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Central Coast Mariners players (L to R) Tom Pendeljak, Matthew Simon and John Hutchinson sit dejected after loosing 0-1 to the Newcastle Jets in the A-League Grand Final in Sydney on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2008. AAP Image/Paul Miller
Those AFL and NRL executives who seem hell-bent on insisting that football seeks to dominate the Australian sporting landscape are barking up the wrong tree. All Australian football fans have ever wanted is a domestic league that sits side-by-side with our more established codes.
Now that we’ve got it, Season Five is shaping up as somewhat of a make or break year for the A-League.
It may still be young, but there are some critical battles that need to be won if the A-League is to remain a viable domestic competition.
One of them is the key Sydney market.
Sydney FC have been criticised for the dwindling numbers on the terraces, but in my view we should applaud those fans that have stood by the club through thick and thin despite some obvious mismanagement.
What Sydney FC supporters crave is some leadership off the pitch and some decent football on it, and hopefully Czech tactician Vitezslav Lavicka is the man to transform the fortunes of the Harbour City side.
While FFA officials are no doubt hopeful that Sydney FC can recapture the hearts of the broader football community, the issue of Wellington Phoenix is another thorny one for the A-League.
Personally, I’ve never understood those who claim there should be no New Zealand representation in the A-League.
Welsh clubs have been a part of the English league pyramid for decades, while Pierre Littbarski’s latest coaching sojourn has taken him to Liechtenstein club FC Vaduz – who play in the Swiss league.
If Wellington remain competitive on the pitch and offer a broader TV market off it, why shouldn’t they be involved?
The challenge for coach Ricky Herbert is moulding a competitive unit on the pitch, and in that respect the loss of Kiwi internationals Glen Moss and Shane Smeltz isn’t a good sign.
Phoenix fans will hope the arrival of Barbados international Paul Ifill offsets the loss of Smeltz, with Ifill having played alongside Tim Cahill in the 2004 FA Cup final.
However, despite also signing former Adelaide United midfielder Diego Walsh and ex-Tranmere Rovers striker Chris Greenacre, Wellington’s stocks look thin on the ground, and Herbert faces an uphill task to steer his side into the top six.
The same goes for Central Coast Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna, while Newcastle Jets fans will hope their side makes some headlines for their football – with the Jets looking more like a soap opera than a football club of late.
Perhaps the greatest concern for FFA officials is the fate of North Queensland Fury.
On-loan striker Dave Williams has lifted the Townsville side since his arrival from Danish club Brondby, but there’s no telling how much of an impact the tropical heat will have on strike partner Robbie Fowler – whose injury-plagued pre-season is surely a concern for club officials.
So too is the possibility that fans simply won’t turn out in the Rugby League-loving north, although the 5,000-strong crowd that showed up for the Fury’s inaugural home game in a pre-season friendly against Brisbane Roar suggests that might not be a problem.
Even the blockbuster opening round derby between Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast United is being overshadowed by Gold Coast’s stubborn refusal to promote the game, with United irate at the FFA’s late decision to switch the fixture to Suncorp Stadium.
There’s a growing perception that an autocratic FFA is stifling the game’s potential, and the governing body would do well to mend relations with key stakeholders – including the disgruntled Con Constantine and Clive Palmer.
Plenty to think about as we head into Season Five, and hopefully the football on display will overshadow many of these concerns as we head into the campaign.
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July 30th 2009 @ 6:16am
Michael C said | July 30th 2009 @ 6:16am | Report comment
it may come as news to you – but, there ARE soccer fans who DO wish for the HAL and soccer to dominate the country. Don’t be so naive as to claim no ‘code war’. At every level – the simple market forces at play – makes it a code war.
btw – HAL – especially in seeking to expand from 8 to 12 teams over 2 seasons during this financial climate – every year will be ‘make or break’.
July 30th 2009 @ 9:08am
albe said | July 30th 2009 @ 9:08am | Report comment
‘code war’ … i dunno, all i want is a league that stacks up well against other FOOTBALL leagues in our region. Its getting there already and will improve further.
The other sports that dominate here historically like afl and nrl are irrelevant to me, as they are globally.
Our A-League is hardly at a ‘make or break’ phase… we’ll always have a professional league from here on as long as we continue to be linked into the world of football via AFC. The horse has bolted, its only the provincial small-world sports that have a precarious time ahead.
