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A-League attendance records will continue to tumble

19th October, 2014
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Sydney FC will be looking to make a statement against the Mariners. (Photo: AAP)
Expert
19th October, 2014
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The action on the field has been of high quality at times this A-League season, but the atmosphere in the stands has been even more impressive, with bumper crowds reaching lofty heights in the first two rounds.

While there were feelings of discontent that Round 1 had only garnered a cumulative figure of just over 90,000, Round 2 banished any negative thoughts by cracking the league record, with 106,082 coming through the gates.

Allianz Stadium welcomed 41,213 fans decked out in sky blue and red and black for the Sydney Derby, the highest crowd the arena has seen for a regular-season sporting fixture.

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And the Cross Border Derby between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory attracted more than 33,000, a surprise for even the most optimistic fans.

A reasonable crowd of almost 8000 for the Mariners’ loss to Wellington, an equally respectable 8800 for Perth’s first home game of the year and almost 16,000 for Melbourne City’s draw with Newcastle rounded off the impressive weekend.

Of course, not every weekend is going to boast derby days to boost numbers, and weekly accumulative attendances will rarely venture above 100,000. But hitting an overall crowd average that surpasses the boon year of 2007-08 is not outside the realms of possibility.

While Victory will continue to boast strong attendances, Kevin Muscat has moulded a team that should win silverware this season. If he can bring the glory days back, then an average of more than 25,000 is realistic.

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Melbourne City, along with Adelaide and Brisbane, have posted record membership numbers this season, and that should equate to big crowds in the stands. Each of those sides can hit the 16,000 mark, with Brisbane hopefully surpassing last year’s average of 18,000, while Western Sydney will attract their predictable weekly crowds of up to 15,000.

That leaves Sydney FC as the last of the big clubs that needs to overtake their crowds from last year. Alessandro Del Piero may no longer be there to pull the numbers, but Graham Arnold has instilled optimism in supporters that has for too long been absent.

Their win against the Wanderers showed true grit, and a run to the finals and a challenge for the top two should witness average attendances touching the 20,000 mark.

That leaves the four smaller clubs to provide the necessary backing power.

What is promising is that Wellington Phoenix, Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners have all held their own so far this season. All have impressed in patches during the first two games, and despite each being written off in preseason, they are all capable of pushing for the top six.

That should equate to bums on seats. Wellington, Central Coast and Newcastle offer some of the cheapest tickets in the A-League, while Perth have a historically fervent fan-base that’s just waiting for a reason to get back on board.

While Central Coast were criticised for only hitting about 10,000 in the F3 Derby, they produced a solid crowd of 7237 against Wellington Phoenix. It’s nothing extraordinary, but it has to be accepted that the Gosford-based club will never reach massive average attendance figures.

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I’ve been a detractor of the Mariners on several occasions when crowds have been low, but with the club boasting reasonable ticket and memberships prices, it’s probably the best we can hope for. But if Phil Moss can keep grabbing against-the-odds results and they push an average of 9000, then it’s a job well done.

Perth have been a similar problem child as the Mariners, a once-successful club that regularly attracted attendances of more than 10,000 has fallen on tough times. Poor results on the field, and chaotic management off it, has left supporters dismayed, and attendance averages have acted accordingly.

Though against Brisbane on Sunday, Glory supporters, despite battling against the elements and forced to fork out for some of the league’s most expensive tickets, turned out with a crowd of 8789.

With new recruit Andy Keogh scoring his third goal in just two games, and the team claiming maximum points from their opening fixtures, Perth could be set for a surprisingly successful season, with finals a definite possibility. There’s no reason they shouldn’t crack 10,000 if Kenny Lowe keeps them on track.

Wellington and Newcastle have also more than held their own in the opening two rounds, and have realistic chances of making the top six. Newcastle were one David Villa away from shocking Melbourne City, while Wellington defeated the Mariners away from home after going close against Perth in Round 1.

A healthy and competitive league means fans will stay interested for longer periods of time, as both the premiership race and the finals race stays even throughout the season.

Going by the above estimates for each club, average attendances would equate to 14,500 for A-League 10. The average last season was 13,038, while the benchmark is the 15,300 from A-League 3.

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This weekend is the next chance to continue the strong start so far, with the Melbourne Derby a chance for Victorians to show Sydneysiders that they don’t own rights to the A-League’s biggest and best rivalry.

Smashing the 100,000 mark is definitely achievable, and crowds at Adelaide and Brisbane will be crucial to the final figure. It would represent the first time the A-League has cracked 100,000 twice in a season and would go a long way to pushing average attendances north of 14,000.

It’s an exciting time to be a football fan in Australia and the slump of 2010-11 is firmly in the past. If the overall average attendance hits 15,000 this season, then it’s going to be an appropriate celebration for our shiny new league’s 10th birthday.

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