The professionalism of modern sport provides many of its participants with significant monetary reward. Sadly, for fans, the net result of attendance is often less financial stability.
A recent trip to the Australian Open and centre court seats to gift my kids the chance to see Roger Federer in action, proved it beyond doubt.
Swiping for $550 at the box office stung and my hand trembled over the paywave device.
With four in our party and after $10 sandwiches, copious bottled water to stay hydrated, and a few celebratory sparkling whites for my wife and I, we maxed out somewhere between $650 and $700.
Easily manageable for most in attendance and the mass of white, middle-aged money on show said something profound about the advantages of having lived through such a prosperous time in Australia.
Alas, it is different for many young working families and it effects other sports more noticeably.
While cost is always a factor, transport, scheduling and time pressures are also crucial when it comes to people making the effort to attend live matches.
Television coverage adds a further challenge for executive bodies and finding inventive incentives to lure people through the gate has become the norm, with family tickets and two-for-one deals now commonplace.
As a thirsty media wait expectantly to put the boot into A-League attendance figures, which have taken a hit this year, they fail to balance their commentary with comparative statistics across other sports that paint a similar picture.
The numbers are clearly concerning for many sports, however after a rainy weekend of number crunching a hunch of mine was proven correct.
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Since the Western Sydney Wanderers joined the competition in 2012-13, the ten-team league hasn’t significantly changed shape or structure except for the rebranding of the Melbourne Heart.
Looking at that time period and the home performance of the clubs draws an astonishing picture that perhaps provides part of the reason for the recent drop in football attendances.
2012-13 saw a boost in crowds from the previous year, as the Wanderers ignited the competition and unleashed an untapped supporter base in western Sydney.
This success was ridden through their first three seasons and the Asian Champions League success positioned them as the potential owners of the biggest supporter and membership base in the country.
In that very season, A-League teams won 53 per cent of their home matches. Quite a high figure in isolation, yet one that was almost emulated the following season, with 48 per cent of home fixtures seeing success for the local team.
The key to any competition is teams winning at home and providing their loyal fans with something to cheer about at least half the time.
Sure, the rusted-on fans will be there rain, hail or shine. But the busy, time-poor and frugal younger family might just stay away if the kids keep leaving the stadium in tears after another loss.
Wins on the road count for exactly the same value, three points is three points in anyone’s footballing language, however sending fans away with home goals and wins can never be surpassed.
Building a fortress at home galvanises crowd figures like nothing else; no fandangled campaign or gimmick designed to lure in the curious can produce consistent attendance numbers like victories on home turf.
A-League attendance slowly trickled south from 2014 on, yet 2016-17 figures merely mirrored the 12-13 numbers. In short, attendance had gone up and come back down again; treading water if you will.
Home victories remained steady, with 48 per cent of home matches won in 15-16 and 46 per cent in 16-17.
Then, all of a sudden, we fell off the face of the Earth. Season 13 has seen a significant drop in attendance that effectively corresponds to around 1500 people per game.
Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
If I was to tell you that the home winning percentage had dropped to 37 per cent, would you join me on this wild statistical ride?
The reality is, if Sydney FC’s numbers are excluded from the equation and – let’s face it – they have been in a different stratosphere at home for the last two seasons. The remainder of the league are winning home matches this season at the rate of one in three or 32.9 per cent.
Is that enough to sustain a home supporter base? Perhaps not. While originally a hunch and merely research designed to satisfy my curiosity, the data was stunning.
Undoubtedly there are ample matches where the points are shared, yet honourable draws don’t put bums on seats like victories do.
Prior to the weekend of matches just gone and since the inception of the Wanderers, the overall A-League winning percentage of the home team sits at 46 per cent, compared to the 37 per cent for the current season and the 32.9 per cent after barring the dominant Sky Blues.
Attendance figures for 2017-18 currently reflect a 13 per cent drop. Is it a fair hypothesis to suggest that at least a portion of that figure is created by disappointing home results? The early season numbers for the Wanderers and the Roar seem to suggest this is indeed the case.
Such a percentage drop is a concern, yet perhaps there is more to it than what meets the simplistic eye of the casual critic, who senses the demise of the A-League.
Poor returns in their own stadiums may not only have hampered some clubs’ positions on the ladder but also had a significant impact on crowd size.
Short of spot-fixing and instructing referees to favour home teams, which I am pretty sure is illegal in most sports, the solution is unclear.
Has the overzealous monitoring of supporter groups affected the influence and motivational value they have for the home side? Are our stadiums becoming so bland and sterile that fear of the hostility of the away venue ceases to exist? Are our officials so fair and balanced that hometown decisions are a thing of the past? Surely not?
Whatever the actual reasons, the general trend towards poor home results is real and keeping fans away.
Hammerhead
Guest
It's not just about winning at home Stu, I think Dr Seuss put it best: Perth Glory can't win here or there Perth Glory can't win ANYWHERE!!!
Pauly
Guest
You were saying...
Churchman72
Roar Rookie
I’m currently living in the StGeorge area and there is no commonality with Sutherland - the areas are very different demographically, and while theteis support for Sydney FC there, I don’t think a team based in one area would draw much support from the other. There’s a rivalry that goes beyond rugby league and is moreto do with socioeconomic factors. St George has a very high number of recent migrants from Asia, China particularly and there’s a disconnect between these people and the older population. Rockdale City Suns is the biggest club in the area these days following the decline of StGeorge, and they draw their support from the Macedonian community, which is only 9,000 strong in the region.
