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An FFA Cup derby in Penrith? Smart decision all round

27th September, 2018
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27th September, 2018
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The Western Sydney Wanderers have got their FFA Cup semi-final venue and ticket prices right, now all that’s left is for fans to show up.

A Sydney derby at Penrith Stadium on a Saturday night? Yes please!

Ticket prices ranging from $10 to $25 for adults, and between $40 and $50 for a family of four? It’s almost as if A-League clubs are starting to listen to their fans.

And before we get into the nuts and bolts of Western Sydney taking on city rivals Sydney FC in a do-or-die Saturday night slugfest, it’s worth applauding the Wanderers for taking some initiative.

When the club was first founded, basing it in Parramatta – the de facto capital of Sydney’s sprawling western suburbs – made sense.

And if the Wanderers had their way, they probably would have preferred at least a couple more years in their Parramatta Stadium home before it was knocked down and rebuilt – even if the new Western Sydney Stadium is set to be world class.

Because let’s face it, Western Sydney’s temporary relocation to Homebush hasn’t worked. Despite their best efforts, neither Spotless Stadium nor the cavernous ANZ Stadium feels like home.

Christopher Ikonomidis

The Wanderers played in front of plenty of empty seats at ANZ Stadium. (AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)

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And the resultant drop in atmosphere has had an obvious knock-on effect, with the Wanderers playing in front of some tiny crowds last season.

Taking a game to the foot of the Blue Mountains is not only a reward for the Wanderers fans who travel far and wide from all over the west to get to Homebush, it’s also a chance to convert a few new fans to the round-ball game.

Last time the Matildas played in Penrith, in 2017, they drew a crowd of more than 15,000.

It’s a region crying out for some top-class football, and playing the semi-final on a Saturday just means that fans don’t have to fight Sydney’s nightmare peak hour traffic to get to the game.

This will be the first game played on a Saturday in the competition proper since Melbourne Victory beat Perth Glory in the 2015 FFA Cup final.

Interestingly enough, that Saturday night final drew the smallest TV audience on Fox Sports of any of the deciders since the competition kicked off.

So there’s a need to strike a balance between providing accessibility for fans and the commercial realities of what has hitherto been a midweek cup competition.

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After all, without Fox Sports setting up commentary gantries at windswept state league grounds across Australia to beam midweek football directly into our lounge rooms, there probably wouldn’t even be an FFA Cup to begin with.

But it’s nice to see a bit of flexibility around scheduling, and it’s interesting to note that after a tidal wave of relentless negativity, Football Federation Australia and their constituent clubs are starting to listen to fans.

Is it too little too late? It seems like an obvious question to ask why the FFA didn’t simply behave this way in the first place.

But if they’re suddenly open to discussion, then maybe it’s time to consider whether the FFA Cup is being played at an optimal point of the season?

Philip Micallef wrote an interesting piece for The World Game a couple of weeks ago where he argued that the entire FFA Cup campaign should take place during the A-League’s off-season.

And he reckoned the final should be played on a weekend before the A-League kicked off.

Could it work? It’s not like the current scheduling gives the so-called federation clubs a huge advantage anyway.

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Romeo Castelen Western Sydney Wanderers

Will Wanderers fans show up in Penrith? (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

APIA Leichhardt looked absolutely knackered in their 2-0 loss to Adelaide United on Wednesday night – not surprisingly, since they wrapped up their league campaign more than a fortnight ago.

That’s a problem Bentleigh Greens will need to overcome if they’re to knock off Adelaide in the other semi-final on a Friday night at Kingston Heath.

The good news is there’s a bit of interest in these FFA Cup semis. Long may it continue – and here’s hoping the sensible decision-making sticks around too.

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