The A-League is not out of the woods yet
Columnist By Davidde Corran, 1 Sep 2011 Davidde Corran is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- A-League, Brett Emerton, football, Harry Kewell, Melbourne Victory, rebecca wilson, Sydney FC
147 Have your say
With all the hype floating around the A-League since the signing of key Socceroos Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton to Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC respectively, you could be forgiven for thinking all of the league’s problems had been solved.
So positive have things been, it was almost inevitable that an article like Rebecca Wilson’s now infamous rant that the A-League is too concerned with quick-fix solutions would come along.
And how quick were we to start jumping up and down in an indignant huff?
It’s disappointing we’ve responded with suggestions that Wilson’s ranting must mean the A-League is getting to her.
Is it not worth considering whether, among the hyperbole and misnomers, Wilson might actually have a point? Is it not possible that Wilson attacked the A-League not just to sink the boot in but because she sees a weakness worth attacking?
Ultimately it leads me back to a concern that still troubles me – the flawed structure of the A-League still hasn’t changed.
The clubs are set up in the wrong markets, the game still relies on private capital to fund the clubs and the competition is still being run by the game’s peak governing body.
The only significant and positive structural changes I see are changing the season’s start to after the AFL and NRL seasons in October, and that head office can use the current forward momentum in negotiating the next TV deal.
Yet even here optimism is dampened, due to there being only one genuine potential bidder for the league’s TV rights – Fox Sports.
In the meantime concerns remain over a number of issues, including how many clubs will there be this time next year?
What are the plans to save Gold Coast United, a club that is still flapping in the wind?
How can the competition prevent a good club like Melbourne Heart from being swamped by the biggest and most successful club in the league’s history, who’ve just signed the game’s most high-profile Socceroo?
Even for those A-League sides whose futures appear secure in the short term, like the Wellington Phoenix (there is a contingency plan to deal with Terry Serepisos’ financial troubles) and Central Coast Mariners, there are still significant doubts over how they can not just survive but thrive beyond this season.
For these reasons I remain as worried about the A-League’s long-term future as I am excited for the start of the next season.
Why is all this important? Because I want the anticipation I’m feeling towards the start of the new season in October to be repeated for many years to come.
Yes, there have been some fantastic developments in the last couple of months but the time for cheerleading is not yet upon us, especially from those of us within the football media.
On the contrary, we must start asking even tougher questions of the game’s governors and do so more often. The hard work for those within the game is far from over.
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- Explore:
- A-League, Brett Emerton, football, Harry Kewell, Melbourne Victory, rebecca wilson, Sydney FC
September 1st 2011 @ 6:28am
Kasey said | September 1st 2011 @ 6:28am | Report comment
I still have my head on, I realise that the HAL is by no means ‘saved’ just by 2 returning Socceroos. Mind you I didn’t think the HAL needed saving. That COULD be because I’m from Adelaide where the local team is a very visible part of the sports landscape even in the off season and even without signing a you-beaut marquee? The HAL hit a rough patch in s3-6 but IMO there are enough green shoots in recent times to warrant optimism. From Tinkler’s revolution in Newy to Brisbane’s exciting style of play I am very much looking forward to this season. For me we will likely look back at season 2011/12 and view it as either a turning point for the better, or the time we realised that we are screwed:( It seems a lot to place on one season of football but I believe that this season’s football will be “make or break”. It is crucial that FFA demonstrate that they have learned some lessons in administering the premier domestic football comp gained from the mistakes of recent times. It is crucial that the fans turn out in greater numbers in s7 than in s4-6. It is crucial that the increased profile gained from 2 Socceroos signing on be leveraged in the best way possible for the image of the game. Mind you it is crucial that we the fans unite a bit more and support the game we love. We continually bray at anyone that will listen that WE are the game. without us the game is nothing. And yet we are as fragmented as ever. Eurosnobs, NSL bitters, Each group calling the other lot FFA cheerleaders or the opposite, haterz out to bring the game down for nefarious purposes. (PS: As if its some great crime to believe in your sport and want the best for it?) all division and constant negativity does is give the anti-socka haterz more ammunition with which to attack our game.
September 1st 2011 @ 6:59am
rip Enke said | September 1st 2011 @ 6:59am | Report comment
Perfectly said.
+1
September 1st 2011 @ 9:03am
Qantas supports Australian Football said | September 1st 2011 @ 9:03am | Report comment
+2 well said Kasey.
