Since the highs of the 2014-15 season – with over 1.8 million in attendance over the course of that year – A-league crowds have fallen into an uninspired and steady slump.
Capped by an almost universal decrease in average attendances for the following year, Melbourne Victory’s loss of over 130,000 from 2014-15 to 2015-16 was the surest sign of an uninspired audience.
Or was it?
That may have been the domestic story we heard across the board from commentators. And it’s certainly the way that one nation sports assess their own successes.
But let’s be honest: when compared to the concerns of the attendance records at A-League fixtures, the fact remains that bigger things were happening for our country, and domestic football had to take a back seat in 2015.
Internationally Australia could not have been in a better place. The 2015-16 A-league season was certainly a slump from the year prior, but it was also the year the Socceroos’ got their first piece of silverware, hosting and winning the 2015 Asian Cup.
The tournament was capped off by the 2-1 final victory against South Korea, with over 70,000 in the stands.
It was the year of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup—the year that one of Australia’s greatest football achievements occurred. After beating Brazil 1-0, the Matildas became the first Australian team – of men or women – in our history to progress to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
There may have been a slump specifically in domestic football in 2015, but let’s not forget the bigger picture. Over 650,000 people from across Australasia visited our country for just over 20 days to watch the Asian Cup.
That means potentially a few hundred thousand fewer bums on seats during the A-League season.
And yet despite the lack of revenue coming from A-league turnout, it’s been predicted that the Asian Cup in 2015 raised over $80m in direct spending. So answering the question of whether a lack of A-League attendance really points to a lack of interest is a difficult question to answer.
The Socceroos (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Mid-week fixtures and poor scheduling have played a massive part in the turnout, while the rise of sports streaming – underpinned by the recently available My Football app and Telstra service and match-day broadcasts – have surely put a dent in forecasted attendances across the board.
When you pair that with the recent calendar of internationally significant football events – the AFC Asian Cup and 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup – the paradoxical slip in turnout starts to make more sense.
But for these excuses to become rational reasons, the A-League ought to appear on the mend now that the causes of the attendance flux have been removed.
Flash-forward to present day, and all signs thus far in 2018 point to this season being the closest it has gotten in recent years to matching the highs of 2014-15.
In Round 1 of the A-League, the Melbourne derby, which drew over 40,000 fans to Marvel Stadium – smashing last year’s attendance record of 36,433 for the Sydney derby – was an encouraging sign that attendances are on the mend this year.
Less encouraging, however, are the current televised ratings, with the same fixture between Melbourne Victory and City only attracting 69,000 viewers via Fox Sports.
All in all, with a milieu of star imports, greater coverage and more professional planning, the 2018 season is shaping up to be a great addition to the footballing calendar.
The current ratings, however, remain a concern for the domestic game’s international reach.
Moving forward, if any of the seasons gone offer a lesson from the past, it is that the appraisal of football in Australia should not be viewed in a vacuum.
The A-League and W-League, the Socceroos and the Matildas all belong as members of a greater whole—they belong as parts of the greater idea of football in our nation.
There may be a need for more kindling on the A-League flame, but it was never a source of light in and of itself.
The A-League is a small part in a greater picture, a tapestry of football framed outside of our own backyard, and composed in the wider international community.
If we are to appraise the puzzle, we need to look at all of its pieces.
Frans
Guest
No. The slump will continue UNTIL there is a proper promotion-relegation And UNTIL the stupid finals are abolished. We don't accept a Football league that is run like a stupid eggball comp.
Leonard
Guest
Yes, being in the biggest city does not necessarily mean drawing the biggest sports crowds - in the NRL, despite being so Sydney-centric, six of the top eight longterm attendance averages are from beyond metro-Sydney (with only Brisbane being 20000+).
Oglen
Guest
By gum I can hardly wait to see the back of ANZ/Spotless stadium. That is all.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Because they came in behind Victory, after the Victory had already won 2 doubles, and they only came in because the FFA didn't want South Melbourne. The Victory have the highest attendances in the A-League, have done so since season 2, daylight is second. I agree with you that it's not just about population, but I'm saying it can't be discounted entirely (after all of the Roar's success, they never came close to Victory's attendances). And gee whiz, I would have thought the mention of Killiecrankie would have at least brought a smile to your face! (very nice spot by the way)
Christian Fleetwood
Roar Rookie
Wow. Great passion JB! Love it!
jbinnie
Guest
jordan - What was the intention behind this latest statement.You have taken 2 figures at the end of last night's game and projected it as a "gain" for average attendance. The next 2 games in this ROUND will be played at home by two teams unlIkely to break the 10,000 figure so the average as you calculate it could drop back after completion of the round 9,below the same figure for 2017/18 (11,668). Cheers jb.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Attendance last night was 24,306 which means the average so far this season is 11,795 compared to 10,926 at the end of last season.
