Uruguay’s Dario Rodriguez tackles Australia’s Nick Carle during the Australia versus Uruguay soccer match. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Last week I submitted an article titled “Why football struggles for support in Australia.” It proved a reasonably popular read, no doubt due to its provocative title, with most readers probably expecting the usual diatribe about “capital-bases”, “expansion” and “membership drives”.
What they found, though, was an attempt to explain the problem in terms of values.
My central contention was that the A-League will never be the number 1 sport in Australia while Australian viewers regularly see “bad behaviour” from its biggest stars, both here and overseas, on the field.
The biggest problem I felt was the practice of diving, or “simulation”, as pundits like to call it.
As is appropriate, the article seemed to polarise Roar readers.
After all, football is a passionate game and elicits such responses. Some very good points were made, the key one being that ALL sports struggle for fans in Australia, one I failed to acknowledge.
What struck me as interesting was the fact that most of the negative responses focussed on attacking other sports.
A shame, but not a surprise when one considers the religious zeal with which the game is worshipped.
I felt somewhat vindicated then, to read Kevin Muscat’s spray this morning (Fri 16/4) about what he feels are the inherent flaws in the Asian Champions League.Muscat referred to “…people going down left, right and centre”, in reference to the series of dives the Beijing Guoan players indulged in (most disappointing was seeing Australian Joel Griffiths get in on the act. He really should know better).
Muscat went on to say: “I can understand why people don’t come and watch” in reference to the poor crowd at the game. I hate to say I told you so … but I told you so.
Now I know Kevin Muscat is not the most popular of players outside of Melbourne.
But let’s get real: he is a former regular Socceroo, has played in the EPL and has continued his top form back home.
He knows a thing or two about football.
Let’s say he is more qualified than any of us “wannabes” to pass judgement on what he thinks works from a football perspective.
I would say he is more qualified than any of the journalists who have lined up to criticise him (Michael Cockerill et al) or officials who threaten to sanction him (Ben Buckley).
It always amazes me that players are considered the least qualified to provide insights into the state of their sport.
The diving which occured in the Victory Vs Beijing Guoan match was atrocious. It served as the best possible advertisement for OTHER sports.
“ABC Breakfast” host, Virginia Trioli, perhaps providing the most salient perspective of those people the A-League is trying to attract – the casual fan – expressed similar sentiments to Muscat when saying the FFA could not expect people to go to games if that is what they are going to see.
Let’s remember also, this is not the first time we have heard this.
Vince Grella uttered similar words after Australia’s exit from the 2007 Asian Cup when he said “…there were guys rolling around all over the place every time we played.”
Funny that in both Muscat’s and Grella’s cases the media and FFA officialdom chose to criticise them rather than take on board what they were saying. Sour grapes?
Nah, I don’t think so. Just men sick and tired of playing with boys.
And this is the heart of the matter.
Craig Foster, Michael Cockerill, Ben Buckely, all one-eyed football fans, listen up. I am going to say this loud and clear so you can hear it – AUSTRALIANS HATE DIVING.
There is little you can do about it.
For whatever reason, it is just an intrinsic part of our cultural fabric. No one likes a whinger.
Perhaps the FFA and the A-League just has to accept that football in Australia will always have a limited appeal.
The FFA can not ever hope to change the cultural make-up of other countries where the practice of diving is acceptable, so perhaps they need to concede their lot and just make the A-League the best little league it can.
I for one would much prefer to watch players of slighly lesser skill levels play with heart and honesty than the over-paid prima donnas prancing around the Italian and Spanish leagues.
Wake up and smell the coffee, you Craig Fosters of the world.
The A-League has probably reached its peak and has done very well in an already over-crowded sporting market.
I will watch it as it seems to be the only league without diving.
And I’m sorry: if I want to watch diving, I’d prefer to watch Matthew Mitcham do it properly than Cristiano Ronaldo do it dishonestly.
Mistake ^^ that post is in response to Art not Luc.
"Its just that football’s detractors have been louder and given more prominence over the years. Which in some way explains the defensive nature of some of the replies you have received." Ahuh, woe is soccer we always get picked on the most. I've seen this a 100 times before. Care to concede that victim/inferiority complex you and so many others expouse? I understand why it is so prevalent amongst you lot. For hardcore fans, there 'has to be' a reason to explain the lowly position (relatively) of soccer in Australia. After all it has been here over a 100 years and yet has got nothing on RL or Football, so as you can expect hardcore fans of soccer will rationalise history rather than facing the embarrassing truth. The more deranged types will prattle on about media conspiracies and alternate history 'what-ifs'. For some, they can't just can't accept the sporting paradigm in place. There 'has to be a reason' to explain it all. That is the mindset I am describing; the constant need for rationalisation. I see it all the time on this board. It's OK, there there Art, it will be alright.
Luc Knight
Roar Rookie
Hi Art, I do genuinely hope that the diving Australians see in overseas leagues does not affect the future popularity of the A-League. My fear was, and still is, that if fringe fans see it in comopetitions like the ACL then it will just turn them off the local product. This, I think, would be a shame as the A-League has the potential to do great things.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Luc, this is where you argument falls flat. Diving in the A-League, pretty much like the EPL, is not a huge problem. A culture of simulation in other leagues and countries has not affected the popularity of the game in England and nor will it in Australia. The problem here is raising the standard of the A- League so it can attract football fans that only follow the elite leagues in Europe. That's what is holding support back in this country. One day in the future, maybe, we'll get there. The game will always have its detractors, but so does evey other code. Its just that football's detractors have been louder and given more prominence over the years. Which in some way explains the defensive nature of some of the replies you have received.
