By now, you’ve probably all heard the news that Manchester United will be heading to Sydney next year to take on an A-League All-Stars team in a friendly.
As someone who’s usually so idealistic, I don’t want to run the risk of coming across like an old curmudgeon, but here we go – I don’t care.
I don’t care and I certainly don’t think this news merits any sort of trumpeting about the progress of football in Australia.
For starters, this has happened before. And that was in 1999, back in the dark ages. What did massive crowds in two games in Sydney and Melbourne get us going forward? Nothing, really.
The most common argument that I’ve seen so far is that this event is “good for the game”, that events and big name signings can only help make the league stronger.
Really? Why? This is a nonsensical viewpoint that I’ve had people try to force on me before.
The Beckham circus came to town to play Sydney FC in 2007, over 80,000 packed in to ANZ Stadium. A week later the Sky Blues took on the Newcastle Jets.
Crowd? 10,732. Clearly eight goals and the experience of watching the most famous player in the world wasn’t enough to whet the appetite of the casual football fans.
Next, Del Piero arrived. He has been nothing short of brilliant and it’s truly been a pleasure to see him play live. But after round two, our first home game of the season, I remarked that watching us lose to Newcastle that day was the worst football experience of my life.
Not because of the score, but because of the gigantic number of random European jerseys in the crowd (not just Juventus, which at least makes a semblance of sense) but the complete disinterest in the rest of the team.
Honestly, there were substantial pockets of people wearing Sydney jerseys that clapped when Heskey scored. Just because they knew who he was. I was sickened. “It’s good for the game”, I was told again. Our last two home crowds? 13,317 versus Adelaide and 12,425 versus Melbourne Heart.
I’m fully aware it’s naïve to not at least consider the poor form of Sydney as a factor – but a 23,000 person drop off in less than two months? Absurd. To put it simply, the casuals got bored. And they will again.
I could summarise what I’ve said so far with one line: bandwagons are not a viable long term formula for growing football in Australia.
So how do we continue to expand? The A-League needs to engage the football community. More specifically, the little kids playing small sided football, and their parents. To do this, A-League teams need to have some tangible involvement with the community.
Things like ambassador programs with local clubs and schools, increased exposure to the A-League as a product, and opportunities to get involved with the club.
This is how the Central Coast Mariners have grown since foundation, and is exactly what the Wanderers are doing now. This is how you get more people to A-League fixtures, not one off celebrity events. It’s a quick fix, and as I’ve said – I don’t think it’s fixing much at all.
I think the concept of an All-Star game is great. And it’s lovely that the administration have got Manchester United to come to Australia…it’s going to put a lot of money into the FFA’s coffers if the ticket prices are anything to go by and will probably give some of the top players in our domestic league some global coverage.
But that’s all it is. Don’t be fooled – this isn’t the dawning of a new age or something that will put even a single extra person on a seat at an A-League game.
This event will get all the little fanboys in to support ‘their’ team (you know, the one that’s 17,000km away from their house in a country they’ve never visited), gouge them of a few hundred dollars and send them back home with no further desire to watch the A-League.
This is will all be happening while a fair chunk of the real football fans in the country will be flying to Korea to watch our boys in the East Asian Cup. It’ll probably cost less too.
In saying all of this, it will be fun to try and vote Golgol Mebrahtu into the big game. Or, watching United’s season go up in smoke before it even starts as Terry McFlynn takes out Robin van Persie’s knee with a studs up tackle.
I just hope The Cove have kept that “70,000 people – We Play Every Week” banner in storage somewhere.
Shaun Toutountzis
Guest
Somehow i don't think Man Utd will care. I think it's silly when people say they can't stand one team or another. All it is is one team playing to win games, just like every other team in the competition. I am a passionate Man U fan but i respect all the teams who do well, including Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, etc. I can understand that you'd want your rivals to lose for sporting sake. By why say you "can't stand them and refuse to participate in anything they are involved in?" What precisely have they done that is so terrible and evil? Could it simply be jealousy of a club that is highly successful? Why not appreciate it when a group of athletes perform their sport well? I also do not enjoy when my team (United) loses- as any fan wouldn't- but if it's due to an excellent performance from another team, i appreciate that their competitiveness created a great spectacle for me to get excited about. And i'm genuinely not being a smart ass when i say this, mate, but by writing your comment, you've just participated in something you said you refuse to participate in. Just enjoy the game, Westie. Who knows? Maybe United will lose and you'll have your satisfaction. As long as it's a great spectacle... ...Glory, Glory, Man UNITED...
Westie Nomad
Roar Rookie
I as a football fan and member of an A league club,I want no part of this fixture for one simple reason. I can't stand Manure United! I refuse to participate in anything they are involved in.
Matt Bungard
Roar Guru
Thanks mate. You got the point exactly I'm more than happy for us to exploit the plastics for money...let's just hope the FFA puts that massive cash injection to good use!
langou
Roar Guru
Great article the way I read it, you are saying that you don't mind the fact the game is happening because it will bring short term benifits such as money ect.. But lets not pretend it will bring any long term benifits because history shows differently Spot on!
