Is the ACL the FFA’s Achilles heel?
Roar Rookie By Todd Kelly, 27 Jan 2012 Todd Kelly is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- A-League, ACL, Asian Champions League, football
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Roar expert Mike Tuckerman wrote in his article for the FFA: “the build up to the game (between Brisbane Roar and FC Tokyo) is intriguing and as the game draws near, hopefully it’s one Hyundai A-League fans begin to appreciate”.
Notwithstanding Mike’s enthusiastic analysis, the current lack of promotion of the tournament may have average A-League fans wondering: what is the ACL? Isn’t it something that holds your knee together?
The Asian Champions League is exactly what it sounds like, a tournament involving the champion clubs from, to quote Lyall Gorman of the FFA, ‘FIFA’s most populous conferation’ that being Asia.
The A-League has three clubs competing this year, Brisbane Roar, the Central Coast Mariners and Adelaide United, with three games per club at their home grounds against some of Asia’s finest.
The FFA’s head of the A–League, Lyall Gorman wrote in a recent article responding to criticism of the scheduling of ACL games ‘we should rejoice that we are part of a club competition that encompasses half the worlds population and the fastest growing region on the planet.’
Lyall also wrote ‘Isolated in Oceania, Australian clubs craved the international exposure and higher competition of FIFA’s most populous confederation. Spin the clock forward to 2007 and the dream turned to reality.’
But less than six weeks before kick-off, is the FFA letting the dream turn into a nightmare?
Recent phone calls to Ticketek enquiring about ticket availability yielded the unexpected response: “The Asian what? Sorry, don’t have a listing for it.”
A call to the FFA: “Yeah mate, it’s the club’s responsibility to promote the games, you should talk to club management about tickets and promotion of the matches.”
A few more calls determined that tickets are on sale from 20th of February – a mere 15 days before the Roar play FC Tokyo at Suncorp Stadium on March 6 – the first match of the Championship to be played on Australian soil.
A quick look at the FFA, Roar and Ticketek web pages shows absolutely no promotion of the Asian Championship League games, or obvious information about ticket availability or prices.
Contrast this with the fact that through Ticketek right now, I can get myself a ticket to the Queensland Reds first home match of the season on 3 March 2012, or even a ticket to the 2012 State of Origin game at Suncorp Stadium on the 4th of July.
For all of Lyall Gorman and others waxing lyrical about the A-league teams participating in the ACL – is the FFA really maximising it’s opportunities from the ACL to promote football in the community? I don’t think so.
The We Are Football campaign was accompanied by excellent TV and other media promotion at the start of the year. As a football community we are unique, and one of the unique things about playing football in Australia compared to other codes is that we share a massive global participation in the sport.
Therefore when opportunities arise to showcase our talents in events such as the Asian Champions League, the FFA must lead the charge of the Australian football community and pull out all stops to promote and support such events.
The Australian football community expect the FFA to not only support the A-League clubs in their participation in the ACL through planning game schedules, but to be front and centre, coordinating and commanding the promotion of the ACL matches played in Australia.
The A-League has enjoyed excellent media coverage this season and I believe the promotion of football in the media has increased as a result. The first ACL match in Australia kicks off in less than 6 weeks time and presents the start of an excellent opportunity to promote and celebrate the success of the A-League.
However, the current absence of promotion, media and ticket availability is not good enough. The football community and the clubs involved in the tournament (both Australian and international) deserve much better. The FFA executive must stand up and get cracking to maximise this opportunity for Australian football.
- Explore:
- A-League, ACL, Asian Champions League, football
January 27th 2012 @ 11:16am
The Cattery said | January 27th 2012 @ 11:16am | Report comment
In fairness to the FFA, their sole responsibility is to organise a comp that decides the three Australian participants, and from that point on, it’s a matter between the clubs and the AFC, the FFA then takes a back seat.
I can see the argument that it’s an opportunity for the FFA to promote the game, but then again, so are the A-League, Socceroos and other national teams an opportunity to promote the game – things the FFA DOES have direct responsibility for.
Given that the FFA doesn’t get a cracker out of the AFC for the comps it runs, including the ACL, then it’s probably a bit rich to expect the FFA to stump up resources on the ACL when it’s having trouble keeping up with everything else within its bailiwick.
