Until this A-League season’s plateau, there had been a healthy rise in memberships, crowd figures and newspaper headlines on the back of bumper marquee signings and a rejuvenated national side. Yet here we are again, four weeks into a campaign, and another franchise faces expulsion.
At Whitlam Square, words are speaking louder than actions.
League chief Damien de Bohun was preaching to anyone who was willing to listen that the game was in rude health on the eve of 2015-16.
“We’ve got a really clear ambition on football to be Australia’s largest and most popular sport and the role of the A-League in that context is to become the biggest competition in this country,” he said.
“A lot of people probably thought five or six years ago that was laughable but all of a sudden it’s no so laughable [sic].”
Since his appointment to the CEO hot seat in 2012, David Gallop’s rhetoric has been equally bullish.
“By the year 2020,” he explained to 3AW, “there will be 400,000,000 people playing football in Asia and we’re going to be part of it. It is a fact as the world gets smaller, football gets bigger.”
Much of this commentary irks followers and broadcasters within AFL and NRL circles, but won’t apply the same principle of modesty to their own backyard. There is nothing wrong with overselling the game, if anything football in Australia has lacked the conviction to believe in itself. What frustrates the life out of A-League supporters is the administration’s canny ability to score PR own goals at the most opportune moments.
Before long nobody will buy what the FFA is selling.
Putting the final death nail in the Nix’s coffin is a fresh black eye to the face of a competition beginning to heal from decades of blows. As it currently stands, the Wellington Phoenix are in stable financial hands and boast the best crowds on a per capita basis.
These might seem small crumbs of comfort when the numbers are being crunched, but forming a closed shop to euthanise the Phoenix one generalised media statement at a time is death by a thousand cuts. It beggars belief how the $4.9 billion Frank Lowy oligarchy can callously kill off the only professional football outfit in a market of four million people without offering pathways to success first.
If given the opportunity, the Wellington franchise could thrive under the right conditions. The vacuous bays of empty yellow seats at Westpac could be swapped for the wonderfully Kiwi-named Hutt Rec Stadium, a ground that places the crowd on top of the action and offers an intimate local setting akin to many smaller boutique stadiums in Britain.
Thinking longer term, the possibility of introducing a Christchurch franchise would invigorate the region and inject a whole different dimension to the A-League. We already have two quality case studies in Sydney and Melbourne in respect to derbies and the benefits they provide. When the city had a taste of the sport, they came in droves.
No wonder football fans remain pessimistic. Someone has to carry the can for the bad ratings and it seems the FFA have been waiting for an excuse to bump the New Zealanders out of the picture. Just another part of the world chewed up and spat out, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth and a legacy in tatters.
Hopefully for their sake the Phoenix will live up to their name and survive the axe, however the chances of this happening look next to non-existent. A lot of people probably thought five or six years ago the sport would be wise enough to avoid another club falling by the wayside. But all of a sudden it’s not so laughable.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"By the way, I have no problem that Australian sports fans enjoy a 10 club league with average attendances of around 12,000 to 13,000, with average ratings of around 60k on Fox, there are plenty of sports who would kill for those numbers." Yet, every day for the past 5 years I've been on this forum, you behave in the exact opposite. You do have a problem. You snipe. You ridicule. You attack. Why can't you leave us in peace to enjoy our low-quality, rubbish competition.... like football fans leave the Egg Ball fans in peace to enjoy their low quality, rubbish competitions?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"It beggars belief how the $4.9 billion Frank Lowy oligarchy can callously kill off the only professional football outfit in a market of four million people without offering pathways to success first." No. For me, what beggars belief are the ridiculous & ignorant comments & articles being written by people who are clueless about what the details of issues pertaining to this situation. Do I want the NIX in the A-League? YES Do I have all the information to make an informed decision about whether keeping the NIX in the A-League is good for the financial growth of A-League football? NO Do I have all the information to make an informed decision about whether keeping the NIX in the A-League will receive approval by AFC? NO What is it about 21st century society that people, who are completely ignorant about an issue, think they would do a better job than those who are: more experienced, have appropriate qualifications & have are fully briefed?
