There’s no denying that crowd numbers have been a long-running issue for the FFA and the A-League.
Ah yes, the crowd numbers – even just the words make me shiver. The A-League’s average attendance for this season so far is 11,642, comparing poorly with numbers fo the AFL of an overseas football league.
The FFA has tried promoting better active support, they’ve trying expansion and they’ve even tried music between goal kicks and corners. More recently they’ve tried bringing in a big marquee, which is what I will focus on today.
Japanese superstar Keisuke Honda was signed by the Melbourne Victory for $2.9 million on a one-year contract. The FFA chipped in $1.6 million from their Fox Sports marquee fund, which comprises $3 million, with the Victory paying for the rest. As a comparison, W-League star Sam Kerr was re-signed by the Perth Glory, for which the FFA is believed to have put in around $200,000.
Keisuke Honda has been a great addition for Kevin Muscat and the league, no doubt about it. Equal third in goals, equal first in assists, equal second in chances created, first in crosses and fifth in passes. He has added quality and raised the league to a higher standard – but he hasn’t done what he was set out to do by the FFA, and that is to raise that crowd figure.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s made a minor impact on crowd numbers. The Australian-Japanese community is loving the inclusion of Honda. I’ve seen Japanese flags fly around the stadium and I’ve even heard of people who have flown all the way from Japan to see him. Considering Honda hasn’t made the impact we wanted him to, it begs the question: Is Honda really a marquee player?
I’m a joint coach for an under-12s team, and if you coach a team, I ask you to try this experiment too. I asked my players if they knew who Keisuke Honda, and only about three or four of them did. Go to a local club’s training on a Wednesday Night and you’ll see a lot of shirts bearing the names of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi shirts and other world-class players – you’d think these players are the only ones who can draw crowds, though attracting stars of such calibre is impossible for the A-League.
The sport has an extra $3 million coming in next year plus possibly $1.2 million rolled over from this season. There is one particular guy playing for LA Galaxy at the moment – his name is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I’m sure you know him.
Ibrahimovic, 37 years old, has won a whopping 32 trophies over his career known for playing with Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. He joined the MLS franchise earlier this year for $1.5 million a year. Let me just repeat that – $1.5 million a year.
The FFA could possibly offer $2 million and still get someone else like Honda if we wanted to. He’ll be 38 when his contract with the Galaxy runs out, but hopefully he will be willing to play another season or even just six months on an Australian pitch.
I’ve always loved Zlatan Ibrahimovic and I’d pay more to see him play. I own a Manchester United T-shirt with his name on it even though I support Tottenham. I just love the way he came out with that ‘I’m going to be incredible’ attitude, and I watch his bicycle-kick goal against England time and time again.
Zlatan is off to Man United. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Going back to that Wednesday night training, I often see a lot of Zlatan shirts, mainly in Manchester United colours. Zlatan in the A-League would raise crowd numbers, and the argument for bringing him over doesn’t need much explanation – he’s a world-renowned star.
He’s been labelled as the second-greatest Swedish athlete behind only tennis great Bjorn Borg. He scored 123 goals in 116 games for PSG and he’s already scored 22 goals in 27 games for LA Galaxy, so imagine what he could do in the A-League. He’s an affordable option for any club, and the richer clubs may not even need the FFA to help out with at least $1.5 million
Ibrahimovic is actually a realistic signing. It’s exciting, right? Why get Honda when you could get the great Zlatan Ibrahimovic? He recently signed a new contract with the Galaxy to the end of the 2019 MLS season, but he might just be the A-League’s man after that.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
None had heard of Ibra. Jeez, they must have a very low interest in the game to not know who Zlatan is.
Simoc
Guest
Well the kids I tried all failed your test. None had heard of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Like just who extra is going to go and watch this old man. I doubt anyone at all. Another nonsense article. I prefer Honda every day of the week.
Nemesis
Guest
"bring in not someone like Pepe or Glen Johnson and each A Leauge team" Seriously? No one is coming to watch A-League to see Pepe or Glen Johnson. I wouldn't even cross the road to see Glen Johnson. And, there's nothing stopping ALeague clubs signing the Top 20 players in the world right now. Nothing to stop it.