January 27th 2012 @ 11:20am
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 11:20am | Report comment
You would think that the Roar’s media manager would be right on to this. This is the most prestigious tournament any Australian Football Club could ever wish to be involved in. I’m not a Roar supporter, but I know how much this could mean to the Club. I don’t have FOX but I am now wondering what they are doing to promote the game as well? Shame on all of those who are connected with the pending tournament not getting out there and promoting the ACL.. This is the greatest Asian football club competition that any Asian club could wish to be involved in. The rewards are enormous, not only financial, but also for taking your sponsor’s brand and the Clubs—spreading it throughout Asia.
January 27th 2012 @ 11:52am
Darko said | January 27th 2012 @ 11:52am | Report comment
Please, this is not as glamorous as it sounds to be. If you’ve been watching the ACL for the pas few seasons you’ve probably realised the ACL has a LONG way to go before being considered a competitIon worth fighting for. Only K-League clubs and a few oil rich clubs are remotely interested in this. This is the brutal reality.
And how are the rewards enormous?
January 27th 2012 @ 1:19pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Darko—–well obviously you wouldn’t accept my reasons if I even tried to explain it to you. Of course the ACL has a long way to go, but Adelaide United Football Club gained an enormous amount of recognition from reaching the ACL final particularly in their home state. All of Adelaide are now firmly behind their club—since they achieved that historic ‘ACL Final Appearance’. The club will never be let to wither on the vine ever. The media attention they received during that period was amazing—because of that remarkable performance they now get enormous support from their local businesses.
This is a competition the AFL and Rugby codes would kill for—it’s growing in stature and prestige throughout Asia. When an Australian Club gets through the first group stage Australia begins to wake up. The prize money for winning the ACL is now verging on $2m that is more than anything you get in AFL and the Rugby codes combined for winning their respective grand finals.
It’s hard work and it’s not easy winning an ACL championship, but life wasn’t meant to be easy. One day we will see an Australian Football Club come home as ACL champions—with that they will be allowed to go on to face the super clubs of the world—-the likes of Barcelona or Man U in the FIFA World Club Football Championship with more prize money and prestige for just qualifying. Then watch the Australian media sit up and take notice.
January 27th 2012 @ 2:22pm
The_Wookie said | January 27th 2012 @ 2:22pm | Report comment
Winning the ACL Final is worth 1.5 million, wiining the AFL Grand Final is worth $1 million, and the NRl Grand Final is $400,000. You can win another $210,000 for the NAB Cup. The two codes combined arent that far off.
The revenue benefits in sponsorship and membership the following year after winning the AFL/NRL Grand Finals would at this time more than make up for this huge advantage the soccer fraternity apparently enjoys.
January 27th 2012 @ 3:18pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
Maybe you would like to google up the prize money what Barcelona took home for winning the FIFA World Club Cup Championship. I don’t have time just now, but if you are interested you could do it. I’ll check tomorrow to see what you have found. You may not know it but NZ’s Auckland City FC a semi pro outfit raised a few eyebrows with their part in that comp as part timers. Who knows how far the Roar FC will get—it’s going to be really interesting to see how they fair. They may break the all time Australian Football Club records of prize money won by any Australian Football Club of all codes. Still probably will, even tho they won’t win the FIFA World Club Football Championships..
January 27th 2012 @ 7:21pm
The_Wookie said | January 27th 2012 @ 7:21pm | Report comment
Maybe I would if that was the subject at hand. its not and Im not all that fond of homework that id do yours for you
January 27th 2012 @ 8:05pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 8:05pm | Report comment
“The revenue benefits in sponsorship and membership the following year after winning the AFL/NRL Grand Finals would at this time more than make up for this huge advantage the soccer fraternity apparently enjoys”.
And what has the above got to do with anything in winning a prestigious tournament. So I suppose you would think that if the Roar won the FIFA World Club Football Tournament their sponsorship and membership wouldn’t rise accordingly as AFL’s. btw I already new what Barcelona have received for winning the FIFA tournament—it was cool $6m. I just wanted to see if you were at all that really interested in it. No as I suspected you are just here wasting everyone’s precious time as you AFL posters usually do here.
January 27th 2012 @ 9:04pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 9:04pm | Report comment
Well stuff the prize money you might well say, but his might give you a better idea if the Roar FC meet up with the best of Japan in the closing stages of the ACL and how important it is to compete and grow Australia’s Football participation in this Asian Championship League.
