Football Federation Australia is confident interest in the A-League has not waned despite a notable drop in attendances from last season. The league is averaging 11,854 fans per game after nine rounds, compared to 13,544 at the same time last season, with all eight teams experiencing declines in their average crowds.
There are concerns the league’s eight-team format has become tired, with many believing the addition of the Gold Coast and North Queensland next year will give the competition a timely boost.
But FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said today he was confident the A-League still had momentum and that this year’s competition was holding the attention of the public.
“The competition is very much alive, particularly with the prize of participation in the AFC Champions League for 2010 at stake,” Buckley said.
“The teams are close with less than two games separating the first and sixth-placed team.
“There is some real momentum in the competition, and there are some important matches this weekend for a number of teams.”
While Adelaide’s fairytale run to the Asian Champions League final is doing wonders for the A-League’s reputation, Buckley said it was a big factor in the decline in crowds.
“A significant proportion of the reduction in A-League crowds is due to Adelaide United, which has also had home games for the AFC Champions League,” Buckley said.
“So, while fewer people have gone to A-League matches, this is offset by the fact that more people have seen a A-League team in action this season than compared with any other season.
“In addition, we’ve had five Socceroos home matches this year which means around 1.2 million people have attended a first class football match in 2008 at either club or national level.”
Buckley was particularly encouraged by last weekend’s crowd figures (58,403 overall), the largest of the season which included more than 31,000 at Telstra Dome to watch Melbourne play Sydney FC.
Central Coast coach Lawrie McKinna, whose Gosford-based side has seen home attendances fall from an average of 12,741 last season to 9,536 this season, said the global financial crisis was having an impact across several sports.
“Everybody’s crowds are down, rugby league, A-League, I think it’s just the times we’re facing at the moment,” McKinna said.
“I think as the season gets more exciting and tighter we’ll see the fans come back.”
McKinna believed next year’s expansion would help the competition attract more interest.
“I think the interest is fine now but obviously with the two new teams coming in those areas it’s going to be huge and new and fresh,” McKinna said.
“We can play more games, and if it’s more games against different opposition then all the better.”
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Pippinu said | October 30th 2008 @ 8:21am | Report comment
Just as there was never a problem with the Eureka flag, there is clearly no problem with crowd numbers.
Dave said | October 30th 2008 @ 8:23am | Report comment
Pip
Have AFL crowd figures ever gone down?
Redb said | October 30th 2008 @ 8:55am | Report comment
warning! warning! warning!
Dave has mentioned AFL on a futbol thread. warning, warning,warning.
Remember it was Dave.
Ok, yes the AFL crowds have gone up and down, I’m looking for my website stats. Oops sorry gotta go to a meeting.
back soon with some stats to enthrall all.
Redb
Pippinu said | October 30th 2008 @ 9:02am | Report comment
Dave
Probably – I know the VFL was nearly broke in the early 80s. But between you and me – I don’t really keep an eye on things like crowd numbers – my club is one of the smaller drawing clubs anyway.
Although I am interested in history, do you know that within a few years of 1858, games in Melbourne were already drawing 10,000+ spectators? That’s our history.
The World game is great, I enjoy the Victory and the A-League – but it’s not really our history.
Millster said | October 30th 2008 @ 9:05am | Report comment
Redb – most football fans like me will just have noticed the 4-4 result between the Gunners and Spurs, and be wondering what excuses they can pull to go home and watch what sounds like it was an incredible match ASAP. So don’t worry, we won’t bite, probably not even notice.
Pippu – aren’t A-League games also drawing 10K+ just a couple of years after the league’s inception?
(different I know)
jimbo said | October 30th 2008 @ 9:18am | Report comment
Dave ,
The drop in attendances at AFL in Sydney this year is a lot worse than the drop in SFC attendances – only 18K turned up for the Swans do or die finals game.
Pip,
I remember going to an NSL game with my dad and the crowd was 825.
Despite some woeful attendances, the NSL competition ran for 27 years.
It’s not time to panic and I don’t think it’s the end of the A-League. The A-League continues to exceed initial expectations and the A-League is only a small part of the FFA’s operations. The franchise operators wear any financial losses, not the FFA. If Perth or Wellington fail, then there are other franchises that want to take their place.
Attendances will pick up for the rest of the season and every other aspect of FFA’s operations continue to grow, including TV ratings, international exposure, revenue, sponsorship and most importantly profitability.
An article in 442 today quoted a rise of 28% in Fox TV ratings already, which is on top of a 40% rise last year.
This isn’t a 150 year old competition, there will be casualties, but who knows where football will be in this country in another 150 years.
Koala Bear said | October 30th 2008 @ 9:27am | Report comment
Liam,
we are still on the move up even without the freebies other codes enjoy… With the 2010 SA WC qualification, and a new TV deal … Nothing will hold back Australian Football as the only real premier national code in this land… Fasten your seat belts and hold on to your hats.lads… 
The Sponsorship Dollars are still pouring in….
Australian Football set to grow with more teams to compete in the HAL and ACL….
~~~ SBS
The Tasmanian Football Taskforce (TFT) is in the mix with four mainland franchises, from NSW and Victoria, for admission into an expanded 14-team A-League set down for 2011-12.
The taskforce, set to be bolstered by a naming rights sponsor, say the inclusion of Tasmania United FC will add increased credibility to football’s national competition.