CG2430
Guest
Seriously are you twelve years old or what? Let me break it down... Attendances are not critical. While they are helpful, what matters most is the TV dividend and corporate support (and/or the willingness of the owner to 'invest' funds). NZ has a better economy, but its population is less than a quarter of Australia's - or less than Sydney's alone. If 5mil over an area as large as New Zealand could support the four teams you listed - big if - then 5mil contained within Sydney should be able to support Sydney FC, Western Sydney, and the hypothetical third team which the Phoenix are being sacrificed for. As to that 'big if', if New Zealand had any significant interest in football they'd probably have something more advanced than the New Zealand Football Championship (aka ASB Premiership). Furthermore, you're ignoring the obvious issue with yet another cross-confederation league. The Phoenix cause enough problems with the AFC as it is - no one is going to let a repeat happen. "Steal the A league sponsors"? HAHAHA! Oh sorry, you were serious. Yes, the A-League's sponsors are going to dump a 10 year old competition which has carved out a significant niche for some untried new initiative with 40% of the clubs based in a small country which cares not for football, born solely out of spite. Do you actually believe what you are writing? Speaking of which, who is going to pay to fly all of these small clubs - that's what they'd be compared to the A-League's current stock, ADL levels at best - from as far north as Townsville to as far south as Christchurch at least a couple of times a week? Qantas sponsors the FFA, Etihad sponsors Melbourne City, and Virgin clearly targets the business sector these days. Oh, and no one is boycotting Hyundai. The emotional, the unintelligent, and the Wellington supporters might be wound up and going off chops on social media, but the rest of us are just sitting back relatively quietly waiting for the FFA to make the sensible decision (officially anyway - the call has for all intents and purposes already been made). Clive Palmer's going broke if reports are to be believed - and he wouldn't care enough to bother anyway. Now even if you discount all of the above, the bread and butter of any professional sports competition these days is the TV deal. Who's paying to telecast your super fantastic A+ League? Sky Sport currently pays $180,000pa for the A-League, while New Zealand Football is probably giving them the NZ championship just to get it some exposure. Fox Sports pays not insignificant cash for the FFA's properties - between them and SBS its $40mil pa - so they're not forking out for your mickey mouse proposal. It's not even unfair on your club. The Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand football generally has benefited from the FFA's goodwill for far too long. You are only "not in financial trouble" because you are subsidised to the hilt by the FFA paying for everyone's travel - yours being far and away the greatest burden (and burdening every other team when they play you in Wellington or whevere else in New Zealand the travelling circus ends up that week) - yet you rate poorly on Australian TV and yield next to nothing in NZ TV rights (see above). Your club is a parasite to Australian football, a major gripe with the AFC - which the FFA needs far more than the AFC needs the FFA - and any use you had as a makeweight for the fifth match of the round expired when the FFA sorted out some half-decent alternatives which might one day develop a decent following that isn't dragging down the whole league and annoying the living daylights out of the confederation to which it belongs. You really should be grateful for the free ride Australian football has given you so far but instead you've decided to throw your toys out of the cot when we could prop you up no more. As such, any sympathy I had for your plight and the desperation which you've expressed on these pages has completely dissipated. In conclusion, your team is dead - deal with it.
Boban Fett
Guest
If empty seats at the ground is a problem why aren't Sydney FC, Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar in the firing line?
Mister Football
Roar Guru
When you go over the rhetoric of Gallop and De Bohun over the last couple of years, it sounds like the utterances of madmen - fair dinkum. It's now clear the emperor has no clothes. By the way, I have no problem that Australian sports fans enjoy a 10 club league with average attendances of around 12,000 to 13,000, with average ratings of around 60k on Fox, there are plenty of sports who would kill for those numbers. Just enjoy your sport and cut out the insane, absurd, unrealistic declarations.
Fido Rover
Guest
The Phoenix are not in financial trouble. The problem in NZ is other games are not broadcast which means the spirit of the whole league is not felt. This is one thing to address to help gates - even free broadcasts to Foxtel in NZ of Oz games. NZ has a better economy and health services, it can beat Oz if it organizes its football. First though start a league with teams that cant get in the A league. Lest call it the A+ league. Big sponsors are possible and we could have a league Phoenix, Auckand City Waikato, Christchurch Gold Coast, N Queensland South Melbourne , Sydney United, Canberra and Penrith. Steal the A league sponsors, direct route to world club competition and affiliate with Premier League. Get a contract with Stan etc Virgin, Air NZ Emirates. Campaign against Hyundai, stop going to current matches, stop your Foxtel. Start a new league fund. Parmer might be bloody minded to help. Lest just close down the FFA Packer style.
Ian
Guest
Feed Me! Like I said a per capita statement is correct. Whether or not it saves a club is a different argument. In this case the answer is no.
CG2430
Guest
So what? Sympathetic attitudes won't pay the bills. Also, New Zealand's total population is less than Sydney's (and dispersed over a far larger area) - some 'potential'.