There’s no denying the benefits of spreading your brand in a prestigious tournament such as this throughout Asia. This is more important than any insular comp of just winning a flag then going off to sleep in the off season…
This doesn’t happen in Football there are major prestigious tournaments to be won outside of Australia to grow your brand worldwide. We have not yet begun to play the major roles still out there to be conquered for Australian Football… Asia awaits us… C’mon the Roar, CCM and AU FC….
January 28th 2012 @ 11:33am
The_Wookie said | January 28th 2012 @ 11:33am | Report comment
You brought the AFL into this discussion. Not me, and not cattery.
And one may be tempted to ask just what benefit there is to having a worldwide brand if you cant make any inroads in your local market.
January 27th 2012 @ 7:28pm
Roger said | January 27th 2012 @ 7:28pm | Report comment
Sorry? What? Wookie, you’re not making sense.
Apparently it is a DISADVANTAGE to have more prize money for winning the ACL than there is for winning AFL?
Sponsorship… blablabla. Fact is, A-League clubs have access to a $1.5M windfall in ADDITION to the A-League Premiership and Cup. AFL don’t have that. Oh, and A-League clubs also get exposure from winning the Premiership and Cup. I give you exhibit A: Brisbane Roar.
What? You don’t agree and want to twist some more figures? Oh, now there’s something new for us…
January 27th 2012 @ 7:58pm
The Cattery said | January 27th 2012 @ 7:58pm | Report comment
$1.5 mill is ok, but Wookie is saying that it’s nothing to write home about.
The AFL doesn’t have it, but let’s be honest, it doesn’t really need it!
With a draft and salary cap, we have a situation where a club like Collingwood is grossing $75 mill per annum, making so much money that the only thing it can spend it on is sending its players to Arizona for altitude training and putting on stacks of assistant coaches.
I watch a bit of the ACL, but I think soccer fans overstate the appeal to Australian sports fans.
We can see with the Super rugby, which involves clubs from three countries, they have organised the fixture so that there are more derbies between clubs from the same country. Why? Because the ratings and attendance figures show quite clearly that there is more interest in watching teams from the same country.
Similarly, the Victory vs Heart, SFC or AU will always get more interest than the Victory vs the Great Tobacco Company.
January 27th 2012 @ 8:12pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 8:12pm | Report comment
Wookie is trolling like you on the Football thread but at least he had the decency to rid himself of the AFL avatar on the Football tab.
January 28th 2012 @ 9:45am
Realfootball said | January 28th 2012 @ 9:45am | Report comment
I don’t understand the problem you have here, QSAF. The Cat is hardly trolling. This last post makes absolute sense. Which of his points do you take issue with? There is no doubt at all that the ACL has not taken off as we all hoped. This will take time to change, and will certainly require Australian clubs to regularly perform well. Apart from Adelaide Utd, our clubs have been little more than whipping boys.
January 28th 2012 @ 11:41am
The_Wookie said | January 28th 2012 @ 11:41am | Report comment
Im not subscribing to the belief that the apparent huge gulf that is available to the soccer fraternity through winning the ACL puts them any further ahead of an AFL team who generally regard 1.5 million as about a 20th of their total annual income because of local awareness, sponsorship – oh and people going to the game.
Twisting figures? Where have I dont that here? QSAF clearly stated that winning the ACL is worth more than winning the AFL and NRL combined, all I did was reinforce the point by saying it was 100k more overall – BUT the benefits to say oh, Collingwood winning the AFL Grand Final, having memberships jump by 20 thousand, and overall funds jump by more than 10 million, are greater than anything BRisbane Roar will have achieved with/without the ACL – on a purely financial level.
I didnt introduce the comparison, QSAF did. Im just putting it into a proper context.
January 28th 2012 @ 1:25pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 28th 2012 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
You brought the membership issue into the debate. This article is not about memberships it’s about the ACL and what it brings to Australian Football—who cares what AFL do, I don’t have the slightest interest in the code—we have the HAL.
Now if by any chance the ROAR win the ACL they then go onto to qualify to compete in the FIFA Football World Club Cup Championships, which is the next tier of World Club Football. If by any chance a miracle occurs and the ROAR win the World Football Club Championships (highly unlikely of course) but they then would pocket the extra $6m in prize money.