TFT official Ken Morton said the A-League would become a far more “national” competition than rivals AFL and NRL if Tasmania was granted a licence.
“I think it should give us (Tasmania) the edge, just being in Tasmania gives it a real A-League, a real Australian football league,” Morton told Fox Sports.
“The whole of Tasmania is behind it. They want to see us compete at national level.”
The A-League will expand to a 10-team competition next season with the additions of Gold Coast and North Queensland but the FFA are keen to increase the competition to 12, and even 14 beyond that.
A Melbourne franchise has already gained sole negotiating rights from the FFA for a place in an expected 12-team competition from 2010-11.
Bid teams from Wollongong-South Coast, Western Sydney and Canberra are also lining up for inclusion.
Morton said the performances of the Tasmanian Tigers, who have won four-day and one-day cricket titles in the past two seasons, had shown sporting success was possible for Australia’s smallest state.
“We have a good cricket team down there who compete well at national level and we believe we can do the same in the A-League,” said the former Wollongong coach.
The Tasmanian taskforce, which has the backing of the state government, has scheduled the launch of Tasmania United for November 25.
Morton said they were “very close” to closing a deal with a potential naming rights sponsor.
“Today we had good news regarding the major investor and once that is finalised in the next few days I think you will see our bid progress very aggressively,” he said.
~~~~~~~
KB
Redb said | October 30th 2008 @ 9:31am | Report comment
Dave,
Attendances since 1987 (West Coast and Brisbane added)
Year, Total crowd, ave crowd
2008 7,083,015 38,287
2007 7,050,945 38,113
2006 6,736,234 36,412
2005 6,763,852 36,561
2004 6,368,297 34,423
2003 6,351,655 34,333
2002 6,092,987 32,935
2001 6,447,560 34,852
2000 6,307,373 34,094
1999 6,243,586 33,749
1998 6,691,897 36,172
1997 6,402,997 34,611
1996 5,694,921 30,783
1995 5,712,693 30,879
1994 5,237,398 30,100
1993 4,657,489 29,666
1992 4,814,265 27,990
1991 4,178,884 24,296
1990 4,063,385 25,238
1989 3,581,822 22,386
1988 3,528,878 22,055
1987 3,411,846 21,324
I would expect crowd attendance to fall in 2009 with the economy sliding into recession.
Redb
Redb said | October 30th 2008 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Jimbo,
Interesting you mention Sydney, i think most sporting teams in Sydney struggled this year.
Foxtel audience increased 7% for HAL games.
Redb
Michael C said | October 30th 2008 @ 9:55am | Report comment
Dave asked “Have AFL crowd figures ever gone down?”
Most recent crop drop was in 2006, a 1.27% decrease from 2005 (however, 2005 had seen a 6.33% increase over 2004 – - therefore, the 2006 figure continued the upward trending of 2003 and 2004 prior).
This is important, because, while the 60K decrease to Rnd 9 for the HAL this year is of concern, the greater concern is that the crowd aggregate is 20K down on V2 and not that far off V1. It’s quite one thing to take 3 steps forward and 1 back, it’s quite another to take 3 steps forward and 2.5 back.
Pippinu allueded to the 1980s – - this was a dire time for the old VFL, but, also having to ‘break’ the ‘national’ concept through the barriers of old school suburban mentality.
Avg crowds had grown to 25K by 1981, but, the advent of the South relocation among other things saw crowds drop 4 years running to just over 20.5K. There was a 9% upward rebound in ’86 and then a startling drop of 14% in ’87. Since then though, the over whelming trend has been upwards form the 1987 crowd avg of sub 20K. In the main, downward fluctuations overall have been relative to MCG redevelopments and reduced capacities.
The befuddling aspect of the HAL presently is probably MVFC – - – it’s been known that SFC and Roar have been stagnating since V1. The regional sides as is the exposure of too many regional sides in such a competition, that financial ‘crises’ can hit hardest in the regional areas. MVFC however, in Melbourne, has been bouyant and the corner stone of HAL crowds – - they’ve had a very successful start to the year, and pre-season, and their first taste of ACL – - and yet, there crowds have been free falling when ALL logic demands otherwise. Melbourne, the city, afterall gave us record AFL memberships and crowds.
- – - – -
KB – your faith in the value of ‘expansion’ is wonderful – - -however,
if the global financial crisis is so great impacting the ‘established’ franchises – - then, is now REALLY the time to be attempting to start up brand new clubs??? With sponsorship at a premium, with crowds yet to be wooed?
The notion that 4 years in the HAL is a ‘tired’ concept and needing of new teams………that’s a concern isn’t it? It remains to be seen how the fixturing of 10 teams are handled? Will the HAL reduce to an 18 round competition (and thus stay ‘fresh’), or, expand out to a 27 round competition (won’t that just increase the ‘tiresome’ factor??) – - – or will it become a bit of a compromised fixture like the AFL? IN many respects, the sooner the HAL is 12 teams playing a 22 round H&A the better (that was, for the old VFL, such a fabulous ‘fit’ from a fixturing perspective.)
btw – a lesson from history about expansion.
1924 – VFL crowds avg 20,494 for 72 H&A games.
1925 with the addition of 3 clubs (Hawthorn, Footscray and North Melb) – VFL crowds avg drops 21.27% to 16,135 over the 102 games……………..however, there was an aggregate increase of 170,000 ‘attendees’ over the full season.