Sunday afternoon’s A-League match between Sydney FC and the Central Coast Mariners had something of an NSL feel.
The financial advantages and realities of playing at cavernous multi-purpose stadiums are well reported and difficult for club administrators to ignore.
Yet, there was something magical about an appropriate sized facility hosting a sea of colour and enthusiasm. It recaptured the community feel of football in Australia that was present during the NSL period.
As fans of many codes in New South Wales wait patiently for the ‘sure to be exciting’ state election on March 23rd and the subsequent future direction taken by the powers at be in terms of stadia, football’s latest venture into the ‘burbs’ appears to have been a success.
Well, almost.
Much criticism and anger bled from Sydney FC fans’ social media accounts on Sunday night with claims of overzealous security denying fans access to the section designated for Sydney’s active ‘Cove’.
Ben Kennedy, GK for the Mariners, makes a save (AAP Image/Craig Golding)
Complaints about the timing of the match were commonplace, with many fans frustrated at the lack of shelter available at Leichhardt on what was a hot and relentlessly sunny afternoon.
A combination of the heat and the home side’s inability to find the net, before Alex Brosque drew a penalty mid-way through the second half, saw the sound emanating from the Cove fail to reach anywhere near its usual levels.
With many fans frustrated at the finishing of the home side and the lone point gained from consecutive matches against the two cellar dwellers of the A-League, the expected knee-jerk Sydney reactions will be commonplace throughout the coming week.
I even spotted a ‘CORICAOUT’ hashtag; surely somewhat premature considering the quality of Sydney’s play this season and the fact they are still well and truly in the mix for a championship.
However, the concerns raised by the fans are real and fair. The fact they are raised at all makes them automatically so, as it is the fans that drive all sport, both viewers and attendees.
Aside from those concerns, there was a sense of ‘throwback’ in the air at Leichhardt on Sunday.
No doubt it warmed the heart of many an older fan; with vivid images of the champions of the 80s and 90s still etched in their minds.
Co-incidentally, I found time to watch the 1995 NSL grand final on Youtube during the week, with a young Mark Viduka, Andrew Marth and Steve Horvat leading the way for the Melbourne Knights against the Alex Tobin-led Adelaide City.
It was great viewing and truly dinosaur stuff. Seeing Viduka in his infancy and realising it was nigh on 25 years ago brought some sense of sentimentally. That same sentimentality was expressed to me in a slightly different way recently by a veteran Australian football journalist.
I shan’t name him out of respect but his stock standard opinion of the A-League, viewed through a lens that includes hundreds and thousands of Australian domestic football matches played over the last half century is simple.
Bluntly, he tells me the A-League is ‘shit’. Now, I know a mighty lot of people would concur, however they are generally non-footballing types or those glued to elite European leagues.
This man is a football nut and a well-respected journalist with a keen football brain.
For him, the modern game is poor, the players substandard and the indifferent results of the national team symptomatic of the situation.
In a recent discussion with him, I mentioned some of the talented players on display each week in the A-League; those players that excite me as a fan. Names like Sarpreet Singh, Roy Krishna, Joey Champness, Elvis Kamsoba and Chris Ikonomidis.
To which his response was, “Ikonomidis would be an also-ran in the NSL.”
Chris Ikonomidis of the Glory (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)
Had I been seeking a debate my reply would have simply been, “A) you are wrong and B) you are drunk.”
Having followed Sydney Croatia’s NSL fortunes for many years, I too have seen the stars of days past yet resisted the temptation to adorn the rose-coloured glasses worn by the NSL dinosaur.
Chris Ikonomidis would be a star in any team and at any point in time of Australian domestic football. The 23 year-old is still maturing as a player, drew European interest at a young age and was one of the Socceroos’ best at the recent Asian Cup.
I couldn’t help but think that if my colleague, friend and NSL dinosaur had only seen Ikonomidis play in aptly sized venues, noisily buzzing with a sense of community and culture, that his opinion of him may have been different.
Could it be that negative commentary around the state and quality of the A-League is significantly fuelled by that hollow feeling created by the echoes of seemingly lone megaphones in coliseums across the country?
There were none of those echoes on Sunday afternoon, despite the oppressive conditions and it was old school.
Perhaps trips to Kogarah and Leichhardt is all it takes to halt the lamentations and sentimentality and awaken an appreciation of the contemporary game. Maybe Australian domestic football tried to get a little too big too quickly and in the process, lost its sense of community.
Sydneysideliner
Roar Rookie
I'm not old enough to remember the old, old days, but the NSL for much of the 90s was a basket case, both on and off the field. There are plenty of clips out there, it's not entirely conjecture. Pick one at random: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNmtxIehWV4 That's a highlights reel. Miss passes and miss tackles galore, being watched by a couple of thousand in the stands on a waterlogged pitch. The A-league's standard leaves a lot to be desired, but to say Ikonomidis would be an also-ran in this game is just pure ignorance...
