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“Only two weeks to go now,” I say to myself, as I scratch another mark on my cell wall.
“Two weeks until the 2013-2014 A-League season kicks-off, with Sydney FC and the Newcastle Jets going head-to-head at Allianz Stadium on Friday, 11 October.”
When they do finally kick off, it will be 172 days, four hours, 33 minutes and 18 seconds since we saw the last A-League game played at Allianz Stadium.
The fixture will also be the first A-League game ever to be broadcast live on free-to-air television by SBS.
“For the first time we will have A-League action on both subscription and free-to-air television which can only be a good thing for the greater growth of the sport in Australia,” FFA CEO David Gallop said.
“Fox Sports and SBS coverage of the A-League will allow for football to continue its sharp growth trend.
“Reaching a wider audience meaning more fans can get closer to the action than ever before at our fantastic venues or via our television, radio and digital properties.”
Football Federation Australia officially released the 2013-2014 season draw what seems like years ago.
The competition starts a bit later and will conclude in the first weekend of May, the latest ever finish to an A-League season, moving it more in line with FIFA and the major European leagues.
“This season’s draw has been crafted to ensure that whether you are an avid supporter of a team or the many new fans discovering the A-League there is always something to look forward to in every round of the 2013-14 competition,” Gallop said.
The season draw has also been carefully “crafted” to get the maximum attendances and TV ratings.
There’s lots of talk about how this season is going to be the “best ever” and it raises the question as to whether the A-League season-opening round attendance record is going to be smashed or not.
The opening round of the A-League season last year not only smashed the opening round attendance record, but also topped the records of any previous competition round for attendances, TV ratings and digital audiences, the FFA reported.
93,500 fans turned out at the five matches, beating the previous single-round aggregate record, set in A-League seven, Round 3, of 87,508, or eight percent.
The TV audience on Foxtel averaged 108,000 per game, an increase of 35 percent on audience averages and 38 percent on the corresponding round from the 2011/12 season.
Visits to the FFA’s digital network of club and A-League websites were up by 25 percent on the 2011/12 record, set in Round 1.
They’re good growth figures.
“The huge audience growth in attendances, TV and digital is an early dividend for the hard-work by our 10 clubs and the A-League management,” said FFA CEO David Gallop.
“The excitement generated by new marquee players and new coaches has been converted into fans on the terraces and viewers on screens.
“What they saw was high-quality football, superb sports entertainment and a fabulous football atmosphere.”
Let’s look at the prospects for this season’s opening round.
First to play on the Friday night and live on SBS is Sydney FC versus Newcastle Jets.
This corresponding fixture last season drew the biggest Sydney FC home crowd of 2012/13, when 35,419 fans attended.
But will the Soccer Before Sex (SBS) live broadcast put more Sydney couch potatoes back in their preferred place?
Saturday will be the biggest day of the opening round. At 5:30 we have the grand final replay, with the Western Sydney Wanderers travelling to Bluetongue Stadium looking for revenge against the Central Coast Mariners.
With a sold out WSW membership book and football fans’ fondness for Central Coast pubs, this will be massive.
On Saturday night we have the Melbourne derby, which was the match to pull in the biggest crowd last year, with 42,032 turning up.
The Melbourne derby has its usual attractions, but this season Harry Kewell returns to Melbourne as captain of Victory’s bitter rivals Melbourne Heart.
Both clubs have recruited very well and with Victory’s star again on the rise, it should be a cracker and very well attended.
Sunday sees the Phoenix host Brisbane Roar in the early afternoon game and then the Barcelona of South Australian football, Adelaide United, hoping to give Perth Glory a slow start to their season.
It’s all great entertainment and I’d love to be able to travel all around Australia and New Zealand to see all games live at the stadiums.
Will the opening round of season nine keep up the momentum and growth of A-League season eight?
Many said that last season was a watershed year for Australian football, let’s hope this season becomes the boatshed year.
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