Nemesis
Guest
Went to the Melbourne Derby last night. Have no idea yet what the crowd figure was. Thoroughly enjoyable game of A-League football. Thank heavens we now have club sport in Australia that I consider worth spending close to 10,000 hours each year and $1,000 each year to watch. I know other sporting competitions in Australia get bigger crowds. Just like I know The Block, The Bachelor & Nina Warrior got bigger viewing in Australia than The West Wing. Up to each person to judge the quality of content they think is worth watching.
jbinnie
Guest
Your comment re. Killiecrankie should get what it deserves----ignoring. The aim of my offering was to point out that city or town population has no co-relation to population. To bring it nearer home would you care to explain why over the last 5 or 6 years Melbourne City are only averaging around 8,000 (when their "derby" game crowds are omitted).while their fellow city dwellers are averaging around 20,000 over a season. My point? Things to be considered - Success on the field, team philosophy to playing attractive football, an active marketing structure in the club management, game programming allied to venues. etc. etc. I could go on but I think you will get the gist of my thoughts. Cheers jb.
stu
Guest
Waz....you hit the nail on the head with the major disconnect in how the FFA are not managing the A-League. The punter needs a value proposition for attending games, the run of the mill sports fan is not being given that.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
It matters in the sense that Killiecrankie is not going to get those crowds.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Talking about Glasgow
jbinnie
Guest
MF - I originally come from a city of 1 million people and in my younger days I attended a ground where crowds regularly ranged from 40,000 to 80,000. The "other' city team regularly pulled crowds of roughly the same size. Allied to that there were other teams in the city that regularly pulled crowds of up to 20,000 to their matches. I also attended a match held in winter on a Wednesday afternoon (a working day) when 120,000 tuned out to see the national team play a friendly against Hungary. Then there was the European Cup Final of 1960 when,in the same city, 127,000 fans turned out to watch two "foreign " teams from Germany and Spain do battle, Remember this was before the age of cheap air travel. The reason I cite these figures is that they prove that "attraction to football" has no co-relation to city population size.That is a popular myth. Remember 95,000 turning out to watch Victory play Liverpool.!!! Cheers jb.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
JB Attendances may not move in direct proportion to the populations of a city, but there is a degree of correlation. For example, Gosford has the smallest population of all the teams, and as a general rule, we'll find the Mariners amongst the bottom two average attenances every season. Wellington will be there as well, in part, because it has a relatively small population. The two biggest cities generally have the biggest attendances. The Victory has consistently had the biggest attendances, which can be traced back to Season 2, when it opened the season with 7 consecutive wins and it has never looked back. Also, the Victory benefits from being located in the city with the best live sports attendance record period. It got a five year break on Heart/City, a period which included two doubles.
jbinnie
Guest
Chris- Statistical data has to be analysed very carefully when trying to calculate a "trend". For example the figures I have used above have changed already after 2 matches have been played today,one of them a Melbourne "derby". Now after 43 games we have the calculated "trend" now moving back above last season's average (from a total attendance last year of 500,130 to tonight's 507,200. an increase of over 1%, so we have a 3% differential.This increase will not remain with us however for we have 2 of the "lesser" supported teams playing home games still to play to complete this round of fixtures. In answer to your question ,as a hobby I have been tracking HAL attendances for some 6 or 7 years now. Cheers jb.
Christian Fleetwood
Roar Rookie
I have to agree with you MF, averages seem like a much healthier marker for measuring the overall success of the league. Just looking at the biggest performers and the largest crowds would mean we’re relying on the same team performing, year in year out, MVC—which certainly wouldn’t indicate healthy ‘growth’.
Christian Fleetwood
Roar Rookie
JB, those are some very specific figures. Where are you gathering this data from? Cheers, Christian
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Voice of reason You are correct , it’s not coming back imo
Waz
Roar Rookie
I thought Victory had it back though? It certainly sounds like it …
chris
Guest
Hi Christian - poor planning? Are you referring to the weather?