Rolly
Guest
NSL was a tougher comp more inclusive comp more community based comp that's produced more quality players .A league It's not a serious comp until it becomes a sixteen team comp .its Mickey Mouse football. fans feel alienated crowds are down pay tv is holding the game back .too many soccer heartlands are ignored .one has to look at the performances of our national teams currently to see what the. A league is producing talent wise not much . results at national teams level not just the senior team are the only barometer to use to measure the success of the national competition .the crowds back then NSL days were good for what it was .rugby league was king in nsw there was no media coverage for soccer none zilch back then the main media outlets ignored soccer completely .it was only sbs where we could get any soccer news .the NSL today with the teams it had would be twice the comp the. Aleague is today in every respect .i supported the Wollongong wolves in the NSL days the community connection between the club and the region was a sight to behold winning two NSL titles was incredible it brought the whole region together even non soccer fans got in on the celebrations .you look at Sydney fc in the. Aleague they simply can not connect with their community their crowds are woefull .for a team that's as succeful as Sydney fc they should be averaging thirty thousand at home Melbourne city are the same can't draw crowds says a lot about the state of the A league .
The Dude
Roar Rookie
I remember being a kid growing up in the days of "wog ball" I wasn't too bad...not anything electric by my own recollection...but I enjoyed it) Once we moved areas I wasn't allowed to play anymore, "skips" are no good to fit in with Greeks, and various Yugoslavs it turned out (despite my Scottish cousin at the time playing successfully in the SPL) - I'm talking U10s and 11s by this stage That's my recollection of ''Middle Soccer's" NSL days...something grossly racist and exclusionary - maybe my experience was unique, but I'm guessing not A-League is much better than the NSL as far as I am concerned!!!!
ThrylosG7
Guest
What the ALeague has done is shrink the difference in quality between the worst players and the best..the best players in the NSL were far better than the best in the ALeague..however the the hacks at the bottom were also worse ...what we used to have is players who ranged from 4/10 to 9/10 now we have 5/10 to 8 /10 .
At work
Roar Rookie
Thanks for sharing Middie. The US certainly know how to build a great stadium, whether it's a massive NFL ground or perfect little 15-30k all-seater for the MLS.
chris
Guest
Fad the only ones that think the A-League is going away are the usual sokkah b*shers who've been around for years sp*wing their hatred of the game. And yes you are spot on with average crowds of today being double and probably triple what they were in the NSL days. Was the standard any better back then? Who really knows? I think today's players are more complete players in regards to fitness and general professionalism. So if a player in the NSL days was more technical (I'm thinking players like Dez Marton) would they have the work rate to make them A-League standard?
Punter
Roar Rookie
Way to miss the point!!!! "Im not a fan of comparing eras as it gets the worst out of people with debating with what was good and bad instead we should celebrating our past as well we thinking how we can create a better future for the sport." Your words. So with your words, I will just say I have watched football in this country since 1974 & I disagree with you when you started comparing.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
great Sydney Croatia side in 95/96? With the greats like Ante Moric?the great side was 96/97 with Marusic that lost out to Brisbane in the grand final. Then the team was completely gutted the very next season.
Will
Guest
It's my personal opinion as ive been watching football since the 90s, the NSL was more technical even though it was semi pro and the pace of the game was slower it made for better viewing as a purist. The a-league when it came out was almost unwatchable as it was a league that was over physical with too much long ball but it has come along way since then, thanks to the foreign players who have been class that could easily made an impact in the NSL era and emergence of good coaching especially Ange and Arnie. Ange under Brisbane played the best football ever in the a-league era, they brought a different type of football which we havent seen since, it reminded me of the great Sydney Croatia side in 1995/96 except where they didnt win the championship but were fun to watch. But even with all of that comparing who is better pointless as i want a better future, and without critiquing we cant move forward towards a better future if we dont point out the faults whilst saying the nice things like the crowds and the stadiums. Let's hope for ever increasing standards on the field into the future! Good blog post Stuart!
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Fad Yep and many people calling for the NSL never went ....
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Those 3k fans at Sommer Street chanting "Cro-a-tia" made a PA system unnecessary! Those were the good ol' days
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Alternately you could argue that English football was "ruined" until the EPL came along; falling crowds, hooliganism, antiquated stadia, antiquated English football. Accrington Stanley went bust.....
