“Beckham to #aleague is tantamount to a sugar high and we all know what follows after a sugar high. #sustainableGrowth”
Francis Awaritef’s tweet summarises my suspicions about the A-League’s recent hype.
The knee-jerk reaction of the Australian sporting community has felt like a small earthquake.
Facebook feeds have been flooded with Beckham news, the A-League has taken out top spot on top news sites such as the ABC and the AAP and A-League is trending on Twitter… not bad for a Friday afternoon!
But as with all bandwagons the ride must eventually come to an end, and it appears highly probable that we will all wake up on Monday morning wondering if all of this was just a crazy dream.
I know it may be hard to settle with only Del Piero in our league, and it is easy to get sucked into the hype, but as supporters of Australia’s third biggest sport we should be accustomed to disappointment by now and need to be realistic.
Here are the facts:
Beckham’s contract expires at the end of the MLS season.
Beckham doesn’t think Australia is the worst place in the world.
Beckham is likely to want to give back to the game that gave so much to him.
Beckham would be a marvellous capture for an already buzzing league, his influence (believe it or not) will dwarf Del Piero’s.
To put it simply, David Beckham is the one of the most marketable footballer in the world and unfortunately, chances are he won’t be playing in the A-League.
Season eight has been a huge year for growth with TV ratings and match day crowds noticeably higher than previous seasons. But did you know season three had higher attendance figures than this year, without any marquees?
The A-League has shown promise before only to be let down by poor decision making.
So, I cannot stress this enough:
Don’t get sucked into the hype.
Don’t get comfortable.
We as football fans need to stay grounded and be realistic about where this can go, and should the A-League be blessed with the once in a generation marketing gift of David Beckham we must savour it.
Football’s future will be decided by not who is interested when the circus comes to town, but by who stays to clean up.
Titus
Guest
We do Neuen.
asanchez
Roar Guru
While I do want this move to happen, and I actually reckon it will, I just hope they can get him here for longer than 10 games. The Heart really needs something like this to happen to give their crowds/sponsors a big increase. It'd be massive for the Heart brand and another massive coup for the league. They really need to get him here for at least one full season at a minimum, otherwise the hysteria and the crowds will just come and go.
Neil
Guest
100% agree
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Why don't you guys waste you money on some players that is more useful and way cheaper? Or get some young talent from South America which you can keep in the country long enough to play for Australia?
Stevo
Guest
He can still play at a level not attainable by most HAL players. He is a footballer. He would be good for HAL.
pete4
Guest
If Beckham does come I can see very few negatives for our HAL. He would certainly add a lot of fizz because he's a walking publicity machine
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
100% agree with what you've said, however ... ... we must also realise the committed football fans are only a portion of the consumer market. I'm talking about the consumer market, in general - not the football market or the sports viewing market. Quite simply, "brands" want to be involved with people & organisations that are constantly being talked about. As a football purist, I get excited by the prospect of watching David Beckham's technical quality in the A-League. But, for non-football purists, the excitement about David Beckham is simply ... he's David Beckham & his wife is Victoria Beckham. These 2 names attract media attention like no other sporting (or entertainment) couple on the planet. And, if the A-League gets extra exposure from David Beckham, I say ... BRING IT ON. Based on what I'm hearing & reading, Becks will be playing in the A-League - perhaps, even before Christmas.