For years, football fans in Australia have been forced to “defend” their sport.
They’ve been forced to defend it from the fans that simply want to point to rugby league, rugby union and AFL as the major sporting codes of this nation and so often, their biggest defence of the sport is that it’s “growing”.
Because, after all, it’s hard to knock something for being dead and lacking support if it’s still growing. The two simply don’t fly together.
However now it seems that those same defensive fans have a point.
According to numbers released from the FFA this morning, a total of close to one million people are involved in organised soccer competitions. If that number includes unofficial school soccer, futsal tournaments and other such informal set-ups (that aren’t technically classed as organised FFA competitions), that number rises to 1.96 million Australians. (Include coaches, referees and fans, and that number shoots above three million people all up.)
Football, as CEO David Gallop said, “is a game on the move”.
“It’s the popular game for boys, girls, old and young, who are playing outdoor, indoor, in parks and fields and in clubs and schools. Football is flourishing across the Australian community and we’re delighted.
“Today, the powerful idea that football could become Australia’s biggest and most popular sport is no longer just a dream.”
According to the statistics from gemba Active Sports Participation study (gASP), those numbers represent a 13% increase on a previous survey conducted in 2010. As far as defining a “growing” sport is concerned, it’s hard to argue with such an increase over what is, relatively, quite a short time frame.
The numbers point to growth — which the people no doubt confirm as well.
Thanks to the anticipation and excitement growing towards the 2014 World Cup and the explosion of support for the Western Sydney Wanderers (and the Hyundai A-League as well), football fans are being made daily. Some are adopting it as their primary passion; others simply tacking it on to their concoction of league, union and AFL, but both are definite byproducts of the growth that’s taking place.
I’ll admit my bias here as a football fan and a sportswriter. I’ve played the game, refereed the game, coached the game and now write about the game for a living—if anyone is going to have a reason to try and “promote” or “defend” the growth of the game then I’m certainly up there with the best of them.
But my friends who suddenly enjoy the A-League or the Premier League don’t. Those that can’t even watch the NRL Grand Final but are willing to go to a Wanderers’ game (albeit for the hype and the atmosphere) don’t either, and their existence is the testament that so many football fans (like myself) have that the sport is quickly on it’s way to becoming even more popular than it already is.
Whether it becomes the No. 1 sport in Australia is an irrelevant debate. Whether it should be called football or soccer isn’t far behind it.
What matters it that growth — both on a collective and individual level — is happening in Australia. And this time, it’s more than simply tired football fans from the glory days of the NSL trying to stick up for and hold on to a long-lost love.
Just A Bloke
Guest
Interesting article, but a red card for using the 's' word. The name of the game is FOOTBALL.
Woodsie
Guest
Football is the biggest game in the world and it is only natural that the beautiful game expands onto Australian shores. So many butthurt afl and rugby league fans who are just narrow minded lemmings can deal with the changing face of sport in this country. Rugby league and afl are being swallowed and what a glorious sight it is.
asanchez
Roar Guru
Not sure on the number 1 tag. But in all honestly, we dont need to be. That's not the be all and end all. We just need to keep growing as a sport. In 20 years, I can see the A-league with 12-14 teams, with the National NPL underneath it providing promotion to the A-league. The FFA cup will be big, with good coin for all teams who progress through the rounds. This will be a massive incentive for the state teams to try to knock out A-league sides. The cup competition will also be aired somewhere on TV. Football participation levels will go through the roof, way higher than they are now, and the Socceroos will be in the top 15-20 in the world consistently. The A-league season will be a bit longer, probably an extra 4-8 weeks. There's also a very good chance that we'll be getting billion $ TV deals by that stage. In terms of markets, I can see the A-league & the whole sport just going gangbusters in NSW, with Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers currently, but with a South Coast/Wollongong coming in the next 5 years, plus Canberra down the track, and the existing Mariners and Newcastle things are looking good in NSW. Not sure if it'll ever surpass the NRL, but I can see Football becoming a mammoth sport in Sydney in 20-30 years. In Queensland we'll get at least 1 more club in the next decade, from either the Gold Coast, north Queensland or the Ipswich area. We have the potential to be the clear 2nd biggest code in the sunshine state. In Victoria, there'll be the 2 clubs in Melbourne and possibly one in Geelong. We're already the 2nd biggest code in Vic. In SA and WA we have some work to do, but at this stage I cant see a second club be formed in either state. But the Glory and United will obviously grow. New Zealand is a totally different kettle of fish, and in 20 years we may very well not have any NZ sides in the competition. Heck, the brothers across the ditch may have even started their own professional league by then! It might sound like a pipedream, but the way things are going, I can see all the points that I've just made come to life. But for any of it to have any chance of coming to life, we need great leaders in charge, just like we have now.
bryan
Guest
The Poms invented Football,& during its original expansion period,did have the best players in the world. Their teams don't do all that well against European competition these days,& their World Cup side is lousy,but they do still turn out PLAYERS who can compete at the top level. Given that Aussie Rules would have to expand in a similar manner,there is a pretty good chance that for some years,if not many,Australian players would be the best in the world. Of course,it could be,as some people here seem to think,that Australians are so inherently inferior,that any country from that magical realm called "Overseas" must be better at everything!
