Arnold to look at Sydney's slow starts

Not sure where Bossi is getting his figures from or why he would write an article like that. A-League attendance avge 2017/18 so far – 16,528 A-League attendance avge 2016/17 – 12,294, includes finals series. Increase over last season +34.45%.

That's not how it works for a Melbourne Derby. Home team members have seats already as part of Membership. If Victory were to play its home Derby match at AAMI Park, it's likely City would get 0 allocation. AAMI Park Capacity = 30k MV members = 25k Corporate ticket allocation = 5k

Rick, I enjoy reading many of your posts and the passionate responses you elicit from a number of regular contributors on the site...I get a good laugh from all the baiting but rarely rise to it myself. However, even I am surprised by your summation of the game on Saturday night. Like you, I arrived late and watched Riera head in on the screen outside. I sat in bay 37 along the Eastern terrace. There were four bays along there that were overwhelmingly WSW supporters but it went very sky blue beyond there. The Western bays were pretty well blue through and through although the two nearest the RBB were fairly WSW orientated. Definitely more home and than away fans as I would expect. The southern end (RBB) didn't shut up except for half time and although we could hear there was noise from the cove, we couldn't hear anything as it was very noisy down our way. As for the football. First half to WSW and the second half to SFC surely? It was a cheap penalty to get sucked into and the defending wasn't good for Brilliante's equalizer but Simon should have headed home a winner towards the end and in the last 5 minutes plus 5 minutes stoppage time Wanderers looked to me as though they were hanging on and Sydney were making all the running. Some of Sydney's tactics and argumentative nature was irritating but they came back like the champions they currently are. However, they didn't have it all their own way and in three games so far this year there is nothing to suggest they will dominate the competition in the way they did last year but perhaps we have to wait a bit longer before really passing judgement on them?

Sometimes I do wonder about you!!!! As a football fan, after the SFC season ticket holders got their tickets, you would know they would then allow the away fans to purchase their allocated lot, now after that tickets would be made available to football fans first via either the clubs special purchases, so thinking all of SFC already has theirs, most would go to WSW fans. then it would be open to the public. Sometimes I wonder.

That doesn't make sense. It's a Sydney FC home match, so every Season Ticket holder for Sydney FC should have a seat at the match. I think Sydney has around 15,000 members this year so that means at least 15,000 fewer seats for WSW fans at a Sydney home game.

Both sets of fans are in Sydney for derbies and have the same access to the Stadium. The derbies at ANZ Stadium are the same and good representation at both ends. That's what makes the derbies special. The great distances between A-League teams hinders the attendances, especially when you have teams like Wellington playing Perth.

I'd agree with most of that. Every team has a bad day though, but from what I've seen (and yes I do watch some of the A-league despite what I say) the Wanderers have more appeal about them. Take that as a compliment from someone like me too.

Hehe.

But my opinion is far more valued than everyone else. It is fact.

Which is a shame because the A-League is a good stepping stone competition. Just look at Matty Ryan and Aaron Mooy in the EPL. Both are doing well. Mat Leckie is playing regularly in the Bundesliga and Nick Ansell is getting game time in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. We need a strong vibrant exciting A League where everyone can come and enjoy during the summer months. Without the A League, the national team will struggle to qualify for world cups. It is essential that the FFA promotes the comp, rather than neglecting it.

Slow start or not ,Sydney FC under Arnie seem to have a knack of appearing to not be doing much at all, then suddenly Arnie sends them a telepathic message " Well about time we had a goal, here's what to do, I think its Bobo's turn". Same last season, maybe like Aladdins magic lamp all that head rubbing Arnie does is a magic telepathic signal.

These warning signs have been there for the last 3 years. FFA have ignored them and now are concentrating on survival. Things need to change, hopefully they do in the next few months. The lack of marketing and promotion has been disgraceful. FFA are lucky that the rusted on passionate hardcore A-League fans from Melbourne, NSW, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane have stuck with the league and continue to attend and support it. Without those fans, the league is finished. Bring in 2 more clubs please FFA and get rid of Gallop.

Rick, the original premise for the league back in 2005 was one city, one team (John O'Neill CEO led the mantra), hence SFC being located at Moore Park and wearing sky blue. Melbourne Victory = big V and navy colours (Victorian state colours?). Queensland Roar = Qld team (then renamed to Brisbane Roar when NTH Qld Fury and Gold Coast entered the competition). Adelaide = red (represent South Australia) Things have changed but at the time (2005) that's how they had to start the competition. There was no guarantee that putting a team at Parra would have worked from the start. The introduction of the Wanderers worked out because those football fans who felt left out from the western suburbs of Sydney were consulted by the FFA (amazing what consulting with the fanbase can do) and they got to pick the colours, location, logo etc... Also there were 3 NSL clubs from that area (Marconi, Sydney United, Parra Power) and there was nothing to suggest those NSL fans would have supported the first Sydney A-League club based at Parramatta. The FFA needs to sort its stuff out and start to fix the issues with the league, starting with criteria for expansion.

I was at the game, 70-30 split to SFC. Wanderers always get good numbers to the derby match but they are limited to the southern end and the 4 bays to the rights of that, plus mixed bays. The crowd will probably be updated to 37,000 or so. The SFS members area was half empty so that accounts for the sub 40k figure. However, what does need to happen is this FFA v stakeholders civil war needs to be resolved, with or without FIFA involvement. No promotion, no marketing for this game except for the usual channels so to get that sort of crowd is still excellent but the signs are there that the competition needs something to breathe new life into it - that something should be expansion. It needs to happen, along with an independent A-League. Lowy and especially David Gallop need to go. Gallop cannot take the game any further forward. He has to go.

Your opinion is valued & welcome, but just remember it's only just opinion, it's far from a fact. Don't fall into that trap believing your opinion is anymore valued then anyone else.

The very fact we can argue about it is evidence enough. Sydney FC should have outnumbered WSW fans easily. It was their home game and from where I was sitting, it looked like more WSW fans were there.

Yeah, erratic is a good word, but erratic doesn't need to be boring. WSW has been anything but this from their inception. It clearly resonates with the fans, which is why they're probably the biggest A-League club in the competition. Victory, of course, might have something to say about this, but if I were a billionare, I know which club I'd be buying.

It did go with open eyes. Was in Vaucluse for the afternoon so I decided to go to the match after. Missing the start sucked though. I actually enjoyed the match, but primarily due to the WSW, not your boys. The rest is just my opinion on some of the reasons why I believe the A-League has struggled to gain traction and continues to do so.

My comment regarding colours is directed at the FFA, along with every other club in the A-League. I would have taken those colours and strip from day 1 — it reinforces a lack of business sense by all involved.

"FFA not panicking over plummeting A-League TV ratings and stagnant crowds" - Dominic Bossi http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/ffa-not-panicking-over-plummeting-aleague-tv-ratings-and-stagnant-crowds-20171022-gz5xdx.html We were told that TEN would do a better job then SBS----well Mr Gallop and Midfielder you were wrong. "The first three rounds of the A-League have attracted an average audience of only 112,000 viewers on Network Ten's One, a 15 per cent decrease from the average ratings from the opening three rounds of last season when televised on SBS 2." Give the FTA broadcasting rights back to SBS the home of Ausralian Football with the better pre match discussion - the half time stats - and the better post match rap-up. No one covers Australian Football, better than SBS Football analysis team.