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Despite the giant strides made in the game from the Socceroos World Cup showing and the development of the A-League, football continues to fight for attention in the mainstream press, on free to air television and in print. It seems an ingrained ignorance still exists, judging by the pitiful coverage in certain sections of the media.
But why is this so?
The A-League is competitive and national, the Socceroos look set for another World Cup tilt and Australian players are starring in leagues around the world. There is no excuse for why the media shouldn’t commit more time and space to football.
Many pundits view the lack of significant football coverage as a barometer of the sports popularity, but this can be inaccurate.
In the main, it works the other way.
The amount of media attention a sport receives dictates how popular it is, especially in enticing the casual fan and raising awareness. In that regard, it is important for the game to break through the stagnation and win over the media.
But it is a very difficult task. The mainstream press have developed a very insular view of sport.
When Aussie sports stars and teams succeed, it’s expected. When they lose, it’s a crisis.
A sport such as swimming, hardly a headliner in other parts of the world, is so popular here because we are so successful at it.
With our football history one of unfulfilled potential, and our record relative to other countries unimpressive, there has been little to entice the media.
There is also the investment the local media have in the other codes, a sense that the AFL, NRL and cricket need to be protected.
There is a larger issue at play here too.
During that remarkable few weeks in 2006 when the Socceroos shone in Germany, the mainstream press jumped on the bandwagon. But there was still ignorance in some quarters, as this clip on a Channel 10 morning show demonstrates, and highlights the fact many still consider football to be an ethnic game.
Many multicultural Australians, myself included, can better connect with the Socceroos as a team that truly reflects our nations cultural heritage.
But you have to wonder how widespread David Reyne’s views on the ethnicity are and what impact that has.
Perhaps editors and journalist share this view; many grew up with soccer firmly in the background, as predominantly an ethnic game, while the likes of cricket, Aussie Rules and rugby were unchallenged.
Do they still see football as an outsider’s game?
Hence, when there is a dip in crowd figures or a setback (such as Adelaide United’s ACL thumping), the media reminds us all of the sports previous failings, no matter how inaccurate the comparisons are.
Rehashing the same old stories of ‘soccer in crisis’ is easier than analysing the sports’ current and future prospects.
There have been giant strides made in some sectors.
Foxtel should be congratulated for its commitment to the game, especially in the early development of the A-League. But the fact the outlet is only seen by approximately 30 percent of Australians also contributes to the lack of media awareness.
Also, the Internet has given football fans an outlet, and the huge number of fans viewing sites like this is no doubt a reaction from the missing mainstream coverage.
Overcoming those decades of ignorance will take time, and it does also require the A-League to sharpen up its product.
But in the main, the mainstream press need to truly wake up to the world game. Not just in time to jump onto the bandwagon when it rolls into town.