Whatever team you may support in the A-League, many of you would have watched in dismay at the FFA’s continuing inability to get a second Sydney A-League team up and running.
Financial issues aside, it seems almost sacrilegious that seven seasons in, Australia’s breadbasket for football does not have representation.
Time and time again, we hear of the region as a breeding ground for football, as a home to traditional footballing communities, and new migrant communities from footballing nations. Of the footballing infrastructure that exists, and the football knowledge that lies therein.
Yet the area continues to be a footballing backwater as far as representation in Australia’s premier footballing competition goes.
All one needs to do is take a trip to the many shopping malls in Western Sydney to see that those wearing football jerseys comfortably outnumber those whose sporting tastes lie elsewhere. The appetite is there.
Western Sydney is geographically, and many would argue culturally, separate and different from the rest of Sydney. It is an area approaching two million people with its own identity.
Yet we have seen one attempt to establish a team fail after another. From the inception of the A-League, with the panning of the Sydney Blues which would have established a two-team rivalry in Sydney, to the Rovers fiasco, to the recent speculation surrounding a possible Nick Tana/Remo Nogarotto, which seems to have failed to come to fruition.
The top-down approach clearly is falling by the wayside. So it has to fall to football’s real strength. You, the people.
Whether it be a full frontal assault, or just a spark to get the process going, the fans of Western Sydney need to be the oxygen for such a movement.
Many of the great teams of our time started, with fans sitting around the table – with a love, and ambition for representation for their community.
On many an occasion, the FFA (either fairly or unfairly) has been criticised for not listening to the fans and for not engaging the grass roots. Well, this is an opportunity for the fans to have their voice, to engage, to help form a team that represents them, that involves them, and that they can be proud of.
Money an issue? Of course, no doubt.
However, Western Sydney is the economic workhorse of the Australian economy, accounting for a large slice of its output. The people can set in motion a cause that will hopefully grab the attention of those with influence.
How many times have you read on this site, or other footballing sites the opinions of the fans – on how things can be improved, on their take of things, and think to yourself “wow, there are some good ideas here.”
Australia’s football fans are among the world’s most educated, and that is a strength to draw upon.
No matter how silly you think your idea is, we need to bring it into an open forum. To start a movement. For us as football fans to be involved in something great.
Many of you here may not only have ideas but know someone, have connections. There are so many ways this can evolve. But it has to start somewhere.
Football in Australia has often faced negativity. We need to be positive. A ‘can do’, rather than a defeatist attitude needs to be used.
PeterK
Guest
I'm an outsider with regards to Western Sydney, but having read many posts (here and elsewhere) over many moons, it seems to me that QsAF is spot on -- if the current clubs aren't "on board" it probably won't happen (or if it does, it will struggle). Perhaps something like a five-way ownership? -- the four mentioned, plus another which either could be one or a few benefactors, or could be a "Community Ownership" plan? I'd love to hear from the locals on whether this might be viable.
PeterK
Guest
Nordster, I like the idea of a Div 2, but I feel it needs to be a bit of a hybrid, especially financially. What I mean is that it needs to be bigger and stronger, (and more costly) than the State Leagues, but it needs to be cheaper for a club than the A-League is. How to make it cheaper? To start with, stadiums can be much cheaper if they don't have to fulfil TV requirements. Also, the obvious one is the travel costs -- perhaps the first half of the Div 2 season could involve "regional" groupings, designed carefully to keep travelling distances (and costs) down. Personally, I'd prefer it's name to be something like the Challengers' League, where the criteria for promotion to the A-League could be very like whatever is used for admission to the bottom (fourth?) tier of the English national leagues.
Nick21
Roar Pro
Hi George - There have been a few stadiums touted for the honour. Even a rotational system proposed. Each area has its pros and cons. My personal opinion is that Parramatta Stadium is of sufficient size and geographically the most central location in Western Sydney. Offcourse it does come with its draw backs. Parking is a major issue.
George Goodison
Guest
If a club can be raised, where is the best venue for access etc
RedOrDead
West Sydney Wanderers FC for the win :-)
James
Guest
Ive said this for years, there are also the benefits of having numerous junior teams playing for the club which could be used to feed the youth league team and senior team, a supporter base already there, they own their own stadiums, and a fantastic way to bridge the gap between old soccer and new football.
Nick21
Roar Pro
As a further point, the cost for admission to bid for an A-league licence is approxiamtely $11,000. Offcourse there is a lot more to a bid then the admission fee, however if the fans could possibly get the money together for the admission fee - it would show some commitment, and possibly get the attention of the right people. Perhaps 110 people to commit $100 each.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Izzy, Then the new Western Sydney team needs to get together with rugby league's Independant Commission and either get one built, or get one of the existing rectangular fields refurbished.
Izzy
Guest
Western Sydney is missing a really good stadium. If we would have won the World Cup bid, a stadium would have been built in Blacktown.
