Tickets are flying out the door and the latest Johnny Warren Medal winner will line up for the hosts, but will the Allianz Stadium pitch ruin the spectacle of Sunday’s A-League grand final?
For all the A-League’s issues – and we have to admit it has a few – next Sunday’s grand final represents another showpiece occasion for our game.
You’d better get in quick if you’re keen to buy tickets in the public sale, given that members have already sold out several bays and the visitors are expected to bring a record travelling contingent.
Meanwhile, the Sky Blues officially possess the best player in the game in the form of Milos Ninkovic, after the Serbian playmaker won the Johnny Warren Medal last night.
Ninkovic is the sort of player fans wax lyrical about in Europe, and his skills will no doubt be appreciated by a restlessly sold-out Allianz Stadium crowd of more than 42,000 on Sunday.
The majority of fans will be wearing sky blue for Sydney FC’s first home grand final since the inaugural A-League season – although, as always when Melbourne Victory are in town for a major clash, there’ll be a wall of navy blue at one end of the ground as well.
The stage is set for Australian football’s showpiece event and the sheer interest in the game – as evidenced by the amount of column inches it will generate this week – proves once again that the A-League grand final stirs the imagination like no other fixture.
Why, then, should we be worried about the pitch?
Lost amid the controversy of last Saturday’s two VAR decisions was the fact that the Allianz Stadium pitch was not exactly worthy of hosting a semi-final.
You could argue it was hardly worth hosting a football game of any kind – and it’s been that way for the entire second half of the season.
Perhaps the biggest concern for fans of the round-ball game is not the fact that the Allianz Stadium pitch is forever blighted by rugby league markings, crater-sized divots and bare patches of turf merely spray-painted green.
No, what surely rankles more is the fact that the SCG Trust – which administers Allianz Stadium – seemingly couldn’t care less.
A quick look at the board of trustees arguably reveals why. It includes the chairman of a current AFL club, the former chairman of another AFL club, a former News Corp chairman with long-standing links to rugby league, a former Wallabies coach and another former Wallabies player, and two ex-Australian international cricketers, among others.
Is there a dedicated football fan among them? Of course not.
So why should the SCG Trust care that one of its major tenants – one that routinely draws bigger crowds than either of its stadium co-tenants the Sydney Roosters and New South Wales Waratahs – plays on a pitch that is barely fit for purpose?
And when said team has the potential to draw fans away from rival codes… well, you don’t have to connect the dots.
Still, if Sydney FC didn’t want to share a multi-purpose venue used heavily by other codes, then perhaps it’s time they invested in a stadium of their own.
That’s easier said than done in a city boasting some of the highest property prices in the world, while Sydney FC’s reclusive Russian owner David Traktovenko would probably point to his hometown club Zenit Saint Petersburg as proof of everything that can go wrong with a new stadium build.
So it is that we’re left with a stadium that spends plenty of time and money on ground maintenance, only to undo all of that hard work by hosting Coldplay concerts on the playing surface.
Here’s hoping the pitch plays better than it did in the semi-final, and the likes of Ninkovic and James Troisi can showcase their stuff on a decent surface.
The A-League deserves it. Not because we love football, but because this is one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
saul
Guest
Start and Sign a petition online for Sydney FC to move to Leichardt oval instead, you can start one up at Ipetitions for free
Sydneysider
Guest
"Sydney FC as a tenant brings the biggest crowds to that stadium each year while also providing a tenant through the summer months when the stadium would be sitting idle otherwise. In spite of that they are always and continuously shafted with the surface provided on game day as soon as the Super Rugby and NRL seasons kick off in February each year. The Waratahs will be lucky to get 10K through the turnstiles and will tear the surface up beyond repair which is a massive disappointment for the biggest A-League game of the year." That is a question for the SCG Trust board: http://www.sydneycricketground.com.au/about-us/governance/trustees/ Interesting group of people. No football people on there which is a shame as the other main sports are represented: eg. Rugby league - John Hartigan, Katie Page Cricket - Steve Waugh, Nihal Gupta, David Gilbert, Stuart McGill Rugby - Phil Waugh, Alan Jones, Rod McGeoch AFL - Tony Shepherd, Richard Colless Might want to ask those people as to why they haven't invested in better turf at the SFS.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
I posted this in another thread: People in better positions than me might be able to answer this question: Why has the SCG Trust overlooked the turf problems at Allianz Stadium and not investigated options for a better quality/type/mix of grass and synthetic similar to what AAMI Park in Melbourne has? Same goes for Suncorp in Brisbane. Sydney FC as a tenant brings the biggest crowds to that stadium each year while also providing a tenant through the summer months when the stadium would be sitting idle otherwise. In spite of that they are always and continuously shafted with the surface provided on game day as soon as the Super Rugby and NRL seasons kick off in February each year. The Waratahs will be lucky to get 10K through the turnstiles and will tear the surface up beyond repair which is a massive disappointment for the biggest A-League game of the year.