We’re already the no.1 sport on the planet and always will be. Thats a very nice position to be in IMO.
July 30th 2009 @ 9:08am
md said | July 30th 2009 @ 9:08am | Report comment
Townsville (and in fact most of Central and North Qld) actually has a pretty good footballing pedigree that we southerners (being everyone south of about Bundy) have ignored for a long time (amongst other things, huge chunks of the farming population up there are of Italian and Greek descent – now well into their 3rd or 4th generations).
MC – another excellent troll and props for getting in early, but you are wrong. At most we wish the other codes would stop claiming a divine right to tear up our pitches – in return for which, football won’t claim a divine right to play on a cricket pitch on the last weekend in september, or on the second day of January. Besides, in Sydney football’s ascendency is pretty much being guaranteed by the NRL – in the words of the Beatles: live and let die.
Cheers
md
July 30th 2009 @ 12:49pm
Vicentin said | July 30th 2009 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
Sorry to be pedantic md but I will be. It may have been in the words of “a” Beatle but not the Beatles themselves. Paul McCartney and Wings wrote/recorded/sang it. A song that also features the grammatically incorrect “But if this ever-changing world in which we live IN makes you give in a cry …
Are we there yet? I mean, can’t the season start start now?!
Apologies again.
July 30th 2009 @ 9:30am
Art Sapphire said | July 30th 2009 @ 9:30am | Report comment
Gee Mike, why can’t so called intelligent football writers and readers spot this massive difference.
The Welsh clubs, Vaduz, Canadian clubs in the MLS etc, etc. – they might play in a league that is not based in their country but at least they are in the same confederation. All these clubs have the right to play in their respective regional (UEFA, CONCACAF) club competitions.
Do you see any Morrocan clubs in the Spanish League or in a UEFA competition?
No. Because they are in the African Confederation.
The problem is NZ is in Oceania, we are in Asia. The Phoenix will not be invited to play in the ACL even if they are A-League champions. I don’t blame the ACF for not wanting the Phoenix in the A-League.
Can you then please tell me Mike what incentive is their to be an owner or supporter of a club where you are not even invited to play in the most in the regions most elite competition. All you are doing is making up numbers for another country’s domeatic competition.
Its utter nonsense. The sooner we have 12 Australian based teams the better.
Infact, the best Kiwi players will still be plying their trade in the A-League.
So in a nutshell, the Kiwis can look after themselves or they can join Asia.
By joining Asia they will kiss their free ticket to the Confeds Cup goodbye and make their qualification to a WC much more difficult. But if they are serious about improving their football, this is the path they need to take.
July 30th 2009 @ 11:06am
Ben of Phnom Penh said | July 30th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Art, last year San Luis, Guadalajara and Pachuca all played in the Copa Libertadores yet these three teams are not CONMEBOL clubs, they are CONCACAF clubs from Mexico. There is ample precedent.
July 30th 2009 @ 11:11am
Art Sapphire said | July 30th 2009 @ 11:11am | Report comment
Good pick up Ben, I stand corrected. But I still think it ridiculous for potentially a NZ team representing Australia to play an NZ team representing NZ in the World Club Championships.
July 30th 2009 @ 11:27am
Ben of Phnom Penh said | July 30th 2009 @ 11:27am | Report comment
I agree on this point re: the Club World Championships; it would indeed be a farce and to my mind this is the key issue. I would like to see Oceania become a sub-set of Asia where the champion nations and clubs from Oceania would enter the early stages of AFC tournaments.
Actually I also recalled the winners of the 1994 Singapore Premier League, the mighty Perth Kangaroos.
July 30th 2009 @ 11:32am
Ghost said | July 30th 2009 @ 11:32am | Report comment
… the issue guys is that the current WC qualifying structure makes NZ our biggest threat beyond Asia.
If we come 3rd in Asia we have to play off against them, and they are made up of many HAL players.
And so, albeit with good intentions, we are developing a nation who is a threat to us.
July 30th 2009 @ 9:36am
AndrewM said | July 30th 2009 @ 9:36am | Report comment
MC,
I don’t think that the expansion of extra teams makes this an next season make or break. Let’s face it football seems to be attracting the big boy investors and with lowy one of the richest guys in Australia he can bank roll teams for many years to come.
