The A-League’s first decade had its ups and downs, but the competition keeps growing on all metrics.
Football owns atmosphere in the Australian sporting landscape, and the rumours are that at least one of the commercial free-to-air networks are prepared to take a punt on the sport, perhaps this coming season.
But if football is to grow at all levels then facilities are crucial, particularly at community level, where participation numbers are through the roof. The good news is that in Victoria and NSW the game is slowly gaining more funding for facilities.
But this is also a huge issue for most of the A-League clubs. None of the clubs actually own their stadia, which is very common in Australian sport, but most of the 10 clubs currently play in stadiums that are either too small or too large for them.
Only Newcastle, Perth, the Central Coast and Melbourne City play at suitable venues.
Western Sydney’s home venue needs an upgrade. Parramatta is in terrible condition and there’s talk that the NSW government will rebuild it as a brand new, 35,000-seat stadium for the Wanderers and Eels, which would be fantastic for both.
Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium, on the other hand, needs both an update and an upgrade. Its capacity of 16,500 is about 5000 too small (Socceroos games also need at least 20,000-seat venues).
Brisbane Roar regularly get 10,000 to attend their 55,000-seat stadium – it’s far too big. Further, the pitch at Suncorp Stadium hardly ever presents well, as it cops a hammering from three codes, plus concerts and the like. The Roar needs a smaller venue, no bigger than 25,000. I’m not sure how or when this will happen, but it needs to be looked at.
Sydney FC on the other hand is OK for the moment at Allianz (43,000 capacity), but if the rumours are true about a rebuild to a 65,000 capacity, they’ll need to reevaluate. Their home derbies with the Wanderers could be played anywhere – even ANZ Stadium with its 83,000 seats isn’t too big for those games – but it’s all their other games that probably need a 30,000 capacity ground.
Wellington has the worst ground, being at the cake tin, and they’ve probably got the hardest job in terms of getting any government funding, as football’s still a relative afterthought in New Zealand – a bit like where the game was in Australia 10 or so years ago.
But Melbourne Victory, the league’s the biggest club, is actually starting to outgrow their great home ground at AAMI Park. With a capacity of 30,000, and Victory now having over 24,000 members and still growing, something needs to change.
Etihad is not a good ground for football, and is going into the AFL’s hands in 2025 or possibly even earlier, so the options are thin. Melbourne needs a 50,000 capacity rectangular stadium, which could accommodate both them and the Melbourne Storm, who also get half-decent crowds and are still growing.
Facilities, infrastructure and funding are the biggest issues surrounding the sport, and need careful planning and lobbying by both the FFA and the state federations for the game to go to the next level.
pat malone
Guest
record numbers ? or are you using made u "possible audience numbers"? smell the fear
pat malone
Guest
oh yes, just because your game is number one in many other countries will mean it becomes the number one in australia as well. I cant wait for the day when our superior sport to takeover all these local pleb sports
pat malone
Guest
congratulations, i hope you sleep well knowing that. smell the fear
pat malone
Guest
first world means its costs hundreds of millions to build stadiums
pat malone
Guest
but WSW average 12k per game?
Lionheart
Guest
Can't agree with you on Suncorp Stadium. You may not have been there, and rely on what you hear from Fox TV. It's a great stadium, best for football fans in Australia. The surface at times, nerds to be better, but that's not reason enough to change. Fix the surface. As to numbers, improve attendance. We can do that, why move, or waste money building a new stadium?
Perry Bridge
Guest
Who is crying foul? If anything you were in the first instance - although I merely picked up on the 'scavenging' concept. And the author of this article who fails to present a decent case why Melbourne needs a 50,000 rectangular stadium - seems to have forgotten that - fancy roof aside - AAMI Park was designed with foundations to expand. The AFL funding - is that what you ask about being 'in lieu' of? Who knows. Maybe just to get the project moving. Maybe to allow self management on match days? Don't know. The tenants at AAMI Park get a pretty good match day deal and yet didn't invest any cash. The AFL invested $30 mill up front at Etihad but most clubs get crappy match day deals. I don't think you can read anything into having put money in upfront - it can mean many things.
