Looking at the 2010/2011 A-League season, there was a number of stand-out reasons for the ongoing success of the competition, both positive and negative. Five things we learned from this season of the A-League:
Ange Postecoglou is turning into one of the best advocates for the game in Australia
The past 12 months have been good for Ange. His managerial exploits have been well documented and he has deserved all the plaudits he has received.
What has been of greater benefit for the football community is that with his increased profile and standing in the media, Ange has also become one of the best ambassadors for the game.
With the on-field efforts of the Roar allowing Ange to walk-the-walk, his ability to talk-the-talk in a forthright and sincere manner on matters not just related to his club but the broader state of the game is a valuable asset for the administrators of football in Australia. See any of his appearances on shows like the ABC’s Offsiders for evidence of these skills.
Although he has set himself some very high standards to meet next season, hopefully all the other A-League managers will also lift their standards both on and off the pitch.
The product on the field has improved
It isn’t often that a grand final ends with all the commentators and pundits saying that the football played this season has been some of the best ever played in this country.
Off the field, the A-League has some serious issues which need to be addressed, but at least the on field product isn’t the problem as it may have been in the past.
Good football being played on the park has the double benefit of appealing to existing fans of football and bringing in new fans to watch attractive exciting football.
As I have written about in the past, the vast majority of a crowd at a football game will have a casual relationship with the club so the product has to be good to get people off their couches and to the stadiums a few times a year.
The beautiful game played with style will also help make the product more attractive to advertisers and broadcasters which at this particular point in time is very important.
Such improvements would not be possible without improvements in the approaches of clubs in relation to recruitment, training and technical direction. This should provide some optimism that the clubs are doing something right.
If a week is a long time in football, just imagine what can be achieved before the start of the next season
Many A-League fans are lamenting the six month gap before the start of the next season. It will be a number of years before football is strong enough to have a longer season and a smaller gap between the first round and the grand final.
Rather than lament the long winter, the next several months present an opportunity for the A League to make a connection with the existing fans and get some new ones. Engage with the community; build on the momentum generated by the grand final.
On fields all around the country, pre-season training is already underway. Bodies of all shapes, sizes and ages are once again readying themselves for the upcoming season.
What better way to connect with the community than sending out A-League players and coaches not only to their local areas but to other regions that don’t have a club to call their own.
Kids get a kick out of meeting players, but running sessions for those middle-aged guys and girls will help them to engage more with the clubs and the league overall.
Players shell out hundreds of dollars to register and play for their club and providing them with a connection to the top level of competition in this country will make the pain of handing over the money a little bit easier (A-League clubs wanting to help out a Canberra based club, feel free to get in touch via The Roar).
These next six months can also be used to work out a new marketing campaign. We may not need a rock anthem as our theme song but how about a re-imagining of New Order’s classic ‘World in Motion’ with cameos by players and managers doing the John Barnes rap – I’ll claim copyright on that idea.
Whatever the A-League does over the next few months we aren’t going to get onto the back pages of the papers, but this is not what we should be aiming to do. There should be a focus on the grassroots and making a whole hearted effort to build some more bridges.
Downsizing and consolidation aren’t ugly words
Businesses have done it. Government’s have done it. And sporting leagues around the world have done it.
The FFA’s decision to shrink in order to grow from a refocused core is a decision that would not have been taken lightly. There is plenty of evidence to show that when a code expands into areas too quickly and is burned, they can be reluctant to go back into these areas.
But what the long term future of the game needs now is a period of consolidation after too much expansion too quickly. It will be a painful process, but hopefully lessons have been learnt and the game will go onto to bigger and better things.
The administrators of the game are human
Australia was never going to get the World Cup. The A-League expanded too far too quickly. Having the finances of the league leveraged to crowd numbers and relying on wealthy individuals to stick with clubs and suffer losses would create issues.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and sometimes critics and frustrated supporters can forget how wonderful it is.
Off field issues will continue to dominate the debate until the start of the next season, but what should be remembered in that debate is that the administrators of football are trying to make what they see as the best decisions for the game in this country.
Choosing to go down one road over another will mean some people will be upset. What won’t help matters are over-the-top reactions and sensationalist commentary declaring the game is in its death throes.
Faced with some very difficult decisions, administrators are acting on available information and whilst it is right that their decisions are held up to scrutiny, expecting perfection is setting the standard too high. Mistakes have been (and will be made) but it is on the response to the mistakes that judgement should be based.
The progress the game has made in the last few years is staggering and for that fans should be thankful. There was always going to be some bumps along the way as well as some big potholes.
But football is a resilient animal and has come back from far worse in the past.
RedOrDead
Roar Guru
Con - Come to Heart already!! Yes I know that we too have Home End Memberships (which I think the area needs expanding), but at least we have a General Admission section around the HEM area and ALL of the Swan St end. You can come and bring however many friends you like :-) We also play more attractive football, so you'll enjoy your match day experience three times as much, General Admission with friends, friendly (flare-free) yet exciting atmosphere and quality football on the pitch ;-)
Bondy
Guest
Moonface . Good points, by the way is that really you Bert ?.