Ed
Guest
You put some work into those insights Johnny! I am quite unbiased with sports, but know sydney well. Personally, I see football (soccer) completely dominating the sydney sporting landscape within 5- 10 years. The growth is phenomenal, media is now on board, and if you go to any a-leage game in Sydney, you don't have to be a statistician to realise that nearly everyone who goes is under 40. It's very youthful. I can't vouch for the other cities, but is certianly the case in Sydney. Youth also seem to be attacted to the 'culture' of football. I think NRL and AFL will hang in there, but will be swept aside in the long run by football in Sydney.
mahonjt
Guest
A conservative, but reasonable assessment in my view.
johnny reb
Guest
Honestly here's what I see happening in term of market share over the next 20 years with the 5 big codes - WA - AFL - slight increase with 3rd team seems though that the market is already at saturation point ALeague - slight increase for Glory unless a 2nd team is introduced NRL - if a Perth team is admitted I can see that team being bigger than the Force Union - in decline, especially if new AFL, ALeague and NRL teams are admitted Cricket - status quo NT - AFL - slight decline as AFL & NRL cut into the market ALeague - slight increase as the A-League grows NRL - slight increase as they now play more game there Union - decline as it's almost entirely ignored Cricket - decline as it'salmost entirely ignored SA - AFL - stagnant at saturation point ALeague - slight increase as the A-League grows NRL - if WA got a team there might be an increase in interest for Adelaide to get one as well Union - decline as it's almost entirely ignored Cricket - increase due to the oval redvelopment QLD - AFL - status quo, seem that the Suns are just coming out of the existing AFL fan base ALeague - increase, I can see a 2nd Brisbane team in the future NRL - increase as there's likely a 2nd Brisbane team Union - increase as the Reds are the number one team Cricket - slight increase NSW - AFL - slight increase due to GWS ALeague - increase, I can see a 3rd Sydney team in the South-West NRL - increase due to membership drives Union - decline, Waratahs are terminal Cricket - status quo ACT - AFL - slight increase due to GWS ALeague - increase due to new Canberra team NRL - status quo unless new stadium built Union - increase as Brumbies are popular Cricket - status quo VIC - AFL - slight decline as other sports eat into market share ALeague - increase as Heart & Victory grow and maybe a 3rd team NRL - increase as Storm seem to have cemented their support and still grow Union - status quo, Rebels seem to be under the radar Cricket - increase as juniors are going TAS - AFL - increase with a Tasmanian team ALeague - increase as overall Aleague support grows NRL - increase as overall league support grows Union - decline, again they're overlooked Cricket - increase as it's a bastion sport so to recap AFL - WA(+), NT(-),SA(s),QLD(s),NSW(+),ACT(+),VIC(-),TAS(+) Slight growth in WA, NSW, ACT, TAS but slight decline in NT & VIC, so overall slight growth ALeague - WA(+),NT(+),SA(+),QLD(+),NSW(+),ACT(+),VIC(+),TAS(+) Slight to strong growth in every market as new teams are added and the league grows overall, so overall medium growth NRL - WA(+),NT(+),SA(s),QLD(+),NSW(+),ACT(s),VIC(+),TAS(+) Growth in majority of markets as new teams are added and the league grows, so overall medium growth Union - WA(-),NT(-),SA(-),QLD(+),NSW(-),ACT(+),VIC(s),TAS(-) Decline in most markets but growth in a few but overall decline Cricket - WA(s),NT(-),QLD(+),NSW(s),ACT(s),VIC(+)TAS(+) A mixed bag but overall slight growth Most played sport - Football, Cricket, AFL, NRL, Union Most attended sport - AFL, NRL, Football, Cricket, Union Most watched sport on TV - NRL, AFL, Football, Cricket, Union So in summary I see AFL, NRL & Football being pretty much equal in 20 years from now, cricket about the same as what it is now and rugby union pretty much dead
mahonjt
Guest
As at 2010/11 the turnover of the Melbourne Victory FC was LARGER than the ENTIRE National Basketball League (then owned by the governing body and reported in their Annual Report). Note - this was before the most recent spurt in the games commercial development. However, here is one other little recent statistic to blow your mind. The annual increase ALONE in the new TV rights deal for the A-League could fund the entire National Basketball League. Don't even get me started on this huge disparities between the two games at the grass roots, internationally and in terms of the impact of globalisation and Asian integration (i.e. growth potential). Comparing the two games in either cultural or commercial terms is like comparing apples and tractors. Always was. I am happy for other sporting codes and fans to keep thinking this way. Very happy
mahonjt
Guest
The growing confidence of football is underlined by the numbers. Accusing the FFA of 'spin' is irrelevant as the AFL, NRL and ARU do it also. What we can categorically say however is that the numbers don't lie and that football has tremendous story to tell - one beyond even the most blind football fan's imagination only a decade ago. I, for one, welcome this confidence. Others questioning the FFA's rhetoric include two classes of people in my view: (1) FFA haters from our own community; and (2) Football haters from the wider community (including other codes governing institutions). None of this is a surprise to me. In fact I now welcome it knowing how it is predominantly driven by fear while simultaneously focusing the FFA on the future of our game. "First they ignore us"...... well you know the rest.
