Too many doubts over new A-League club
Roar Rookie By Zach.WB, 19 May 2012 Zach.WB is a Roar Rookie
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- A-League, David Gallop, football, North Queensland Fury, Tony Popovic, Western Sydney Football Club
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FFA CEO Ben Buckley at the A-League's Western Sydney club announcement (Image courtesy Fox Sports)
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The $8 million funding scheme for the new Western Sydney franchise to join the A-League competition came rather out of the blue. There are still many unanswered questions, which could threaten the life of this club before it has even begun.
Firstly, the ‘code wars’ of the west could be a major preventative factor to create a fan-base and get settled in the area.
NRL CEO David Gallop remains confident that the west suburbs are a solid NRL stomping ground when threats from the AFL came pouring in.
Now that the GWS squad has been established and minimal crowds are in attendance to their matches, the most recent being 8603, where does the new A-League squad expect to be forming a fan-base?
If it is asking to split the fans of Sydney FC, who only receive an average of just over 14,000 per game, they are going to have to find new means of gaining a crowd.
On a similar subject, how is the club going to fair against sides which have been settled since the A-League’s establishment?
It takes time to build a team, relationships, tactics and most importantly a sense of ‘professionalism’ that comes with competing in Australia’s elite football competition.
Given that this new squad has roughly five to six months to find some shape, it seems quite unrealistic that they could compete with the likes of Brisbane, the Central Coast and Melbourne.
It could be an idea, much like the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL, to establish a club, before waiting it out to get comfortable.
Theoretically this enables an easy transition into the competition, but then again, it hasn’t really helped them.
With the club currently adamant that a marquee signing is neither necessary nor required for its establishment, where will the club source their squad and receive the depth a marquee signing will grant them?
Also, how are they certain they will not just rise and fall, much like the North Queensland Fury, which lasted only two years in the competition?
Even with a godsend – albeit an aged one – such as Robbie Fowler and a fiery inception they failed to provide any real competition.
The question could be asked that they might not want to replicate the Fury’s idea of signing a marquee player and suffer the same fate.
Furthermore, where is the new club expecting to source a rich businessman from to support the club?
Central Coast has John Singleton, Perth Glory has Tony Sage, Newcastle Jets have Nathan Tinkler and the Gold Coast has Clive Palmer.
It is widely agreed that these figures can cause some harm – Nathan Tinkler is currently holding the Jets’ fate on his shoulders – but these moguls are what keeps these clubs in the competition.
Even though the FFA is yet to finalise whether Gold Coast will be in the A-League next season, they have Clive Palmer’s backing.
Tony Popovic’s appointment as inaugural coach was surprising, but was a positive move for the new club.
Popovic can provide depth to the squad, having finished his career with Sydney FC.
He also has some experience through his small stay as assistant manager of Crystal Palace.
Who knows, maybe Tony can keep a strong connection and loan out up-and-coming players through Crystal Palace?
By all means, I am not totally against establishing a football team in the west and I wish them all the best.
But there are many doubts surrounding the decision to enter the team immediately into A-League for the upcoming season.
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May 19th 2012 @ 7:10am
The Bush said | May 19th 2012 @ 7:10am | Report comment
His article has to be a wind up;
1. Clive Palmer lost his license. He no longer controls any A-League Club/Franchise.
2. How does a marquee player add depth- they’re one player. At best they add bling or “spark”.
3. I don’t think the club is worrying about competing with Melbourne – they finished outside the six last year and nearly took home the spoon.
May 19th 2012 @ 10:33am
Lazy Ted Failyou said | May 19th 2012 @ 10:33am | Report comment
This is going to be a tough sell in the notorious anti sports town of Sydney. Even their beloved NRL gets pitiful attendances due to reasons mentioned many times before.
Soccer has this simple issue in Sydney, even if Manchester United were to relocate there, or even if they were allowed to play in EPL do you seriously believe they would get big attendances after a season or so? Or would things just go back to the ho-hum lack of enthusiasm for anything Sydney attitude?
Simply put it is a Sydney culture problem, address that or understand that and maybe you could get somewhere.