Whilst it is an agressive expansion it is also needed because of the AFL’s plans to also expand to GC and Western Sydney.. What i find interesting is that it has taken the HAL only 5 years to reach these markets.. The AFL has had over 100..
Will be very interesting to see what kind of crowds the GC can pull in it’s first year this goes for the HAL and the AFL… NRL has already set the benchmark here.
So is it make or break? no.. It is a Make or WAIT year as far as I am concerned..
July 30th 2009 @ 2:51pm
Griffo said | July 30th 2009 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
I don’t think a single year will make or break the A-League either, although this year (with the World Cup and new teams) will be significant.
I think the next 5 – 8 years will show how healthy the A-League is. Looking back eight years from now, we will see clearer how the A-League is fairing, and better positioned at how it might perform for the next 5 – 8 after that. Comparing ourselves to the J-League as always, they have for the most part been steadily growing from season 12 onwards. I hope we follow that trend as well.
July 30th 2009 @ 9:56am
Towser said | July 30th 2009 @ 9:56am | Report comment
Agree Mike after years of NSL(& we wont go over old ground on its failings & the reasons why) its been a breath of fresh air to see the sort of competition I envisaged happening in Australia. I even wrote to the ASF about it way back in the seventies. I also wrote & told them that football would struggle in this country unless it had a pathway to success. That was my old mantra “Regular meaningful matches” particularly at International level. Its taken another 30 odd years or so for our
“Asian Odyssey” to happen & provide those matches. So far me in relation to the A-League the basics for football are set in place. Better late than never. Everything from now on is a learning curve for the FFA & the A-League on how to operate & improve the comp given the football dynamics of our immediate competitors, the JKC leagues & our more distant competitors the world football market(you would understand this better than most having lived in Japan). Its learning,tweaking learning,tweaking & so on. This year I am particularly optimistic because 2 clubs that have previously struggled have shown me positive learning tweaking charicteristics that is SFC & PG. SFC in recognising the hidden sophistication of the Sydney football market & employing a coach to address this. Also more communication with the local football community by a series of pre season matches against local clubs. PG by finally realising that top dog of the NSL meant zero & recruiting a better quality of player. Hopefully David Mitchells coaching can match this. Also the 2 new clubs. Both have tried to hit the ground running. One,GCU by assembling a sound squad all round with Jason Culina the icing on the cake & the other NQF, with a less than heralded all round squad,but a well known former EPL player Robbie Fowler. Both in my eyes show the enterprise that new clubs need to bring to the A-League table. Also the aquisition of 2 Aborigonal players Freddy Agius & David Williams for NQF is important in reaching the untapped talent in Northern Australia that these players can bring to football. I dont think its coincidence that the FFA chose Townsville to hold the indigenous football festival recently.
If fans are put off by BIg Clives ramblings they must be ultra sensitive. Who gives a toss what he says. He owns the club thats enough for me. After that its what they do on the park that matters. Whether Clive sits at home in a dark room growing his fingernails every home game is his business.,as long as he puts up the cash. If he doesnt thats when GCU should worry. His comments & Mirons are colourful ,contentious Luv it personally. Already Roar Fans are calling him the FF. Better than sanitising the game.
Also the FFA have picked a winner in my book in Archie Fraser. A man with experience(by upbringing)in the world of professional Football overseas(Scotland) but also sport locally via his AFL stint. Using this combo of experience, has resulted in him implementing a long overdue measure video evidence against divers. No longer will this cheating unfair practice be tolerated in the A-League:-
http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/soccer/ffa-to-hit-divers-with-match-bans/2009/07/29/1248546775817.html
July 30th 2009 @ 12:23pm
AndyRoo said | July 30th 2009 @ 12:23pm | Report comment
Just in relation to the last bit, thats fantastic news and it brought a smile to my dial.
July 30th 2009 @ 10:02am
Mike Tuckerman said | July 30th 2009 @ 10:02am | Report comment
Art Sapphire – Luch Energiya Vladivostock are a part of UEFA too… but I doubt any teams from Europe want to face them in a European competition.
I don’t for a second believe that Wellington Phoenix couldn’t receive special dispensation to play in Asian tournaments, but if it takes for New Zealand to join the AFC proper for Phoenix to legitimately take part in Asian competitions, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take part in the A-League in the meantime.
July 30th 2009 @ 10:09am
Tom said | July 30th 2009 @ 10:09am | Report comment
Apart from the Champions League issue I don’t think it is such a big difference, Art.
