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.
Bomb78
Guest
One too many states in your criticism bryan. Number of Queensland teams = number of South Australia teams = number of Western Australian teams. Queensland did have 4 teams in the FFA Cup Round of 16, so maybe that's where you're confused...
chris
Guest
Gallop keeps making references of our code v other codes and now calls other codes competitors He is looking and stunting their growth whilst maximising our codes growth Next expansion will be 2 teams in major cities I bet Melbourne and Sydney will get the greenn light which will serve 2 purposes 1. Block growth of NRL and AFL 2. Creation of additional revenue channels to pave the way for futurer expansion in regional areas
Squizz
Guest
Simply put relegation will not happen until 2034 - 20 years from now. Promotion may well happen before that to bring the league up to 16 or 18 teams but the current clubs (except Wellington) have licenses until 2034 to play in the top tier. The challenge for the FFA is to underpin the top tier with a viable second tier playing the same season as the top one. A 3 round 12 team comp starting in 2017 comp for the HAL, allowing for FIFA breaks would run from Aug through to May I think this the alignment that the FFA are planning for. FFA Cup matches from R32 would be played on the FIFA dates in Aug, Sep, Oct and November with the FFA Cup being played on Australia Day. 2021 go to a 16 team 2 round competition (ideally by promotion) and maybe add a couple between 2021 and 2034. In 2034 all bets are off and promotion and relegation is allowed unfettered.
TheMagnificent11
Roar Guru
I've said this before on the expansion topic, the NPL is the best guide of whether a club an make a successful step up to the A-League. The prospective NPL club doesn't have to win their respective state NPL, they just have to show football, financial and supporter success. What do I mean by this, well they should get decent crowds to their games and be financial stable with several revenue streams. In terms of the NPL crowds, I guess that means the should be able to attract at least 3,000 on a consistent basis to their suburban ground. That means week-to-week in the NPL, not one-off friendlies against A-League opposition or FFA Cup matches. They should have a good base of juniors who pay an affordable annual registration fee (not thousands of dollars like some NPL clubs charge their juniors). The bottom should not completely fund the top. They should have a appropriate number of sponsors. They should have a clubhouse and canteens facilities that earns them non-football revenue. Clubhouses that have restaurants, bars and electronic gaming machines can offset the increase in expenditure required when playing in the A-League. They should have a football philosophy that is implemented by a qualified technical director and junior coaches. This means they will have a visible pathway for their junior players to get into the NPL and A-League teams. The majority of these things are already criteria outlined by the FFA that NPL clubs have to abide by. Therefore, clubs that excel at meeting these criteria should be rewarded by being given the opportunity to play in the A-League.
bryan
Guest
Yeah,maybe the FFA could be renamed the Football Federation (Eastern States) of Australia! The "A" League is pretty much a NSW/Vic/Qld comp anyway! Maybe us "far-flung" places could set up our own competition!
SFC22
Guest
I agree, and feel that what Gallop truly meant was football fans. For example, Wollongong especially as well as Canberra to a lesser extent, has a lot more untapped football fans than say Gold Coast or a Western Brisbane team can offer even with a lower population. That is truly what he meant by the fish.
SFC22
Guest
The competition will get stale VERY quickly in its current format, the sooner we get to a 12 team 33 round comp including FIFA dates the better.
Micah Barr
Roar Rookie
I think Auckland City FC would be a very possible team for expansion. Media over here would actually talk about Pheonix vs. Auckland that would surely pull around 20k+ crowds but the attendences in auckland for all other games would depend on performance. Sports fans over here only start paying attention if the team starts doing well., especially aucklanders. But I do think auckland has a far better building blocks for a team (club world cup, win every ASB Prem each year, Albert Riera was at auckland city) than wellington, and would therefore probly do a lot better then the pheonix after a season or ao
Squizz
Guest
The majority of growth is forecast to be along the coast (i.e east of the Great Dividing Range) from Brisbane to Melbourne with the other hot spot being Perth. This is why 'fishing where the fish are' should be read in terms of a 20 year plan.
George Haida
Roar Rookie
Agreed, although the crowds weren't good it was only because Clive Palmer is a muppet.
EPLextra
Roar Rookie
Great article and very much a hot topic in football due to the success of the FFA Cup. We discussed this on our podcast this week and our ideal vision of expansion for the next ten years would look something like: * Each teams membership numbers continue to grow year on year. * The league and the teams are financially strong. * The league looks to expand by two teams before the new TV deal negotiations. Possibly one team in Brisbane area (to create a QLD derby) and maybe Canberra (selfish choice). * The FFA cup continues to be a popular addition to the football calendar. * The FFA conduct feasibility studies on setting up a second division for the introduction of promotion/relegation (this depends largely on the size of TV deals).
Midfielder
Guest
Swampy We need more games to sell and playing four rounds is the other option...
Midfielder
Guest
Knoxy In part tis true what you say .. however cricket is being played over five months this summer, and you also have a number of one off events, the Melbourne Cup, Australian Open, Bathurst, V8's in Sydney ... Sydney / Hobart ... Further the A-League will play tho the AFL / NRL pre-season and to about 8 or 10 ... However yes was set up to avoid direct head to head and stadium issues.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Darwin
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
As there is an urgent need for another side in Qld the question arises as to whether the Palm Beach Sharks could form the nucleus of a Gold Coast A-League side. The primary problem with Gold Coast United was governance, not community interest in the sport.
Swampy
Guest
I wonder what the population projections are in the future? Will Sydney & Melbourne become cities of 7-8 million and there be little growth elsewhere? Will Brisbane and Perth go through new booms and become more densely populated? Will Adelaide ever grow substantially again? And will any of the regional cities grow significantly? Australia is quickly heading towards 30 million people - where will these extra 7 million end up? Surely at some point Melbourne & Sydney will just become too expensive for new immigrants and they will have to settle elsewhere. This could be a very important factor in the growth of the A League. Not where teams should go now but where they should be based in 15-20 years time.
Midfielder
Guest
A very interesting and me thinks from a Football stance is largely unexplored is both the AFL & NRL have heartland cities with multi teams creating many local matches, much water cooler talk... and for the competition as a whole reduced travel and accommodation costs.. Just for the sake of the argument add two more teams in WS one on the broader with the Gong and the other at the foot of the blue mountains... Thus four Sydney teams and the Mariners not that far away and even Jest as well... Just from a cost and creating a mass of fans in one location ... is it a go or a no go...
nordster
Guest
Well we could hope one day they may mature past giggles, should South or any other club earn it on the pitch. Haha now im giggling too, i guess thats not likely! :) And P&R cant be adopted here because ffa has *chosen* to set up the top flight league so as to make it unviable. With the will it could be achievable but would require a shift in philosophy toward open competition and away from sheltered protectionism.
nordster
Guest
Im not sure fifa is fussed are they...and the leagues in our region play a calendar year. In fact most of the football(soccer) leagues here in australia do as well, just not the top one :)
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Fish where the fish are..... but do they all swim together? In some instances it is the lure than needs to be considered. In an environment of steadily rising intolerance, is there room for a kult club who's focus is the values of inclusivity and tolerance? A club who's embrace of all from the indigenous and the recently arrived forms the pinnacle around which the club is formed? A club that celebrates a glass of wine along with the burqa? A club that represents a value as opposed to a region? Such a club would never be a titan, however it may draw fans from across the continent, reducing its dependence on home crowds. And where is the most fertile ground for such a club?