In the world of sports I will put forward two major cities, Los Angeles and Paris, both over 10 million occupants, one town does not have a pro football team, the other does, but gets Swans size attendances. Maybe the people there are just too busy.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:01am
Fussball ist unser leben said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:01am | Report comment
LTF
Paris has a population of 2.1m (half the population of Sydney) – around the population of Brisbane.
PSG average home attendance this year was 42k.
So, basically, PSG’s average crowd is TWICE that of the Swans and drawn from a population that is HALF the size of the Swans’ market!
May 19th 2012 @ 11:07am
The Cattery said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:07am | Report comment
Does Paris only have a population of 2.1 million???
YOu learn something new every day.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:15am
The Bush said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:15am | Report comment
That’s like only counting the residents of the actual City of Sydney as the entire population of Sydney and not all the other local government areas making up the entire city.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:11am
The Bush said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:11am | Report comment
I’ve lived in Paris. To suggest only two million live there is not taking in all the facts. The metro population of Paris is about ten million and PSG is (from memory) the only top flight team in the Ile-de-France.
Parisians care less about sport than Sydneysiders.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:21am
Fussball ist unser leben said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:21am | Report comment
I’ve only spent time in Paris once – nearly 20 years ago – so, my census information for “The City of Love” was drawn purely from Google.
I thought 2.1m sounded pretty low .. .but it was too good to overlook when mounting my argument
May 19th 2012 @ 11:50am
The Bush said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:50am | Report comment
For those Parsians who do like sport, the city is not really dominated by any one sport. It is the only place in the north of France where rugby gets about the same level of support. In fact I’m pretty sure PSG only emerged in the ’70s or something wierd like that (no top flight football at all in Paris until then, I think).
May 19th 2012 @ 3:20pm
Ian Whitchurch said | May 19th 2012 @ 3:20pm | Report comment
Its called “intellectual honesty”, Fuss.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:13am
Wat said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:13am | Report comment
Bzzzzt… the population of the greater metropolitan area of Paris is 12 million, or the population of Sydney is 180,000 depending on how you choose to measure. You can’t fairly compare the strict city boundary of Paris to the greater metropolitan area of Sydney. It’s either 2.2m vs 177k or 12m v 4.5m, either way Paris is a lot bigger than Sydney.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:14am
JVGO said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:14am | Report comment
You have no idea FIUL, that may be the city of Paris, the Metropolitan area of Paris has a pop of about 12 million.
May 19th 2012 @ 1:39pm
Lazy Ted Failyou said | May 19th 2012 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
Paris has a population of around 12 million actually. I think only Moscow in Europe is larger.
Paris has 2 181 371 inhabitants
and the urban region of Paris has 11 174 743 inhabitants
(2006 data) 2mill
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_Population_of_Paris_and_greater_Paris#ixzz1vHdBtt00
Los Angeles is around 20 million. Driving around LA seemed to be like driving around the entire of Victoria. It was never ending.
May 19th 2012 @ 1:47pm
stabpass said | May 19th 2012 @ 1:47pm | Report comment
Fuss says 2 million, the actual population is around 12 million, thats about as close as he normally gets it right.
May 19th 2012 @ 5:08pm
AGO74 said | May 19th 2012 @ 5:08pm | Report comment
I take it you don’t like Sydney Ted?!
May 19th 2012 @ 10:44am
Zach.WB said | May 19th 2012 @ 10:44am | Report comment
Its much easier said then done, but I’ll take your points as guidance rather than a ‘bag-out’
You quickly assume I was talking about MVFC, but what about the Heart? (finished sixth)
And maybe I used the wrong word to describe the effects a marquee signing will bring, but I think most know what I mean. In terms of the developing players looking up to him, the professionalism he will bring, the talent he will showcase etc…
May 19th 2012 @ 11:06am
The Bush said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Mate, if you’re having an honest dig and not trying to wind up people I’ll apologise.
Might I suggest though that you definitely weren’t talking about the Heart and that you meant the Victory. Why not mention the Glory (last seasons finalists)?
