Football is such a political game in Australia that sometimes, supporters forget to stop and smell the roses. Tonight, they will be in full bloom.
The FFA Cup begins this evening with four games in four cities. Eight teams, semi-professional at best, full of players you’ve never heard of, battling it out at very humble grounds in front of very modest crowds.
And it’s on TV. This is glorious.
Think, for a moment, about the magnitude of this achievement. It has taken nearly 10 years for the A-League to carve out a proper niche in the Australian sporting landscape.
Crowd numbers at NPL games rarely nudge past triple figures. For those divisions below the top tier, it’s usually only family and friends watching on. If you’re lucky.
The FFA Cup shouldn’t be a feasible venture. The Australia Cup wasn’t, and nor was its sorta-successor, the NSL Cup. When you consider just what it takes to convince an Australian sports fan in 2014 to leave the comfort of their home and open their wallets, this is anti-trend.
Modern sport is about superstar names, flamboyance and non-stop adrenaline. It is the Big Bash League or the A-League All Stars. Not a self-proclaimed pub team taking on another club you’ve never heard of somewhere in suburban Melbourne on an unsexy Tuesday night.
If Vince Gilligan had a tough time pitching the premise of Breaking Bad to television executives, it’s a wonder how the FFA convinced sponsors to part with enough money to get this crazy idea off the ground.
Indeed, few would envy those charged with the task of putting this thing together – if it was easy, it would have been done years ago. But it isn’t, and it wasn’t. Until now. And now all there is left to do is strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.
It’s not perfect – then again, few things are the first time. Some clubs, such as Adelaide City, aren’t able to play their home games at their true home grounds, which is a shame.
More of a shame is the fact that the reasons why aren’t quite clear, but that sort of thing is par for the course from FFA.
For a competition that is all about the Dencorub-scented romance of the grassroots, concessions – or investments – should be made to bring those venues up to the required standard.
Meanwhile, Melbourne City have been allowed to take their clash against Sydney FC to Ballarat. That’s good news for the people of regional Victoria, who should soak in this rare treat, but bad news for the noisy few who consider the move a sign the FFA Cup isn’t being taken seriously enough by A-League clubs.
The National Club Identity Policy, launched on the eve of the FFA Cup draw, has cast a dark pall over the tournament for the ethnic-backed clubs – particularly those formerly of the NSL – who feel their identity has come under renewed threat.
The de-wogging of Australian football has been an ongoing issue for decades and it is clearly a long way from resolution. But when the referee blows for kick-off in each cup tie, those tensions will wash away for just a little while, and the therapeutic nature of football will take hold.
Some have claimed promotion of the FFA Cup has been lacking. But has it? Sure, the average Joe will probably need a second explanation of what it is and why it matters for him to flick past the other two Fox Sports channels and start caring.
But those that matter already know. The truth is it wouldn’t make sense to pour the little money the FFA has into a mass marketing campaign for a tournament that isn’t meant to be a huge earner, and realistically won’t enter the wider national consciousness until the final rounds.
Instead, community and regional newspapers have taken up the slack and engaged with the FFA Cup’s true target audience, reinforcing the significance of what is about to unfold.
For now, this is for them. This is for the kit man, the ladies in the canteen, the guy who gives up two or three nights a week to coach the juniors for no reward. This is for the players who still dream of making the big time and for those who struggle to run for 90 minutes.
The only missing ingredient is the essence of cup football – the magic. And it’s coming. On the balance of probabilities, it has to. At least one amazing, unpredictable storyline will unfold and capture the hearts of football fanatics across the country at some point before the FFA Cup final on December 16.
That’s all FFA will need for this competition to work. Once it happens, word will spread like wildfire, and as they say in the classics, the rest will take care of itself.
So it’s over to the forgotten clubs of yesteryear, the new kids on the block, the weekend warriors and the rusty professionals in the throes of pre-season. Do your thing.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
The ARU have acknowledged in overall commercial terms rugby is now a distant 4th to football (a certain rugby journalist has reported this on scrum.com). They also know in the grand sweep of history, rugby was only in third place for a few years anyway. This is a fact that is itself a reminder of how quickly things can change - particularly if the grass roots die.
Paul
Guest
The Herald-Sun must be the exception. I read an excerpt from a book about Rupert Murdoch - his number 1 priority is his business, he'll even sacrifice his own personal views if it's good for business (evidenced by his support of Kevin Rudd in 2007). As such his editors are only going to be interested in soothing the masses. In NSW and Qld, that may mean being nice to football. In Victoria, it may mean being nasty to it.
