Leave it to a coach who will one day be renowned as one of Australia’s greatest to sum up a fundamental problem with the way we approach football in this country.
The major story from the Socceroos’ win over Greece on Saturday night wasn’t the scoreline, it was the state of the pitch.
And Football Federation Australia has compounded the problem by scheduling the second game of the series at Etihad Stadium.
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Mind you, even if the Socceroos played at AAMI Park on Tuesday night, they’d still encounter a pitch churned up by a game of rugby league a few nights before.
Postecoglou was right to label the pitch embarrassing in the wake of Australia’s 1-0 win over the Greeks.
“We’ve got an international team here that we’re hosting and we’re supposed to be the sporting nation of the world and we keep throwing around these pitches,” thundered our national coach.
“I can tell you what the Greek players were saying when they were coming off the pitch, but they’re too polite to say otherwise. But I’m embarrassed, as coach of our national team, that’s what we dish up.”
We should be embarrassed – but the trouble is it’s generally only football people who care.
The FFA marketers charged with getting fans through the gate and the state governments paying top dollar to attract international fixtures appear to give little thought to the quality of spectacle on display.
Why else would they schedule fixtures in venues practically designed to ensure passing football is impossible?
Whether it’s the cricket square at Adelaide Oval or the effects of State of Origin on the ANZ Stadium surface, it’s hard to remember the last time the Socceroos played on a pristine pitch on home soil.
Given the sizeable contingent of Greek fans in Sydney and Melbourne, it made sense to host the two fixtures against the 2004 European champions in Australia’s two biggest cities.
But should commercial reasons always come into consideration? Especially when they seem designed to maximise the amount of fans inside the stadium supporting the away team?
Why couldn’t one of the games against Greece have been played in south-east Queensland, where none of the Brisbane Broncos, Queensland Reds or Gold Coast Titans were at home this weekend?
Difficult as it is to plan international dates months in advance, the Socceroos can’t go on playing second fiddle to domestic footy codes forever.
If Destination NSW insists that our vital World Cup qualifier against Japan is played in Sydney – citing a recent agreement to secure at least 11 international fixtures over the next five years – then FFA should counter with a clause demanding that the pitch is up to international standards.
Or better yet, Frank Lowy could dig deep into his pockets – not for the first time, it must be said – and fund the building of a national stadium for the Socceroos.
The Westfield chairman might point to the A-League or even the Asian Cup as his legacy, but what better way to leave a tangible reminder of his contribution to the game than by building a national home for football?
And while spending someone else’s money might be an easy thing to do – and with an estimated net worth of more than $7 billion, it’s not an insignificant amount to spend – we need to start getting serious about the sort pitches our national teams play on.
Otherwise we’re left to rue one of the most frustrating aspects of watching football in Australia – the fact that government agencies, stadium operators and even some fans view the sport as something merely to be enjoyed between State of Origin and the next big AFL blockbuster.
In a week in which Postecoglou railed against our inferiority complex, the fact the Socceroos can’t play on a decent pitch at home is surely the biggest slight of all.
Matthew
Guest
Maybe thats the issue. The fact that states have to effectively bid or they get nothing.
yop
Guest
So true. It was the dinosaurs who held us back
Bob Brown
Roar Guru
I don't hate anyone. A lot of bitter and twisted personalities on here, trying to put the boot into football. The real football that is, not MeIbourne RuIes.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
With the sort of views that you hold i am betting you are not an international tourist, if you could follow, that was what this convo was about.
Post hoc
Guest
an example of a person that goes to melbourne and doesn't attend an AFL match, I thought it was obvious but, if you need me to talk slower i will.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
Yep, you sure are a great example of ......... Hmmm, not much really.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
Well i personally haven't been to AFL games elsewhere than Melbourne and Perth, but it happens everywhere.
Post hoc
Guest
If you don't watch 'soccer' why are you on a football Tab talking about it. I don't watch AFL so therefore I don't go on the AFL tab and talk about it.
Post hoc
Guest
Ive been to Melbourne about 30 times in my life, Perth about 12 and adelaide twice, I have never been to an AFL game. Been to cricket in Perth, Football in Melbourne and ice hockey in Melbourne, Ice Skating in Brisbane.
Post hoc
Guest
who owned the land prior to Etihad stadium being built?
