A-League will always be a hopeless competition

This comment may be a bit late and most people have said all the things I wanted to say. However one of my annoyance about the 'A-League is poor' argument that infact it shows a certain level of ignorance about major football nations. Being from Italy I can say that many fans do not only follow the Milans and the Juventus in Serie A. They also follow (and in many ways more passionately) teams in Serie C or even lower that represent their town in little municipal stadia that would make Ethiad Stadium look like the Stadt de France. Why? because they love the SPORT and they love their TOWN. They know that their team is not at the same level of Serie A but they know that the sport of football does not end with the mega teams but it involves a whole community. I also think of countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Austria, etc. where fans follow their leagues quite happily knowing that the chance of one of their team going to the final stages of a Champions League is fairly remote and that any good player will be attracted to the big football leagues. I guess it's the good old cultural cringe. But this time it happens in football. I think that we in Australia have lots of football converts (which is good) that grew up watching the EPL and think that we should be at that level.

It's been three years. To see some development we really need 20+ years of constant growth, marketing and youth development. The key to A-League success? Money. Money from supporters, money from using "what we got" (marquee pre-season games against EPL and other big name clubs), money from selling our youngsters (yes we are and always will be a feeder league.. (because unlike NRL and AFL this is a GLOBAL game) money from sponsors. If we cant get big name auusie sponsors.. look to asia.. there are plenty of rich companies that could invest in clubs or become sponsors to push themselves into the aussie market. I love the A-League but aknowledge its weaknesses. It needs support thoug.. not half arsed EPL suck arses. Australia has TOO MANY EPL suckarses.

Thank You One And All I think Mr Wilson now has a little more understanding of the strength of conviction of the Australian Football & HAL fan. We know it's not Europe Matt but we still love where it's going in it's infancy. And we are willing to stand behind it and support it. Bring on the HAL 2009 & The World Cup 2010 Se ya at the game Matty.................... LOL

5 year's is a short time... The Youth League was only established last year, and we still need to create a B-League competition.. The standard has improved and will keep improving.. Establishing a youth league was a big step in ensuring the development of these younger players to be able to step up to the A-League and play in a manner in which we all want.. The foundations have been laid and you need to be paitent .. We still need better coaches at youth level and this is the next thing to fix. Within the next 5 years I think that the A-league will be heads and shoulders above where it was last season and be cracking into the FTA tv market..

Forgetyounot, the article isn't just anti-soccer, its anti A-League. Matthew readily admits to being a football and ManU fan, which he would rather watch or park football for free, rather than pay thirty bucks to see an A-League game. Its more the substance of the article (or lack of) and the way its written. We good soccer folk are not unaccustomed to negative views on football and the A-League - even our most honourable and noble National Football team manager is very forthright in putting down the A-League and its players at every opportunity. :)

Michael C. I find your namesake Michael Cockerill is always reasonably balanced and restrained in his views - he will often point out both ways of looking at things.

MC - maybe I'm overly optimistic :-) But from time to time I have seen posts here that aren't all black or all white, that take a balanced view, that put some good and some bad points of a code together... or when they are negative you can still see that they are wanting to be a warning for the betterment of a code, not just some code-hater bagging what they don't like. I enjoy it when that happens and they are the posts I most like reading.

the problem with Australia is theres to many bean counters! we should start counting human beans rather than jelly beans. it feels like everybody is baracking for the league instead of there team. thats why i prefer the state leagues.

Millster - There is a difference between a negative article which is well constructued, presents detailed arguments, and is internally consistent and intelligent in its logic. These ckids of articles are really valuable as discussion points and warning bells for all fans to discuss. Let us know next time you see one of these anywhere in the Australian media!!! You'll be presenting proof of the Yeti and Tasmanian Tiger and the remains of Harold Holt before you're able to identify any article you'd be able to describe thus.

