Twas the week before Christmas and all through AAMI Park City fans were stirring, their points tally stark The nets were hung at each end with care In hopes that a Marquee player would maybe appear. The fans were ready to stroll through the gates We were reminded the ‘Visitors’ were definitely not mates But is Christmas week the right time for the game Melbourne Derby in late December seems such a shame Melbournian sports fans are creatures of habit, September is AFL finals time, November is reserved for Horse Racing, Boxing Day is cricket’s day and January sees the world’s best tennis stars grace our fine town. Our sporting calendar is very congested and sometimes tough to gain a foothold at any given time period. When Melbourne Heart entered the A-League the management wanted to establish a new tradition of their own and reserve a place on this calendar; the Christmas derby. From their second season onwards Melbourne Heart began hosting Melbourne Victory on the Saturday night before Christmas day. Crowd numbers have been solid with 26,000+ in the last three seasons and the clash is a key component in the club’s membership drive. The Christmas derby [...]