So who knows what will happen say in 30 yrs from now. We waited 32 years for the National Australian Football Team to win through to the World Cup a second time in its history. Remembering that in that campaign of 2006 they were only 3 games away from being World Champions..
Not sure what the prize money for that is, I think it’s in the vicinity of $50 – $100m..plus add ons.. Makes the AFL look small fry hey… We have time on our side we just need to keep chipping away at it and suddenly before you know it, main stream media will say hey, this is amazingly huge stuff we are dealing with here.
January 28th 2012 @ 2:03pm
The_Wookie said | January 28th 2012 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
Feel free to shift the goal posts all you like to justify your position.You started with the ACL, moved on to the WCC and the Wold Cup. And it makes the AFL looks small fry?
January 28th 2012 @ 2:26pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 28th 2012 @ 2:26pm | Report comment
Wookie—-you were the one shifting the goal posts now you have simply run out of them..that’s suggest to me it is small fry.. This is not getting you anywhere—this discussion is at an end.. I mean is this as boring for you as it is for me? I can’t be bothered swapping insults anymore. I’m sure there must be something on the AFL tab for you to get excited about.
February 8th 2012 @ 8:46pm
Bondy said | February 8th 2012 @ 8:46pm | Report comment
There internal sports Wook and you’ve got to amalgamate the prize moneys to get near us .Straws “clutching”.
Of cousre you’ll gain more revenue when your playing in China Wook “cough” .
January 27th 2012 @ 3:28pm
mds1970 said | January 27th 2012 @ 3:28pm | Report comment
Darko, I can sort of see where you’re coming from. Especially if you’re a Sydney FC supporter.
One of the problems is the long lead time between qualifying for the ACL and taking part in it. The Sydney FC team that took part in last year’s ACL bore little resemblance to the team that won the A-League more than a year earlier. In the mean time, after the player exodus, Sydney FC had a season to forget; and weren’t in great form when the ACL started.
Then Terry McFlynn got dubiously sent off in the first game. I wasn’t at the second game against Shanghai Shenhua, but everyone I’ve spoken to about it says it was a farce; a couple of mates walked out because they couldn’t stand the rolling around faking injuries any more. By the third game, the care factor was zero; and the remaining games showed all the signs of a losing season that had gone on too long and the Sydney FC team looked like they didn’t want to be there.
If a club has a run like Adelaide did a few years ago it would be different. But otherwise, qualifying for the ACL hardly looks like it’s a lucrative prize.
January 27th 2012 @ 11:41am
Roarchild said | January 27th 2012 @ 11:41am | Report comment
To be honest while the A league is on that is where most of the focus is going to be. It’s hard to get excited about future ACL group stage matches when we have A Melbourne derby, title race and finals on the immediate Horizon.
And this is coming from someone who has already planned his trip to Ulsan.
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January 27th 2012 @ 11:45am
nordster said | January 27th 2012 @ 11:45am | Report comment
Agree that as an AFC comp, it is a bit outside the league’s scope to promote the games.
But as far as the clubs in their local markets, for sure… and Fox as QSAF mentions, they don’t give the comp the sort of grandiosity it deserves.
Now not wanting to get into cross-sport feuding here LOL … but can u imagine the hyperbole in the media if some other sports had access to this league? I do remember as a youngen all the promise of a certain Super Somethin’ or other, they’d be watching this particular “greatest game of all” from “Beijing to Berlin” they told us!
I do think as more ownership comes into our clubs from overseas, it’ll actually be these foreign investors that see the potential and really embrace the Asian Champions League. Migrants to the rescue, again.
January 27th 2012 @ 1:44pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
nordster—-I almost forgot, do you remember the great exhibition match of Aussie Rules in China that sparked off the enormous interest here in Australia…? I can’t remember the exact words of God Father Demetriou, but he said this is only the beginning of something big happening in Asia.. lol… lol… In the meantime ex Chelsea player Anelka has just recently sign on to a Chinese Club worth more than $13m.. With more interest with other European signing soon to take place.. Maybe Demetriou has plans for Karmichael Hunt heading for a super league Chinese AFL club… ?
January 27th 2012 @ 7:29pm
Roger said | January 27th 2012 @ 7:29pm | Report comment
Ha!
