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The holiday period was an unequivocal success for the A-League with bumper crowds across the nation, exciting football and momentum generated for the run to the finals. It demonstrates why the Christmas and New Year period is critical for the league and the importance of staging traditional fixtures.
Adelaide United’s match at Adelaide Oval against Sydney FC attracted over 23,000 and while the game didn’t necessarily live up to the occasion it has developed into one of the most popular sporting fixtures in Adelaide after such a short space of time.
Likewise Central Coast’s New Years Eve fixture is a proven formula.
Traditional fixtures such as these are winners.
Take the Boxing Day Test.
I don’t watch cricket. I can hold my own in a conversation about Matty Hayden’s struggle with the bat, but I don’t necessarily sit down to watch a Test. Watching the grass grow in my backyard is just as appealing.
But come Boxing Day, no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I tune in at least once to the traditional test along with the rest of Australia. Why? It is intrinsically linked to that day.
I know if I turn on Channel 9 on the day after Christmas there will be a test match with Australia from the MCG.
That is the power of tradition.
It’s also a time of year when there is little else to do, hence why watching cricket becomes a viable alternative to my boredom. The weather is great, kids are on school holidays and many get some time off work.
There are also plenty of public holiday opportunities to take advantage of.
As I’ve written previously, expansion will force a rethink of the A-League calendar and squeezing those extra rounds into the festive season will avoid an intrusion into winter.
Why not take it to the next step?
The use of the rivalry round concept should be well thought out, taking advantage of significant dates or periods to draw in the big crowds. These larger scale games will help draw in the casual fans.
For example, the Adelaide Oval round attracted fans that ordinarily don’t attend matches at Hindmarsh Stadium. It was a major news story here, the biggest sporting event of the year thus far, a social gathering for friends and a chance for football fans to enjoy the locale of one of Australia’s finest sporting grounds.
Hopefully those casual fans liked what they saw and are now enticed to see more of the Reds.
Another possible date is Australia Day.
The final round of this season takes place on the weekend of January 23 to 25. Why not create the tradition of having the final round on the 26th of January?
Such traditions are critical for the A-League’s development.
Crowd figures will remain inconsistent until the franchises establish themselves in their respective communities so winning isn’t a key requirement for people to turn up.
It’s no surprise the teams attracting the big crowds are the ones doing the winning. Expect the bumper crowd run to come to a thumping halt when Sydney FC host Wellington this weekend!
The message from the fans to the FFA and the clubs is clear: take advantage of the Christmas and New Year period and create traditional fixtures over certain dates of the Australian summer.
This is one-way hearts and minds will be won over.