Pablo
Guest
I agree that we definitely need A league clubs to have the ability to bring over 2 or 3 world class marquee players not just above average players taking up visa spots.. Imagine VIC being able to bring in not only Honda but Zlatan and someone like Pepe or Glen Johnson and each A Leauge team being able to do the same in some form of way, you cannot say that would not massively boost attendance and tv ratings for the league also keeping the younger talent here in oz as they would want to play with these stars and learn as much as they can from them?? Which means the salary cap must be scrapped and transfer fees need to be introduced and that needs to happen by next season if we want to have a bright future for the league in the next decade
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The two biggest crowds of the season were Del Piero 23k and 19k at Suncorp. 13.4k average. Then another big crowd the next season. Thats about 3/4 million into Roars coffers. Then you have corporate which would increase four fold with Del Piero. MV gained little benefit because they played at AAMI and City offered the chance of getting a ticket to see him without any issues. Del Piero was worth about 5 million a season to the league. Ibra would not bring that amount but still a big boost and worth something unlike Honda.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
You have a keen interest in the history of the game in Australia Apart from some guest stints , some great clubs toured Australia way back . Also some terrific European players often came out to live in Sydney and Melbourne. This is well before the nsl , and it wasn’t rare to have massive crowds for the club games either. Look on Facebook for groups like Australian soccer before the a league , We need a museum of Australian soccer to show case the history.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
I never knew George Best came to Australia, wow! I do agree a guest stint would be a huge impact, when i saw Honda signed for Victory i thought in my head, Jeez they could of got Ronaldo for 9 games with that.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
more tv ratings not attendances.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Why the afl reference Jordan ? Soccer is bigger in some states then afl. Some would argue all states if you took in “ eurosnobs “ . Hence why they introduced aflx to try to be more relevant and take soccer rectangular fields . Anyhow as a fan of both games , I can’t say I ever wish the A league was like the Afl . The reasons for this are for another article. As for Zlatan, he would be great right now for a season. I know he is exceptionally fit , he might be 40 by the time he leaves the USA . No doubt though he is the kind of player who will increase ratings and crowds. I think if any club can ever afford 2-3 top class stars at one time , that will be an exciting time. A few famous names have had guest stints in Australia including sir Bobby Charlton , Nicola Berti. George best
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
But more crowds mean more attendances. Zlatan with out a doubt is affordable, he's on $1.56 Million in L.A, he'll be 38 when his contract expires. That's the issue
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
IMPORTANT: So i hear a bit of talk about the editing in the 2nd paragraph. This is what it should say. "Comparing poorly to numbers of the AFL or a major European League" half of the mistake was me, half was the editor. Sorry whoever edited this.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Your second paragraph needs editing Jordan Klingsporn. It reads as though there are AFL leagues overseas that get bigger crowds than the A League. But on Honda, just love to watch him and he has a great attitude to life. In a nutshell, he's too good for Victory and is not having a measurable impact on attendances.
peeeko
Roar Guru
its a trap!
Admiral Ackbar
Guest
Who'd take him? If you want Zlatan you have to deal with his ego.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Coaching kids and identifying heroes and villains etc has long been a passion of mine and I'm always asking them questions about who they watch and where they learn. Ibra rates very highly amongst my young charges but also rated very highly is the FIFA game star Alex Hunter ...... it's a strange world we live in! You need heroes and villains.Berisha was good for the game here and kids need names,stars and role models they can learn all the good and bad stuff!
Waz
Roar Rookie
ADP boosted the Suncorp crowd the first time he came, nothing the second so yeah, likewise. Ibra would likely be the same tbh. I’m not a fan of the marquee fund personally nor the “sugar hit” approach. Crowds are falling for a variety of reasons all of which need identifying and addressing.
Nemesis
Guest
ADP only played once, perhaps, twice at each opposition venue. Are you suggesting ADP playing at Allianz in Sydney had an impact on people attending A-League? Yes, ADP boosted the crowd for MVFC for the 1 match he played at AAMI Park in his first season. But, that 1 match was one of 14 matches MVFC played at home, so it has only 7% impact on the average MVFC crowds that season. This means the extra 4k that attended had virtually no impact on the MVFC average crowd that season.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Average crowds have fallen for the past five seasons and likely to fall for a 6th if the current trend continues. Compared to the same time last season crowds are only down 2.9% and, with victory going strong, there is the possibility this season could be relatively flat. Honda was never going to boost crowds. He’s great to watch but he lacks the appeal of an ADP.
Nemesis
Guest
FoxSports pays the marquee fund; not the FFA. FoxSports only has 1 objective - to make profit from its PayTV venture. Crowds attending sport have zero impact on the FoxSports revenue. Zlatan would be a wonderful addition to A-League. Would he be interested? Would he be affordable?
Kangas
Roar Rookie
The A league is heaps bigger then the Albania football league. The mention of Bjorn Borg reminds me of all those great Swedes like Edberg , Annafrida,Bjorn,Benny and Annafrida . But yes Zlatan would bring crowds, but he is staying in the USA next year.