Australian Rules
Guest
Justin To answer your inane question: "What’s the number one sport in this country?" According to the ABS, for men it's exercise walking...then cycling, then running, then golf, swimming, tennis, and then outdoor soccer. That was as at September 2013 anyway.
Kasey
Guest
Hi Fuss, Sometimes it pays to look back at exactly where we’ve come from to measure progress and I think we've certainly moved on a very long way from pieces such as the following from John Birmingham where he states quite definitively that he believes Soccer to be nothing more than a lame joke. I wonder how he and the rest of the Sokkah-boo-brigade feels now? http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/blogs/blunt-instrument/soccer-in-australia-will-never-be-anything-more-than-a-lame-joke-20100614-ya1q.html?comments=210
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Well Stephen in your attempt to slag off the sport here you've probably highlighted how amazingly well its doing,a National side with absolutely no superstars can get 80k plus to a game and pub league games can draw 40k plus,i wonder how many "real" football nations that could boast such figures.Don't concern yourself with "why" Australian football fans do anything we're just along for the ride because as the terrible Irish dance singer D:Ream once said "Things can only get better",cheers for your concern though.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Why do people watch the VFL? Why do people overseas follow lower league clubs? Rotherham in the bottom tier of the English football league got an average of 8000 last season for god's sake. Some people (many, as the article indicates!) enjoy ownership of a team - watching their players develop (or not). You can only really do that properly by watching the local product, getting to the games. If watching sport was solely about watching the best then we'd all be Barca and Real and Manchester and Bayern fans and that would be about it. If all the world played a rugby code or aussie rules you can guarantee that we wouldn't have the best players in the world. I wonder if the fans here would still watch the local teams. I'd warrant they would.
Stephen Martin
Guest
Aiming high? Barely 40 games in Europe between them, more than half in Scotland and Belgium. Filler at best in the emerging sporting monoculture.
Kasey
Guest
Comparisons between the basketball boom of the 1980s and today's football growth are tiresome and lazy. Basketballs boom was predicated on top of next to no junior base and the cult of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Everything American was 'in' and popular in the 80s. Football as has been noted has had the largest junior base of any sport in this country for decades. This is the solid foundation that underpins the elite games status in the sporting landscape. Bogga your "I like Soccer, but" ( I really do) sounds so similar to suburbanites starting an 'observation' with "I'm not a racist but..." The sincerity oozes thou your post;)
Bogga
Guest
They're basically counting anybody who kicked a soccer ball in the past year: The gemba Active Sports Participation study (gASP), which surveys the Australian population between the ages of 5 and 75, reveals that 960,000 people participate in organised football competitions, while another 1 million play in social, recreational and semi-organised ways. I'm not going to argue that watching is akin to playing, but according to the article, if you include fans, the number climbs to a whopping 3 million. There's a die-hard breed of people in each state (over 40-50 generally) who are never (ever) going to watch anything but their chosen sport (rugby/AFL/Soccer). At the moment, the number for soccer fans is lower than that of the other two. That will change over the next 20 years, but not any time soon. Soccer are doing the right thing by targetting grass roots, like the AFL and cricket have for years. Unfortunately for the rugby codes, theirs is not a sport conducive to junior participation for a variety of reasons, which is why I think these will be the ones losing out to soccer.
Bob Anderson
Guest
You can play a sport for exercise but not be a fan of it. Like running, lots of people go jogging but they don't care about watching a marathon.
Kraft
Guest
You mean like Kruse, Langerak, Rogic, Ryan, Rojas (albeit a Kiwi)?
Stephen Martin
Guest
Wow, do you think one day you might produce players as good as a one-legged Michael Bridges or post-retirement William Gallas? You have some of the world's greatest sportsmen, why would you pay to watch pub football?
Justin Thighm
Roar Guru
http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/football-participation-continues-to-rise-with-19-million-involved-in-australia/story-e6frf423-1226758453266 That’s nearly 1 in 10 Australians who participate in football regularly. What's the number one sport in this country? Sport was invented to be PLAYED not WATCHED.