valhalla
Guest
as are your tedious efforts
Ken Spacey
Guest
Isn't Netball a direct competitor now? So why are AFL in particular helping the existing power in Women's sport by running Netball clubs? Or would that raise the difficult question of whether their interest in AFLW is not as altruistic and noble as they make it seem? Maybe reducing the flow on effect of participation via strong women's numbers that in turn direct more kids to a certain sport? How do the AFLW players looking for more money next year feel about the netty girls getting AFL cash?
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
Shows how little skills the other codes possess to be able to put up with such a muddy dinosaur paddock like that every week. We just have to put up with it just like we always do. I've got my tickets and I will be there to see the greatest football team in Australia take hold of the Golden Toilet Seat yet again.
valhalla
Guest
slowing down might benefit your hyperventilating on all matters afl
Sydneysider
Guest
Yeah I understand that Apaway BUT it would solve the major problem of having a stadium too big for SFC's requirements. The long term average for SFC home games is 16,000. A 20,000 all seater would suit them for the majority of their home games (except for the Wanderers and probably Melbourne Victory matches which could be played at the SFS). The stadium would also be good for their youth teams, W-League team and their NPL affiliated clubs like APIA Leichhardt. So basically 10 home games per season at a 20,000 all seater refurbished stadium. 4 home games at the SFS (much like the arrangement that Melbourne Victory have with Etihad and AAMI Park).
apaway
Roar Guru
Sydneysider That wouldn't solve the Grand Final problem, as a 20,000 seat venue is not nearly big enough to host a Grand Final.
brian drian
Guest
Hi Stevo, I emailed Patrick Effeny several times about tr0lls last year. He told me that he had warned and then banned several of them. Perhaps another concerted email effort from several people is required to achieve the same outcome. In the meantime we can be happy knowing they are so worried about the threat of football to their insignificant parochial sports that they spend their precious time posting puerile nonsense.
apaway
Roar Guru
Oh, Martyn, how predictable. If you read the article, you'd discover that Sydney FC regularly outdraws its co-tenants from the rugby codes and cricket isn't even played at the stadium in question. Run along now...
punter
Guest
Please change the record. All your comments are on repeat!!!!
saul
Guest
All I can say is that the FFA has once again embarrassed us
SmithHatesMaxwell
Guest
Don't complain then about the quality of the surface. If you're not prepared to book the ground for the weekend then don't complain about it being a little chopped up.
Cameron
Roar Guru
On regards to your first sentence. It's not possible.
SmithHatesMaxwell
Guest
Book the ground out for the weekend of the 5th-7th of May if you don't want other codes chopping up your precious surface (not that A-League teams play high-quality, aesthetically pleasing soccer that needs a smooth surface). The A-League should be their own stadiums if they don't like sharing and can't afford to book a stadium for an entire weekend. Soccer has known for over 6 months that their would be a Super Rugby match on Saturday night. Make alternative plans.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Adelaide Oval may not be the home ground of the Red's however it is bit of a stretch to call it neutral. I seem to recall a slight crowd bias.
R King
Guest
Sorry Mike, but last years Grand-Final was played at a neutral Venue [Adelaide Oval] not quite a sell out but 51k was still a good size crowd. In my humble opinion the team that wins the rights to host the GF should play at their home ground, regardless of the condition of the pitch or the size of the venue. But alas we can't have it both ways. The FFEA [Football Federation of Eastern Australia] owns the rights to the Final Series so in fact, they can play it where and when they want to, anywhere they can make the most money.
Hunter
Guest
If the surface does end up being atrocious it will be a major embarrassment for the SCG trust. Maybe it will force future fixtures to be moved in the lead up to finals? Gotta look for the positive.
AR
Guest
"i wonder if there would be the same level of resigned acceptance if the afl had declined to move its fixture to accomodate the needs of a direct competitor." Actually, we've seen that movie already...twice. First during our spectacular WC Bid. I won't rehash it. And more recently when Damien de Bohun forgot to book a venue for the ALeague Grand Final. AFL's fault? Oooh yeah.