Big club friendlies a huge fillip for A-League
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 6 May 2009 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- A-League, Celtic, football, Fulham, Mark Schwarzer
Celtic's Scott McDonald scores the winning goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match at Celtic Park, Glasgow Wednesday Oct 3, 2007. Celtic won 2-1. AP Photo/ Andrew Milligan
With Mark Schwarzer and his Fulham side, Celtic and Wolves, all confirmed for pre-season matches against A-League teams, and rumours of a possible visit by the majestic Barcelona, local clubs need to take advantage of these possibilities as a powerful way to launch the season and draw in new fans.
With the A-League season now intruding even further into the AFL and NRL seasons, gaining much in the way media attention and traction, especially from an apathetic casual sporting fan, is going to be difficult.
Remember, too, that the FFA only has once every four years to use the springboard of the Socceroos and the World Cup to launch a season.
These friendlies against foreign opposition are the best way to spread the A-League gospel, encouraging fans to get out and support their teams early in the campaign with the added motivator of seeing clubs and players familiar to us on television.
It will certainly be more enticing to fans and the media than the rudimentary pre-season competition that has been done away with, or friendlies against state league opposition.
In terms of pure marketability and commercial potential, the benefits of big name friendlies far outweigh the other options.
It will also entice fans that follow the EPL but look down at the A-League to the friendlies and hopefully assist in bridging that gap by showcasing what the A-League has to offer.
Even if the attention is focused on Schwarzer and company, the tangible and intangible benefits for the A-League clubs are there, increasing brand awareness, generating publicity and giving fans extra reasons to get to games.
The pre-season tour is now an established part of many European sides’ schedule and takes them to the USA, where Chelsea, AC Milan and Inter will be heading in July, Africa, or, most commonly, Asia, a popular haunt for Manchester United.
Australia doesn’t yet have the economic pulling power of the USA and the like, but as the A-League grows and the economic strength of Australian football increases, it could become a genuine alternative.
You wouldn’t mind betting, either, that for players and officials, Sydney and Melbourne is a more enticing getaway than Arlington, Texas or Foxborough, Massachusetts, with its population of just over 16,000.
There is also the benefit of being exposed to the greats of the game. These tours are valuable for our football culture as well as its economy.
Hopefully a successful tour for the likes of Fulham will entice more European clubs in the future and we may see them become a common occurrence.
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- Explore:
- A-League, Celtic, football, Fulham, Mark Schwarzer
May 6th 2009 @ 11:05am
Slippery Jim said | May 6th 2009 @ 11:05am | Report comment
Art Sapphire, I paid about AU$100 per match to watch Chelsea this season at Stamford Bridge. Worth every penny.
May 6th 2009 @ 11:05am
Albert Ross said | May 6th 2009 @ 11:05am | Report comment
There are some very exciting rumours flying around the latter day indigenous code heartland of western Sydney. It is expected that the Danish premiers, the Jutland Shinboners, will be playing at the Blacktown AFL Megastadium real soon now. Negotiations are also continuing with the Paris Cockerels.
May 6th 2009 @ 11:06am
Millster said | May 6th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
I do agree though that these games should be seen as an investment in the promotion of the code not as a money making exercise. The grounds should be full at whatever price. If it were me I’d have $20 for A-res, $10 for the rest and LOTS of freebies for basically any registered junior or school kid in order to really give them something to remember.
May 6th 2009 @ 11:24am
Art Sapphire said | May 6th 2009 @ 11:24am | Report comment
SJ – the working class has been priced out of the EPL. The financial sacrifice a working man with a family needs to make to see these games is ridiculous. I am sure its worth every penny to see a super team like chelsea at the bridge, but paying at least 30 quid to see an average EPL game is not.
I would rather go the a Bundesliga game – 12 Euro to stand in the Kop at Dortmund. Thats what I call value for money.
May 6th 2009 @ 11:27am
keeper11 said | May 6th 2009 @ 11:27am | Report comment
Great idea imo…!!
…useful hitout for teams aginst strong opposition
good promo for A-league and builds awareness and excitment for upcoming season…
..but anything is better than the yawnfest preseasons until now….
8 A-league clubs playing each other …a gazillion times..
e.g if you’ve already had a couple of ‘F3 derbys’….then any wonder there is a lack of excitment or anticipation
for start of competiton proper..??
May 6th 2009 @ 11:48am
Slippery Jim said | May 6th 2009 @ 11:48am | Report comment
Art, I was lucky enough to get a free ticket to see AZ Alkmaar V Feyenoord in the Netherlands a six weeks ago, but the Dutch league charges from about 130 euros per ticket, if online ticket outlets are to be believed, so it’s not just the EPL it seems.
May 6th 2009 @ 11:58am
Pippinu said | May 6th 2009 @ 11:58am | Report comment
sj
is Ari still fronting AZ?
more importantly – did you get to see our favourite player??!!
May 6th 2009 @ 12:07pm
Art Sapphire said | May 6th 2009 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
SJ – I would seriously doubt AZ’s season ticket is the same price as Chelsea’s.
130 euros for a ticket – how ridiculous – those online sites are a modern version of scalping.
Unless it was for a reserved seat next to Brett Holman
May 6th 2009 @ 12:14pm
Finno said | May 6th 2009 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
of course they a meaningless games but they are great PR.
They will grab a headlines look at LA Galaxy and sydney 80,000 to watch a game that didnt matter.
May 6th 2009 @ 12:51pm
jimbo said | May 6th 2009 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
Albert Ross,
great news. I’ve supported the Paris Cockerels since I was a pup.
The Galaxy ticket prices were reasonable and about the same price as A-League games and they used it to offer a special deal for SFC games.
FFA are using this as a promotional link to keep the fans warm between the World Cup and the start of the A-League comp, so I can’t see them ripping off any potential new fans.
On the contrary – the prices will be lower than the other codes and there will probably be some special A-League games promo deals offered to those that attend any of these overseas exhibition games.
This is Archie Fraser at work!