Two sell-out games confirm Arsenal will return sooner rather than later

Cheers, It was hard work in the RBB but an absolute determination to show up these event goers with their 1 week old jerseys saw us through.

From your response, I conclude that you don't even understand my point. Tens of thousands of what you call "events watchers" attended those two games: every last one of them was a person who liked football or they wouldn't have been there. Exactly the sort of people you keep saying should be cultivated - but now you're saying the A League doesn't need or want them. There's more than a bit of cognitive dissonance in your stance. You may not see it, but I sure do. Anyway, let's face it, you are only disagreeing with what I'm saying because I don't fit into your idea of a football fan. You aren't prepared to argue with people who are making the same point but have better football credentials than you do. In the end, you aren't arguing with what I'm saying, you're arguing with my right to say it.

So true, despite the fact Bonevacia did a reasonable job, we need a quality CAM and two wingers one of which should be Mark Bridge We were also missing Aspro who is on Olyroos duty plus Popa would have given Sotorio, Scott and Baccus Jnr a run. The starting lineup would have been ..........................Vedran Risdon......Cornthwaite....Aspro.....Clisby ........Baccus Snr......Melling Sotorio.........Bonevacia........Bridge ....................Scott (with Santalab injured) I hope you all realise the game was classed as an Arsenal home game.

@Northerner So, from your essay answer I can conclude You can't think of even one marketing strategy Sydney & WSW could have used. Tens of thousands of event-watchers will now be lost to ALeague. How dreadful. Hopefully, they can go to watch BBL, or go surfing, or watch AFLW. At least those of us who attend ALeague won't have to put up with paper planes at ALeague.

Nemesis: this is ridiculous. You say you don't understand the mentality of people who attend practice matches but don't attend the A League. Yet, a few lines up, you were talking about the A League trying to engage people who weren't A League fans but liked football. Now, you're backing away. Suddenly, just liking football in general isn't good enough. Cognitive dissonance at play? In the end, who cares whether you understand the mentality or not? Quite frankly, your lack of understanding isn't very relevant. You don't speak for football, and certainly not for the A League. People who actually have responsibility for growing football and especially professional football in this country have to understand that "mentality." They have to figure out how to bridge that gap between the generic football fan, the casual football fan, and the A League. They have to work out business and marketing strategies that reach out to the bigger football and sports-minded community. I doubt you will be part of that discourse. That you don't "get it" and probably never will, doesn't mean they shouldn't get it. They're the ones that count. Incidentally, I'm getting fairly tired of the personal attacks. If you can only dispute my point by attacking me as a non-fan, and not by pointing out where I'm wrong (and I notice, with some amusement, that you haven't dared to challenge some pretty well established fans who've made similar points) then you are simply going after me and not my argument. Classic ad hominem.

Oh hi conchie.

But as I said - and I thought you agreed - that's out of the clubs control. The best they can do is say yes when the overseas club comes calling - from then on its let them do their marketing thing and hope.

charming

Valhalla, your mother should've aborted you.

"My point was that the two Sydney teams could have done a better job of marketing their clubs to the people attending – you know – football games." Ok. I admit I do not understand the mind of the person who attends these practice matchs & doesn't attend ALeague. So, I'm willing to listen to your advice. Please list 5 things that Sydney FC & WSW could have done to better market themselves to the people attending? What do you anticipate each of the 5 marketing strategies would cost? And, what would be your forecast conversion rate if SydFC & WSW had done what you suggested? I'm ready to listen.

There you go with the logical fallacies again. As soon as you find yourself on shaky ground, you make up a straw man to knock down instead of addressing the actual point. "Growth will not come from converting people who hate Football." Who suggested marketing to football haters? My point was that the two Sydney teams could have done a better job of marketing their clubs to the people attending - you know - football games. And who, therefore, presumably do not hate football. And who, therefore, are precisely the people you say the A League should be marketing to. " ALeague hasn’t even scratched the surface of the existing football community." I believe that was precisely my point. It isn't progressing. Why hasn't it, and what can be done about it? Sitting back and just assuming that, if you wait long enough, it will all fall into place, is not a strategy. Not in business, not in life.