Waz
Roar Rookie
“Another major problem the A-League faces is defining what is its purpose?“ …. that is such an “Australian” thing to say (the seeds of it lie with the AFL biters no doubt). It’s purpose is clear: to be the premier football competition in Australia. Just like the other 200+ national leagues around the world!
jbinnie
Guest
Waz - This never ending discussion point of "who was better than who" is, as you suggest, a futile argument. As one who lived through the NSL from "Whoa to go" I feel reasonably qualified to pass comment on this discussion, and for the life of me I can only find one "constant" over the 40 years we are talking about, and that "constant" is the top administration of the game, and, I also feel if we are not careful, that "constant " is going to raise it's head in the not so distant future, if it already hasn't. The comparison of players has to consider that things have changed between the part- time NSL and the fully professional HAL. With this very much in mind I feel if we made allowances for the "rewards" offered today, be they financial,environmental, training facilities. medical back up, and much better grounds, it would be correct to suggest that players like Milan Ivanovic,Jim Hermiston, Jimmy Patikas,Graham Arnold, Dave Mitchell,Eddie Krncevic and Frank Farina, all with successful careers in European leagues, would ,under today's conditions, possibly could have been better players. For the same reasons one could add ,"locals" like Despotovski,Mori, Trimboli ,Yankos and Graham Jennings could have developed into better players. The discussion concerning the Perth Glory youngster Ikonomidis is another story altogether. Having watched him and Da Silva closely over the last few weeks it has become evident that neither of them, have moved with the changes in the modern game, with it's one touch,pass, and move philosophy, and both like to live in the era of beat one man,two men and find the third defender close enough to foil the move before it starts. This is not a fatal problem but it is one that coaches Arnold and Popovic are going to have to cure if we want to see the best this pair has to offer. Cheers jb.
Cameron Handley
Roar Rookie
There's plenty that the A-League head honchos should be taking from the MLS...
apaway
Roar Guru
But not testing...?
Baggio
Guest
True. However Adelaide utd had only one year in the nsl. If you hear some of the stories going around about glory players over the last few seasons, it was very similar to the nsl days (players out drinking and not being as fit as they could be). Was good chatting to players like Vas Kalogeracos at the Mustang bar though back in my prime.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Yet Adelaide United had no problem.
Nick Symonds
Guest
Another major problem the A-League faces is defining what is its purpose? Is it, A) A development league B) A "meaningful" competition C) An entertainment product - SMH "I was maybe the only coach who looked at the international programme before the season started. I don't understand what the fuss is about. I did a hear a comment about the young players going, but I didn't know the A-League was a development league". "There's been a lot of talk around the senior players because of the international windows but I don't see the A-League as a development league. It's a meaningful competition in which clubs expect to win trophies." - Graham Arnold Further, SMH: Arnold's comments come as the league faces criticism for the lack of opportunities provided to young players. The average player age of last season's competition was 27.8 years, the highest in the 40 years of national football in Australia. It has led to calls for expansion or a national second division to address the lack of player pathways. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/sydney-fc-seeking-stability-for-aleague-clash-against-newcastle-jets-20180102-h0ccc7.html - "The average player age of last season's (2017) competition was 27.8 years, the highest in the 40 years of national football in Australia." So, at the very least the NSL had more opportunities for younger players. Fans of the A-League want to see exciting young players like Arzani when they are starting out but maybe the NSL was better in this regard. Maybe that has something to do with poor perceptions of the A-League. Or is the problem that the governing body just sees the A-League as an "entertainment product". I mean, the governing body never suggested having music during corners in the NSL. I can't imagine too many NSL fans would think highly of the A-League after that farce. For FFA, the A-League has little to do with community, connection or passion, it's all about the "metrics". - MUSIC DURING PLAY AT A-LEAGUE GAMES IS THE FFA'S WORST IDEA YET If nothing else, you could argue that at least there’s some acknowledgement that crowds and atmospheres inside A-League venues have dipped alarmingly. But having alienated so many bona fide football fans, it’s hard to see how trying to replace them with families transfixed by the whizz-bang of the BBL is going to solve anything. Any fan groups drowned out by music being played through the PA system should simply walk out the first time it happens. The FFA have finally realised they need to work to win over fans. Trouble is, for the umpteenth time, they’re targeting the wrong ones. https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/09/17/music-during-play-at-a-league-games-is-the-ffas-worst-idea-yet/
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Like wise brisvegas, in my late 60s now and started out going to every home game that City and 'Hellas' had at the old Hindmarsh Stadium. Never made to feel at home. I have watched many games from Europe this season, without sound and to be honest, the quality is poor. Even when you had Real and Barca involved. Even worse I sat through a game that had no crowd [due to some misdemeanour] I lasted barely 15 minutes. Would today's players stand out in the 1977 version of the NSL, I think so but remember back then the whole game was different, the interpetation of the LoG were different, off-side was different, goalkeepers weren't used as field players.........so would the likes of the 1977 young player of the year John Kosmina be a star today, I doub't it. Would Jimmy Rooney win the Johnny Warren medal this season......again I doubt it. The reality is we can't and shouldn't compare era's because we are all different to what we were back then.