September 1st 2011 @ 3:20pm
Midfielder said | September 1st 2011 @ 3:20pm | Report comment
+ 99999999999999999999999999 to the power of 999999999999999999
September 1st 2011 @ 3:50pm
Roger said | September 1st 2011 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
^ What midfielder said
September 1st 2011 @ 6:43pm
NY said | September 1st 2011 @ 6:43pm | Report comment
What Roger said
September 1st 2011 @ 6:49am
rip Enke said | September 1st 2011 @ 6:49am | Report comment
First, every team runs on commercial backing, unless you are a top 4club in Europe and can get a sheikh throw money your way. Or they make money on transfers.
I must say channel 10 seems to be the most sympathetic to football out of all the commercial stations, they at least show a bit of football in their news coverage.
My dream deal for TV rights would be Socceroos on ten, international games not shown on ten on SBS as well as a highlights show at least for the HAL, Fox has given a service they should still have the regular A-League games, but we need at least a weekly Hal show on fta.
I do think the future is looking rosey, if you want to see the Hal improve, have more teams, then get along to some games or become a member.
That said I too think the season is way to short.
September 1st 2011 @ 8:15am
j binnie said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:15am | Report comment
Davidde – A well debated article that projects more common sense than much of ,to use your words,the hype we have been getting these last few weeks.However one of your observations made me smile,in fact the one you cited as the only positive structural change,the “moving of the programme to October”. Now I don’t know if you remember the introduction of “summer soccer” in the NSL but when introduced (after adjustment in season 89/90) the programme commenced on the 4th OCTOBER 1990.History teaching our “leaders” another lesson???. While you did not expand your thoughts I too,like you.despair for the task facing Melbourne Heart for, if Victory get their act together this season, they could,like you suggest,swamp the best efforts of the Heart high command.This is an unmentionable fact in the eyes of those who praise expansion as the way to go for the sake of 2 or 3 “derby games” in a 30 week season. Keep up the good work. jb
September 1st 2011 @ 8:43am
Kasey said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:43am | Report comment
I must be off my rocker, because I think the signing of Kewell will actually help Heart rather than hinder it. A rising tide lifts all boats and Kewell’s signing has elevated the awareness of football in a city uber-obsessed by AFL footy. I imagine the Heart will run a campaign similar to Adelaide Utds “because of the increased interest in the tardby thx to HK, the only way to guarantee your seat for our 2 home tardbies is to shell out for a Heart Season Ticket. That’s money in the bank for the red n whites, regardless of how many games he STH actually attends.
Overall I think Davidde raises some interesting points that will need revisiting after te season, but unlike Becky, Davidde comments from a knowledgable perpective on the game. He raises good points without being overly negative or filled with doom and gloom, neither of which are appropriate IMO in the lead up to what promises to be a very exciting season of football.
September 1st 2011 @ 11:26am
Nathan of Perth said | September 1st 2011 @ 11:26am | Report comment
“I must be off my rocker”
This is true, but I agree that there’s a good chance it can help Heart if they market it right. Uh… I don’t think guaranteed seats to the Melbourne derby is necessarily the approach to take though!
September 1st 2011 @ 12:17pm
Ben of Phnom Penh said | September 1st 2011 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
I tend to agree that Heart could well become the St Pauli of Australian football. The Pirates have done well to become the club for the alternatives, for those too cool to be a supporter of behemoth Hamburg. Ironically Hamburg is also the second largest city in its country.
September 1st 2011 @ 1:39pm
nordozzz said | September 1st 2011 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
spot on, the Kewell effect won’t appeal to all Melbourne football fans.
September 1st 2011 @ 3:00pm
Kasey said | September 1st 2011 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
The St. Pauli of Australia would be amazing, the counter culture team of the HAL:) It would give them that Point of difference they crave against Melbourne Victory..ie Our point of difference is that we are NOT Victory..kind of like how Man City have been given a bit of a nicer ride to begin the season in England precicely because they are NOT Man Yoo, despite having oil/blood money just like Chelsea, whose full name appears to be ” Chelsea-they-bought-their title FC”
Aussies have a tradition of supporting the underdog so its not beyond the realm of possibilities I guess.
September 1st 2011 @ 9:15am
Stevo said | September 1st 2011 @ 9:15am | Report comment
Honestly, “despair for the task facing Melbourne Heart ” is definitely melodramatic I must say. Who says all of Melbourne want to support MVFC. Many people may want to do the oppositie just to annoy their friends. Or even that HeartFC may actually produce a very good brand of football that people want to watch. Geez, sooooo many possibilites that taking a negative attitude seems, well, just plain NEGATIVE!!!! I’ve got my HeartFC membership and off I go, happy as Larry ….