This is too funny. A bloke who doesn't have any interest in ALeague trying to lecture me about the ALeague. No. I don't think the clubs & FFA market the ALeague effectively. The biggest reason is because they've tried to market the competition to people who hate football, or have no interest in football. ALeague fans on this forum probably disagree on many many things. But, I think we all agree that the growth of the ALeague fanbase will come from people within the football community, who don't engage with ALeague. Growth will not come from converting people who hate Football. Once the ALeague can say they capture 75-85% of the football community, then we can set our sights on trying to win fans from the group of Aussies who hate football. Then, if we grab 85% of this group we can set our sights on trying to win fans from the group of Aussies who hate all sport. Different marketing strategies are need for different broad consumer groups: 1) People who love football; but don't watch ALeague 2) People who like sport and are willing to give football a try 3) People who hate sport. 4) People who hate football AFL & NRL can confidently say: "75-85% of people who love Aussie Rules & RL respectively have an AFL & NRL club" They've exhausted their existing market. That's why they need to convert people from outside their existing fanbase. ALeague hasn't even scratched the surface of the existing football community.

Let me repeat: "“I honestly don’t care what people outside the community want.” So, no market research to see how to grow the business. Not Business 101 for sure. Not even Lemonade Stand 005. And the rest of your argument equates to, "I'm all right Jack." Are you? Are you making the best beer you can with the ingredients you have? And are you marketing it in the most effective manner possible to the broadest range of potential clients? Do you even know the answer to either of these questions? If you're not doing both these things, and making sure you're doing both these things all the time, you fail both Business 101 and Marketing 101.

am i right in sensing a falling out of sorts amongst 'the roar' soccerina fanboys???

Why should the AFL get any sort of benefit from our sport? Photo-ops are just the AFL trying to feel like they matter outside of one-half of one country.

"I’ve never encountered a business that isn’t interesting in expanding its client base." I said: Keep existing fans happy. Then try to reach to potential new fans, but always ensure you never alienate existing fans. Existing customers are the best source new customers than any marketing campaign. If I sell beer, it's ridiculous to try to engage with people who hate beer or hate alcohol, or have tried my brand of beer but don't like it. Rather, I should market myself to people who love beer but don't buy my brand. Now some beer drinkers will only want to buy European brands & they'll never choose Aussie brands. Fine. I'm never going to convince them to change their attitude. But, if you're open to trying the local brand of beer, then give my product a try. But, I'm not going to change the way I brew my beer and risk alienating existing loyal customers to try to win over people who may never be loyal to my brand. Football is the product. ALeague is the brand. The ALeague clubs need to market their brand to people who love the product, but choose other brands.

You struggling today Valhalla, resorting to quoting Nemesis as if he speaks for all football & calling people names when unable to provide a worthy comment on the debate.

"I honestly don’t care what people outside the community want." That is most certainly not "Business 101." I've never encountered a business that isn't interesting in expanding its client base. I have, however, encountered a lot of civil servants that think the way you do.

I didn't cherry-pick the crowd figure. You introduced the crowds, I address that issue. You, like so many others in Australia, seem to have trouble understanding "sport" is not the same as "the elite competition". So, yes. Football has been around in this country as long as the other team ball sports. And, that's why the sport of football is the most popular in Australia. The only aspect of our sport that needs to be improved in terms of wider engagement are people sitting on couches watching ALeague on TV. The numbers in the stands for ALeague are fine. They're not great by AFL standards, but great by world football standards. I actually attend ALeague matches. So, I honestly don't care what people outside the community want. Keep existing fans happy. Then try to reach to potential new fans, but always ensure you never alienate existing fans. It's Business 101.

ask them what??? by the by ...... your brother in arms fuzzball has disparingingly labelled those who attend such games as event goers and not true sport fans .... wondering what value would there be in asking them, well, anything?