It’s that time of the year when I don my Christmas hat and dust off some Yuletide cheer to wish season’s greetings to my fellow Roar readers and football fans.
Tis the season, after all!
And if there’s one thing on my wish list after what has been a disappointing start to the season, it’s for the A-League to start firing on all cylinders in the New Year.
After so many false dawns, it’s starting to feel like football in Australia may never live up to its full potential.
But since it’s the time of the year to dream big, here are my top five holiday wishes for the A-League.
The Melbourne Derby to be one of the games of the season
Let’s face it: we need Saturday night’s Melbourne Derby to exceed expectations – and then some.
Every metric that matters is trending downwards, there’s a palpable air of discontent around the league and not even the addition of some of the best foreign players we’ve ever seen in Australia has fans turning up and tuning in.
But hope springs eternal, and the stage is set for Keisuke Honda to take the derby by the scruff of the neck.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Brisbane Roar and the Central Coast Mariners to win a few games
Preferably starting as soon as possible.
You know things aren’t going well when you’re being compared unfavourably to the Central Coast, but that’s the predicament John Aloisi and his Brisbane Roar side currently find themselves in.
Meanwhile, the Mariners simply need to find a way to register a win – for the good of the game, and the people of Gosford. Sunday’s derby with the Newcastle Jets and the returning Roy O’Donovan seems like an ideal opportunity.
Fans to keep turning up despite the dodgy fixture list
“It’s baffling how the FFA can come up with this sort of scheduling!” tweeted old friend and Sydney FC fan Andrew Vezos to me during the week. “Sydney has played WSW twice before playing Perth or the Roar for the first time”.
Indeed. How many times have we had this discussion before?
Sydney FC meet Perth Glory at nib Stadium on Friday night, and then again at the same venue just 19 days later.
The attempt to try and make A-League games feature events during the holiday season hasn’t worked. The sooner expansion leads to a genuine home-and-away fixture list, the better.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
A-League clubs to harness the power of the internet
Some clubs do it better than others, and some use social media to decent effect. But every A-League club is still guilty of doing things the same old way just because it’s the way things have always been done.
It leads to clubs operating in an ecosystem that’s often totally disconnected from their fan-base, obsessing over coverage in newspapers that fewer and fewer people read, and remaining oblivious to what’s being said about them online.
It’s one thing to target a youth demographic, but what do the likes of David Gallop and Greg O’Rourke know about YouTube, Twitter, Reddit and Facebook?
Not a lot, you’d imagine, so it’s up to clubs themselves to set the standard and start utilising the internet to drive ticket sales and other revenue opportunities.
The Roar to continue to be the place to be for informed sports opinion
Time for a professional send-off from my end, as we bid adieu to The Roar’s co-founder Zolton Zavos.
Zolton was responsible for the only piece of professional advice I’ve ever actually taken on board – to keep my writing short and sharp.
More importantly, the website he and his brother Zac co-founded has given me a platform to share my thoughts on all things football for the past ten years.
That’s not something any of us should take for granted.
So cheers, Zolton, and best of luck with all your future endeavours.
And Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. Here’s hoping your A-League dreams come true this holiday season.
BigAl
Roar Rookie
"...Christmas circus." - well at least the show's in town !
BigAl
Roar Rookie
Santa loves footy . . . fact!
Mister Football
Roar Guru
It hurts to labelled as 60 well before my time, but I have to admit, my aching joints do feel like those of a 70 year old at times. Always a pleasure RF. If I drive a certain poster to stoop to such lows, I'm clearly on the right track with my commentary. A Merry Christmas to you too.
RF
Roar Rookie
Change out "football" for "AFL" and this could be a self portrait. Merry Christmas.
RF
Roar Rookie
I hope you can recover from Nem's rebuke in time to enjoy Christmas. You're bravely hiding the pain, but I know you are suffering.
Fadida
Roar Rookie
How many Liverpool born players in the Merseyside derby? 2 at the most? How many Manchester born players in the Manchester derby? 2 at the most?
R King
Guest
Nick, while I think P/R works most everywhere else my fear is that it wouldn't solve anything. Having essentially NPL clubs thrust into a professional environment,having to find anything up to 5 MIL just to exist, not compete, will test and probably ruin them. I suspect that most NPL sides have confused their ambitions with their capabilities.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Blake only some soccer fans are like this. Other soccer fans, such as myself, have the capability to enjoy a range of sports and can discuss soccer with perspective and objectivity.
Nemesis
Guest
The sport is the envy of every sport in Australia. No sport comes close. The professional men's competition is not reaching its potential. Mainly because the people running the men's competition are not equipped to do it. They're equipped to administer sport. Running a $200 million A-League business that has business units across the nation and overseas, is quite different to administering the sport of football at grassroots level, which is why most successful football competitions are separated from the sports governing body.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Never really thought of it that way but most seasons we do 2 or 3 away games interstate and over the ditch and those trips add up to well over the $1000 mark. Not a complaint, I’m happy that we can afford to go, just that I never really consider how much money I have invested in the A League in various different ways. A good job WSW aren’t in the ACL as trips to Japan, China and Korea typically come up around the same value as half a dozen season passes!
R King
Guest
I like your wit Mr Football. I think spending an afternoon down the pub talking football would be great with some of you guys.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
The ‘game’ itself is very healthy. On the other hand, the A-League is embroiled in a long-running commercial war that it cannot avoid - it’s a fact of life.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
But just in some suburbs, and only certain streets.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
If nothing is wrong and there are no problems to solve there’s little incentive to write or comment. Same if everyone agrees about something. So, to a significant extent, sites like this - and news media in general - rely on there being problems and conflicts to drive stories, clicks and comments. Sadly, that means sites like this often resort to manufacturing or exaggerating negatives to draw readers. When writers or commenters imply a half-full glass is close to empty then readers should object. In fact, the writers would probably be out of a job if we didn’t. Good writers can be critical and constructive without being negative - we readers should encourage that.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Because we all bow to the greatest sport in Melbourne.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
It’s our duty
Blake Standfield
Roar Guru
Why are A-League apologists so obsessed with bagging out AFL?
Nick Symonds
Guest
"The Melbourne Derby to be one of the games of the season" - Only 4 players are from Melbourne between both sides. https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/melbourne-derby-low-on-locals - Melbourne City's active supporters "Melburnians" are disbanding after the match and they want a big send off, but that might not happen after the club released supporter scarves in navy blue with white V's. - "I’ve never known a club to be so out of touch with it’s fans, it’s laughable," Paul Skaraiev mused. "Club is simply out of touch with fans now, nice design, just got the colours of our rival and a V your kidding me. Who is in charge of this club," Jessee Jenkinson wondered. - https://www.goal.com/en-au/news/melbourne-citys-victory-like-scarf-trolled-by-a-league-fans/ua33ib2bp5ih11ozyaa9xakdl
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The possibility is this long series of false dawns, going back a century, might be the natural state of the game, in which case, it is not failing to live up to its full potential.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I've only just discovered social media!