January 28th 2012 @ 6:44am
nordster said | January 28th 2012 @ 6:44am | Report comment
well i didn’t want to get TOO specific for risk of offending some visitors to the Football tab
Shanghai Shenhua with Anelka, Drogba (?) and Joel G in the ACL for 2013 if they qualify will be a sight. Guangzhou Evergrande are there for 2012 and continuing their recruiting. As the global economy keeps on rebalancing to this part of the world, it looks very good for this competition in the coming decade.
January 27th 2012 @ 1:21pm
King Robbo said | January 27th 2012 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
Dont understand why people are not interested in the ACL. Winning the competition gives an a-league team world wide exposure and prestidge to the a- league competition itself. Id much prefer winning the ACL than the a-league.
Considering the a-league has few teams, its also interesting to see different styles and different players when other teams come over. Being a Perth supporter, I still thoroughly enjoyed adelaides run in the ACL a few years back.
January 28th 2012 @ 6:47am
nordster said | January 28th 2012 @ 6:47am | Report comment
+1 which is why i hope the Mariners/Arnie give priority to the group stage over the A-league Cup Finals, especially if they sew up the Premiership (incl qualification for ACL 2013).
January 27th 2012 @ 1:42pm
Geordie said | January 27th 2012 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
I’m quite excited about the possibility attending Brisbane Roar’s home ACL games. I usually check out their website to keep track of A-league fixtures but when looking for ACL dates I could not find any mention at all – not on the fixture list or calendar. No articles or previews – nothing. I had to dig through the SBS site to find out the home game dates. Pretty slack really. You’d think that on the FFA and Roar site the ACL would be worthy of it’s own menu or tab with articles, previews and ticket info. It’s only after reading MT’s article that I’m starting to get a sense of anticipation.
For those interested the Roar’s home games are: Tues March 6 v Tokyo, Tues April 17 v Ulsan and Wed 16 May v Beijing.
January 27th 2012 @ 3:52pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
Geordie—- thanks for the dates I looking forward to these games as well; even tho I’m a GCU football supporter..
January 27th 2012 @ 2:50pm
Football Fan said | January 27th 2012 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Maybe no one here at the roar lives is Brisbane? Recently went there on Football Fan business and there’s banners and signs all over the place that say ‘We’re taking Brisbane to Asia’ with a group of players standing there looking tough and a call to action for the website.
And would you realistically think that tickets would be for sale 6 weeks out to games that barely fill one section of a stadium??? C’mon, man…
January 27th 2012 @ 3:49pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 3:49pm | Report comment
Well that’s welcoming news—I’m really looking forward to this—even tho I’m a GCU football supporter..
January 27th 2012 @ 6:56pm
gawa said | January 27th 2012 @ 6:56pm | Report comment
I’d say that a fair chunk of the regulars at Brisbane games would have seen zero marketing about the ACL, I’ll take a guess that the airport was where you saw the ‘We’re taking Brisbane to Asia’.
But that is hardly a suprise there is zero marketing of the Roar brand outside of the rare occasional radio advert or the free social media stuff.
My main concern is the ticket prices, I really hope that regular prices are not bumped up.
January 27th 2012 @ 3:35pm
Ben of Phnom Penh said | January 27th 2012 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
Slowly but surely the ACL is making its way into the collective A-league consciousness. Adelaide have fully embraced it and have benefited from it greatly as a club. Hopefully some of the joy can be spread this time around.
Good to luck to Brisbane as FC Tokyo have decimated J2 on their way back to J1.
January 27th 2012 @ 5:02pm
Mike Tuckerman said | January 27th 2012 @ 5:02pm | Report comment
Very interesting piece, Todd.
Marketing and promotion is the AFC’s responsibility but I do agree there’s a disconnect between what happens in Australia and what AFC House is hoping to achieve.
For what it’s worth, the full fixture list is available here: http://www.the-afc.com/en/acl2012-schedule-results?view=Competitions&id=430 (click on the ‘Group Stage’ tab for the full list of fixtures)
A factor worth considering is that advertising and ticket sales conditions differ vastly across the AFC. What works in Japan may not work in Australia, the way fans buy tickets in South Korea is often different from how they buy them elsewhere. I think everyone involved in Asian football is aware of this and what the ACL needs is a patient approach from fans and some faith that the current incarnation of the tournament is a bit of a work in progress.
January 27th 2012 @ 8:15pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 27th 2012 @ 8:15pm | Report comment
Another different perspective from an AFL supporter.. Shame he didn’t mention this club coming to Australia to play an ACL group fixture.