The Kebab Connoisseur
Guest
They played against the Socceroos in 1999, it was a complete snorefest. The Andy Cole tackle on that Socceroo, cost him his career. Cannot even remember his name now, he was the best player of that crop and now he is a nobody!
Towser
Guest
Need more than a chapter on football. More a set of 7 novels like Harry Potter. 1 FFA and the Philosophers Groan 2 FFA and the Chamber of Hidden Agendas 3 FFA and the Prizoner of Harps Voice 4 FFA and the Half Empty Goblet 5 FFA and the Orders of the AFC 6 FFA and the Half truth Sporting Editor 7 FFA and the Deathly Pallor of Melbourne Heart
Tony
Guest
Manchester united is happy to visit Australia once a decade and promote their brand. FFA enjoys the headlines, money and the kudos that comes with bringing the world's most popular football team to 80,000 Aussie fans. ANZ Stadium members, the NSW Govt and the economy all benefit. Whether it is the event that will fix football in this country is irrelevant. You don't have to be a football fan to acknowledge the positives. Don't look for reasons to criticise. Only in Australia would commentators try and do such a thing.
mahonjt
Guest
indeed...... I have long fantisised about writing a book entitled "Whinging Nation" - I would devote a whole chapter to football 'fans' - it is a fertile area.
Punter
Guest
I just signed up myself & yet to get updates via email. Massive Boss fan, do agree with Fuss that his best work was in the mid seventies to early eighties, but still doing good music now & he is a great performer, seen him 3 times, once in London, once outdoors & once just Bruce himself only with guitar, amazing evening. Hope I don't have to wait till Friday.
Kasey
Guest
Punter: I have. Thanks I never knew it existed before, but now that ManYoo is all sold I think the ticketek website should return to its normal level of barely operational service;) springsteen is the only Boss I care to listen to;)
Punter
Guest
Have you registered as a touringfrontier member Kasey?
Titus
Guest
Impressive, even I am suprised by the demand. Maybe now we could get the State of Orgin game moved to the SFS to preserve the pitch for the big game.
Minister for Information for the Democratic People's Republic of Football
Guest
I didn't clap Heskey for what it's worth but I was genuinely happy to see him up the ante after ADP scored because I knew what headlines it would make for our sport and our league in the media with both big marquees turning up in front of 35000 people. Also it was fairly early in the game with plenty of time for SFC to come back. I was very disappointed with our game in general that day and frustrated as hell we lost but knew what it meant for the A-League. You see Matt, it's all well and good to follow your club religiously and wish death and pestilence upon all the other clubs and players in the the league but some of us look at the big picture also. I've been a SFC fan since season one by the way.
Kasey
Guest
Great News, so now we can look forward to a number of Opinion Piece articles from football-illiterate sports journos telling us football fans that this will do nothing for the HAL(mostly agree) and generally trying to rain on football’s parade Sod them all….WE are football!! and its a great time to be a football fan with so many good things happening for the game in this country.
Kasey
Guest
I was lucky enough to catch Springsteen in DC in September with the full E-Street Band(Clarence Clemmon's Nephew Jake filling in very well for the departed big sax man) and boy, what a show!! The man is 63 and played for 3 hours non stop. If I have half the energy he has at 63 I will consider myself very lucky. This tour isn't a half-arsed cash grab..its metaphorically a tour de force! I hope I get tickets.
Punter
Guest
That's what I've been saying all along, crowds/attendances, media attention or not means little, we follow what we like, whether it be 8K in Skoda or 85K at Stadium Australia, 4k at AAMI park or 100K at the G, it does not matter, we all have our own poison.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Seems I was wrong about the strength of ticket sales for this match. .. "The FFA confirm tickets to Man U v ALeague All Stars at ANZ Stadium on July 20 sold out in just TWO minutes this morning." WE ARE FOOTBALL!
Redb
Roar Guru
Punter, I'm sure we all know the answer to that. I wonder if you can guess which game I'm more interested in.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Whilst I loved The Boss .... 30 years ago, I don't know how you guys still like going to concerts featuring these old rockers. I remember going to see Pink Floyd (without Roger Waters, so it was hardly Pink Floyd) at the Tennis Centre in the late 80s ... Dave Gilmour looked & sounded like my grandfather & I vowed, henceforth, I'm going to simply live with memories rather than try to re-create the past. Back in 1971, a revival concert at Madison Square Garden included legends of rock, including: Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley .. and 60's female heart throb, Rick Nelson. After Nelson got booed off the stage because he didn't look or sound the same he wrote this song ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUDRZ5j0lUQ
Kasey
Guest
Bloody prawn sanga eating wannabe (Eurosnob) Mancs;) today is also first day of members pre-sales for the Springsteen 2013 Wrecking Ball tour. At noon Eastern, the damned site had want to be up and working or I will not be a happy chap! :( The Boss>>> the Red Devils for me all the way! AUFCTID