FFA must heed Pim’s warning and move season

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By Adrian Musolino, 5 Jan 2010 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert

Tagged:: A-League, AFL, Bathurst, FFA, football, NRL, Pim Verbeek, Socceroos, World Cup

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Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson is challenged by Brisbane Roar's Craig Moore, during their round 9 of the 2009 A-League season, being played at Ethihad Stadium in Melbourne, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.(AAP Image/Joe Castro)

In all the debate and discussion surrounding A-League based Socceroos candidates needing to look overseas to keep their World Cup dreams alive, the most frustrating aspect is how it all could have been avoided.

The move to start this season in early August, ending in March, was short sighted in a World Cup year, unquestionably.

But there are other clear reasons why the A-League season must realign itself from 2010-11 onwards by delaying its season start til October and ending in May.

In addition to avoiding a similar scenario in World Cup years, an October to May season could potentially avoid some of the mistakes of this current season.

Overlapping with the AFL and NRL season is inevitable, especially as the competition expands to twelve teams in 2011-12, but as this current A-League season showed, starting when the AFL and NRL are heading into their finals’ series makes it extremely difficult to gain much in the way of traction, and that limp start to the season in terms of awareness carried on through to the summer.

Surely, therefore, it’s better to overlap at a time when the momentum is with the A-League as it heads into its culminating stages, coming off its strong summer period and having a full season behind it.

It has a better chance of holding its own in the press when there is something at stake, particular against AFL and NRL seasons in their early stages.

Starting in early October is the optimum scenario. It’s something that the Bathurst 1000 race and spring racing carnival enjoy – happening in the immediate aftermath of the AFL/NRL finals when there is a vacuum in Australian sport.

There are other benefits to this move:

- Allows for a longer pre-season build-up. There would still be the possibility for clubs to try and attract overseas clubs to tour in July, while playing pre-season friendlies against fellow A-League opposition or even some form of a pre-season tournament in August and September (an FFA Cup, perhaps?).

This would fulfill the requirements for an eight-month minimum season as required by the AFC for Champions League consideration and help build-up to the season start.

- The A-League can benefit from a correspondence with the European season. Surely there would be some sort of benefit in having, for example, the A-League Grand Final on the same night as the FA Cup.

- With five Asian Champions League group stage fixtures in March and April (based on the 2010 schedule), the A-League clubs involved in the tournament will be in prime condition.

It could make it more difficult to sort out ACL qualification from Australia, but those issues would not be insurmountable (if required, ACL qualification could be awarded at the end of the season in March/April, rather than at the end of the finals series).

The success of holiday fixtures (averaging over the 10,000 crowd mark in the holiday fixtures just past) also shows that more can be crammed into December and January months if need be, particularly in December.

With FIFA international fixtures and the Asian Cup (in 2011) in January, in addition to ACL commitments, the FFA needs Fox Sports to play ball and allow simultaneous matches midweek so this option can be better utilised over summer.

We’ve already seen this season that the August start intrusion into the AFL/NRL finals didn’t work for the A-League.

It’s time to try intruding at a time when the momentum is with the A-League.

It’ll also mean we avoid the possible exodus of A-League Socceroos in 2014.

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The Crowd Says (42) | Page 1 of Comments

agga78 said | January 5th 2010 @ 7:15am | Report comment

Yes, I agree the league should start later only for the sake of future world cups, I was happy enough starting in August but if the league is not going to finish in May the next year, then it is better to start in October with a May Finish. Other ideas like a FFA cup is something which needs to happen, while foreign club friendlies are great, im afraid prices for these matches are well over what they are worth, I went to see Celtic this season and even though I would pay any price to see Celtic play, the $40 dollar price for the worst seats put many of the locals off the game, which was a shame as their were 30k Celtic supporters their who gave the local Brisbane supporters a beautiful rendition of You’ll never Walk alone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXgNikTkt4M

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The Bear said | January 5th 2010 @ 7:18am | Report comment

Right on the money, Adrian.

