If you are under 30, especially under 20, your understanding of football is modern. You are used to seeing the A-League and football generally in the news and on television.
For those over 30, you have seen a paradigm shift in how football is being treated in Australia. The tipping point of becoming mainstream has happened, and the new reality is just how fast it is going to spread.
I thought I would nominate my line in the sand of people, events and clubs that have taken football from its difficult days to where it finds itself today.
Player base
By far our greatest strength has been the player base and the willingness of people in various communities to develop the district park teams.
Johnny Warren
The name says it all Warren was a very unique person loved by almost everyone. Arguably his greatest asset was to connect with the non-football media and keep the football flag flying. His ideas and vision are still being developed and his famous saying “I told you so” is coming true.
SBS and 2UE Sports Today
What more can be said about SBS? Without SBS I doubt football would have progressed as much as it has, there is far too much to write about – it is an article in itself.
2UE Sports Today was the most listened to radio sports show in Australia at its peak. Peter Bossely ran the show and often had Warren with him. 2UE‘s audience was many times bigger than SBS and this fair-minded radio broadcaster kept Warren in contact with the people.
National Soccer League
Showed Australia how to run a national domestic competition. Moreover, it showed football could support itself all over Australia unlike the other football codes.
Craig Johnston
Craig played for Liverpool as a right winger in the best European side of its day and a side many still rate as one of the best ever. He showed Australians could play football even if he never played for Australia.
David Hill
David started the process of the need for football to present itself to the media as a broad-based game and the need for clubs to be seen as more inclusive. He also sold the NSL rights to Channel Seven, who buried the broadcasts. He was equally hated and loved, however he had a massive affect on the direction football took.
1997 Iran
Showed there was a product and that people cared about the Socceroos, despite the years, nay decades, of negative press.
Nick Tana and Perth Glory
In my humble the best club administrator Australia has ever seen. The model he developed at Perth is the A-League model and the first time the mainstream started to look at football other than as a joke. It is a pity it was in Perth and not on the east coast as what was achieved was in many ways ignored by the eastern states. He was a true visionary
The Northern Spirit was another model for the A-League – they showed Sydney would support a regional community club.
Nick Greiner and Ian Knob
Took the bold decision that Soccer Australia was beyond saving, as was the NSL, so they created what was needed and then implemented the collapse of the NSL and Soccer Australia.
Harry Kewell
This was in the darkest days of the old NSL when Soccer Australia could hardly afford to fly the Socceroos home. One player kept making the headlines and carrying the torch and that was Harry. Other players were there as well with an honourable mention to Mark Viduka. But Harry was the poster boy and the good news story for the mainstream press.
2002 World Cup
For the first time a World Cup played on prime-time TV. This had a huge influence in showing what the football audience could be and also highlighted the skills and athletic ability of the players and the sport.
Frank Lowy
As with SBS, there is so much to write. In 1955 Frank lead a breakaway group in Sydney that led in time to the creation of some ethnic clubs in Sydney and being kicked out of FIFA. Then the in and out of the NSL, finally FFA and then the A-League. This time he got it right.
FFA management
By no means perfect, however the developments of various standards and national structures has set up football for expansion targets it could never manage before.
2005
What a night! I was there and it showed there was broad-based support for the Socceroos across the nation.
2006
The same as 2005. All the journalists from the other football codes said the 2005’s World Cup qualifier was a one-off rating that would never happen again. Proven wrong.
A-League
That it has survived has amazed many, and that it is starting to thrive is rewarding for all those involved. Kids have something local to aim at.
Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers
These clubs have carried the rest of us and Sydney FC in particular have brought out some huge talent. I accept WSW is new but their influence has been huge.
David Gallop
Applied the finishing touches and pushed through huge changes at state level. The Australian FA Cup, the National Premier Leagues and the continual development of coaching and technical standards, along with the A-League, have created structures and pathways football has never had in Australia. He is the best national administrator football has ever had.
Ange Postecoglou
His coaching and communication ability is second to none. He connects to the AFL and has gained a respect for football that it never had before.
Asian Cup
Has finally brought the ABC to football and much of the general media. Has been very important in the media seeing what football can offer.
These are my lines in the sand that have had a critical impact on the development of football, especially over the last 25 years. Over to you guys!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
To suggest Johnny Warren was the 60s version of Craig Foster is another example of a non-football person attempting to discuss football but being totally unequipped to discuss the subject. Why do so many non-Football people persist with football issues when they're obviously clueless on the subject?
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Personally, I wouldn't put Warren in the same category as Foster. Warren was a genuine pioneer and his passion for the game was such that key soccer people all over the world made a point of being friends with Warren. I can't recall Warren ever denigrating any other sport, he just wanted to grow his game, and there's nothing wrong with that. Foster, on the other hand, always has been, and remains, a bit of a douchebag. He commands zero respect from anyone, including people within the soccer community. But that aside, I don't mind listening to Fozz.
