By Mike Tuckerman
December 26th 2009 @ 12:42am
Related coverage
Will holiday fixtures work this season?
Police direct Gold Coast United fans after they stormed a closed off area of stadium in protest of a crowd cap at Skilled Park during the round 13 A-League match between the Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury , Saturday, October 31, 2009. Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer made the decision this week to limit the Skilled Park crowd to 5,000 people to save on stadium fees. AAP Image/Dave Hunt.
One of the common complaints of the A-League is that so many decisions seem to be made by non-football people. From odd scheduling to inconsistent suspensions, several of the decisions stemming from FFA headquarters have left fans scratching their heads.
A recurring issue is the failure to consistently accommodate international match-dates into the A-League fixture list.
As one of the first to trumpet Jason Culina’s decision to join the A-League, the FFA has been decidedly mute on Gold Coast’s marquee signing missing key games for his club side when the national team are in action.
More embarrassing was FIFA’s intervention during the Beijing Olympics, after FFA decided that goalkeeper Danny Vukovic could serve a domestic ban in two parts.
The tailor-made suspension was intended to allow Vukovic to represent his country in Beijing, however the world game’s governing body were quick to point out that allowing Vukovic to play internationally was “contrary to the spirit of FIFA regulations.”
So it’s with a degree of trepidation that one approaches an A-League fixture list which includes two matches on Boxing Day and another on New Year’s Eve.
Playing the games on or around public holidays isn’t a new idea.
The A-League’s inaugural campaign featured games on December 31 and New Year’s Day, as well as a clash on Australia Day.
But it was an epic rain-deferred Round 15 match during the 2007-08 season that proved just how successful fixtures scheduled around the holiday season could be.
That clash took place at Bluetongue Stadium, three days before Christmas, and saw 17,514 fans pile through the gates of the atmospheric ground to watch Sydney FC defeat Central Coast Mariners 5-4 in a classic.
So memorable was that encounter, that the following season saw the Newcastle Jets take on local rivals, the Central Coast Mariners on Boxing Day, whilst regional foes Perth Glory and Adelaide United clashed in the west.
Scheduling games between local rivals on Boxing Day makes sense, and follows in the English tradition of local foes clashing so that fans avoid long away trips on the day after Christmas.
This season’s Boxing Day line-up sees Gold Coast United host Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory take on the Newcastle Jets, while Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix do battle on New Year’s Eve.
It’s unfortunate for FFA officials that Gold Coast have done so much to alienate their own supporters, while Brisbane fans have dropped off in droves on the back of a difficult campaign.
Meanwhile, Newcastle Jets fans are unlikely to travel to Perth in any great numbers, whilst Central Coast’s match-up with Wellington Phoenix sees two of the less entertaining sides in the league go head to head.
For what it’s worth, I’m a big fan of scheduling fixtures on public holidays and I think it’s a tradition that should continue.
But through a combination of bad luck and a lack of foresight, this season’s holiday schedule is largely a ho-hum affair.
It’s neither here nor there in terms of big-name rivalries, and combined with the now familiar lack of advertising, it remains to be seen whether thousands of fans don’t suddenly find something better to do on their days off.
It’s a shame that TV constraints ensure that a full round of fixtures can’t take place on Boxing Day, although there are obviously plenty of other important match days scheduled throughout the season.
One would hope that this season’s holiday fixture list is a success, though, if it is to avoid becoming another negative talking point in what has been a difficult campaign to date.
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KB said | December 26th 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
I am off to the GCU FC and Roar FC on the Gold Coast today at Skilled Stadium… This will be a greatly anticipated match between these two clubs, being the first in their history making derbies on the Coast for these two clubs with both at near to full strength… A battle for the minds and hearts of South East Queenslanders to be played out on the Gold Coast… I would have personally preferred a later kick-off time at 6:00pm but still I think a huge turn-out can be expected… This will be GCU’s best crowd of the season and one that should have been the opening first round for the ver 5 HAL season, but for a bad decision made by the FFA to take the fixture up to Suncorp… However, we on the Gold Coast at last can look forward to many more of these derbies in coming seasons… This is shaping up to be a very good contest between to form teams of late, with both coming off good wins… And as a side issue of Charlie Miller’s performance against his old mate Craig Moore… Who will win….? GCU by two..
~~~~~~
KB
Marshall said | December 26th 2009 @ 10:11am | Report comment
If Gc can’t pull at least 8,000 for Brisbane today then that’s poor
Ben of Phnom Penh said | December 26th 2009 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
Hopefully the TV scheduling issue can be rectified in the next round of negotiations. It would have been good to have a full Boxing Day football bonanza.
deadman said | December 26th 2009 @ 4:04pm | Report comment
why is the sydney v adelaide game not at adelaide oval, I thought they where making it another yearly tradition
Ben of Phnom Penh said | December 26th 2009 @ 11:00pm | Report comment
Sydney’s turn to host I guess. IT’s a pity as it appeared to be quite popular the last couple of years.
David said | December 26th 2009 @ 4:05pm | Report comment
I hate to say it but i dont see gold coast lasting as a club there crowd numbers are terrable ths the fact. There isnenough football suporters in that area – AFL is about to open a new club there Tazzie or ACT is a better option i think the FFA are losing it in my opinion
M1tch said | December 26th 2009 @ 5:13pm | Report comment
They did everything wrong with the GCU, they didnt play games on the Gold Coast in the first couple a-league seasons to drum up support, Palmer with his antics turned people off, they didnt engage local communites and distanced themselves from the Titans who could have been a very good ‘friend’ plus things like dual-memberships would have been a winner for both
James said | December 26th 2009 @ 6:30pm | Report comment
Just over 10,000 at the Gold Coast game tonight – their biggest A-League crowd – but the majority of the crowd is in the orange of Brisbane.
James said | December 26th 2009 @ 6:56pm | Report comment
Just thinking, what’s stopping Roar fans from going to up the highway each week to see the Gold Coast too? It’s not too far, and they’re gonna be entertained.
Quality A-League pitches said | December 26th 2009 @ 8:37pm | Report comment
Lack of atmosphere may be one reason. Plus – its been widely reported that there’s a 5,000 person cap there. Why would you bother if the owner doesn’t even want his “own” team’s fans to turn up.
KB said | December 27th 2009 @ 8:14am | Report comment
James,
just what the doctor ordered an almighty home crowd 10k+… And the atmosphere from both sets of supporters was fantastic… The home end was packed in gold&blue, a lot of orange as well at the away end, but a fair number of new gold&blue with it—-a great result for the natives and I’m already looking forward to the next home ground fixture with my just recently bought new supporters kit… … well done all and the times are achangin’…
David said | December 26th 2009 @ 11:03pm | Report comment
Melbourne Heart will be a success!
Footbal Person said | December 27th 2009 @ 9:32am | Report comment
Quality A-league Pitches, if that is your real name(im sure its not),that rumor about the cap was in place for one week in wich they attracted death threats from the FFA, WTF’s from the rest of the A-league and 2600 spectators against fowler and the Fury.