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MV Dave said | January 5th 2010 @ 7:30am | Report comment

Absolutely. October until early May sounds right on the money. However it seems for next season at least, the FFA want to start again in August to exploit the publicity from the WC hoping there will be a flow on effect.
The longer season means it is impossible not to have overlap with the other codes so better to overlap at the start of their seasons. The HAL finals will hold there own and be well attended /watched at any stage and they will run presumably from early April to early May. By that stage supporters of the clubs will be well aware of schedules/fixtures etc and hopefully in a routine of attending games.

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- Chuq said | January 5th 2010 @ 7:57am | Report comment
  
  In the case of the 2010/2011 season, there will be a 3-4 week break for the Asian Cup in January as well – so they could even run August – April for that season.
  
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  - AndyRoo said | January 5th 2010 @ 9:21am | Report comment
    
    Will the A league play on during the Asian Cup?
    
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    - Chuq said | January 5th 2010 @ 2:28pm | Report comment
      
      Good question – I don’t know, I just assumed they wouldn’t. They break for international dates, and its an international tournament. It only takes 1 A-League player to be selected for the Asian Cup squad and you would have one VERY annoyed coach, no doubt very vocal, about missing their star player for a whole month.
      
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Football said | January 5th 2010 @ 7:40am | Report comment

The Aug period is when juniours are playing their semi’s & finals creating clashes for players who want to attend games. The season end is then followed by rep trials. Premier league trials end at the end of Oct so moving the season aviods all these current clashes.

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Chuq said | January 5th 2010 @ 7:55am | Report comment

Excellent suggestion Adrian! Finish in May and start in October – push back as the season grows.

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Davstar said | January 5th 2010 @ 8:28am | Report comment

i think it should start when the AFL NRL season ends and finish about somewhere when rivel codes are half way through. Make the league longer in general. Put a FFA cup where the state premier league teams play and as a few more team enter the league it will only result in a better quality league

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Simmo said | January 5th 2010 @ 8:57am | Report comment

Agreed on all points Adrian.

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Australian Football said | January 5th 2010 @ 9:15am | Report comment

