Western Sydney ready for A-League test

I’m not sure why, but at 4:26am on Thursday, unable to sleep, I was hit with a strong opinion – the new Western Sydney A-League team will work.

Throughout the whole period of speculation, and even yesterday after word had leaked before the announcement, I was fairly undecided. But now, having given it some random thought in the middle of the night, I think it’s worth doing.

Sure, it’s a risk. Sure, it will take – and lose – money, require flawless execution and a bit of luck. And they’re doing it in the sporting equivalent of a week. On paper, though, there’s a lot to like about it.

The area has always been described as a ‘heartland’ of the game, especially in the junior ranks. I experienced this first hand as a kid. I live in Melbourne these days, but grew up in a suburb called Chipping Norton, near Liverpool, in the 1990s.

Soccer was the area’s game. For a while, it seemed like most kids you knew played, including, eventually, my younger brother and two younger sisters. My old man was involved in running the club and I even dabbled in refereeing.

The Chipping Norton Soccer Club was part of the Southern Districts Association, covering Liverpool and Fairfield. In the years of ‘mini field’ action, 1991 to 1993 for me, I recall there being six or seven divisions in each age group, each with six to eight teams. In Under 8s, we did the double in the Orange division. You must have a few divisions when you get to using ‘Orange’ …

(Sidenote: That success was mostly thanks to eventual Olyroo Trent McClenahan, who turned out briefly for Perth Glory earlier in summer and is in Central Coast’s ACL squad after time in Europe. He’s a defender these days, but in 1993 he slotted more than his share of goals. I was the keeper and enjoyed a relatively quiet time of it, I even remember him sledging me about it at school one day.)

Each Saturday, South Park was a hive of activity, with plenty of matches across three fields. I can only assume it’s the same now, and they’ve actually added another mini field. By contrast, the Chipping Norton Rugby League club – purely from the outside – seemed to limp through life in the 1990s.

But for a number of reasons, the sport hasn’t quite been able to turn its grassroots dominance into a code that rivals the AFL and NRL for attendance and commercial success.

Southern Districts had an affiliation with Marconi so that essentially became our NSL Club. We went to the odd match, including acting as ball boys on occasion, and while the crowds were solid, I don’t remember being there for a sellout.

I’m probably guilty of failing to do my bit on that front, even through to the dawn of the A-League. I moved to Melbourne at the start of 2007 and it took me until the start of the 2010/2011 season to pick a team to support – Melbourne Heart – and start to attend matches. These days, I’m a paid up member.

But for my whole life, I’d followed the Socceroos closely. I remember the agony of the MCG in 1997 and Uruguay in 2001, the elation of Homebush 2005 and the injustice of Kaiserslautern 2006. For some reason, though, I just never connected with Sydney FC or the other Melbourne mob enough to get onboard the A-League.

In fact, the match between Heart and Sydney last December was the first time I attended an A-League match at the SFS. Which brings me to my next point. Our family home is 34.9km from the SFS, according to Google Maps. That ends up being the best part of an hour, door to door, each way.

I can’t comment on Sydney FC’s community engagement programs, but even if they are first rate, it’s a big ask for people from the ‘heartland’ to make that commute regularly for home games.

Plonking a team in the west or south-west of the city, takes the game – and games – to them.

It could also reach out to some of the disenchanted NSL fans, who felt burnt by the introduction of the A-League and subsequent relegation of their clubs to State leagues. I get their pain – I haven’t had a Rugby League team or any more than a passing interest in the NRL since the North Sydney Bears (long story) were booted from the comp at the end of 1999.

Marconi wasn’t the only well-supported team in western Sydney and the FFA has said it’s keen for the community to be involved in forming the new club’s identity. To their fans, it won’t be the same as having Marconi, Sydney United or Sydney Olympic back at the top level, but it may well help more of these fans engage with the A-League.

Time will tell whether the new Western Sydney team will work. For the FFA, it has to. But right now, I think there’s a lot to suggest it’s worth doing.