September 1st 2011 @ 12:13pm
j binnie said | September 1st 2011 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
Stevo – Do not extract a part of a statement & then expand on it.I said if Victory “got their act into gear” it is possible that with a new management team,a new coach, new players et. al. they “could” reverse the drop in interest THEY suffered last season.The fact that I suggested that this “reversal”, if it did occur,would make it harder for Heart to combat is just a factual statement & is not meant to denigrate the club,team,or fans in any way. Now get to the nitty-gritty of expansion. Last year 2 home games out of 3 were given to Heart when playing Victory, Heart’s average gate for the other 12 matches was 5800.Against Victory their 2 “home games produced gates of 24,500.Now to a question that is raised by “outsiders”. Of the 24,500 how many were Victory supporters,how many were Heart supporters and how many could be classed as neutral. According to both club’s average gates (totaling 21000) the “neutral ” fans amounted to 3500 !!!!.Now these may just be figures to you but I can assure you they are very important to the men who run these professional clubs & their marketeers who try to build interest.Now I wish Heart every success in their endeavour, all I pointed out was the dangers inherent in expansion into what is a limited & very competitive market& to ignore what I have pointed out to you would be extremely dangerous.Other than that I wish you and your team well in the new season. jb
September 1st 2011 @ 12:57pm
j binnie said | September 1st 2011 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
Stevo – Another thought occurred to me after I posted that reply.As you know the “planners” at FFA, in an endeavour to give the fans more games, have again rostered the 10 clubs to play each other 3 times & you will note that Heart has AGAIN been awarded 2 home games against Victory, which,if all is above board, should boost the Heart’s coffers again this season but you will surely understand if others interested in the game would wonder why this is happening for 2 consecutive seasons.Most Victory fans could ask,”After last season why did WE not get the 2 home games this season?”.Would they be justified? Many would say yes.jb
September 1st 2011 @ 1:01pm
Ben of Phnom Penh said | September 1st 2011 @ 1:01pm | Report comment
after 4 consecutive seasons of Victory hosting Adelaide twice I’m not sure you’d want to bring the topic up.
September 1st 2011 @ 2:28pm
Kasey said | September 1st 2011 @ 2:28pm | Report comment
Ben of PP, plus bloody 1000:) Melbourne know we United fans travel in good numbers…Conspiracyzzz!!11!! I’m pretty sure Greg Griffin(AUFC CEO)mentioned that he wasn’t very happy with that earlier when the draw came out(At least he noticed! – probably will hit home when Hindmarsh is chockers for MVs visit in October this year!). The last thing we want to do is to compromise the nature of the draw to the extent the AFL have, just so they can continue to brag that they have such great attendance figures and thus all other sports should sod off and die!
September 1st 2011 @ 2:41pm
TomC said | September 1st 2011 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
After the 06/07 and 08/09 GFs they figured your mob needed a lot of practice there.
September 1st 2011 @ 2:48pm
Kasey said | September 1st 2011 @ 2:48pm | Report comment
TomC, the usual Reply of the creatively challenged tards evidenced by even after we beat Victory 4-1 last year on thier dung heap, they still thought they could taunt with “six-nil, six-nil” Alas they forgot the oldest of sporting chant trumpcards:)
Scoreboard! Scoreboard!
More please:) This rivalry has bounced right back to life now that United have broken Victory’s winning streak and that can only be good for the A-League IMO 
September 1st 2011 @ 6:20pm
Rob McLean said | September 1st 2011 @ 6:20pm | Report comment
Hear, hear Kasey.
September 2nd 2011 @ 8:41am
TomC said | September 2nd 2011 @ 8:41am | Report comment
‘Creatively challenged tards’?
Pot. Kettle. Black, I think.
Love the Victory-Reds rivalry.
September 1st 2011 @ 7:43am
rip Enke said | September 1st 2011 @ 7:43am | Report comment
Not out of the woods, but seeing forest instead of trees.
On 442, Victoria will have a new Fifa standard facility for the surging numbers of grassroots players to train and play, Knox regional football center, located in Wantirna Sth.
The venue will have nine flood lit, all weather Fifa standard synthetic pitches, complemented by a full sized synthetic pitch, with an emphasis on community access, run for the first 15 years by the FFV.
The FFV say money made from the center will go into re-investing in the game.
FFV Hain added. “This center provides some extra capacity and hopefully here we can demonstrate to this council and other local government councils that this is the sort of investment they should be making for their communities”.