Waz
Guest
In terms of sponsorship revenue soccer is number three - behind AFL and Cricket but ahead of Union and League. 10 years ago soccer didn't make the top 10 for sponsorship $'s but look at it now - we get more sponsorship dollars in than both codes of rugby and we haven't even got a sponsor for the Socceroos yet!! So you miss the point somewhat, soccer isn't number one yet and whether it ever gets there is largely irrelevant, for the first time it is converting participation into fans who are continuing to play the game longer, watch the professional game more and attend the professional game more. We don't have to be No. 1 yesterday or today, we just have to maintain our momentum. That'll do Donkey, that'll do. :-)
Waz
Guest
Brisbane's problem is a bit more complex though - with three teams already playing out of Suncorp and the stadiums desire to stage more concerts during the soccer season, when RL puts another team in and presumably football does too the stadiums ability to cope will be exceeded so - providing expansion happens - a new stadium will be built it's just when and where? Logically if they put a $10 tax on all new concerts at Suncorp for the next ten years they'd raise well over $50m towards the cost of redeveloping Perry Park or Ballymore. Go figure why they wouldn't?
LordBrucie
Guest
If the ffa is sensible they will acknowledge that the next decade is all about consolidation which is a forgotten world in Australian sport. Four of the 10 clubs in the a league are currently in dire straits and the main issue for the next decade is supposedly stadia. There should not be any new clubs introduced until all existing clubs are at least stable which would be involve relocating or revoking the licenses of at least the Mariners and the Phoenix. Expansion should not be rushed.
db swannie
Guest
Definately an important metric . But when assessing the popularity of a sport it is not the only one . Media companies pay big $ to show sport ,k in this country Soccer is not in the same ballpark . People watching ....see above . There are many different factors to assess the overall popularity & soccer only gets high marks in one .
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"It is in front only on participation numbers ." That's a pretty important metric db. I'd almost go as far to say it's the most important metric of them all. After all, it's a sport and if no one is participating in it at an amateur level, then what's the point?
AZ_RBB
Guest
Oh yeah I agree there's no need for a new stadium. The point I'm making is in regards to the quality of the stadium.
AR
Guest
It's the most important point and also the most ignored -- need. Do we "need" a brand new 65k stadium in Sydney? Do we "need" (with AAMI Park barely 5 years old) a brand new 50k stadium in Melbourne? The answer is obviously, and overwhelmingly, no. I was shocked when I read proposals for SFS to be knocked down, and for a brand new $800M govt-funded stadium to be built across the road..!
db swannie
Guest
Lol .justin weren't you the one last yr claiming the Syd derby was the biggest rivalry in AUST sport .. As for Soccer . It is in front only on participation numbers . Crowds ...no Ratings LOLNo . Tv $$$. Lol no Sponsorship ..lol no . Please tell me how it is in front of Afl & RL in this country .
SVB
Guest
Brisbane Roar are in the unfortunate situation where they are in a city where RL/RU are the bigger sports, and because it is a one team town in all codes, a new smaller stadium will never be built. Suncorp suits the rugbies, however not so much the Roar for regular season games. Wellington have the same problem. Rugby loving city and only one adequate stadium (which is too big).
Mr Football
Roar Rookie
You need help.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
terrace and AZ, I'm not arguing anywhere that ANZ is a "great" stadium, but it IS an adequate one. I'd be as thrilled as anyone if the government announced a complete rebuild, making it a world class football venue. But, as Iangou says, it's going to take more than a simple "I'd like to be ever so slightly closer to the action" to justify the spend. But the author also talked about Suncorp being too big for Brisbane Roar. Wouldn't it be better to try and attract more people to games, rather than build a whole new stadium?
langou
Roar Guru
I think Epiquin's point still stands. For significant government funding to go into a stadium there needs to be a genuine need for a stadium. Wanting a better fan experience or wanting a better atmosphere is never going to cut it.
AZ_RBB
Guest
How many of the top European clubs play in stadiums like that? Out of the top 50 in Europe the only clubs I can think of are Roma, Napoli, Lazio and Hertha Berlin that play out of stadiums with athletic tracks. Even then these are fairly well designed stadiums with steep seating. With a handful of major events in Sydney this week, we're going to hear the usual "ANZ Stadium is great when it's full". Which is absolutely rubbish. If it was the only 80k+ stadium in the world then I wouldn't say anything. But anyone who follows world sport sees stadiums such as the Millennium in Cardiff, Bernabeu in Madrid, Old Trafford in Manchester and any of about 10 or 12 stadiums in the US which have a design and fan experience far superior to that of ANZ. The Olympics were great but it's left us with a pretty rubbish stadium. Olympics and World Cups both have this effect.