As to your suggestion that most people will know what you mean about a marquee player and depth, I doubt it; you meant depth and the two aren’t connected. The Roar don’t even have one and they’ve been the most successful over the last two seasons.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:29am
Zach.WB said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:29am | Report comment
No worries, definitely not a wind up, I would love to see another team into the A-League, just questioning its ability to survive. I was mentioning the melbourne club in terms of the ‘professionalism’, much like Harry Kewell talked of, at and around the club, not in particular their displays on the park. I see it hard for the new side to establish that status with the little time they’ve got. In terms of the Roar, if the new team was to secure someone like Broich, surely that would be considered a marquee signing, no?
May 19th 2012 @ 11:46am
The Bush said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:46am | Report comment
No that would be a good signing, the marquee signings are unique and outside the salary cap. I agree though that it’s going to be hard to do it from scratch in such a short time.
May 19th 2012 @ 7:13am
Kasey said | May 19th 2012 @ 7:13am | Report comment
I can’t believe this is the just the first one, now it all feels so real. You know you’re getting a new team in the HAL when the doubters start their poo-poohing articles on the roar:)
You may have doubts Zach, but I do not.
I fully expect the new team to be a roaring success. Football in Western Sydney has something only RL has- a history of supporting the game. (and yes by that I mean Aussie Rules does not have a history of support in the Western burbs of Sydney) Following the simple extrapolation of the Melbourne market into the Western Sydney area: a bunch of NSL clubs not quite representing the whole of the football loving community being superseeded by Melbourne Victory, a broad-based entity that appeals to the masses, I see no reason why the Western Sydney team can’t do the same and eventually rival the Victory as the A-Leagues biggest team on and especially off the pitch. That model holds true for Adelaide too.
Western Sydney as a region is already more populated than Adelaide and has the added benefit over the church city of a local rival to provide a ready-made marquee match up in the Sydney derby. The Melbourne derby has become must-see viewing for the football fans of this country already in only three seasons. I see no reason why the Sydney derby cant join that list of must watch games.
May 19th 2012 @ 1:44pm
Lazy Ted Failyou said | May 19th 2012 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
AFL or Australian rules football has been played in the western region of Sydney before rugby league was ever invented. It was just not professional or well organized.
Maybe it is now and it will get some interest in a generation or so.
A long journey starts with a single step.
May 19th 2012 @ 5:55pm
Kasey said | May 19th 2012 @ 5:55pm | Report comment
It might have been played there, but you failed to read my sentence. I said the Western Sydney area does not have a record of supporting the game. No matter how you wish to re-write history to suit yourself, that is a historical fact.
May 19th 2012 @ 8:30am
Roarest? said | May 19th 2012 @ 8:30am | Report comment
Just give Canberra a team. They would have a support base and have already raised 3 million dollars or so for a team in Canberra.
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May 19th 2012 @ 1:50pm
Lazy Ted Failyou said | May 19th 2012 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
Actually I agree with this. They have put this ‘GWS’ in the league as a NSW roadshow style of team. Not really belonging to a place, more of a region. It worked back in the day with circuses. Maybe they would have been better just to go to ACT. It might happen in a decade if there is a complete failure to work.
They have spread themselves a mile wide and an inch deep, not the strategy that seems to have worked for sporting teams around the world to date. They might regret this move, rather than staying in western Sydney and roughing it.
If it was me running the Giants I would play out of Blacktown, and put in temporary grandstands. It has transport and is actually in western Sydney unlike Homebush which is not.
May 19th 2012 @ 5:07pm
AGO74 said | May 19th 2012 @ 5:07pm | Report comment
Ted – I believe GWS stands for greater western Sydney. You also haven’t looked at a map recently if you don’t think that home bush isn’t part of western Sydney.
May 19th 2012 @ 8:25pm
jdubya said | May 19th 2012 @ 8:25pm | Report comment
I have lived in Sydney my whole life an the first time I have heard of this place known as Greater Western Sydney was when the AFL popped up.
May 19th 2012 @ 8:37am
Midfielder said | May 19th 2012 @ 8:37am | Report comment
Zac
You have a point on timing of the entry … however circumstances being what they are …. over time this will be a very successful club..
