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Let’s face it. The A-League’s model of “One city, one team” doesn’t work in football.
At least, it doesn’t work in Sydney, where there is a dire need for a second A-League club in this city to serve the city’s growing, socio-economically diverse Greater West region centred on Parramatta, which Sydney FC has singularly failed to connect with. But there are much deeper reasons for this than merely satisfying the needs of a growing region.
Local rivalries are bread-and-butter in football throughout the world, and the heart and soul of virtually every major footballing nation. The north-west of England, a working-class hotbed of football passion encompassing Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire, has a population similar to that of New South Wales in a smaller area.
And in that region, major clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton and Liverpool can be found, as well as smaller but long-established traditional clubs like Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Blackpool and Burnley.
The West Midlands region is a similarly well-populated region, or more like a metropolis, in which Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers can be found, all commanding sizeable support. And further east, heated rivalries exist between Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Derby County.
Beyond England, virtually every major footballing city with a large population can claim at least two clubs – Madrid, Milan, Rome, Turin, Athens, Istanbul (which has 3 major clubs), Moscow (which has more than that), and virtually every major South American and even African city.
In light of this, the A-League’s “one team per city” model is a complete rejection of the reality of football, and a complete denial of one of the game’s appeals for many: rivalry.
I am a passionate Everton supporter and fiercely cherish the cross-town (or is it cross-park?) rivalry with Liverpool, and cherish every win we manage over them. Derby games would bring passion and colour to the A-League that will be able to match those found on all five other continents.
The FFA needs to be mindful that clubs historically grow in clusters, and not far apart. For the sake of football, I hope they do.
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