Stan Sport’s Premier League watch parties are giving Australian fans a reason to put on shoes before shouting at the referee. The broadcaster’s Kick On till Kick Off tour starts in Parramatta on Saturday, 19 September, then heads to Melbourne and, for the first time in the series, Perth.
The pitch is a football night with a little more company: big screens, DJs, games, giveaways and a rotating guest list drawn from former players and familiar media faces. Stan’s official announcement names Craig Foster, Mark Bosnich, Tommy Oar and Thomas Sørensen among the guests appearing across the three dates.
Sydney gets the first Stan Sport watch party
The opening stop is The Commercial Hotel in Parramatta on 19 September, with doors listed for 7pm AEST. The evening pairs Tottenham Hotspur against Aston Villa with Brighton & Hove Albion against Arsenal. Stan’s event card lists the screenings for 8:30pm and 11:50pm AEST respectively.
Foster, Bosnich and Oar are on the Sydney guest list alongside Hello Sport hosts Eddy Simpson and Tom Birmingham. That should leave very little danger of a quiet room, even before the football provides everyone with something to disagree about.
The double bill makes this the longest-looking commitment of the three announced programmes. Plan the trip home before the second match, particularly if your usual football routine involves taking precisely eight steps from the sofa to bed.
Melbourne follows, then Perth gets Halloween
Melbourne’s stop takes place at Hickens Hotel on Saturday, 10 October. Arsenal against Leeds United is listed for 9:30pm AEDT, with Foster and Dan Gorringe, known as Dan Does Footy, appearing.
Stan’s release mixes AEST and AEDT in the Melbourne listing, so check the official event portal for confirmed door times and the latest attendance details. The match card itself uses AEDT.
Perth joins the tour on Saturday, 31 October, at Patriots Sports Bar in Northbridge. Doors are listed for 6pm AWST, followed by Chelsea against Manchester United at 7:30pm AWST. Foster, Oar and Sørensen are the announced guests.
A Halloween football night at least solves the costume question for anyone whose club has spent the season frightening them. More usefully, the Perth stop gives west-coast supporters their own date instead of another east-coast event to watch through somebody else’s social feed.
A shared screen is still part of the appeal
The tour follows Nine’s extension of its Australian Premier League rights through the 2033/34 season. That longer commitment is the business backdrop, but the reason to leave home is simpler: football often works better with a roomful of people who care about the same ninety minutes.
It also adds something different to the late-night viewing routine Australian football fans already know. Watching alone has its comforts. It rarely supplies a former international to react to the replay.
For registration information and updates, use the event portal before making plans. The three stops have different fixtures and guests, so choose the night that fits your club and your calendar. Stan may have a substantial football offering at home, but this time the invitation is to watch it with strangers who will very quickly stop feeling like strangers.
About the author
The conversation
Be the first to join the conversation.