May 19th 2012 @ 8:53am
Fussball ist unser leben said | May 19th 2012 @ 8:53am | Report comment
As a fully-committed & financial stakeholder in MVFC (yes, my automatic annual MVFC membership renewal arrived for 2012/13) I, too, have serious concerns about the New Sydney Club.
To be honest, I’m not just concerned. For the first time in the 7 year history of the HAL, I’m genuinely worried.
Why?
Well, from all that I’ve observed so far, this New Sydney Club is likely to be a significant challenger to MVFC for the title of “biggest football club in Australia”. Simply, this region of Australia “is football”. They’re not event-watching football fans – they’re the real deal. They don’t need to have the Offside Rule explained, they won’t whinge about “sockah players are divers”, they won’t ask for the goals to be made bigger or for points to be awarded if the crossbar is hit, etc. etc.
Simply, the New Sydney Club will be a club for Sydney’s “True Believers”.
But, all that is “off-the-park”. How will they do “on-the-park”?
Well, approximately 400 Aussies have represented Australia’s National Football Team and over 50% of the players have originated from West Sydney. They may not win any trophies in Yr 1, but – without a shadow of doubt- the New Sydney Club will win far more games than the other “new team” in that region.
May 19th 2012 @ 9:06am
Kasey said | May 19th 2012 @ 9:06am | Report comment
Fear not Fuss, no matter how big the new boys get, those of us over here in Adelaide will always reserve our most intense dislike for your mob;) They might eventually end up with more fans than Victory, but nothing can supplant the SA/Victoria rivalry. Every year we will continue to make the trek in big numbers into ‘enemy territory’ in search of 3 points. There just isn’t anything like a good away trip:)
back on topic, Poppa has only 20 weeks until the new season kicks off, but I still feel he will be able to find a squad of 23 players that not only will represent the region with pride but will be capable of springing a few surprises to boot. The NSWPL isn’t exactly bereft of talent and with the demise of GCU there are a few players still floating around that are more than up to HAL standard. A healthy mix of the 2 groups (best of NSWPL and GCU leftovers)and perhaps if the budget can stretch to a ‘splash’ player to get people’s attention(not as crazy as it sounds – with the European economy in turmoil, our strong Aussie dollar and stable economy is suddenly as attractive as our great lifestyle despite being so far away from the epicentre of world football – Maybe Lucas Neill [only 34] would like to come home from the Mid-East to raise his family? ) As long as there are a good amount of local lads in the team, the locals will be likely happy to cheer on ‘their’ team even if they don’t become world beaters straight away.
to be honest they don’t have to achieve that much to be the most successful team in the region do they? with a combined tenure in their top league of 100-odd years, all Parramatta and Penriff RL teams can muster between them is a paltry 6 championships
May 19th 2012 @ 9:40am
jbinnie said | May 19th 2012 @ 9:40am | Report comment
Kasey – Slight corrections. Poppa does not have 20 weeks,he has 40 days, as he has intimated he wants to start training on June 25th and I can only assume he would want a reasonable amount of potential players in that training squad.
It is heartening to see you reckon the NSWPL is a hotbed of talent that apparently has been ignored by Sydney FC & Victory,the big money clubs, who,up till now, have tended to buy players from other HAL clubs rather than raid the lower leagues,& to be honest ,Adelaide could be included in that category as well when one looks at the present first eleven, could it not?
You also mention the off contract players at GCU who could be looking for clubs but the ” eye teeth” of that squad has long gone,back a season to Pantelidis,& Caravella,not to mention Smeltz & Culina, & then this year’s team already having lost their left-back, centre-half, right back, midfielder & their fast raiding winger .That’s 5 out of 11, not much left.
Let’s wish Tony P all the best of luck & good judgement in his unenviable task. Your mate jb
May 19th 2012 @ 12:15pm
nordster said | May 19th 2012 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
they could challenge Fuss though i think you’ll have five years up your sleeve and by then who knows where Ange has taken u. The club will be the slow burn type or i at least hope thats what they are planning for. Given the short lead time … this is a blessing as expectations would/should be low. A real culture for the club will take time to develop.
