Victory avoid FFA Cup embarrassment

Those numbers are not bad considering that the majority of those teams are clubs that must be ranked well into the hundreds, possibly thousands, in terms of club football around the world. We know you don't like football Martyn, so how about you choose your favourite sport, find some equivalently ranked clubs - you know, teams ranked maybe 400th or 500th in the world, or below - get along to their games and tell me how many people they're getting.

Yawn!!!!

Hope that we get more at the Irag game on Thursday than the FFA games 2,472 30/08/2016 FFA Cup: Melbourne Knights v Green Gully Knights Stadium 2,616 30/08/2016 FFA Cup: Edgeworth FC v Western Sydney Wanderers Magic Park 2,651 30/08/2016 FFA Cup: Perth Glory v Sydney FC Dorrien Gardens 3,168 30/08/2016 FFA Cup: Devonport City v Bentleigh Greens Valley Road Ground

Isn't it great the effort from the NPL teams in the Magic of the FFA Cup. They have caused some upsets and are very competitive against the out of season A-League teams. All goes well for the future of our young up and coming players, a couple have been signed for A-League youth and senior squads already.

excellent

lol, what an angry post. "As someone who actually watches NPL football week in week out" .... you're not the only one! "go back to 2005 in the aftermath of the NSL, in Victoria for example those state league teams would wipe the floor with the current sides in NPL Victoria" .... you're probably right. The state leagues in 2005 were probably of a higher standard because of the relative playing strengths inherited from the NSL. But I wasn't comparing that far back. "the very notion that one off games in a knock out comp has an impact on football quality ..." ..., here I disagree strongly with you. This was really the point of my post, pre-FFA Cup the decline after the nsl imploded at state league level continued for several years (others can argue for how long and why but it seems widely accepted it did). The focus the FFA cup "one off games" provided helped clubs with motivation and focus - something lacking post 2005. And while I'm not going to argue they've exceeded 2005 I think the focus the cup games provides is having the desired effect. At least two clubs I know intimately had the Cup as a focus for training early in preseason, that's where it has an impact plus games being televised, long range goals going viral, even Ingham bouncing back provides that individual and team incentive lacking post 2005. So I retain my original point, for a variety of reasons the FFA cup is helping to improve the NPL / measured through the cup games themselves, watching the NPL each season and taking with clubs themselves. Feel free to disagree.

And good news on Fox ratings as well, just tweeted: "What a night for the 64,000 who tuned into @FOXFOOTBALL. Our highest broadcast figure outside of the two @FFACup Finals. #MagicOfTheCup"

Oh, and in no way to I ever expect a second Brisbane team to come in. It will be the Roar or what ever they morph into that will be the only national representative for Brisbane for a long time.

The North South divide may not be as strong as before but it is still there and is I am not saying one team should be based in Logan and one in the city. Logan is not big enough to host a national club team on its own. One team should claim the north side up to the Sunshine coast and one the south side down to the Goldy and out to Ipswich.

classic

As someone who actually watches NPL football week in week out, I can definitely tell you its bullshit that there are improvements at that level. If you go back to 2005 in the aftermath of the NSL, in Victoria for example those state league teams would wipe the floor with the current sides in NPL Victoria. The game has gone backwards, no only on the field but off the field. Anyway the very notion that one off games in a knock out comp has an impact on football quality or can be taken as a water proof example of improvement is just absurd and illogical.

Hmmm, maybe that says more about your personality?

Hay Waz, I first came to Brisbane in the mid 60s as a teen, and lived on the north side but played for a south side club, and let me assure you, it was more than a bridge thing. We hated them and I was a traitor.

I agree JB. And with Kosmina's comments. Though I think City had 72% possession, that is huge, they certainly didn't show it. The penalties were deserved totally but it's a bit of a shame it was 2 penalties that proved the difference, or shows the less experience in making those Lucas type tackles in the box. Bruno can put away those penalties very well ..though the Strikers keeper I thought had a reasonable match though not having much action in the first half and through general play. The 'striker' Meredith had a good couple of chances though I thought he wasn't hitting the ball with a lot of power - not enough anyway to trouble a quality keeper like Sorensen.

Waz - "people therefore hated going to the opposite side but for no other reason than it was a pain in the ass" CLASSIC

Agreed Rellum, there's a long standing N-S divide in Brisbane although it has faded in recent years, since the Broncos came along really. Roar has just moved back north, to Ballymore, but I think the one to watch is a potential 2028 Olympics bid. Brisbane and a few local councils are budgeting to study the feasibility - remember, Brisbane bid twice before it went to Sydney 2000. Imagine if it came off, the possible stadium outcome. I'm thinking several decent 10 to 20 k seat stadiums, Perry Park, Ballymore and in the park complex from Ballymore to Spencer Park, Logan or Cleveland would all be in the mix. Dreams, we're nothing without them.

lol. That's historical based on there being only two bridges over the river in the past .... people therefore hated going to the opposite side but for no other reason than it was a pain in the ass. That's different to the east v west divide you see in Sydney. However I think your logic is sound on location - Roar in the city and a team in Logan might have a chance.

There is a very traditional divide, you come from either North or South of the river. Either the Strikers who have been based in Logan or the Roar who I believe moved there recently could claim either side of the city.

I moved overseas shortly after Victory won their first Premiership and Championship double when they were the only team in Melbourne. Living overseas I must say I couldn't see anything about Heart that would create a rivalry for football fans in Melbourne. Now that I've resettled in Melbourne I'd assumed I would buy a Victory membership but Cahill may have changed all that. My young daughter has been a huge fan of Tim Cahill since he was at Everton and she definitely is now a Melbourne City fan and will soon get a shirt with "17 Cahill". Now that City Football Group has taken ownership of Melbourne City I think there's a real opportunity for Melbourne City to aim to be capture the football fans who want to watch celebrity players. If CFG are willing to provide unlimited funds, they could recruit up to 3 big name celebrities each season.

Fair enough. You seem to know a lot about what is happening in Queensland football. But I really love the name Brisbane Strikers, as well as their history and stadium they play out of. I hope they get a spot in the A-league. If I was living in Brisbane they would be the type of team I would follow over Brisbane Roar. No offence meant ;)