. Late reports come in of some trash talk by youngsters who havn't been seered by reality, but they too will learn how to conduct themselves, we hope!

A fabulous trip, a roller coaster of emotion from the high highs, to the depths. In truth a great game, and quite an experience being just a drop in the 'splash of yellow!' We are 'yellow 'till we die', so next time, our fourth time, with be our time! That toilet seat still beckons.

By Chris Dunkerley 15 March, 2011

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