On the pitch … they might just perform Gold Coast style from last season and be an underdog people will get behind. Modest means to begin, solid results maybe more.
May 19th 2012 @ 1:19pm
MelbCro said | May 19th 2012 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
“Well, approximately 400 Aussies have represented Australia’s National Football Team and over 50% of the players have originated from West Sydney.”
Thats a misleading fact. The only reason its over 50% is because for decades there was a clear NSW bias in socceroo selection
May 19th 2012 @ 6:26pm
Kasey said | May 19th 2012 @ 6:26pm | Report comment
Is this like the clear bias of the national cricket selectors towards NSW and against Victoria? That was dismissed as cockamamie garbage years ago. the reason more NSW-men are selected is that the AFL scoops up the talented athletes in Victoria before they get to represent their state in Shield cricket and compete for one of the XI slots available.
Which Socceroos in your opinion should have asterisks placed next to their names as “only selected due to NSW bias”?
May 19th 2012 @ 6:32pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | May 19th 2012 @ 6:32pm | Report comment
MC
If someone like jb makes that comment about NSW-bias in the AUS NT, I’ll listen & pay attention. since jb’s knowledge of football history – both local & international – is 2nd to no one I know.
But, from what you’ve told us, you were born in the 1980s, which means you’re not old enough to form an opinion on political issues in AUS football prior to the mid-90s. And, since the mid-90s I haven’t seen any NSW bias.
Regardless, we’re talking about West Sydney – not NSW – producing the majority of Australias’ most technically-gifted footballers.
May 19th 2012 @ 9:14am
jbinnie said | May 19th 2012 @ 9:14am | Report comment
Before our more learned contributors cut loose on Zach & his offering lets look at & agree on one thing,the FFA have embarked upon a course of action that could be a huge success (we all hope) or it could be an unmitigated disaster. Surely the time factor in setting up this identity, not to mention the financing “model”, are areas of huge concern.With a coach & Gen. Man. just appointed last week these 2 men have approximately 40 days to put together an identity that the purported thousands of fans in the area will come to watch.The magnitude of this FACT alone makes anyone who has ever set up a business (today’s football franchise) boggle in disbelief.I do not mention the substructure as ,if this plan has been in the minds of the FFA for some time, that side of the business could be a bit further forward in it’s creation.However, it is the creation of a successful football team that is paramount ,&, with 40 days until the start of training, my heart goes out to Tony Popovic, for there is one sure thing in football,if the team is not successful he will cop the blame.I have admired Tony as a player,have admired his common sense approach to his coaching learning path,but he is not a magician & I only hope for his sake things fall into place but from my own experience in the game that will depend totally on the men behind him & in this particular case,like Zach, I have some lingering doubts.I sincerely,for the sake of the game, hope these thoughts prove to be baseless. jb
May 19th 2012 @ 10:40am
Midfielder said | May 19th 2012 @ 10:40am | Report comment
JB
As always an excellent post and I hear your words of wisdom…
I posted on the other WS thread the following…
“”" Marconi. Olympic, Sydney United, White Eagles, Blacktown Demons, St Andrews, Penrith, Melta Eagles, that is eight former NSL clubs or senior state teams… suggest Ryde City as number 9 ..
Five associations…. with close to 100, 000 registered winter 11 aside players…
Just over 200 odd Socceroos from the 400 or so in total hailed from Western Sydney. http://au.fourfourtwo.com/blogs.aspx?CIaBEID=2722
South Western Sydney, Liverpool, Fairfield its football first daylight second RL third…
If Popa & Gorman can unite the various football tribes of WS then it has the potential to become Australia’s biggest club of any code… that’s the potential converting will be the hard part but after listening to Popa I think FFA may have got it right ,,, early days tho…”"”"”"”"”"”
In a perfect world they would have at least twelve months…. however Gorma has been running the fans forums for a while now…
I have listened to Popa on his various interviews and myself growing up in WS… and over the last 20 odd years working in WS [Liverpool & Blacktown] I can say Popa is making all the right noises …. it will come down to expectations if Popa can say this is our first year and we are building towards this goal in three years …. it will work the football media also need to support this and not expect a WS team to be the new Bacca from day one..