September 1st 2011 @ 1:25pm
Griffo said | September 1st 2011 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
Noticed this rip Enke, and can only think that more of these types of facilities are needed across the country.
Grounds in my local area (Newcastle) are in a fairly poor state you would have to say overall. In the past has been the desire to ‘fix’ our main ground by improving drainage and putting on better turf but some neighbouring clubs have done this at great expense and barely have a playable surface or improvements in weather-proofing the ground than before. No one is keen on improving what is council owned grounds out of their own pocket for such little improvement. Our council isn’t exactly flushed with funds and sees the community clubs as being most responsible to do any ‘major’ improvement work. A lot of grounds are also cricket grounds in the summer, so an added layer. A bad cycle from the community’s perspective.
Reading FIFA’s guide a while back on their artificial turf case studies and while slightly more expensive initially, the all-year round usage and increase in usage time in poor weather with fewer maintanence overheads (no mowing etc.) gives a better return in the longer term on investment. Also gives a better playing surface for juniors to learn on.
Our club over the past two seasons has had to turn away players because there is no room – similar story to others. A decent afternoon shower in winter and the grounds are closed.
I can only look in envy at these types of fields and wonder who to ask to get this done for my club…
September 1st 2011 @ 5:45pm
rip Enke said | September 1st 2011 @ 5:45pm | Report comment
I would suggest your local member of Parliament, in my experience they are more helpful than I thought they would be, I know surprised me too and my dealings have been unfootball related.
contact the FFV, suggest it to the jets as an investment to the community and future??
I think it sounds great.
September 1st 2011 @ 7:56am
The Cattery said | September 1st 2011 @ 7:56am | Report comment
I thought Rebecca made one or two decent points in her article. I’ve seen no evidence to suggest anything other than that she is a keen and astute observer of all sport.
September 1st 2011 @ 8:44am
JAJI said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:44am | Report comment
Wilson hates the game – always has and always will. “Keen” and “astute” arent words most associate with her.
September 1st 2011 @ 8:54am
Qantas supports Australian Football said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:54am | Report comment
Jaji—you are wasting your time with him—don’t worry about him, you and I know the truth—as do all of us Australian Football supporters.
September 1st 2011 @ 9:33am
punter said | September 1st 2011 @ 9:33am | Report comment
And so say all of us!!!!
September 1st 2011 @ 3:52pm
Roger said | September 1st 2011 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
It’s actually getting a bit pathetic. What do haters do when their hate no longer has an effect?
September 1st 2011 @ 10:01am
Kasey said | September 1st 2011 @ 10:01am | Report comment
Congratulations Jaji, you just got trolled:) DFTT!
September 1st 2011 @ 5:39pm
Joe FC said | September 1st 2011 @ 5:39pm | Report comment
“keen” and “astute” aren’t words you’d associate with The Cattery either.
September 1st 2011 @ 9:51am
Realfootball said | September 1st 2011 @ 9:51am | Report comment
Come on, Cat, pull the other one. I have no problem with Wilson – she’s a workaday jouro who works for a tabloid, end of story – but she clearly takes an adversarial position towards football/soccer, and always has done in my memory.
September 1st 2011 @ 8:06am
agga78 said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:06am | Report comment
Wilson might actually have a point?
Thats where you lost me Davidde, no credible journalist would ever think Wilson had any facts or correct statements, it was just bile opinion piece about a sport she hates nothing more. We the football supporters of this country understand the A league is still in a building and consoladation phase, but the news this pre season has been all positive, we have two big star players playing in the two biggest markets, Adelaide have build an exciting squad Perth have recruited well, Newcastle have over 7300 members already, Victory close to their max of 18k. Brisbane have more members this season and most clubs have built some really impressive squads.
Being from melbourne I actually think Kewell’s signing for Victory can help Heart, people who don’t like Victory are going to have another reason to get on board Heart. The hype about Kewell and the A league has not been like this for 5 years in Melbourne people outside the game are generally talking about the new season.
This has been the 1st time in a long time there has been more positive news than negative news regarding the A league, I believe this will be the A leagues best season on the park and I see crowd numbers and tv audiences rising on the back of the star power inn the league. I also believe the 1st game betweeen Melbourne and Sydney will be the biggest rating regular season game in the history of the A league.
September 2nd 2011 @ 9:54am
James said | September 2nd 2011 @ 9:54am | Report comment
Remember…
Broken clock is right twice a day.
September 1st 2011 @ 8:26am
CrossIT said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:26am | Report comment
To be honest these questions should be asked at the end of the season, not the start.
