So, with the World Cup bid over, time finally expired on the Sydney Rovers consortium, and Ben Buckley’s future decided, the next task for Football Federation Australia will be deciding the fate of the financially perilous North Queensland Fury. Finally.
It’s been disappointing to watch a club, filled with players, coaches and staff who don’t deserve to be left drifting, wait to find out what the future holds for them.
The Fury’s under whelming performance on Friday night against Adelaide left me with the obvious, but unavoidable, question of whether all the off-field drama surrounding the club was starting to take its toll.
Now, after having been left in limbo for so long, I suspect many within the club would even welcome bad news, if only for the clarity it would bring.
That’s not to say such an outcome wouldn’t be an absolute pity.
I was left astounded by the stories of fan commitment and support my colleague Vitor Sobral came back with after his recent trip to North Queensland.
The fact this side has managed to find any traction at all in their market considering the inconvenient times many games are played due to the A-League’s restrictive TV deal is astonishing.
So I hope FFA consider all this and more as they decide on the Fury’s fate.
If the Fury dies so does professional football in Far North Queensland, possibly for good.
You cannot burn a set of fans and then expect them to come back again later down the track. It’s just not how it works. A fans allegiance is not for sale. It needs to be earned.
Maybe in a more transient market like the Gold Coast, where in ten years time there will be a significant amount of “fresh” potential supporters, such an approach might find some success but in Townsville, I suspect that wont be the case.
The second point is even more pertinent as in my opinion the loss of the Fury will do intrinsic harm to the public image of the A-League.
What’s amazed me most about the club with the league’s most hideous colours is how much support and interest the Fury has elicited from around the Australian football community.
How many times have you heard someone say the Fury is fast becoming their “second team”?
Forgive me for using some marketing jargon, but this kind of traction is priceless.
It’s remarkable in a league filled with somewhat faceless sides that were plucked into existence over the last six years, that so many people with no direct affiliation to the Fury are not just showing a genuine interest but actually care about their future.
If FFA need to dig into their own pockets to save a club there’s clearly a problem. Yet, at the same time, to let a club that is so widely appreciated go under will do the league much harm.
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
Yes, what a fascinating moment Queensland football is approaching. I was very surprised by the Fury comments they have 80% so I'm still skeptical about their future. Gold Coast meanwhile must seize this opportunity. A big crowd shows there's interest in a football spectacle - their challenge now is to turn every game into such a spectacle and enhance the matchday experience.
whiskeymac
Guest
80% already? was it behind the couch all along? fingers crossed for them then. interesting few weeks for qld footy -- gcu's spruiking upwards of 20K for their ccm game )almost a record outside of the final to watch ccm surely?) and talking of changing how they manage things _ and now Fury 80% towards saving the club?
punter
Guest
Is this Clive Palmer's money?
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
Yesterday sounds coming out of Townsville was it would be very tough but today Fury claimed to have 80% of that amount.
whiskeymac
Guest
unreasonable, undoable?
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
Ha! I'd be shopping David Williams around Asia and Europe trying to find a buyer. With 18 months left on his contract you could make up a portion of that figure. That's assuming anyone would be interested.
Roarchild
Roar Guru
That's 2.5 Reinaldo's in football speak.
Davidde Corran
Roar Guru
As a follow up to this yesterday FFA gave Fury an ultimatum - raise AU$1.5 million by the middle of January or it's game over. http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/12/15/192351_sport.html
Intelligentsia
Guest
Interesting alternative. It would still get results in producing players and bring back the old guard into the fold as well as save soccer in Oz a fortune in lost money. Problem is, it would only be watchable for community tv. Not even pay tv would touch it. The sport is a tough sell in Oz. It just does not have the critical mass to follow this start up league.
MyLeftFoot
Roar Guru
Isn't Townsville the location for the Harry Williams Cup for indigenous kids? It'd be a blow to that program if the Fury was to fall over - - but, seriously, how long can you sustain basket cases? Sadly though, there's seemingly more baskets than anyone can handle.
Whites
Guest
It was stupid putting a team in North Queensland to begin with. It was a complete lack of foresight at the start on behalf of the FFA. From the start of the A-League they should have been upfront with the ultimate goals of the competition. Start with 8 teams with a goal to one day have 16 teams. This gives a 30 round home & away season and is both a good number of games and teams for the Australian market. They should have made clear where these teams would be and then worked with the local community until a team was ready to enter the competition.
TheMagnificent11
Roar Guru
I'm well aware of that. Just a throw away stereotype comment. There are fanatically fans in the other football codes as well. Perhaps not as many which is probably why it isn't a stereotype.
Forgetmenot
Guest
I have to say there are bogans who follow soccer as well. In Australia i think league is viewed more of a bogan sport because the upper class in that area follow the similar game of union instead. And V8 is seen as more of a bogan sport because the upper class car lovers follow formula 1 instead.
TheMagnificent11
Roar Guru
Koops it is obvious that while I watch AFL and even enjoy I don't really rate it highly as a sport. That is my personal opinion and I'm entitled to it. You're entitled to yours and it doesn't bother me if you think AFL is "more football" than soccer. I choose to believe soccer is the real football because you use your feet more; you can choose to do otherwise if you want. At the end of the day it is just a name...at least to me.
Forgetmenot
Guest
Perhaps they could do both? Use 'football' on all the official documents and shirts, and 'soccer' on all the fan memorabilia like calendars, news sites, and placemats etc. Calling the sport 'football' is only going to alienate those fans who already follow football (Australian, league ...). It is only the absolute fanatics which call soccer 'football'. I know a couple of guys who have trialled for EPL clubs but always call the sport soccer.
TheMagnificent11
Roar Guru
There's more than enough sports fans in this country to go around. A average sports fan in this country follow multiple sports. The fanatics are part of soccer just like a high proportion of bogans are part of V8 Super Cars and rugby league. Some people like that passion and of course, some people do not. Everyone has the right to choose and I personally wouldn't mind if someone didn't support soccer because of the fanatics. Some believe the football chanting isn't family friendly. I like these aspects of soccer so I doesn't effect me.
Koops
Guest
I think you will find that there were just as many clubs competing in Australian football comps in Melbourne and Adelaide as there were clubs competing in the early FA cups. I do not understand your point about the sport "just" being invented to keep cricketers fit, soccer was probably "just" invented for local villagers to kick around a ball, i just can't see the difference.
JamesP
Guest
The game is called Soccer in Melbourne. The Victory are the most popular club in the country. Go Figure.
Forgetmenot
Guest
Bang on there SportsFanMelb. Soccer fanatics (not casual fans) are the ones that turned me away from the sport just as i was starting to become very interested in it. When i was young i watched the soccer world cups avidly on tv following the african teams for their flair while hoping like mad that Australia would make this event one day. I later started to follow the EPL scores just before soccer fanatics started their 'crusade' to show Australia the light and eradicate the sport that i loved.
TheMagnificent11
Roar Guru
Well I stand corrected. However, you can compare a couple of teams running around the MCG and organised football competition if you want. But everyone knows that Australian Rules was invented as way for cricket players to stay fit during the off season. Some dude went to Ireland and saw Gaelic Football and decided he could make something similar for cricket players (at least that's what they tell you on the MCG tour). All this is irrelevant. What a sport is called is not the important thing. Officially calling it soccer is not going to get you more fans. That was SportsFanMelb suggestion and I said I disagree. It takes more than a name to put bums on seats.