FFA aka Failed Football in Australia
Guest
i concur
Bondy
Guest
Redb. It's a tired and pi**weak argument that people are not fooled by not even you're own. You're suggesting Archie Thompson's conduct is hidden because he's not known to the greater community of Victoria although the Vicpol are frightened too attend A League games or his life has no relevance because he doesn't have a profile give me a break . I don't watch A.F.L. but i no who Cousin's is and Fevola. One could suggest that this was set up for our benefit because the Footballer ( check the tab) is more akin to being associated as being involved with the family( everybody in the household can play the sport ). Their is a greater emphasis with Australian Footballers because they no they live in an environment were they get picked on very easily by the sport's media and the sport's media no that the Football/Soccer player's conduct is far more befitiing in society than say an Aussie Rules player and thats what eats at you and them. Give me a break Police are frightened to go to a game of Football and the media cant even ping one of our players for bad conduct.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
For heaven's sake, the media is at pains to make up any story that paints football (e.g. alleged fan misbehaviour) in a negative light and you honestly think that they won't print a story about Australian footballers behaving badly? If that's what you honestly believe, Redb, then I'm sure you'll also be expecting a stout man in a red suit to descend your chimney on 25 December. Don't forget to leave some carrots out for the reindeer! Also, our lads - from senior team to under-age teams - travel the world as true ambassadors of the Game & the country. Yet, when other sportsmen travel abroad with their team-mates they behave like typical Aussie bogans on a Contiki tour.
Moonface
Roar Guru
The speed of the growth in the first 3 years was on the back of a magnificent World Cup campaign that captured the imagination of Australian sports fans. The failure of the Socceroos in 2010 and the failure of the ill fated WC bid has set back the A-League a little. Lets not put all the blame on the FFA. They do actually do some good things too - like getting us to the WC finals in the first place. And we have 2 teams in WC finals this year too - the Matildas and the U20s. Also, this summer we have had - wettest summer on record in Queensland, floods and cyclones, games washed out or rained in - one of the wettest summers in NSW and Victoria, floods and washed out games - failed WC bid and finances drained Given the atrocious weather this season where 85% of all games were rained on and also the FFA's attention focused on the WC bids, I thnk the A-League did exceptionally well to only be a few hundred down on last year. The A-League aggregate figures were a record with nearly 1.6 million fans watching an A-League game. I think, under the circumstances, that the FFA have done a reasonable job and I am confident that things will continue to improve next season.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
asanchez In the words of Marvin Lee Aday (aka Meatloaf) ... "you took the words right out of my mouth"! A wonderful summary of the current state of football in Australia. I've kept saying this again and again ... all that matters is the actual game. All the rest - inept marketing, boardroom mistakes, poor attendances, no FTA TV and, even, fans not being able to jump around like they do after having pills at a dance party ... that's incidental and irrelevant to the enjoyment of The Beautiful Game itself.
Redb
Roar Guru
I think what that survey proves is that soccer players antics are not highlighted in Australia like they would be say in England . Rooney anyone? AFL and NRL are the highest profile sports they get most of the media attenton so when they stuff up it's big news.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
And, here is something else we've learnt this season ... In today's Melbourne Age, Michelle Grattan AO, who one of the most highly-regarded political journalists in Australia, has written an article about a poll conducted by UMR Research, which indicates that professional football players in Australia make better role models for young people than professional players from Rugby, League or Aussie Rules. UMR Managing director, John Utting, is quoted as saying: "RL and AFL in particular are in danger of really doing long term damage to their brands". Source: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/survey-wakeup-for-footy-players-20110404-1cynk.html
RedOrDead
Roar Guru
Leichhardt Oval isn't a bad idea actually, I was thinking of Belmore Sports Ground (Sydney Olympic's home ground) because it can hold 25,000 and it's right next to a train line. It's a bit further out though compared to Leichhardt and I'm not sure how Sydney Olympic feel about hosting SFC at their ground...they're probably the most stubborn out of all the former NSL clubs to support the new A-League. Leichhardt with a couple of million dollars can be converted to a fantastic ground. The two derelict stands should be just either torn down or (since they're heritage) be fixed up and rejuvenated into new stands, just like they're doing with the old VFL stand at Lakeside Oval (South's ground). Either way, I agree - SFC need to move to a 'boutique' stadium to save some cash until WSFC come in and reinvigorate football in Australia's biggest city. SFC can play their home games against WSFC at SFS and WSFC can play their home games at ANZ Stadium. Once SFC starts pulling in 25,000 averages for the year they can think about moving back to the bigger SFS. Yes, a (spare) few million dollars to throw away would be lovely :-)
Bondy
Guest
Midfielder. Comment from above. I noticed that story that led the evening news on C.H.9. Soccer parents and coach go crasy , i felt they have a right to report that but to led the bulletin, the second news story in was the missing where abouts of a four year old child. I've just been reading the threads and the A League experince has come up a lot in relation to fan made and the security and Vicpol in particular Vicpol and the headlines from them Soccer fans the worst of any sport, just days after that i observed the marshalling at football matches in europe and noticed with their stewards they actually wanted to be their ( how do i draw to that conclusion ) from so far away they were watching the football and not the crowd is that the same with the marshalls in the A League ?. One thing i would suggest for the A League , the clubs and Police is to get marshalls / stewards who actually know the game and more importantly want to be there. I would strongly suggest if Collingwood played St Kilda there would be an armada of Police wanting to do the security there. Sometimes it's hard not to feel paranoid and persecuted by supporting this sport in this Country . Hang in their Con.