Luc Knight
Roar Rookie
It's great to see such spirited debate on this topic. The main point I can take from ait all is that the Australian sporting landscape is incredibly over-crowded. So much so that it seems almost all sports (the exceptions being cricket and AFL) will struggle from time to time. I have been surprised at how many people have read the two articles as attacks on football, which they clearly were not. I guess the highly-religious will rarely tolerate criticism, especially from one deemed an outsider or infidel. But believe me, I will be cheering on our boys at the world cup and will continue supporting the A-League as best I can. I think it is a great league that suffers from factors outside its control, one of them being diving. Perhaps that was all that needed to be said in the first place.
Luc Knight
Roar Rookie
Hi Art, trust me I have no problem joining the list of lazy,unoriginal Australian sports writers ha ha. All good questions though. It seems like the combination of a small population and too many sports means every sport is in a constant state of despair about howto attract more sponsors, more fans, more members. It makes me realise we are still small-time here in OZ
Objective
Guest
Hi JoeFC, you're right. It probably did fall flat. Kevin Muscat is not the best advocate ha ha.
Objective
Guest
Hi Sam, please reda my response to Con (above).
Objective
Guest
Hi Con, that is exactly my point. I was trying to draw attention to the very fact that, for whatever reason, australian's are prepared to overlook sexual assault allegations, drug charges and all other types of off-field bad behaviour in other sports if they approve of what is happening on the field. Yet with football, which is relatively scandal-free, they seem to turn away because of diving/simulation. This was the topic of discussion. Why is this the case? I was just throwing up values as a possibility. If you read what I have written you will see I make no criticisms of football at all. I am just trying to open up discussion as to why Australians hate one particular part of it and whether this is impacting its chances of growing as a sport.
Objective
Guest
Hi Australian Football, that is a article I would love to write ha ha. The Bears will always be my first love. I claim no level of expertise in football.
Objective
Guest
Hi MV Dave, I would hardly say it was a "hatchet job". My point was merely to try and put forward an idea as to why the A-League may be struggling for fans. Kevin Muscat's point seemed to support my contention. Cheers Luc
Objective
Guest
Hi AndyRoo. I don't think, or at least I hope, I haevn't contradicted myself. I was trying to get the point across that the current status of the A-League will probably be as good as it gets. I wasn't referring to it becoming the peak of all sports.
Objective
Guest
Hi Monsieur Fromage (like the name). Thanks for the question. I thought Kevin Muscat played in the Premier League while he was with Crystal Palace. However, as a team which (to the best of my admittedly limited knowledge) has been in and out of the top league, they may not have been part of it at that time. I will look it up. But thanks for pointing it out. It's inexcusable if I'm wrong. Cheers Luc
apaway
Guest
Doesn't everything out-rate the Swans? Even The Iron Chef?
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
Yes Damo, football fans should know their place! I guess that's why it's only allowed to be a one way diatribe as to why our game sucks ..... Anyway that's another column for your mates to vote down. Edit: I hope the Roar introduce a new tab for multi sports/code wars. This piece was always going to attract people that don't like football and It's pretty dissapointing to have the football tab have an anti football article. Then any suggestion to the contrary, or even pointing out the contradictions within the article is voted down.
RickG
Guest
I was talking about occasionally (and if you actually watched NRL, AFL or Rugby you'd know it hardly ever happens) getting a penalty to give your team breather, otr gain some extra field position - not score a crucial point in a 1-0 result. You seem to be accusing me, falsely, of something here Dave - care to be upfront about it?
mds1970
Roar Guru
I'm no fan of Kevin Muscat (FTT), but he has a valid point. Faking injuries to hold up the game is a cancer on soccer. I remember going to an Asian Champions League game back in 2007 when Sydney FC played Shanghai Shenhua and the Shanghai cheats were chronic that night. It took all the self-control I had not to jump the fence and give one of those guys a reason to genuinely hit the deck. It may be the culture of the game in some parts of Asia, but Kevin Muscat is right - Australians won't tolerate it. It rarely happens in the A-League for that reason; but visiting teams from Asia often do it because they know it irritates Australians. IMHO, faking an injury should be punished with a straight red card.
MV Dave
Guest
Fair enough Guy...but its not about being hostile rather just clearing up what l would consider to be inaccuracies stated by some of the posters above. As can be seen when l (deliberately to draw a response) mentioned issues that may/may not concern Rugby folk l was challenged, as would be the case if denigrated AFL or NRL. Most of us to a degree are defensive of their own preferred code...as can be seen by reading some of the blogs on this site. l dont consider football fans any worse or better in this regard. BTW Football in Oz has plenty of issues to keep its interested parties busy however, l doubt the claimed issue (diving) is one that is anywhere near the top of the leader board at this stage.
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
Both AFL and NRL crowds were down last season and the opning rounds for this year are the lowest for a few years. After the “blockbuster ” opening rounds and despite a few wins, averge crowds for the Swans are down to 29K which is lower than the Swans average attendance of 30K in 1996, 14 years ago.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Thats not the point Smiley Guy, my point is that Luc should have written Part 2 rather than rehashing Part 1. You're entitled to you opinions but I also see NRL struggling for support in half the country and AFL to a lesser extent as well. Anyone with a modicum of critical skills and a bit of writing flair can come up with arguments to debate as to why this is the case. This is what I asked Luc to do and, unfortunately, he didn't meet the challenge.