Midfielder
Guest
Madage To compare Johnny Warren with Craig Foster is like comparing a grape to a watermelon... Unlike Craig JW was always on commercial networks and could also talk about RL & RU ... Unlike Craig he was mainly positive rather than negative which Craig Foster is by and large... Also he was a person with vision, he knew what to do and were to go ... Craig Foster fails in this area to... JW was granted a state funeral which I think was attended by four PM... Howard. Keating, Hawk and Fraser I think... Finally I don't think Craig will be given a place at the Australia Museum .. For the life of me I don't understand people who wish to or attempt to change history especially in some kind of code war ... I would never have a go at Daily why do you say such thing Messenger of RL or any of their immortals, Various Cricket folk, key Olympians, the Ella brothers in Union etc... He was an Australian of the highest order and is respected across all codes by people of his time... JW and the Australian Museum link not to many people get a part of our national museum devoted to them and very few sports people get part of the Australian Museum devoted to them. http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/johnny_warren_collection Also what’s on display at the Musem http://collectionsearch.nma.gov.au/collections/John+%27Johnny%27+Warren+collection#ce=Collection%20name
Midfielder
Guest
Madge To compare
Midfielder
Guest
Madge
Madge
Guest
Johnny Warren was the 60s version of Craig Foster. he couldn't believe why everyone didn't fall down and worship at the soccer altar. Most people who knew him - knew him as focused or taciturn depending upon your audience. He was the voice of soccer and admired but wasn't universally loved because of his Fussball like devotion to one game. eg Australia beat Fiji at Rugby and all he could say was that more people play soccer in Fiji than rugby. The comment while maybe correct was unnecessary and seem to be self indulgent when most people are aware of Fijis Indian population...and (2) More people play soccer in England than RL but the kangaroos beating England at RL is an achievement and wouldn't have needed Warrens self-obvious statements
Madge
Guest
Fuss can be no more exhausting to himself than he is to others
Midfielder
Guest
To answer my owe question ... Super Rugby .... 34, 600, 000 Rugby League .. 51, 100, 000 AFL ....................66, 600, 000 NRL ..................103, 000, 000 A-League ..........195, 000, 000
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
AFL fans are becoming more deranged. More desperate. More flummoxed. They can't understand why, after 150 years, no one outside southern Australian cities gives a stuff about their sport. They keep telling themselves "we have the best sport in the world"... but the rest of the world doesn't care. Heck the rest of AUS doesn't care. And, a few days ago, this article appeared which suggests 2 AFL clubs are about to go bankrupt. And a further 5 AFL clubs are on financial life support hoping the AFL who guarantee the clubs' debts don't pull the plug. How long can the AFL bleed money before it says "enough" and reverts to a 10-12 team competition. Full story: http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2015/04/22/crows-cats-surprise-battlers-afl-money-wars/
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
What is it with AFL fans? If in the AFL thread there is discussions on increasing AFL teams in the Sydney local competitions or O/S competitions increasing World Wide, I have no urge to dampen the spirits of the AFL fans with a negative comment. Why such insecurities.
Fear the Smell
Guest
Lectures on class and manners from Fuss Junior. Welcome to Bizarro World.
Midfielder
Guest
Casper I wonder aloud if you are correct ... for a league not quite 10 years old we are doing well as for plummeting thats a poor choice of words .. tis down on the same time last year I think 2% and given weather and the number of mid weeks games played there is some reason to the fall... So lets say RL wins the TV ratings and the media deal... Football wins with player about 4 times or more ... But here is a test for you and I challenge you to post back the results... Go to google and post the following competition names and record the hits... AFL NRL Rugby League Super rugby A-League This is where the young look, swap, and its where Football in Australia wins ... so take the test ... and post the answers ...
ciudadmarron
Guest
You need 150 years of isolation and media saturation to maintain relevance - and to create the kind of parochialism that will cause you to make fun of someone dying of cancer. Go somewhere else and racially abuse someone.
Midfielder
Guest
To kinda enhance my point... I just went onto the News.com.au sports site for Football.. They have have 14 new articles .. 9 about weekend A-League matches 1 about the A-League and Chelsea ie playing SFC 1 About betting in WA of some NPL teams 1 about Matthew Ryan and club brugge 2 About Europe Scroll down and they have major headings called A-League, EPL, Socceroos... So of 14 current articles 11 are about Football in Australia and one about Matthew Ryan...
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
After the disgusting comment you made about Johnny Warren's death, you should be ashamed to post on this football forum. You have no manners, no class. Utterly despicable.
Casper
Guest
And yet for all that, A League attendances are plummeting. You still need overseas clubs playing friendlies to give soccer any type of relevance with the wider community.
1860melbourne
Guest
Great article Mid. Wont add much more as I will be repeating what others have written. In ten years the game has been turned on its head. I believe the best years are still ahead of us. Asia will have a big influence on where we are headed over the next few years, this year has been a bumper year for the sport overall. More than 3 million fans will have attended football matches by the end of July. 10 years ago if you have said 3 million people will attend games of football in this country they may have locked you up for being insane.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Yes, this is definitely going to be the biggest off-season in Australian history. The quality of talented footballers coming to AUS to play & heavily market football is phenomenal. AUFC vs Villarreal: 29 May SFC vs Spurs: 30 May Brisbane vs Villarreal: 3 June SFC vs Chelsea: June Brisbane vs Liverpool: 17 July Real Madrid vs Roma: 18 July AUFC vs Liverpool: 20 July Roma vs ManCity: 21 July ManCity vs Real Madrid: 24 July And, that's not all ... We also have > Women's World Cup Tournament in Canada, > Men's WC Qualifiers for Russia 2018 > FFA Cup, NPL These club friendlies will only keep growing. There will be no football-free space any more in AUS. THAT is how the AUS sporting landscape is being redefined and there is nothing outsiders can do but stand by helplessly.
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
I'm going to go broke watching all these Euro teams, totally amazing, what off season.
Midfielder
Guest
peeeko Unsure on your point the thread and focus of the thread has been to say the media has changed for Football ... further " a paradigm shift in how football is being treated in Australia. The tipping point of becoming mainstream has happened, and the new reality is just how fast it is going to spread."" Football today does have lots of media on pre and post match analysis ... it will get better ... the thread was driving at the fact this has now happened and lets help it along...