Brisbane Roar or Brisbane City? It’s a conundrum!

Goes without saying a lot of homework has to be done before City come in or any Brisbane team for that matter Queensland does seem to have a very large football partication base but an awful conversion rate into Roar fans, let alone rusted on ones who go to more than five games a season. This could play into City's favour, they look about a thousand times sharper than the Roar so they will surely engage this demographic which could make them more than viable I am still concerned though that this team would cannibalise the Roars fanbase if City don't galvanise the status of rhe ALeague here in QLD As for the non economic side this is where the FFA need to look outward. Personally I think a team from another QLD city is still the way to go, Gold Coast would be the logical choice and could work if managed better given its proven production line of good players and population but even NRL struggles there so who knows. North Queensland could be worth another look Ipswich is a city on the up but its proximity to Brisbane is a tricky one. Also I get the impression that a lot of the Roars most rusted on fans are based out in Ipswich. Brisbane itself doesn't have the tribalness required and seems to be too rugby dominated and competitive for a genuine derby. City and Strikers have shown they do have the plans to carve a niche for themselves which is encouraging but not my first choice Brisbane fans live in every corner of Brisbane and a North vs South divide is more banter than anything. Having said this I have lived on the Northside now InnerSouth and they are different

Brisvegas I agree Brisbane isn't a tribal city with a genuine divide within the city. A derby could work but it wouldn't get close to the Sydney vs Western Sydney derby because it lacks that divide and hatred. One thing the Strikers' big has is that there seems to be genuine hatred between Strikers and Hollandia Inala (now Brisbane Roar) Brisbane fans are very spread out, probably the most concentrated in the south-western suburbs but I know Roar fans live in every corner of Brisbane and all over QLD

Hi Waz, I have seen you mention the weather issues surrounding Ballymore more than a few times since the BCFC news broke. Is it not reasonable to expect that any initial upgrades to Ballymore are done with reduction of weather element issues in mind? I.e A roof over the hill and extension to grandstand awnings. This seems like the first logical step, especially if the upgrades are to be modest and the issues are as problematic as you suggest.

@Waz I take it you've got a copy of the bid document? Is it possible to share the contents in an article, or are you bound by Confidentiality Agreements?

There is nothing wrong with being Italian, I love many things Italian, football, food. When they are representing Brisbane, yes absolutely they need to loose their Italian colours and take on Brisbane's.

What the hell is wrong with the Italian identity? Would you have boca juniors Ditch their Italian identity, Celtic their Irish?

Hey Jordan, I've noticed an increase too, which I think may be attributed to John Aloisi who seems more proactive in the media than others before him. New Corp is still the parent company that owns the bulk of shares in the Broncos (being publicly listed), and they own the Courier Mail. They're obviously always going to protect their investment and make sure any opposition stays a safe distance behind. That's why I'd like to see the Roar, and A League, have a much bigger presence on line, streaming and anything they can do to promote themselves outside the established mainstream media.

The Courier Mail certainly play their part in promoting Rugby League, but the other side of the coin is that they print what sells. Its very much a cyclical situation. If and when the Roar, Bris City and football in general become big (bigger) news, I expect that football will get their fair share of coverage. I for one am very excited about the position football is in after only 11 of the HAL, and the outlook in the next 5 to 10 years for football in Australia. I read the sport sections of the Courier and the SMH every day and I have noticed a gradual increase in coverage in those papers. The Today show seems to have picked up their coverage of football also I've noticed.

The Broncos have got it wrapped up, that's for sure Jordan. News Limited connection helps, with the Courier Mail giving saturation coverage all year. I don't recall a day in the past ten years where the Broncos haven't featured in the CM and in the Sports report of all the local news bulletins on TV & radio. Still no reason for Roar not getting coverage though, and not getting better crowds as they don't compete directly most of the season.