May 19th 2012 @ 10:41am
Kasey said | May 19th 2012 @ 10:41am | Report comment
jbinnie as usual a well thought out and measured response.
I’m not blind to the short time frame & wonder if the short time frame ‘could’ lead to problems, but I remember back to 2003 when Adelaide United were formed. That happened in only 3 weeks. The late notice with which Bob D’Ottavi gave that he was withdrawing Adelaide city from the NSL took many by surprise and left bugger all time with which to assemble a replacement team. What really helped in our situation was (a). the Zebra’s squad moved almost 100% across to United[giving rise to whispers AU was simply ACSC in disguise:( ] and (b). the goodwill in the football community. For so long we had looked enviously across at Perth Glory and their broadbased team garnering support from all of Perth’s various football tribes. When the chance came for our team a lot of mis-steps were forgiven on the understanding that they would be acknowledged by the administration and corrected ASAP. In some cases these mis-steps took a full year to correct, but the key was to keep the lines of communication to the fans open. WS will make mistakes, the short time frame means not everyone’s expectations can possibly be met. The key as I have said will be in meeting the majority of expectations with the promise of fine-tuning and aiming to meet the other expectations down the track as the club develops. More fan forums would be my recommendation to the team during the season at WS. If the WS team gets the initial support on the terraces that I hope and feel they should, that will buy time for the team to get things right off the park. This whole enterprise shouldn’t be seen as a “you get one shot of 10-odd weeks to get this right” this phase is merely the first step of many in what I hope will be a long and very successful venture for football in Australia.
As you have said TP has a self-imposed deadline of mid June for training to begin, which makes sense. I stand by my statement that it is still a full 20 weeks until season kick off. A smart coach wouldn’t rush to fill the entire 23man roster right off the bat, but would fill the majority and then see where deficiencies lie. There is no transfer window in Australia, so there is no reason why TP couldn’t add to his squad if and when key targets become available anywhere in the world(depends on his budget I guess)
May 19th 2012 @ 11:21am
jbinnie said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Thanks for the reply Kasey,good debating points as usual in some of which you have pointed out the “lucky” occurrences in setting up Adelaide United with players in the early days.Unfortunately Tony P is not going to be so lucky for one must remember there are another eight coaches ,& no doubt some Asian scouts, casting their eyes over the same “player marketplace”
Combining “the tribes” is another problem altogether, not really TP’S problem directly, but one where he will come into the firing line should his team fail to ignite the passions of “the tribes”. Ray Richards is quoted elsewhere as saying the first HAL team should have been in the Western Suburbs.What Ray is conveniently ignoring is that the Western Suburbs have had chances to field a team on numerous occasions but could not raise the financial backing required.
Your last paragraph is one of great hope that we ALL hope comes to fruition.Yes it is 20 weeks until kick-off but that is not really much of a help to a guy who has only been in the job 1 week. He’ll have contacts for sure but remember, he has been out of the country for years while playing,& latterly in his coaching education & that absence won’t help either.
My worry is not that he will rush into filling his squad but with whom he is going to fill it?. OK, Sydney FC have just released 3 experienced HAL defenders one of whom is already “off ” the market,but the question all the cynics will ask,if a player is not good enough to be retained by his club is he good enough for a new franchise that,let’s face it,will HAVE to perform? The truth is TP’s job is not one that I would like to face in the coming weeks.
Hope you are keeping well. jb
May 19th 2012 @ 12:06pm
Kasey said | May 19th 2012 @ 12:06pm | Report comment
jb, you are a Westie right?
What is the general feeling like about the new team? I only ask because so much of my optimism for the new team is based upon my experiences in 2003 with AU. The general feeling of goodwill towards the team(AU) as I have said allowed them to make a few mistakes on their journey to getting it right much more often these days:) The Luck that AU had could have cut both ways. Taking the Adelaide City squad lock, stock etc, gave rise to many whispers that AU were just Adelaide City trying to con the ADL football public into finally supporting them as despite their(AC) incredible success in the NSL they were unable to successfully tap into the broader market because of their ties to the Italian community. Already I’ve heard one or two whispers online that because Popovic is from Sydney Utd and it looks like he will appoint another alumi of King Tom in Ante Milicic as his assistant that the whole WS thing is a Trojan horse to cover up Sydney United’s entry into the HAL via the back door. Of course that is complete rubbish and I think its just keyboard warriors lashing out in frustration because the WS group haven’t made any obvious mistakes yet.