September 1st 2011 @ 8:35am
jamesb said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:35am | Report comment
i remember an article of rebecca wilson a few years ago, i think 2008 where she made “a good point’, that Australian players lack technical strength.
Les Murray responded by saying, “wow what a revelation, I guess I should feel proud that what Johnny Warren and I and thousands of others have been saying for 40 years has finally got through to Rebecca Wilson.”
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/406095/let-s-be-fair-dinkum-about-asia
its one thing to make a “good point” out of 9 or 10 bad ones, and its also another one to come up with solutions as Mike Tuckerman stated in his article.
September 1st 2011 @ 1:18pm
JamesP said | September 1st 2011 @ 1:18pm | Report comment
Aaah…good ol Les. Speaking of foolish statements: “Soccer (‘We refuse to call it football,’ she says) will soon engulf this nation to the point that we will all love it so much we won’t be able to breathe.”
Thats right up there with Clive Palmers’ ravings that the GC suns will vanish after a year and Gold Coast United will swallow everything before it
September 1st 2011 @ 1:47pm
Tigranes said | September 1st 2011 @ 1:47pm | Report comment
“Thats right up there with Clive Palmers’ ravings that the GC suns will vanish after a year and Gold Coast United will swallow everything before it”
Well Clive tends to swallow anything put in front of him!
September 1st 2011 @ 2:30pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | September 1st 2011 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
If you want evidence of just how far Football (we refuse to call it SOCKAH!) has engulfed this nation, we only need to look at Ms Wilson and other Football-illiterates and their fascination with the Beautiful Game.
As recently as 10 years ago, non-Football journalists wouldn’t have spent one column inch talking about Football – particularly, the Australia’s domestic club football.
But, now we have a plethora of non-Football journos attempting to analyse Football issues.
I presume these journos are sick of talking about the same one dozen or so sporting clubs in Australia that play AFL & NRL and they think by talking World Football they’ll become more “worldly”?
September 1st 2011 @ 8:42am
JAJI said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:42am | Report comment
Davidde you lost me when you started to talk about Rebecca Wilson. Go back over the last 3-4 years. She hates the game with a passion – and so does her mate Phil Rothfield. Remember its Rebecca who said who cares about the World Cup we can do without it. So how can we look at Rebecca Wilson with independence when she has stated that about the World Cup – the holy grail of our sport. Its Rebecca and Rothfields newspaper that had Tim Cahill on the front page for “alleged” indiscretions as payback to get the Nrl indiscretions some breathing space. Remember the Tele sports editor on the Cahill documentary stating openly “Tim Cahill scored his second goal and I went to bed as the publicity backfired”. Nice comment about someone scoring for your country
Davidde given her documented bigotry towards our game why are you even talking about her?
Sounds to me like you want to take over the role of Jesse Fink who has been casted off to jourmalism purgatory. We know the A League isnt perfect – but why the constant sniping at our game? Why do the other sports journalists talk so positively about their games and us in football constantly have this attitude?
September 1st 2011 @ 8:46am
Qantas supports Australian Football said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Davidde—-you sound like bitter Jesse Fink. Yesterday I watched the Monday night TWG episode on the internet. The view of the SBS panel is far different to what you have written here. David Zrylich made the point that the HAL is yet 6 weeks out from starting and we are in the business end of the season of the eggball codes and everyone one wants to discuss the coming season of the HAL. Even the hateful Rebbecca Wilson put her ill-informed waste of media space in the Terrorgraph to grab herself some attention. Getting dismissed from SBS Davidde has put your nose out of joint as it seems. But don’t take it out on Australian Football.
September 1st 2011 @ 8:57am
punter said | September 1st 2011 @ 8:57am | Report comment
This is a joke Davidde, RW has no credibility amongst any football or RL fans, I have no idea of the AFL fans, but if the Cat is an example than maybe some of them gives her credibility.
If a journalist is criticising a sport or a organisation to improve that sport, I’m all for it, we may not agree, but it’s an opinion. But if a journalist is pushing his/her agenda or showing their likes or dislikes or just plain sniping, well then they are no more than shock jocks.
All we ask for a fair & un bias attitude towards our sport. We have a long way to go in this sport to get it close to right & I think everyone from the FFA, SBS, Fox team, 442 to the most ardent football fans in the Roar, GG army, the various A-league unofficial sites would agree. But why all this negativity? I know many football fans who rebuff the A-League are actually excited to go to a few games this year.
September 1st 2011 @ 6:41pm
The_Wookie said | September 1st 2011 @ 6:41pm | Report comment
shes got no credibility with any sports fans i know of. Any code.