Adrian,
agree straight after the NRL grand final and more mid week fixtures with rounds starting on Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday and Wednesday nights… Summer mid week football during the holiday break is a real winner…

~~~~~~~
AF

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Mich said | January 5th 2010 @ 9:27am | Report comment

I am all for October start, I am involved with ameteur sporting clubs & they finish mid September & if your local club starts poorly your season is nearly already over before you have a chance to attend a game as well as no point buying a membership when you can not attend the 1st 2 months.

Kick on effect after the world cup, there is none, Perth Glory straight after the 2006 was the worst I had ever seen it, in 2002 when the WC was in our time zone the following season Perth Glory did not have much of a boost.

All these issues the game has now are due to the people running the a-league not having any idea of the game pre 2005..

In my case if the a-league started in October 2010 I would buy a membership & when my ametuer sporting comittments (work the bar) come around in 2011 I will have plenty of time to organise a replacement so I can attend a-league or alternatively give my a-league tickets away. As it is there is no point buying membership when I can not attend until October

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Ben of Phnom Penh said | January 5th 2010 @ 11:12am | Report comment

Whilst I agree with the sentiment there are the issues of stadiums and TV rights which needs to be taken into consideration. Annual stadium preparation is part of the reason pushing the A-League deeper into the new year is problematic. Stadium deals have been done to accommodate this as have TV deals which cannot be torn up as they underpin the entire league.

What I suspect is that the longer term plan for the FFA is to move towards an April-May finish though to do this will take time. There is a need for the game to grow financially to a point where better stadium deals can be reached and stronger TV deals done. There is also the expansion of the the A-League and the introduction of a cup which will further extend the season.

In the long run we will end up with a season that is more in-line with Europe, but it needs to be approached organically.

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- MV Dave said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
  
  Interesting point Ben. The new Melbourne Stadium will help out there in this neck of the woods;
  
  Melb – 2 teams – New Rec stadium should be no problems with the ground sharing
  AU – 1 team – Hindmarsh – no probs
  PG – 1 team – MES – no probs
  GCU – 1 team – Stadium shared with RL but still should be no probs
  BR – 1 team – shared with RL but again should be no probs
  NQ – 1 team – stadium shared with 1 RL team so no probs
  WP – 1 team – stadium shared with RU? should be no probs
  Syd – 2 teams – SFS shared with RL but should be able to fit in ok, maybe Paramatta Stdium for 2nd team again share with RL
  NJ – 1 team share with RL 1 stadium should be ok
  CCM – 1 team have stadium largely to themselves, occassional RL game
  
  It would seem on the face of it that most stadiums would be free apart from Etihad in Melb but TBH MV dont need to play many games there and those they are contracted to could be played earlier in the season.
  
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  - Sam el Perro said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
    
    Interesting take that you have, MV Dave, on the rugby league teams playing in various stadia.
    
    Firstly, you have neglected to note that there is one playing in the Melbourne stadium.
    Secondly, you have noted that for the teams in Brisbane, Townsville and Gold Coast that there would be “no problems” with ground sharing. Given that the NRL teams in those cities draw approximately 4, 3 and 4 (respectively) times the crowds of the A League teams it is certain that the Roar, Fury and GCFC will have to play second fiddle to the whims of the NRL draw. Why that will present a problem (as opposed to your “no probs”) is that the NRL game day is only determined six weeks in advance for any given round (beyond the first six rounds).
    
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    - MV Dave said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:41pm | Report comment
      
      So you are saying Sam that 1 ground between 2 teams (albeit 2 codes) couldn’t involve ground sharing? There would be 2-3 MONTHS OF OVERLAP (not a whole season) where 1 team could play Friday night or Sat or Sunday and the other on either of the remaining 2 days of the weekend period…no doesnt sound too difficult Sam especially as teams only play half their games at home, so perhaps even less clashes. Sorry to disappoint Sam but ground sharing during the overlap period SHOULD be no problem.
      BTW The 2 Melb teams are happy to share the new ground with the Storm…maybe from where your from sharing isnt the done thing?
      
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      - Sam el Perro said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
        
        Not saying that there can’t be ground sharing, just saying that the FFA will have trouble scheduling specific days on weekends when both teams are playing. It isn’t a great problem if the FFA can show flexibility, but if there is a clash of dates between, say, the Broncos and the Roar, it is realistic that Suncorp isn’t going to favour the Roar.
        
        Not quite sure why you think that I would be disappointed if ground sharing *isn’t* a problem. I would have thought that successful ground sharing is the ideal outcome for everyone.
        
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        MV Dave said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
        
        ” I would have thought that successful ground sharing is the ideal outcome for everyone.”
        My initial point exactly. Where there is good will there will be a way.
        
        Sam el Perro said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
        
        “Where there is good will there will be a way.”
        
        *Good* will! I think you just hit the nail on the head. Sadly, there often isn’t good will between organisations. There is, IMHO, no reason why this should be so however.
    - AndyRoo said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
      
      I don’t think the rolling NRL schedule is a problem because you dont try and play on the same weekends.
      
      Idealy both the NRL and the FFA should be working on schedules that go 1 week away next week at home. That would rule out the SFS though which caters for two Rugby league teams.
      