Nick21
Roar Pro
As always some very good points and concerns raised. Firstly the idea of multiple teams in Western Sydney is offcourse more problematic then a single team. For this the FFA must change it's current philosophies and direction and adopt such reccommendations as made in past reports. Such as a more cost affective league played in boutique smaller football stadiums. Interestingly as many would be aware there is pressure from the AFC for a league 2nd division. I like the idea of fans contributing $50 to a trust to indicate support for the team. It will give the movement something concrete to go by. To even be a leveraging tool for those prospective investors. An organisation, a start at least. And correct to including tradional footballing teams as Marconi and Sydney United in such a movement. In fact Marconi would be interested in such a move, I have spoken to an official from the club. Any name I believe must have the word "West Sydney" or something to that affect. The name is worth millions, it creates an immediate identification with the area.
andy g
Guest
people have short memories. there were 3 bids for western Sydney. one was a joke bid. there was the successful bid that never had the money. there was a third bid that said they did have the money, but expected more autonomy than the FFA was prepared to give them. of course this is the FFAs fault. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Stevo the point remains, if you can't get 10,000 people to stump up a measly $50 to be a foundation member, then you may as well forget about it.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
I don't think it's the FFA's duty to get a western sydney team up if the people required to make it work aren't willing to put up the dosh and rescources guys . That just isn't good business- I think the A-League will slowly build all over Australia but the climate isn't rwady right now for a second sydney team :-)
Stevo
Guest
Well, getting sponsors I think wouldn't have been tooo hard since they know they'll have the weight of the AFL behind them (and a determination to spend what ever it takes to get GWS going) and all that goes with it (national exposure on FTA and Fox). I wouldn't read too much into the 12,000. I'm sure some pretty gentle arm twisting went into getting that number plus many members of existing AFL teams trying to give GWS a leg-up (yes, membership of more than one club) :) Anyway, all grist for the mill.
Titus
Guest
But with the a-league you can watch Football. I don't get this argument that if you were a Football fan you would rather watch the NRL because they have the best players in the world(apart from the ones playing in England and Rugby). Sure the standard needs to improve a bit and there are many Football fans who haven't embraced the league as yet, but a game like the one last night between Adelaide and Melbourne is well on the way to matching some of the better leagues in the world for skill, entertainment and atmosphere. You can also watch youngsters who have the potential to go on and be global superstars. I enjoy watching the EPL and La liga but it doesn't compare to live Football.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Stevo Foundation memberships were offered, of which more than 12,000 were taken up, plus sponsorships were tested before the final vote of approval was given by the board.
Stevo
Guest
The decision to start GWS by the AFL was a strategic long term plan backed by a few hundred million in the war-chest. I can bet that there was no thought about testing the waters with a $50 membership package to see who turns up. But agree about a HAL team in WS. If it was such a no-brainer it would have easily got off the ground. The reality is that it's harder than it may appear but I reckon it will emerge in time. I think it needs a few recognised Australian football personalities that can transend local rivalries and bring the wider community together. That's why Kewell in WS may have been a good move - what about Tim Cahill as well to help start a western Sydney team??
The Cattery
Roar Guru
jb the idea of a founding membership is not to cover the costs of the first year of operation, it's to garner support for a club: to show the governing body there's support; to show potential sponsors there's support; to show potential fans that there's support, to get momentum from a zero base. The idea is that you get, say, 10,000 willing to put down $50 (comes to $500,000), to show that the club has a chance of making it, to attract others, especially sponsors. But if you can't get 10,000 across all of Sydney willing to put down a measly $50 to start up a new soccer club, then the idea is doomed from the start, and no one else need bother, including sponsors, who will look for sports teams to sponsor which have legs (in more ways than one). It's a show of potential strength. People on here and other forums keep rabbiting on about how a West Sydney soccer club will be huge, massive, bigger than any other sporting club in Australia - but where's the evidence for such outlandish forecasts? None exists.
j binnie
Guest
To the many fans who continue to push ideas for the creation of a West Sydney identity can I ask a simple question ie Do they have any idea as to the cost of running a team in the HAL? While I am not party to these costs myself I can quite easily build a cost structure that I am sure many contributors could add to. Consider the following ------ 24 players on a conservative average of $ 75000 per annum = $1,800,000 Minimum 3 coaches at $ 150000 - $75000 = $ 325,000 Ancillary staff,Doctor,physio,physical preparation,gear steward =$ 200,000 Now these are the minimum staff costings just to put a team on the field.=$ 2,325,000 Then consider the backroom staff ie CEO(admin), Football Manager, etc, and assorted office staff. One would have to assume at least 6 people. Cost a conservative $ 500,000 So we now have costs of nearly $3,000,000 and we have only scratched the surface, no ground rental,equipment etc. Now at $50 subscription fee that would require 60,000 members to contribute just to meet running costs. Thoughts??? jb
chrisc101
Guest
Chris thanks for pointing this out, spot on. Western Sydney is a huge geographical area split up by many districts and suburbs. People DO NOT identify themselves as being from the generic 'Western Sydney'. But I suppose the AFL will find this out the hard way. Unfortunately the FFA stuffed up when introducing the A League and were more interested with flags on the map, aiming for an Americanised style competition, as opposed to adapting the competition to the specific demographic spread of Australia.