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“Tell ’em they’re dreamin'”: My exact words after reading reports yesterday that the A-League could expand into Asia in as little as 15 months.
There was no one around to laugh at my Dad joke so I had a little chuckle to myself. Then things got more serious.
Here’s the short of it: A-League chief Damien De Bohun confirmed that domestic games could be shifted overseas during the 2015 Asian Cup due to the number of stadiums in Australia that will be occupied.
It’s the beginning of what is sure to be a long-term plan to incorporate Asian countries into the A-League.
I can’t help but feel that the A-League are jumping the gun. How about getting things in order in our own backyard before inviting the whole neighbourhood over for a barbie?
We’re into season nine and things are looking up, but we’re by no means yet fully established. Close, but not quite there.
The folk that have greatest reason to feel hard done by following the expansion news are regional cities. Not cities in Asia, but those right here: Tasmania, New South Wales, even Auckland.
Over the 2012/13 season, the A-League continued its reach into non-major cities. Melbourne Victory and Central Coast met in Tasmania, Western Sydney and Newcastle played in Campbelltown and Wellington took a match up north to Auckland’s Eden Park.
Sure, the crowd figures hovered around the 10,000 mark on average, which may not be too impressive, but that’s an estimated 40,000 new fans who have been exposed to A-League football.
Regular season matches would be seen as exhibitions in Asia and may draw crowds of up to 30,000 – as evidenced by Perth’s pre-season travails – but such an exercise would take away a prime opportunity to expand the game in Australia.
Brisbane games could be moved to the Gold Coast, Victory and Adelaide would be great for the growth of football in Tasmania – which De Bohun has highlighted as another alternative – and there are ample options for the NSW teams to take their matches elsewhere and tap into a new market.
For David Gallop’s dream of making football the number one sport in Australia, growth is essential and it’s clear that things are already happening rapidly.
Western Sydney, Perth and Sydney FC all travelled overseas in the pre-season and all had success in terms of results and crowds. For now, that is the type of expansion the A-League should be focused on.
Consider England’s Premier league teams moving some of their matches overseas before and after the season.
They’ve benefitted from acknowledging their global fans, but ensure those people – the fans – who help the game progress in their own country are a priority.
Del Piero, Ono and Heskey have all helped the A-League’s global appeal, but before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s look after those who matter most – us.
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