It will be a long, slow slog for Roar to lift their attendances to what could be deemed as excellent. I go to the odd Broncos game and they get 30-35 on average which makes for a good atmosphere despite only being not much over half full, and rugby league also lacking the singing/banners of football. The Broncos are an institution and it has taken them 30 years to get to that stage. Being that football crowds are a lot louder/atmospheric due to the singing/chanting, you might say that only 25,000 rather than 30,000 on average every single game is required to be deemed as excellent for the Roar. That is about double what Roar are getting right now. So a new stadium being built for the Roar is not on the cards right this second. But the North Queensland Cowboys are getting a new stadium, the NSW Government are in the process of doing up many of theirs. Perth are putting the finishing touches on their newie. Who knows what stadia might be built by ambitious HAL expansion teams (especially those with Chinese investors). Stadiums do get built in Australia seemingly and we keep hearing from local politicians that Brisbane is developing in to a world city so maybe just maybe it'll happen one day. Add that Brisbane Live project at Roma St in to the mix and who knows (not that I've heard much about that lately). So while the Roar can and should keep chipping away at increasing crowd numbers as their history develops, I'm be willing to bet that the a new stadium presents itself before Roar start achieving consistent 25,000 crowds. That just seems an absolute mile off. It is with this line of thinking that I come to the conclusion until Roar moves to a more appropriate sized venue, they will never be able to reach their full potential. In an ideal world all A-League teams reach the potential of football and pack in their current mostly oversized stadiums but I don't see this happening any time soon.

Waz, you are the first person I have heard say that this bid from BCF has holes in it. Those who have seen the bid (have you?) have all said it's very good, that other clubs should adopt their model. You gave me a good laugh anyway, especially as I recall a post from you a while back complaining about wet seats at Suncorp, and as Roar has been paying rent at Ballymore, well sometimes, for quite a number of years now. Still, the question remains (as I asked below) - is Roar doing enough to attract decent crowds to Suncorp? I think we've shown that it's not just about results.

"I haven’t seen the bid document but doubt it would have vague words like that" ... it's very vague. It talks about a consortium but only one name is mentioned, Cav's. "You’re making out that they’ll be running the show" ... no I'm not, I have never said that. Never. It has been referenced several times in news reports that they are linked to the bid that's all and Cav and those guys were in the same consortium trying to buy Roar last winter. I'll try and find links for you but seriously, if there is a consortium why don't they just name the members why the secrecy? "much better than them pouring their $ into netball and rugby" .... that's ironic, FCBC will be pouring money into Rugbys coffers by renting Ballymore. "I haven’t been to Ballymore since 1969" ... well you should go, the sun will beat down on afternoon games and if it rains 75% of fans will get very wet. People complain about the sun/rain at Suncorp so Ballymore is going to be harsh in the wrong weather. Football in this city deserves a strong solid team, City might be it but right now their proposal has a few holes in it that's all. And why City and Roar can't get together and lobby the government for a dedicated soccer stadium? Any future redevelopment of Ballymore will create a great stadium owned by Rugby - have we as a code not learnt anything over the past decade? We need our own facilities not to be renting someone else's - a condition if redevelopment will likely include a long term rental agreement from BCFC ruling out the building of a soccer stadium in this city for another generation. To me that will be criminal. I'm not hostile to City's bid, or Strikers for that matter, they are the only two teams that can make a go if it imo. But that does not put their bids beyond critique

I really can't see Roar seeking a geographic identity, other than QLD. They have too much to lose. I think fans would laugh if they started to market themselves as a south side team with their move to Logan (Football Brisbane's there too aren't they?). Maybe they'll move from Suncorp one day, but again I can't see that any time soon. I like Suncorp, it's always been the best venue in Australia, but it has many downsides when mostly empty. Roar has to lift its crowd figure, they have no other option. It can be done but are they going about it the right way?

Waz The press release that I've read has no mention of "former Roar owners". You can read it on the BCFC website. If you've seen it written somewhere else can you give us a link, I'm keen to see it. I haven't seen the bid document but doubt it would have vague words like that. I might add that I definitely hope those two local business get involved again and sponsor any new team in QLD, much better than them pouring their $ into netball and rugby. You're making out that they'll be running the show and I'm challenging you on that. I haven't been to Ballymore since 1969 when I sat on the southern touchline in a rugby test v SAF. But in time, I see Ballymore giving Brisbane a great football experience, even the food of trucks (ever been to Eat Street?).