Spring in Melbourne means one thing to most sports fans: horse racing. The FFA must have forgotten this when putting pen to paper when putting together the 2011/12 fixture.
The multi-million dollar industry has found their niche in Melbourne’s overcrowded sporting calendar: everyone from racing experts to mug punters follow the ponies every Saturday (and one Tuesday) during October and early November.
For three consecutive Saturday nights, an A-League match has been scheduled in Melbourne, including the ever growing Melbourne Derby.
Without knowing the marketing strategy of the FFA, it would appear they are trying to fight a losing battle against TABCORP and the Victoria Racing Club (VRC).
Melbourne Cup eve would have been a perfect experiment for the newest club in the league, Melbourne Heart. A successful trial may have led to the A-League establishing a foothold in the otherwise empty Monday night slot.
Instead, the powers that be thought it better to take on Flemington’s Derby Day and failed miserably.
A miserly crowd of 5,666 turned up to watch the Heart take on Brett Emerton’s Sydney FC. After a promising although scoreless performance in the local derby the previous week, I’m sure Scott Munn and his board would have expected a much greater turnout.
Public holidays are gold on the Melbourne sporting calendar and have been used to great affect by the AFL.
ANZAC day has become one of the year’s biggest events. Only 20 years ago, ANZAC day was attracting crowds of less than 40,000. Now Collingwood and Essendon use the day as a powerful marketing tool, and sell out the MCG.
I am not suggesting the Heart will magically sell out AAMI Park, but I am saying that the Cup eve event could become an annual event.
I don’t suspect that the FFA will be so willing to give Victory only one slice of the derby pie next year, so it’s up to Melbourne Heart to create events themselves.
A game against Sydney FC would fit this scenario ideally.
Sydneysiders are already comfortable with Monday night football (NRL), so I don’t see that FOXTEL would object to the proposal.
If this idea went ahead, I think we would see a significant rise on the attendance figures and television ratings. Heart could even use the night for corporate marketing purposes.
For one reason or another, Melbournians’ love fixed events on sporting calendars. The Australian Open (tennis), Formula 1, and AFL have all realised and taken advantage of this.
The FFA need to realise this, and seize this opportunity.
Cup Eve and the Melbourne Heart may just be the only winner I back this Spring Carnival.
Twitter – hardsy05
apaway
Guest
@TKYC I seriously doubt that ANY sporting organisation would not know what happens on the first day in November.
jw1739
Guest
forbze is quite correct. Many people now take the Monday off work and have a 'long weekend' out of Melbourne. But I do agree that the FFA has got to be far more alert about the potential use of public holidays - as is the case in many other parts of the world.
forbze
Guest
I agree that Cup Eve should be considered - but last weekend's game should also not serve as a indication that going up against the racing was a bad idea. We had pretty bad weather on that day and that would have deterred some of the casual "theatre-goer" fans that we attract. Additionally one other thing that you need to take into account, is that a lot of families go away for an unofficial long weekend, so it might be reasonable for the FFA to schedule both Melbourne teams away on that weekend.
@TKYC
Guest
Great idea, almost a no-brainer for Melbourne people taht you would put a game on before Cup Day to capitalise on the public holiday. Problem is (as you say in the first para) "The FFA must have forgotten this...". That will be because the FFA is SYDNEY based, so have no idea (or care) about the rest of the country. Any push for this MUST come from the clubs... and the Heart should seize the chance.
gurudoright
Guest
Actually not a bad idea. In the NRL you have certain teams playing each other on a particular weekend every year. This breeds familarity. If the Melbourne public know that the Heart was playing Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide etc(must be the same team every year to build it up as an event) on the night before the Cup, within a few years it would be on most sporting Melbournians minds that such a game would be on. With the thousands of tourist in town for the Cup, it could add to the whole Melbourne experience by taking in this game
TomC
Guest
Worth a try.