If there is one job I would not want to be anywhere near right now it would be Popovic’s job. I know the NSWPL only via the web and would make a hopeless judge of the undoubted talent on offer and how best to mold it into a team in less than 20 weeks. Best to leave that to the experts. I think I would enjoy being the community liaison officer though. Organizing things like pre-season hit-outs to be held at the grounds of Marconi, Sydney Utd, BWE and Blacktown etc [ if they were able to accommodate mid-NSWPL season] attempting to walk the tightrope of trying to engage the whole of the western Sydney football community without favouring or neglecting any one group.
May 19th 2012 @ 12:10pm
Futbanous said | May 19th 2012 @ 12:10pm | Report comment
j binnie
I dont think from the following ABC interview that Ray Richards is conveniently ignoring the shortcomings past & present of starting up this Western Sydney club. Seems very tuned in to its problems IMO,including finances.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-04/ex-socceroos-hope-and-fears-for-new-a-league-team/3933380-
May 19th 2012 @ 9:30am
zacbrygel said | May 19th 2012 @ 9:30am | Report comment
I have some doubts about the new Western Sydney club but I believe if they run it in the right way and
have many community ties, the club can get decent crowds and work as a whole.
May 19th 2012 @ 9:37am
Kasey said | May 19th 2012 @ 9:37am | Report comment
and that’s where I have confidence where you have doubts regarding community links: I cant think of a better person to appoint as inaugural chairman than Lyall Gorman, a man who has already demonstrated his ability in establishing a new team with strong community links in the CC Mariners. The fan forums were a great idea and assuming they follow up on the recommendations of the forums [which were well attended], they remove the image of a team being imposed upon the community from above as part of some grand strategy to colonize a ‘foreign’ region.
May 19th 2012 @ 10:21am
Futbanous said | May 19th 2012 @ 10:21am | Report comment
Always doubts about anything new,nobody has a monopoly on crystal balls.
What isnt in question is the tradition/history of football in the Western Suburbs of Sydney(we wont rehash number Socceroos produced etc).
This area is a microcosm of Footballs development due to post war migration. It has therefore IMO the greatest concentration of knowlegeable football fans in Australia some second or even third generation.
Its greatest test then is joining the tribes.persuading them that this club represents them. Not necessarily above Marconi,Sydney United or indeed Manchester United,Arsenal or Juventus,Red Star or Olympiakos & recently many South American clubs but as a equal. To represent them it has to prove worthy of their support,which means Tony Popovic has a huge responsibility in putting the quality of football on the park that will pull in the punters & keep them. Something BTW SFC has failed to do consistently Hopefully Ian Crook given his insight on SBS the other night rectifies this,because thats another factor in ensuring Western Sydney puts attractive football on the park,to compete for fans with SFC.
Wouldnt worry too much about owners,the Roar have proved theres overseas investors interested,with the Bakries in control,if Aussies cant be found. .
What I dont understand about this article is this line “By all means, I am not totally against establishing a football team in the west and I wish them all the best”.
Personally as a football fan I cant understand any Football fan in Australia with any sense of a history of the game making such a comment.
The first A-League club should have been a Western Sydney club as Ray Richards Indicated recently
May 19th 2012 @ 11:00am
The Cattery said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:00am | Report comment
Good luck to Poppa. Celebrated Socceroo, coaching experience with Crystal Palace, a product of Sydney’s West – he has plenty going for him.
People have forgotten that in the earliest days of the A-League, with Melbourne Victory established with ownership issues from the very start, about a dozen players turned up to their first training session on some paddock with barely any facilities.