Leonard
Guest
Interesting info about mass transit difficulties in Sydney - makes me appreciate even more how Melbourne's train and tram network so well serves both the MCG and Docklands (and in previous eras, the old VFL suburban grounds, with Princes Park being the least well served). Read somewhere sometime that, in the days before Sydney (stupidly?) ripped up its tram network, a Randwick racecourse 60000 could be on its way home in about 15 minutes. Did Moore Park ever have a tramline / tram lines passing within, say, 200m? One more significant point of comparison between mass transit networks in Melbourne and Sydney: Sydney's hillier terrain, while creating movement problems for fixed-rail vehicles, made grade-separation works much, much easier and far, far less expensive, and 'level crossings' were largely engineered out of the network mid last century. Melbourne, however, was stuck with them because its flat terrain meant bridges, tunnels and overpasses which could not be afforded in the 1930s and 1940s (for obvious reasons) - and then came the FX Holden! The current Victorian government is tackling the problem* head on (and provoking mass outburst of social media venting by the totally and permanently outraged, of course). * aka 'addressing the issue' in today's pollie rubbish-speak.
Churchman72
Roar Rookie
That will improve once the new light rail opens from Central station in a year or so. Moore Park is over 1.6km from Central which makes for a long walk or bus ride in traffic. The light rail will drop spectators about 200m from the stadium. Given the travel time from most if Sydney to the East side if the city (the CBD isn’t central- the geographical centre of Sydney is near Parramatta) the time saving of connection by light rail will make a big difference for people travelling to and from games. By comparison, Suncorp Stadium is 600m from Milton Station and 900m from Roma St. Travel arrangements are a big drag in Sydney, as most people would need to travel an hour and a half on public transport to attend if they didn’t want to pay through the nose for parking.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#RandyM Like Chris you are putting words in places where they do not belong.
RandyM
Guest
according to Perry Bridge - any game that is not AFL is odd, the reason being, because its not AFL
Bilbo
Guest
Hi Chris, I was just responding to KJs point about it needing 30 years The Swans were successful in drawing large crowds by 85/86 The Wanderers have been a success story while GWS have failed to get enough interest
Perry Bridge
Guest
#Chris You are doing a fine impression of a brick wall. I'm not calling for rule changes. I have not called for rule changes through any of this thread. I've simply identified the rules that make the game easier to defend than attack. Let alone - the example of field hockey with the removal of off-side - it didn't see a glut of high scoring matches. The Rugby/Grid Iron scenario I laugh at too - it was too hard to kick goals and win matches so they made the 'run in/try' the object of the game instead. That's a truly odd resolution but whole generations of fans of those games now believe that throwing yourself on the grass is something to celebrate......fine.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
What about Collingwood AFLW?
Will
Guest
For someone that has watched a fair bit of youth football the last part i completely disagree with you. The talent is out there, they just need the opportunity to play first-team football. The lack of opportunities for young players in this country is nothing short of disgusting.
chris
Guest
2 AFL fans bagging football and generally agreeing with each other. And all on the football tab. Who'd have thought?
chris
Guest
"I only go to the odd A League game and it is painful. The missed passed, reckless challenges, the poor first touch, the groans from the crowd" And yet you watch AFL and think what? Its high quality compared to what?
chris
Guest
Bilbo apart from the Swans, what other game of AFL can the ex-Victorians go and watch here in Sydney? Dont say GWS as they only get 5k max. Total up all the spectators that go and watch football (A-League, NPL, PL1) and which sport do you think actually gets more spectators?
chris
Guest
PB some excellent points. How about these rule changes? 1/ We make the goals the width of the entire goal line and 30metres high. 2/ Do away with offside altogether. Its way too complex anyway and it stops games from being 30-20 etc. 3/ GK's are definitely a nuisance and should be despatched ASAP Obviously the subtleties of the game are totally lost on you. Rather than encouraging teams to be extremely technical, develop players that can hit balls from distance off the ground, create tactics and patterns that can penetrate tight defences, your answer is to do away with all of this and dumb the game down so that 100's of points can be scored. (Are 100's of points enough for you?). Make the goals bigger, do away with offside, and ban keepers. Sounds like another game that the world has so totally embraced (not).
Kangajets
Guest
The Geoffrey eddleston swans made the finals 3 times then the swans didn’t make finals for about 9 years They got a massive bail out from the Afl. The cost of living allowance Basically they were getting 5000 fans turning up The Afl saved the swans through massive handouts . That’s why most Victorian afl fans dislike the swans .
AR
Guest
You can buy a “Pet Membership” from your AFL club but they are certainly not counted in membership tallies. Funnily enough, however, Pet Memberships ARE officially counted by SydFC and other ALeague clubs. #ruff!
Tommo
Guest
The A League has gone nowhere because of innovation. Same old seasons year in and year out. Cricket has brought in 20/20 to add extra excitment to it's game. AFL has womans football, and AFLX.
Bilbo
Guest
Even a VIC/WAFL/SANFL league is unviable, I'm talking without AFL backing When would the games be played? Would teams need to stay overnight? Remember that these aren't professionals so they can't fly up on a Friday morning to play that night More feasible would be state based/geographic zoned comps that then quality for a national playoff to decide the top 2 or top team
Bilbo
Guest
Spot on PB There is a big gap between the match day experience at the BBL/NBL and A League I'm not a huge fan on T20 (preferring ODIs - yes, the horror and Tests) but the kids really love it, at a recent game the kids definitely outnumbered the adults and they loved the pyrotechnics and music, cheerleaders NBL also puts on a great show, there aren't too many dull moments, quality of play has improved and they've nailed the gameday experience (in Melbourne and I'm sure other places)