CG2430
Guest
I agree - I was merely refuting the assertion.
Arnold kerwanty
Guest
Per capita! Who cares! The ccm owner has repeatedly stated that he needs 10k bums on seats for the club to make a profit on game day. After all the clubs decent performances for most season, Mariners obviously need to source $ from elsewhere because the locals obviously aren't interested in any significant way.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
"And per capita crowd analysis is as valid as any other analysis." Hi Ian! It's been too long compadre. Yes ok let me retract my statement.. And let me agree that Phoenix "boast the best crowds (read the fine print)". But you can't blame one for scoffing at nix boasting attendance, no matter which way said turd is buffed and perfumed. I take my hat off to their admin, their stellar work at running a tight ship, their character as a club, securing merrick and the subsequent building a of respectable squad, their attacking and entertaining style of football, their onfield potential to win the comp (they came within a whisker last season), hell, they even have IMO arguably the best strip in the HAL, they have so many things to boast about.,but attendance?.. Unfortunately all of these positives simply can't outweigh the negatives.. Shoot the messenger all you like.
Ian
Guest
Did you just write Horto Magiko meticulously analysed this article? And per capita crowd analysis is as valid as any other analysis. It is usually ridiculed by the biggest cities' clubs as on a per capita basis their crowds are lower. Whether or not the per capita argument keeps a club going is another thing.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
AR seriously, what are you doing here? Are you that bored? You hate football. The author has every opportunity to rebutt the points I have raised.. He doesn't need you as forum cop. This is serious business for people that have a stake in the game...and aside from you being irrelevant when it comes to discussing football as you're the furthest thing possible from a football fan, you're clearly yet again unable to address the relevant argument. Go back to trashing football. It's what you're good at.
Blake Hampton
Roar Rookie
It's no problem AR, welcome any comments - thats the beauty of this platform. Just delighted someone has taken the time to analyse the article very meticulously.
hog
Guest
Crowds per capita also depends upon access to markets, Central Coast may have better per capita, but seriously they do have Sydney on there doorstep. Likewise long term what potential could NZ support offer the Pheonix
AR
Guest
Horto, I'm not sure how old you are, but do you realise that you mock, belittle and name-call people with almost every post you make? You're entitled to your opinion of course, but a little civility can go a long way. Cheers.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
"As it currently stands, the Wellington Phoenix are in stable financial hands and boast the best crowds on a per capita basis." Bahahahaha. Oh wow just wow!!!! Are you seriously pedaling that tripe??? Wow I've now heard it all! Oh lord. Per capita lol "Frank Lowy oligarchy can callously kill off the only professional football outfit in a market of four million people without offering pathways to success first." And this kiddies is the dictionary definition of entitlement! Again wow oh wow. "Thinking longer term, the possibility of introducing a Christchurch franchise would invigorate the region and inject a whole different dimension to the A-League. " Wrong. Wrong. No. Nah. Two Phoenix's is NOT what the Australian domestic league needs. It needs more Australian clubs. "No wonder football fans remain pessimistic." He says whilst pedaling pro-nux, self entitled nonsense veiled in doom and gloom. Speak for yourself. Thanks for your concern about the future of Australian domestic football but we'll be fine. Second worst article.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
"it does appear they are sacrificing the Pheonix to suit there Sydney plans." Disagree. IMO they are finally righting a wrong. Replacing a foreign club, that offers nothing back, with an Australian club that will, and let me quote NZF, "form a key part of the football development pathway in this country and play a major role in supporting our international teams". Seems like a no brainer to me.
hog
Guest
They go down to 9 teams without the Pheonix, which i find surprising, as eventually you would want to expand to say 12 teams. Meaning they will eventually require 3 more teams, it does appear they are sacrificing the Pheonix to suit there Sydney plans. Agreed re: Westpac Stadium, this i believe is at the core of the problem. Total white elephant. And interesting fact regards per capita support.
CG2430
Guest
The Central Coast had better per capita crowds even last season, probably Newcastle too (depending on how you count the Jets' supporter base). http://www.ultimatealeague.com/records.php?type=att&season=2014-15 Of course, if we include the whole of New Zealand as Phoenix territory as you imply above, then they are obviously the worst on a per capita basis. As for finances generally, they provide nothing to the FFA that the southern Sydney team cannot while being a far greater burden than any Australian club except Perth - which the FFA has a responsibility to as an Australian team - with respect to travel costs. When you throw in the OFC issue, killing the Phoenix is the only decision the FFA could ever contemplate once they had another club lined up.