Fil
Guest
"I strongly suspect that it has played a part in the size of the NRL broadcast deal and the low level of coverage for football" You are absolutely correct, they paid way over the odds for the tv rights to both the NRL and AFL and way under the odds for the rights to the A-league/National Team matches so they could gift both the NRL and AFL huge fighting funds in their on-going wars/struggles against Football! Anyone who believes that the Murdoch media mafia are in any way friendly to Football are total nutters! The FFA must hold the Murdoch mafia family personally responsible and legally liable for Football's financial losses!
Paul Nicholls
Roar Guru
RBBA you are such a tease. Well I'll watch comm games now. Hey this is a real shoot out! Shotguns - clay pigeons ...
RBBAnonymous
Guest
I know nothing hahaha :)) I am going to let you suffer.
Paul Nicholls
Roar Guru
The wife & kids out, the house to myself for the agreed time interval, enjoying the opening 10 minutes of Magic V Strikers then I get the phone call - "can you pick us up now". Needless to say I got home to se the final few penalties of S Sping v S Cardiff game. So was it any good? I enjoyed the pre game - it kinda reminded me of election night
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
Foxtel Company Structure Board of Directors Name Position Robert Nason (Telstra) Chairman of Foxtel Board Andrew Penn (Telstra) Director Kate McKenzie (Telstra) Director Julian Clarke (News Corp Australia) Director Peter Tonagh (News Corp Australia) Director Ian Philip (News Corp Australia) Director Richard Freudenstein (Foxtel) Director and CEO Lynette Ireland (Foxtel) Company Secretary
Griffo
Roar Guru
Geez...who could have scripted that for an opening night for the FFA Cup? Magic game had everything but a penalty shootout... ...however, South Cardiff lose their second straight cup game this year to penalties (lost NNSW Cup Final to Broadmeadow Magic 6-5). Congrats to South Springvale FC! From 600+ clubs now one of the last 16. :shock: Awesome! 8-)
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
Correct, Foxtel is different to Fox Sports and Foxtel controls the environment in which stations like Fox Sports operate.. But Vince is right - News Limited own all the Foxtel sports channels 100%, so they can manipulate the Pay TV Sports market as well as manipulate the FTA and press sports reporting. SBS own a few Foxtel Channels, so its partly federal government funded. Foxtel Channels Shareholdings 111 Foxtel, Australia 13TH STREET NBC Universal (100%) A&E Foxtel, Australia A&E HD Foxtel, Australia A-PAC Fully funded by Foxtel and operated by the Australian News Channel Adults Only Foxtel, Australia Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Animal Planet Discovery Networks (100%) Antenna Greek language channel. Distributed in Australia by Overlook BV Arena Foxtel, Australia Aurora Aurora Television Limited (non-profit organisation) Australian Christian Channel Australian Christian Channel (non-profit organisation) BabyTV FOX International Channels (100%) BBC Knowledge BBC (100%) BBC Knowledge HD BBC (100%) BBC World News BBC (100%) bio Foxtel, Australia Bloomberg Television 100% owned by interests associated with Michael Bloomberg Boomerang Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc (100%) Cartoon Network Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc (100%) CBeebies BBC (100%) CCTV News CCTV (100%) CCTV-9 Documentary CCTV (100%) Channel [V] Foxtel, Australia [V] Hits Foxtel, Australia CNBC NBC Universal (100%) CNN Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc (100%) CMC Foxtel, Australia Crime & Investigation Foxtel, Australia Discovery Discovery Networks (100%) Discovery HD Discovery Networks (100%) Discovery Home & Health Discovery Networks (100%) Discovery Science Discovery Networks (100%) Discovery Turbo MAX Discovery Networks (100%) Disney Wholly owned subsidiary of Buena Vista International Inc. Disney Jnr. Wholly owned subsidiary of Buena Vista International Inc. Disney XD Wholly owned subsidiary of Buena Vista International Inc. E! NBC Universal (100%) ESPN ESPN Inc. (100%) ESPN HD ESPN Inc. (100%) ESPN2 ESPN Inc. (100%) ESPN2 HD ESPN Inc. (100%) Eurosport News Eurosport Société Anonyme (100%), France Eurosport Eurosport Société Anonyme (100%), France EXPO Channel Interfine Holdings (100%) FOX Classics Foxtel, Australia FOX Footy FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX Footy HD FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX News News Corporation FOX Sports 1 FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX Sports 2 FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX Sports 3 FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX Sports 1 HD FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX Sports 2 HD FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX Sports 3 HD FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX SPORTS NEWS FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FOX8 Foxtel, Australia FOX8 HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel On Demand Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Action Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Action HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Comedy Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Comedy HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Disney Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Disney HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Family Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Family HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Masterpiece Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Masterpiece HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Premiere Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Premiere HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Romance Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Romance HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Thriller Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Movies Thriller HD Foxtel, Australia Foxtel Tunes Digital Music Distribution (100%) (a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd and Universal Music Australia Pty Limited) FUEL TV FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) FX FOX International Channels (100%) FX HD FOX International Channels (100%) LifeStyle FOOD Foxtel, Australia LifeStyle HOME Foxtel, Australia LifeStyle YOU Foxtel, Australia KidsCo Kidsco Ltd Main Event Foxtel, Australia MAX Foxtel, Australia MTV MTV Networks (100%) MTV Dance MTV Networks (100%) MTV Music MTV Networks (100%) Nat Geo People NGC Network (Australia) PTY Limited (100%) Nat Geo Wild NGC Network (Australia) PTY Limited (100%) Nat Geo Wild HD NGC Network (Australia) PTY Limited (100%) National Geographic NGC Network (Australia) PTY Limited (100%) National Geographic HD NGC Network (Australia) PTY Limited (100%) NHK World TV Japan International Broadcasting Inc.(100%) Nick Jr Foxtel, Australia (35%), Nickelodeon Australia (65%) Nickelodeon Foxtel, Australia (35%), Nickelodeon Australia (65%) RAI RAI Italy. Distributed in Australia by Overlook BV showcase Foxtel, Australia showcase HD Foxtel, Australia Sky News Seven Network (33.3%), Nine Network (33.3%), BSkyB (33.3%) Sky News Business Seven Network (33.3%), Nine Network (33.3%), BSkyB (33.3%) Sky News Weather Foxtel, Australia Sky Racing TABCorp Ltd (100%) Sky Racing 2 TABCorp Ltd (100%) Sky Racing World TABCorp Ltd (100%) Smooth Foxtel, Australia SoHo Foxtel, Australia SoHo HD Foxtel, Australia SPEED FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) SPEED HD FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Limited (100%) (News Limited) STUDIO Pan TV, wholly owned by SBS (100%) Syfy NBC Universal (100%) Syfy HD NBC Universal (100%) TCM Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc (100%) The Comedy Channel Foxtel, Australia The History Channel Foxtel, Australia The Lifestyle Channel Foxtel, Australia The LifeStyle Channel HD Foxtel, Australia The Style Network NBC Universal (100%) The World Movies Channel Pan TV, wholly owned by SBS (100%) TLC Discovery Networks (100%) TVH!TS Foxtel, Australia TVN ThoroughVisioN Pty Ltd TVSN Interfine Holdings (100%) UKTV BBC (100%) Universal Channel NBC Universal (100%)
AZ_RBB
Guest
The post match interviews have been hilarious ahaha Springvale have now won 6 games in the FFA Cup after starting in the 3rd Round of the Vic qualifiers.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Not for much longer...they do keep it nice at Magic Park though.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
What a finish ... Sth Springvale ... a team from the State League - not even the NPL - have qualified for the Ro16 FFA Cup after beating South Cardiff via the Penalty Shootout. The FFA Cup has its first fairytale. In the other match, Broadmeadow Magic 1-2 Brisbane Strikers. Magic went down to 9 men & had to put an outfield player in goal, when their GK got a 2nd YC and they couldn't make any more subs.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
SFC will sign him up when he turns 43.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
Fox Sports is just a division of Foxtel, its the Foxtel ownership that counts.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
I thought News Limited had been very generous with their Australian and A-League football coverage lately, particularly for the Wanderers. You can't ignore sell-out games and huge derbies. They even send Phil Rothfield to report on the big Sydney games now. They've also started referring to it as football and stopped the "Soccer Hooligan" nonsense and are more consistent with their European and EPL News Services. Murdoch follows the money and in the UK his press is biased towards football and not the other way round.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Yes!!!! unconvincing, but good to get into the 16.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
Not exactly VInce, Foxtel is 50% owned by Telstra and the remaining 50% owned by a mix of investors including News Limited and Murdoch and Packer family members, so the News Limited ownership has never been exactly quantified. Telstra is the majority shareholder and the major ISP. Interestingly, Foxtel's Pay TV subscriptions penetration has fallen in Australia to 28%, which is the lowest of the developed countries. This is mainly due to the Pay TV monopoly pricing, no competition for Pay TV customers and the fact that it shows a lot of advertisements. This is despite Foxtel spending $530 million on AFL content and an AFL only channel. Subscriptions have actually gone down, instead of up.
Rellum
Roar Guru
2-1 to the strikers now. Should have won before extra time really. We have struggled to deal with the physical marking when we pass into the final third.
midfielder
Guest
Been in meeting all night that's got posting the scores
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Final scores Manly 1-3 Sydney Olympic Olympic FC 3-1 MelbKnights (Melb Knights had player sent off & GK given RC after the final whistle) Extra time for Broadmeadow Magic 1-1 BrisbStrikers (Strikers missed a penalty & had a player sent off) Sth Springvale 2-2 Sth Cardiff