If Wellington get to a point where they no longer see the incentives in keeping going, well then i guess they’ll stop. At the moment they seem to be more interested in being competitive in a decent quality league. More power to them.
Another area that could go either way is Perth. They’ve finally put together a squad that looks capable of actually winning something. The two questions are: will they and will the fans come back if they do?
If Perth don’t have a big season on and off the pitch it’ll be pretty disheartening for WA football.
As for this apparently ‘growing perception that the FFA is stifling the game’s potential’ I think this is overblown. Apart from the occasional grumbling blog from the odd journalist there appears to broad support in Australia for strong governing bodies who can impose equalisation measures.
But I agree that the confrontional approach the A-league seems to be taking with club investors is a bit odd. Not just Constantine and Palmer but also the ultimatum issue to Lord about taking a stake in club in a rival code.
July 30th 2009 @ 10:23am
Art Sapphire said | July 30th 2009 @ 10:23am | Report comment
Mike – Adelaide went to Uzbekhistan to play tin the ACL so I don’t think the Europeans can complain about going to Vladivostock.
Anyway – the view from the top – Hamman in his own words re: Wellington and the A-League
What is the latest on your discussions with Football Federation Australia about Wellington Phoenix’s future in the A-League?
For a New Zealand team to be playing (in the A-League) from outside the territory of an AFC member, Australia was given special permission from FIFA’s committee and were provided with this permission until the year 2011.
Our criteria insists that all clubs are from the territory of the federation. They must be registered under the commercial law of the same country. We don’t allow outside clubs to be part of that league. But considering that this club already has this permission from FIFA we presume they are also committed commercially, with their sponsors, TV rights holders and so on. We don’t want to break that and we want to protect that league so we put that in our consideration. We allow them to participate for now in Australia. But it will only be until 2011 after which either this club must definitely disappear or they’ll re-register themselves in Australia as an Australian club under the law of Australia. That would mean that all New Zealand players would be treated as foreigners so they would only be able to have three New Zealanders playing.
And if Wellington won the title (before 2011), or were runner’s up, they could not participate in the AFC’s competition. That’s very clear.
Is there any flexibility in this?
Absolutely not, absolutely not.
What are your impressions of the A-League, four seasons in?
Very good. Very impressed. It’s something like number 15 in the world in terms of popularity and attendance. This environment is very healthy. There are huge numbers of good (Australian) players, playing in Europe. I hope that the popularity of the game now will bring most of them back home. If it happens, the game will have a further boost. It is also open for them to have one Asian player in their A-League squads in addition to the three foreigners. I hope there will be opposite immigration to Asia.
How has Australia’s entry to the AFC and the establishment of the A-League been different to your expectations?
The people behind the move to Asia made the right move. They wanted to popularize their football. They knew unless there were competitive matches and a competitive league they wouldn’t succeed in terms of attracting the fans, sponsors and TV. I hope what they expected they got.
The full article is here
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=598136&cc=3436
July 30th 2009 @ 12:28pm
AndyRoo said | July 30th 2009 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
But it wouldn’t be hard to come to a new agreement. What would be the harm in letting the Pheonix play in the A league but be ineligible for the ACL.
I can promise you, while they would rather play in the ACL than not it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they couldn’t.
It is all about being able to have a professional football club, one where NZ players have the chance to be full time professionals while living in NZ. Thats what matter most to NZ fans, the ACL is a fringe issue.
July 30th 2009 @ 10:47am
cab711 said | July 30th 2009 @ 10:47am | Report comment
I believe we think too highly of ourselves, football fans I mean. The two codes have been locking horns for a much longer period of time and have healthy rivalries. Football seems relatively new on the scene and I hardly think it will threaten codes that have well established fan basis. You just have to watch AFL crowds to see the little old grannies sitting there that have followed there team since they were kids. An A-League team has hardly touched that kind of commitment…yet.
I do believe that Wellington Phoenix’ greatest challenge is to remain competitive. I would hate to see a licence wasted when it could happily go to another club here in Australia lest it end up like the Knights debacle. No I dont believe that this season is a make or break, I think that happened along time ago for the HAL. The FFA have made few mistakes and setup an attractive and sustainable brand. Some challanges to date are poor club management, terrible signings, 1 club dropping out, ridiculous field conditions as well as a recession. Thats not bad.