In 1997, when Port Adelaide entered the AFL after a glorious 120 year history in the SANFL, they intentionally put an old rusted shower head at the end of the brand new dressing rooms to say to the players: don’t ever forget where you came from.
Sport has always been about the journey. It’s a story that unfolds over the course of 150 years.
Who cares about the next 40 days?
Of course it will be hard – it’s meant to be hard – and fans will enjoy that journey and they’ll tell their grand kids: I was there at the start when the club consisted of only Poppa, and nothing else.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:46am
jbinnie said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:46am | Report comment
Cattery- This contribution is beneath your intelligence. You ask who cares?. I do, & so do many more people who want to see the HAL prosper & reach it’s true potential.Whether you like to admit it or not there are people around who fully expect this WEST team to go out & mix it with CCM, Roar,Sydney FC & Victory. These people,& there are many of them,are not “romantics” at heart & it is to be hoped that, when they initially pay their money, they will see enough promise to want to go back again & again, even taking a few mates with them.
You cite the early days of Victory & Port Adelaide’s rusty shower head in 1997 as part of a learning curve.Tony P & LG don’t have such an escape,they are coming into a league where to operate, millions of dollars are required, & because of the backing they are to receive from the parent body (something Victory didn’t enjoy) the level of expectancy out West is going to be that much higher than previous incomers faced. If a 10,000 crowd was the break even point some 3 years ago what is it now?, & with the much vaunted forums attracting around 4000 people to 7 forums spread over 4 weeks,(I mention this only as a measure of the interest in the area) the target figure of 13000 /home game, (a guess), is still a bit away.
So Cattery,in this case Tony & Lyall don’t have 150 years to make the journey,they don’t even have 6 months, so try & understand the magnitude of the task that is facing them & join with the rest of us in hoping,for the good of the game, they succeed. jb
May 19th 2012 @ 12:13pm
The Cattery said | May 19th 2012 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
jb
they have forever – it’s all about hard work and thinking long term.
The FFA will not let this club die – as long as the A-League survives, so will this club.
My point is to not worry about next month, or next season – think about next decade and the one after.
May 19th 2012 @ 2:51pm
jbinnie said | May 19th 2012 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
Cattery -They have forever????,like Auckland,Gold Coast and Far North Qld.????? I have never,ever taken you to be one of the “romantic” brigade, but if you think the FFA will continue to support this club if they are costing between $5 to 10 mill. per annum then I’m afraid we will have to put you into the “super romantic” category.After all you are aware that the FFA is sailing close to the wind financially and they certainly don’t want a millstone like an un-financial franchise round their neck. Hopefully that will not happen but in cut throat business these things can happen and in truth the FFA have had enough of that type of hardship in the past.As I said to you already, TP’s priority at this point in time doesn’t stretch “long term” he has his eyes on June 25th.
May 19th 2012 @ 3:13pm
The Cattery said | May 19th 2012 @ 3:13pm | Report comment
jb
indeed, I’m certainly a great believer in hard cold cash. There is no better independent and accurate assessment than the bank balance.
West Sydney is a bit different to the others you mention. In fact, in time, it will be averaging crowds of the three combined.
But I agree with you that it will be hard work – no doubt about it – we have enough sporting history in this country to know just how hard it is.
But I am looking at this from the point of view of hard, cold cash.
The FFA couldn’t go to the next TV negotiation with 9 teams. Whatever the FFA ends up spending on this new team (on top of the $5m govt funding), will be far less than what the whole competion would have lost going to Fox offering 9 teams and 4 games per round.
On top of guaranteeing 5 games per round, the FFA can argue that they can just about double ratings in Sydney with a 2nd Sydney team, I don’t know if that’s true, but they will push that angle hard.
But yes – it will be very hard, it should be hard – but it will be very rewarding for those fans who are there from day one.
May 19th 2012 @ 11:29am
Futbanous said | May 19th 2012 @ 11:29am | Report comment
Hard, I give you hard, Accrington Stanley. Fake rusted shower head,they are a rusted shower head,from the “Old Accrington Stanley”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accrington_Stanley_F.C._(1891)
To the “New Accrington Stanley” :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accrington_Stanley_F.C.