      The other conflict I see is if the Rugby League clubs are far and away the most important tennant so the A league clubs will have to work around the NRL schedule rather than the other way around obviously.
      That’s tough because the A league will need to know the NRL’s 2011 schedule so it can plan it’s 2010/2011 season when the NRL is probably a good 6 months from releasing a schedule for 2011.
      
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      - Sam el Perro said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:47pm | Report comment
        
        “Idealy both the NRL and the FFA should be working on schedules that go 1 week away next week at home. That would rule out the SFS though which caters for two Rugby league teams.”
        
        Agreed, that is what should happen. The only problems will be the SFS (as you mentioned, which is also the NSW Waratahs home gorund) and Suncorp, which also is the Queensland Red’s home ground. When Super 14/15 is underway, there will be 3 (or more in the case of the SFS) teams wanting to play, so week on/week off will not be viable without flexibility from the three organising bodies.
        
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    - Timmuh said | January 5th 2010 @ 9:06pm | Report comment
      
      The six week thing might not be an issue in the future. I thought I read somewhere that Gallop wants to move to a fixed schedule for the NRL. While the FFA may need to wait until an NRL schedule is released, once that is done they would then know what grounds would be available when.
      The new rugby side would also presumably be playing out of the new ground in Melbourne, along with the Victory, Heart (if that pathetic name is used) and Storm. For some of that time Docklands would be available, others perhaps not.
      
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- Sam el Perro said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:40pm | Report comment
  
  Another problem, at least in Queensland and New South Wales, with moving the A League final into April/May, is that it will clash with the highly rating ANZAC Test and State of Origin series. This would suffocate the amount of publicity that the final would get in those states.
  
  Late March/early April would be ideal as the publicity from the start of the NRL season would have subsided but the other events would not yet be ramping up.
  
  Anyone else who lives in Brisbane will no doubt be aware of how clogged up the sports pages of The Courier-Mail get with rugby league at that time of year.
  
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  - Rob said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:51pm | Report comment
    
    Yes, Sam, the “Curious Mail” is terribly one-sided in its sports coverage, and frustratingly so! In fact, that so-called newspaper is clogged with so much rugby league that it’s hard to find stories on anything else!
    
    I hate that newspaper so much…
    
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  - MV Dave said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
    
    “Anyone else who lives in Brisbane will no doubt be aware of how clogged up the sports pages of The Courier-Mail get with rugby league at that time of year.” The alternative is September when l’m sure the pages are even more full of RL. l would see April- May as the lesser problem/conflict for HAL as compared to finals in September.
    
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    - Sam el Perro said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:56pm | Report comment
      
      Fair point, MV Dave. It is a trade off between the beginning of the season, to get a roll on, or the end of the season, to publicise the final. This problem would be solved if the A League didn’t have a grand final, and just had a league table. That way the season could be started with, hopefully, maximum publicity which could be maintained.
      
      The chances of that happening, however (no final that is), are, I’m sure, zero.
      
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    - AndyRoo said | January 5th 2010 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
      
      I think that’s the key, you want the start of the season to be less crowded so you can kick of with some momentum and then once the fans are in the habbit of attending and if the teams doing well then you should still hope to be able to maintain interest at the end of your season no matter what else is going on.
      If you have to go up against Rugby League your best going in with A league finals vs regular season NRL matches than A league regular matches vs NRL finals!
      
      This year by the time the NRL finished their was allready about 3million articles on crowds dropping off the A league.
      
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  - AndyRoo said | January 5th 2010 @ 1:55pm | Report comment
    
    Assuming 33 rounds for the A league next year you could start on October 1st (Friday Night) and play your last round on April 8/9/10 as long as their are 5 mid week rounds. 5 is about the max I could see happening with out some serious scheduling brain power (to work out when you can fairly play 2 or 3 game in the one mid week). That’s just 1 game a week on a wednesday but not on international dates.
    
    Then the finals for the remainder of April. That would also mean the A league would have to play through international weekends by making sure both byes for the Phoenix are on the international dates.
    
    Their wont be any byes in 2011/2012 though!
    
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    - MV Dave said | January 5th 2010 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
      
      The dates sound about right AndyRoo and no doubt the FFA will have to play 2nd fiddle in some circumstances re bookings of venues which have been used by other codes for a long period previously. There may well be some hiccups in the first 1-2 seasons of ground sharing but overtime it will become commonplace and no one will give it a 2nd thought…the happiest of all will be the various ground managements who will have close to 12 month use of their stadiums! This should mean improved facilities for all over a period of time?
      In respect of mid week games it will take some trial and error to get it right but it will mean some weeks there are 5 midweek games…as long as they are in the Summer months shouldn’t be too much of an issue. The broadcasting of so many games during 2-3 days midweek will be interesting dilema in itself…FTA anyone?
      
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