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I would like to preface this article by mentioning that I was a staunch supporter of Sydney Olympic in the old NSL, and have also firmly booked a seat on the Western Sydney Wanderers bandwagon from the announcement of its creation.
Why did it take the inception of the Wanderers to drag me out of ‘old soccer’ and into ‘new football’?
Well it wasn’t the inception of the Wanderers alone that did it.
Watching Brisbane tear the competition a new one for the past two years pricked the old ears up, letting me know that the A-League wasn’t all about marquee signings and their fluffy fly-by-night status that disappears into the ether once they leave.
Watching they Big Blue and the Melbourne derbies added to the intrigue, which then peaked at the moment that football was announced to be coming home – to Western Sydney.
From the inception of the A-League I was flabbergasted (as many were) as to why a sport would desert its heartland.
Could you imagine how far the Super League war would have got without any team from Western Sydney on board?
Or why the old ARL fought so hard to keep Parramatta in its ranks at the expense of other teams?
Because if you ignore your core supporter base, you might as well give the game away.
The FFA ignored its heartland for almost too long and nearly missed the boat. It is only the immense love of the game felt by those in the west that has made the Wanderers the success that they are.
Surely a winning campaign is a great help but we looked like we had a core support of about 8,000 right from the start when we struggled to score a goal for the first few games.
The FFA took a team to a place that understands, and more importantly loves, the game.
The hard work from the staff and players have seen the general love of the game in the area be translated into bums on seats, and the Red and Black Bloc (and all supporters) have created an atmosphere that has kept people coming back as well as bringing new friends.
The success is evident: media coverage (besides the clearly biased commercial TV networks) is increasing, A-League matches are easily eclipsing crowds at many Sydney NRL games, and whenever I hear an interview with a Wanderers or FC player on the radio the atmosphere is always one of the first things discussed.
Hype is being created. So what about the next step?
The point is that the FFA should not be trying to reinvent the wheel.
The Wanderers have taught us that you take the product to where the people want it, not to where it looks best in a marketing presentation.
I notice the papers talk about the possible closure of the Mariners, or even possible relocation to Geelong.
I can’t speak for Victoria but is Geelong a hotbed of the game? Because I know Gosford isn’t, and despite fabulous efforts from everyone involved at the Mariners it probably never will be.
It is NRL heartland (even though the NRL ignore it themselves). Have we not learnt anything from the North Queeensland and Gold Coast debacles either?
We have to take the game to where the people want it. I am not advocating the closure of the Mariners at all, they have done remarkably well in a small market and have continually punched well above their weight for years.
I believe that the FFA should step in and help if and when they are needed.
But if they are an unviable business proposition and have to close the doors then surely this has to be another lesson in the incorrect decision to take football outside of its core areas in the first place.
So what can be done? I personally believe that 12 teams is a good number for the A-League. Everyone can play one another three times for 33 rounds and with a normal finals series (not the rubbish we have this year) it makes for a decent length season.
Assuming the Mariners continue that us needing two more teams. Under the mantra of taking the game to the people I think a team from Cronulla/Wollongong is a must.
The Sutherland Shire has a massive junior base and Wollongong has been another football hotbed for decades (equal to if not more than Newcastle).
Canberra is another historical area where football has a rich history of producing juniors and having teams in the old NSL.
These are two new teams that are going into areas where there is already a football base.
Mr Gallop is a studious thinker. He is not one to make the big bold moves and that is what is needed in our game at this point in time.
His mantra when at the NRL was that he always wanted to consolidate their own backyard first.
This is what he needs to be done now by the FFA. Lock up the areas where we already have a footprint rather that venturing into areas that are not proven football hotbeds.
Take the game to where the people want it, just like was done with the Wanderers. Use the history of the old NSL as a guide as to what regions worked as football areas.
I don’t know about the geographics of Melbourne but friends do tell me that the Western Suburbs of Melbourne is another fast-growing area with a cultural love of the game.
Maybe it is another option for growth. Maybe I have missed other areas where an A League team could flourish.
All I know is that it will not be found in the midst of opposing code heartlands.
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