Yep well said Keeper

Keeper Good post .. totally agree

football supporters have are not sensitive or have no issue with negative articles in sport .. the difference is..negative articles re the NRL/ AFL are only focused on just one specific aspect:. i.e. the administration, the ref's, salary cap, 'player misbehaviour by a minority of players' etc... but ithe codes of NRL/AFL as a whole....their staus as ' our great games' is sacrosanct. no australian media ..especially in their 'home' towns...would ever dare to rubbish these sports as a whole... but when it comes to football.... ..its often a free for all .... selective critical articles by the Mattys, becs, rays and the rest of the conga line of clueless , hate filled agenda driven hacks that infest the media their sole aim is not to inform or raise issues for discussion... but to rubbish the sport as a whole and damage its image to the australian public.. the whole game, everywehere, at all levels, the whole comp, All fans. ..guess has something to do in australias insular and conservative commercial media with it being easier to reach for the tried and tested 'us and them ' strerotype ' fear and loathing of the foreign threat' routine when you have nothing of substance or intelligence to say... basically matts piece is garbage...sniff sniff....

Forgetmenot and others I would agree but... There is a difference between a negative article which is well constructued, presents detailed arguments, and is internally consistent and intelligent in its logic. These ckids of articles are really valuable as discussion points and warning bells for all fans to discuss. Then there are articles that are not logical, not internally consistent, and driven by the most superficial appreciation of a subject often swathed in a large dollop of stereotype and horseshit. I think it is the latter that we are suggesting shouldn't be given the time of day.

Just a quick point. I feel this article does bring up some valid points. But because it is negative towards soccer, then some people are suggesting that articles like it should not be allowed. Let the negative articles about all sports continue to stand, regardless of the persons knowledge of the sport (except for clear factual error).

Points noted guys. In general, please always feel free to feedback on any element of The Roar.

tony yeboah - great player, great post. well put. similarily i knew guys at uni who supported Grimsby and Blackpool and didnt care for the prawn sandwich brigade ( and this can be applied to man utd way before 99's treble in England at least... Utd have always had hangers on regardless of when Keano slated them) or the big clubs. didn't mean of course they didnt watch the odd game or appreciate the skills on offer but their main focus was on their team in their league. the hope for our league is to continue improving because as Koala suggests the potential is there, we just need to be patient and have a realsitic perspective. Just look at the potential for next season we will have players like fowler, kisel, and maybe recoba (how good wld that be! (with the provisio he is fit)) and the roar starlets to help re-ignite what was admittedly a more dour season than the previous 3. and lets hope Inman does realise his potential for us (did he read jesse's open letter i wonder). ps Tony Y were you pulling beers before or after stint at leeds?

Matty, the HAL isn't the EPL nor the UCL ... But the HAL and the ACL are ours... Not much will change in the HAL until the next massive Fox TV deal with an anticipated tripling of the cash delivered to the HAL clubs .. Then you will see real progress... be patient until then... With 2/3s of the world population now living in the Asean Region; it's only a matter of time that Asia will be the dominant force in world football ... It isn't a question of if but when... ~~~~~~~~ KB

I completely agree with Art Sapphire's last post.

Mid, yes great news about Inman and I hope he lives up to his potential and growing reputation and is not another Kaz Patafta. Zac, well of course you are free to say what you want about any sport on the Roar – but come on, this isn’t sport journalism. How did your moderators let this garbage get through as a sports article. And what do you expect coming on to a football blog and saying that our national football league is rubbish – no reaction? Here’s some of the hopeless action from the hopeless A-League :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4moTe7QISY&feature=related

Totally side issue but great news ...."David Davutovic confirmed on Fox Sports FC tonight that Inman has committed his future to Australia and will be selected in the Australian team for the U20 World Cup later this year....""" I wonder if Pim had anything to do with this.. For those that don't know this kid is spoken of in hushed tones .. some say at the same as good as Kool at the same age he is just 17 already gets some game time at Newcastle (EPL side) ... and was picked because of grandparents was picked to play for Scotland