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I’ve been a lurker on this site for as long as I can remember, and now I’m finally deciding to come out of the shadows and write an article, which is likely to be taken seriously by absolutely no one.
I have noticed countless articles outlining the endless debate over where the next expansion of the A-League should occur, and I wish to put forward my own opinion merely as a thinking point.
In David Gallop’s recent comments, hinting at where possible future expansion will be with “Fish where the fish are”, we come to understand that the FFA is most likely wishing to expand in big urban centres, with potential markets of millions of people.
This is perfectly fine in theory but I can’t help but think about the most basic ideas that makes football matches great – derbies.
I believe derbies and rivalries are the single greatest driving force of pulling crowds to a game. It is commonsense that local derbies, such as the Melbourne or Sydney derbies, pull capacity crowds while cross-country games put a less than favourable amount of bums on seats.
This is why I would like to put further emphasis on New South Wales. Currently, there are four teams in NSW. A quick look at attendance figures over the past year shows that, generally, teams in NSW have higher attendances against each other in contrast to cross-state teams, with the notable exception being Victory.
It is pretty clear that the closer teams provide each other more competition and a bigger sense of rivalry, which in turn puts more bums on seats.
With that being said, my personal opinion is that areas such as Wollongong and Canberra, and perhaps even a third Sydney team, should be considered for expansion. The extra teams in the area won’t dilute support, it will strengthen it through the competition it creates. Does Perth Glory or Wellington Phoenix have any true rivals? Not really, that’s why they never can achieve the great atmosphere the derbies create.
Having, for example, a team in Wollongong would give it four rivals in a semi-close area. Sydney and Western Sydney Wanderers being close, and Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners being further but still close enough. This means that the more established Sydney teams will easily have many travelling away fans inflating attendances, and to a smaller degree, the northern NSW teams.
While there’s nothing truly wrong with putting more teams in large cities, as that also supports my point, it’s important to consider how teams in smaller areas can also contribute as well. My vote is for Canberra/Wollongong/South Sydney teams in the next expansion, and that’s coming from a Melbournian.
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