con
Guest
dont want to concentrate on only one of your points but.... when you say "not at the speed it did in the first 3 years", well it actually could have if it werent for the appaling decisions made by ffa
asanchez
Roar Guru
hittingthevalve, nice article, The biggest thing I've learnt this season, is that the product on the field is now good enough to showcase to football lovers who only watch the EPL because the A-League is seen to be "crap or inferior" in their eyes. It isn't up to EPL standard, it will never be, but it doesn't have to! Let's face it, not many other leagues are! But it's now more watchable, more entertaining, better players and skills are now on display than before, and more importantly, better tactics and coaching have also added to this. Even the biggest "Eurosnob" couldn't refute that. FFA has got a lot of work to do, their management of the game has sometimes been questionable, but for all the mismanagement, lack of promotion and bad press, the one most important part of the game has stood up, the single most important part of the sport, THE GAME! For the purists, this is what matters. Not the one played in the boardroom, at head office or in the papers, but in between the white lines. The Grand Final for me summed the whole season up. Brilliant, best ever! Sure, the league has had it's problems, most of them self-inflicted, some not. Head office have a lot of things to sort out before next season. Which I'm sure they're working on as we speak, at least they better be! But honestly, if people need to go to the football for anything more than the product itself, we are preaching to the wrong people, the overall football public is big enough, if somewhat fractured, to get better attendances and interest to this league. It's still a young league, it is evolving, and it will continue to grow, not at the speed it did in the first 3 years, but it will. Give it time people...
ItsCalledFootball
Roar Guru
Oregano. Needs a bit more salt and basil and another pinch of chilli.
Kasey
Guest
In the short time I lived in Sydney, IMO Parra stadium would be perfect for a WSFC for the reasons of vicinity to multiple trainlines from "the west"and of course SydCentral for SFC fans who would/might jump ship. all those lines converge at Parra Stn - only a 700m walk from the stadium. However I can see ANZ offering financial inducement to be the home base, which is why I hope whoever gets the nod from FFA has a solid financial case before looking into Home stadia. could you imagine the lack of atmosphere with 15k rattling around in an 83.5k stadium? By all means, play the Sydney derbies and perhaps the GF at ANZ, but regular games should be in more intimate settings where the unique selling point of football over the other codes(its atmosphere) can be maximised. For this reason, I would love to see SFC investigate moving a home game or two to Leichardt(sp?) Oval. I wonder how feasible that is. If SFC could generate a supply problem by downsizing their stadium, they might drive up demand and thus create that buzz around town that I suspect would bring out the 'event' going fans that only seem to come out for the Beckham games or the Socceroos. Either way, in a funny way, I see a successful WSFC being of benefit to SFC in that if done correctly they will contribute to creating more of a football buzz in Sydney. If only I had a few Million to throw away;)
Futbanous
Guest
hittingthevalve said "Good football being played on the park has the double benefit of appealing to existing fans of football and bringing in new fans to watch attractive exciting football. As I have written about in the past, the vast majority of a crowd at a football game will have a casual relationship with the club so the product has to be good to get people off their couches and to the stadiums a few times a year. The beautiful game played with style will also help make the product more attractive to advertisers and broadcasters which at this particular point in time is very important." Pretty much sums up what I knew from the beginning ,but only learnt this season that it was a realistic possibility. As a Roar fan Ange provide the above after 5 seasons of mediocrity. Overall though the standard improved & if so the casual fan will turn up for certain matches,boosting average crowd & therefore club revenue. Everything follows from that.
RedOrDead
Roar Guru
I agree about Melbourne and Sydney. I think Parramatta Stadium is probably the best bet for the Western Sydney team to be based. Parramatta Stadium has probably the best facilities in the region (apart from ANZ Stadium) and it is the most central, making it easier for everyone to congregate there! Penrith, Blacktown are too far from the rest of Sydney and Marconi and Sydney United's grounds are too small! So normal games should be played at Parramatta Stadium and the BIG games, i.e. Western Sydney (home) Vs Sydney FC or Melb Victory can be played at ANZ Stadium! I'm sure they'll get more than 20,000 (Parramatta Stadium's capacity) at those games...
steve
Guest
Not just one Sydney team - need 3. One for the north and west, and one for the south and west. But a second team will do for now. I look forward to seing 5 Sydney teams actually. Well, maybe not, not in this lifetime at least
con
Guest
good i was waiting for back up to arrive lol
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
As a Melburnian, I reckon, the one other thing I've learnt is that the intra-city football rivalry b/w MVFC and Heart is going to be massive as the years progress. We need to really focus on getting that 2nd Sydney team and make sure that the 2nd Sydney team is located in the Western Suburbs to provide a really strong geographical point of difference.