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The A-League's battle of the suburbs

2nd October, 2014
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Western Sydney Wanderers fans. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Expert
2nd October, 2014
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Forgotten suburban grounds have made a comeback in Australian football with the introduction of the FFA Cup, and now the A-League is set to build on that momentum.

The magic of seeing the old iconic NSL grounds return to the main stage has been just one of the many highlights of the cup.

Edensor Park on Fox Sports, Knights Stadium hosting Perth Glory and the Wolves bringing more than 5000 to WIN Stadium are a few examples.

And this A-League season presents another chance for football to introduce itself to potential new crowds, as well as revisit the old guard.

It’s nothing new for A-League teams to play matches away from their usual home grounds, but with expansion a hot topic in the countdown to a new TV deal, which region can make the strongest case?

Geelong, Wollongong, Auckland and northern Sydney will all get their chance to convince the football world that they can contribute to the game. Unfortunately there’s no spot for Canberra this season though.

It all kicks off with the Central Coast Mariners hosting Melbourne Victory at North Sydney Oval on December 5 in Round 10.

The Mariners, who have been under a constant cloud of financial uncertainty in recent years, are looking to increase their influence in the region, which hasn’t exactly embraced football since the folding of Northern Spirit.

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Dipping their toes in what should be Sydney FC territory will also provide an interesting side story to the action on the pitch.

Can the club pull fans from the northern stretches of Sydney? And should Central Coast supporters be worried?

Owner Michael Charlesworth has continually complained about the financial burden involved with the Mariners, but this move is finally an example of the club being proactive in turning around its fortunes.

Heading back to an old National Soccer League stamping ground could prove fruitful, given Northern Spirit attracted crowds of about 15,000 at the start of their existence (before descending to just hundreds). And Charlesworth has claimed that up to 20 per cent of their members hail from the region.

The Mariners are also heading to Brookvale Oval, home of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, on February 7 to play Adelaide United.

It’s the ground’s first appearance in the A-League, and it’s yet to be seen how the notoriously stodgy and heavy surface holds up. Surely there’ll be some serious refurbishment work going on between now and then.

But how do Mariners supporters feel about the club moving two home games away from Gosford? Could this be an early sign of the Mariners franchise relocating?

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Football Federation Australia have been careful to reiterate that Gosford will remain the Mariners’ permanent home in the future, but it’s no secret that the club are dragging the chain when it comes to converting on-field success to off-field sustainability.

It could, however, be more of a mixture of the two. The Mariners may well be trying to expand their fan-base, but at the same time test the water in northern Sydney to see whether playing games there could be a regular occurrence.

Either way, it’s great to see football enter new/old territory.

Wellington will once again be taking A-League football back to Auckland this season, with the city boasting the club’s record crowd in a regular A-League match (20, 078).

The game on December 13 will be held at Eden Park, which is historically a rugby union playing field.

Auckland, due to its size, has often been mentioned as a future location for an A-League side, and this is another chance to scope out how popular the game is in the city.

Wellington will also take three of its games to the suburb of Hutt, as the Cricket World Cup takes centre stage at their Cake Tin home next year.

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The club has been working on the temporary confines of the Hutt Recreational Ground with Hutt City Council to prepare for their games against Melbourne City, Newcastle Jets and Adelaide United in February and March.

It will hopefully draw some intimate crowds, with the ground holding just 9000.

Then there’s two regions which have strongly been tipped for hosting expansion teams, but have contrasting ties to football in Australia.

Step forward Geelong and Wollongong.

The Wollongong Wolves were a stable entity in the old NSL, but were cast aside when the A-League was formed. Inevitably, they have been constantly earmarked for a place in the national competition.

Wollongong’s chance to shine will come on January 2, with WIN Stadium getting the opportunity to put on a show.

They hosted an FFA Cup match earlier this year, attracting more than 5000 in their match against the Central Coast.

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Sydney FC and the Newcastle Jets will fight it out in the fixture, and hopefully another big crowd turns out to grab FFA’s attention.

Competing with them on the same day will be the city of Geelong, home to the Geelong Cats and more than 200,000 inhabitants.

It’s the first time the A-League will venture into the region, with Melbourne Victory taking on Perth Glory in AFL heartland.

Simond Stadium will host the fixture, and the crowd that shows up will be a good indication of how much love there is for football.

Are these fixtures calculated moves that reveal FFA’s plans for future expansion? If so, it’s a mystery why Canberra hasn’t been given a chance to impress this season, and disappointing.

Yet Western Sydney Wanderers do have a fixture against Wellington on February 8 in Round 17, which has yet to have its venue confirmed. Why not send the league’s golden child over to the capital city to test how passionate a following they can attract?

It’s a battle of the suburbs this A-League season, and a chance for new and old football regions to shine in the limelight. Who will put on the biggest performance, to either put themselves in the shop window or just showcase their city?

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Follow Janek on Twitter @JanekSpeight

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