Football survives to thrive in Australia

What has muslims got to do with this?

My family is British (and Irish) and I love Liverpool and have followed them my whole lofe - but let tell you, the way the A-League has come on my heart has shifted. As I explained in another thread - I love Melbourne Victory and the A-League, but I have the odd fling with the EPL these days. The big derbys and the various cup finals - but not much more. My advice to you Tom is join a club and get along to a series of games. Anyone who loves football will soon appriciate what we are buildign here in Australia - even you!

Tom. from you're comment above. I don't mean to cross examine you're comment. Bit of a weird way at looking at Football, you suggest most people who like Football prefer to watch European Football rather than watch or attend an A League game, let me tell you it's an incredibly hard lifestyle choice to watch European Football between the hours of 12.AM to 9.00.AM, id much prefer it to be in the pm slot ( european football) but you cant help geographical time zones (if you want it, you accept it). Another point i may pick you up on is you suggest people prefer to watch lets say Bayern Munchen, A.C Milan or Villareal at 3 am, though would not want to make a connection with a local A League club playing at 3-5 pm a very strange mentality to have. And you're last comment takes the cake, you say you came from England ( i assume you wholely reside in Australia now) you suggest you played football into your teens then stopped ok, you also suggest you still love football ,though you cannot make a connection with A League football. Though it appears you'd prefer to watch Lazio vs Genoa at 3am (with the greatest of respect to Italian football). Tom in the point's you've made and i've countered , you've never had an association with football.

As the popularity of the A-League continues to grow around the world, the benefits to our game here will continue to grow. Ms Gillard, Soccer is the way to increase our international standing around the world and boost our trade relations, not vegemite and Sherrins.

If they can afford Foxtel to see it.

Jason: I'm Australian, I call it football..your argument fails its first test...conclusion = you don't know anything...QED - However, you are free to call the game what you wish(Australia being a free country and all that!)

It seems that not just Aussie billionaires want a part of the action in the A-League. So, despite all the doom & gloom from Australia's football-illiterate press and Aussies, who are football-haters, it seems that people, who love football and those who want to be involved in football, like what they are seeing. ------------------------- Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal, a billionaire whose father is regarded as a potential heir to the Saudi throne, is '"very serious"' about investing in the A-League. Source: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/saudi-royal-wants-in-on-aleague-20110323-1c6sq.html

Jason. So refreshing you could join us, and now can we have you're thoughts on the faith of Islam. Im sure with you're mentality we would all love to no.

Aussies call it soccer

yeah keep telling yourself that, can't wipe away over a hundred years of tradition just like that though

Good thread Midfielder, the next TV deal expires mid 2013, so it's 2 more seasons to go! If the clubs can hang on and stay afloat between now and then (and we chop GC, Clive has ruined GCU), financially everything might be bright, depending on what happens in the next 2 seasons and what decisions the FFA make.

Such as yourself! :)

The Wookie. I think your heart or intention is in the right place. I don't no how many times somebody from A.F.L. has just simply out of nowhere said Soccer's the biggest sport in the World ,why and where did that come from i think , we or i don't think of it like that, in relation to the world cup and who we've drawn Germany, Ghana and Serbia i just think shi* a tough group. There's a common theory held that football being global that theirs no need to go and support your local football club such as the Perth Glory another weird or incredible internal theory thrown around by other sporting codes, though there junior development teams and reserves are crucial to watch, ill work it out one day.

Bondy Welcome ... ya it's coming and what I do like is what I see as a slow burn... Let me explain.... Phase 1 pre Hal & Hal 1... get the A-League up and running and the national team back together ..... my report card mission completed with excellence Phase 2 ... Hal 2 to Hal 8.... get a media deal, develop national programs, stop the drain of Football best to other codes, develop a youth league, develop a women's league, get into Asia, develop a hard core fan base, develop the product in technical terms that is ready for FTA, make as few mistakes as possible, develop the senior national teams..develop a football media in addition to SBS. My report card a credit ... the Fury, Gold Coast, lack of a WS Team, and Home End issues and the stadium deals are the big mistakes ... on everything else excellent work... Phase 3 ... Hal 9 to Hal 14.... get a media deal sitting between Union & RL... get National teams on FTA networks live with Fox also having live broadcast rights... and ONE ONLY A-League game on FTA at an agreed time in prime time and the FTA ONE only match broadcaster to have a football highlights and talk show...Further develop the technical side of the game, expand the media... Get a WS & Gong Team ... Be pro-active and explain what will happen ... most of all be patient and just enjoy the ride.....and wait for Phase 4 ... it's only 6 or 7 years away... In essence a slow burn just lets see it grow and set our own achievable targets

I welcome you my dear comrade. No matter what your name is, we will judge the character of the man by the quality of his posts. Here on the Roar, above all else, we value quality writing, clarity and elucidation.

AFL figures are the easiest to obtain, but only going back 5 years. You can get the annual reports from the AFl website going back to 2006 (and that report will give you the 2005 figures). The others are a little harder. The NRL doesnt publish an annual report but does issue a "state of the game". Most of the information available can only be sourced from media. You may be able to get it if you ask. The big one i have left out is Tennis Australia, which doesnt have any national league per se, but has a greater revenue than the FFA, at 145 million in 2009-10. Basketball, netball, hockey, baseball and athletics have a combined revenue of less than 30 million. Im not the least bit surprised you refer to the participation, but bear in mind it wasnt too long ago that Netball was the highest participated sport in the country, and that really went from strength to strength there didnt it?

Wookie . You raise some valid points with the Cricket there, but i have to mention the Big Bash in relation to crowds they weren't drawing more than A League crowds apart from the G,Coast they were on at the same time as the Football on Fox and i checked their matchday crowds and they were quite poor for a sport that gets wall to wall coverage as you suggest. Although it would beat us in ratings.

Midfielder. Good points you raise, if you noticed this season the general mainstream sports media P.T.I and the Backpage and Breakfast Radio talked about three subjects - Crowds , Kevin Muscat's tackle, and the Fury their all topics or points where in which you dont even have to watch the games to give an informed tactical or technical opinon on the sport(lazy journos pretending to know what there talking about). Yeah sure the A League has had it's ups and downs this season but i tend too reflect on the likes of Adelaide, Central Coast, the topsy turvy Melbourne Victory and Brisbane for throwing some good football my way, interesting i watch Stoke vs Blackburn and thats not a better brand of football their playing over there compared to our teams. I often think of the Journos who hate Football with a passion and they i would imagine say thank christ the A League's over but for the football supporter it's business as usual where approaching the pointy end of the domestic Leagues in Europe, the Champs League quaters,J and K Leagues ,M,L,S , Europa cup, the Matildas at their World Cup (on F.T.A.) by the way and where then just about ready for another H.A.L. season. Business as usual.

My Footballing Comrades. I have to inform you that the Username Twatter will be decommissioned immediately. Why Twatter i hear some ask, it was too take the pis# out of social networking, remove the I and add the A ( it can also have a sexual overtone to it ) so i'll leave it at that. Come hell or high water i will not leave these threads and the good work people do here. Hence the alias of Bondy will take his place.

Fair enough, but this is an open forum, the reply was on the topic at hand. Im not sure why you are bothered by it.