AR
Guest
" but AFL for example brings few external tourists in and does bugger all to increase awareness of Brand Australia." This discussion has clearly gone way off topic... ...but, indulging your claim about sports and national branding... does Sumo do bugger all to increase awareness of Brand Japan by virtue of the fact that it's not an internationally-played sport? Does American Football do bugger all for Brand USA? What about Hurling from Brand Ireland? It's arguable those sports do *more* for those countries' brand.
AR
Guest
"I never said the SOO of Origin should not have been played, or moved, or anything like that :) . It’s a matter of sorting it out." I'm sorry but what does "sort it out" mean? Origin - arguably the biggest event each year on the NSW sporting calendar - was booked several months *before* the Socceroos friendly. So if you say Origin shouldn't be moved, but you want things "sorted out", it presumably mean you think the friendly should have been moved or rescheduled..? It sounds like we agree on something.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
marron but the model is there - share a community asset with other sports, put in one-sixth of the cost yourself, and you can have better facilities or go down the Etihad route where you seek out 100% private money, build whatever you want, but be prepared to schedule at least 40 games per year there (with an average attendance of at least 20k), if you want the stadium to be used exclusively for soccer. But all I read whenever these discussions come up is that the taxpayer should just give soccer a big stadium for their sole use just like that - and they complain about the AFL stadiums - but absolutely none of them have been given to the AFL by government for their sole use. Going back to the Etihad model, and just to demonstrate how difficult it is to get your own stadium, even if you could schedule 40 games per year at an average attendance of 20,000, that's 800,000 patrons per annum, or something like $40 million in annual turnover, by the time you subtract operating costs and interest, you'd be lucky to have paid $2 million off the debt (which might be as large as $500 million). It's a big, big ask - very difficult - for soccer to be able to do it, might need three Sydney A-League clubs playing out of the one stadium - that's the only way soccer could pay for it - but would soccer fans go for that? Of course not.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
"I think it is actually you who has the inferiority complex Mike." And yet it was Ange Postecoglou who claimed he was "embarrassed" by the pitch on Saturday night.
Neil
Guest
The Australian government put the money up to host the worlds biggest or second biggest sporting event on earth it was not for Australian football, unfortunately we tried at a time when corruption was rife in the international organisation, the money was not for the local game. Add to that the road blocks AFL and others put in place, the bid was probably doomed from the start but I emphasize the money was not for the local game or the FFA. AFL attracts from all level of government the highest level of tax payer funded largess out of the four football codes and I can not see that changing any time soon because of their political clout and good luck to them. FIFA has never done Australian football any favours so I am pleased to see the shake up at a international level. The game here at a professional level has punched way above its weight with limited resources. The game is trying to improve to be more competitive internationally but the roadblocks put in place by others which do not need to be articulated are astounding and friends of mine overseas find it strange that lengths some go to make sure the local game does not succeed here when they have nothing to fear from the codes success.
Punter
Guest
Japan, a country who I think is about 10 years ahead of us in football development, they have produced some wonderfully gifted players like Honda, Endo & Karawa, we also saw the silky skills of Ono in the A-League & yet we have never seen a striker of note.
Kaks
Roar Guru
And yet, some will demand it.
Punter
Guest
JB, 40 years of watching football in this country, we have only had 1 great striker (not that great at goal scoring for Australia) in Viduka & a very good one in Aloisi, the rest would be no better then what we have now. So strikers are not falling out of trees in Australia. We have to patient, we have to make do with what we have.
Neil
Guest
JB is correct and I recall they watered the pitch so long before the game, it is a wonder it did not flood.
j binnie
Guest
Punter - And?????????. Yes we have been around a long time but that does not alter the fact that at this point in time,in fact since the last World Cup, our team play has progressed but the question has to be, to where?.Sure we are playing an "attractive" brand of football ,no doubt,but the word "attractive" is a thought in the mind of the beholder and I ,after all these years of viewing, cannot ever get away from the thought that a "successful" team has to score goals if it is to be successful. Your mentioning of recognised scorers from other sources only highlights what I am saying,we lack a real striking force at the moment and to be honest it worries me that for the last few seasons in out top league,the HAL ,the scoring charts have been dominated by players who at this time are not eligible to play for the Socceroos,proving again that our main clubs are looking elsewhere for answers to that problem. AP cannot do that,he has to make do with what we have produced,but that again is another story is it not?. Cheers jb.