It’s hard to believe that in 2019 we still see constant references to ‘old soccer’ and ‘new football’ when it comes to the world game in Australia.
In the build-up to last night’s fairytale FFA Cup tie between defending champions Adelaide United and the Melbourne Knights and – to a lesser extent – the tie between Wellington Phoenix and the Brisbane Strikers, the same old juxtaposition of two vastly different eras popped up time and time again.
You would think after 15 years in the footballing wilderness of state leagues and the rebranded National Premier Leagues we could pay clubs like the Knights and the Strikers a bit more respect.
They are more than simply nostalgic windows through which we can compare a by-gone era of national football in Australia to the current one.
They are still proud football clubs with loyal supporters who have had to adapt and change with the circumstances they find themselves in and in between brief returns to the national spotlight thanks to the FFA Cup, they continue to ply their trade in their respective divisions.
Surely, by now we can stop talking about ‘old soccer’ and ‘new football’ and recognise that Australia’s football future has to include every club in the land.
No one will stand hand on heart and say the National Soccer League days were perfect, bridging the gap between old and new and focussing on an all-inclusive future of the game is the best way to ensure the game can continue to prosper.
The gulf between the Knights and Adelaide on the pitch was clear to see last night – and so it should be.
Adelaide are the defending FFA Cup champions, they made the semi-finals of the A-League last season and are full-time professionals with Socceroos littered within their ranks.
Credit should be given to the Knights and their coach Marijan Cvitkovic for approaching the game so openly, when it might have been tempting to try and crowd out their professional opponents and turn the game into a slug-fest in the bitter cold and wet conditions.
The Knights had over 4,000 people pack into their famous Somers St ground, so it made sense that they would try and entertain, even at the cost of a result.
In the first half, the Knights certainly played their part in an entertaining spectacle. FInding themselves 2-0 down early to goals from Al Hassan Toure and Ben Halloran, the home side showed plenty of fight to claw a goal back through a smart Gian Albano finish.
Adelaide showed their class in the second half and took the game away from their semi-professional opponents, but off the pitch, the Knights showed the potential they could bring to the sport if properly incentivised.
Melbourne Knights continue to invest in their own infrastructure, spending tens of thousands of dollars to improve their stadium for the return to the national spotlight, while the game itself attracted a bumper crowd of 4,087 on a truly horrible night in terms of rain and temperature to see the game.
Even after the game, supporters stuck around the club’s social rooms for hours into the night.
So, what do you get when you combine a club-owned stadium and surrounding infrastructure, with a highly-motivated fan-base, a committee that knows how to strike when the iron is hot and an FFA Cup tie against an A-League opponent?
If you’re Melbourne Knights, you could end up clearing around $100,000.
Sources from the club have suggested that profits from last nights FFA Cup tie against Adelaide United, including from sponsorship, merchandising and ticket and food sales look set to tip $100,000 – after accounting for approximately $70,000 spent on stadium upgrades.
That is an extraordinary result for any club in football, A-League included. But it is only possible when clubs invest beyond the first team and commit to building and improving their facilities and infrastructure.
Just imagine if the Knights had a sniff at playing in the regular national competition and the potential to earn a spot back in the A-League.
By comparison, the all A-League clash between Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets attracted 4,045 people at the hired venue of AAMI Park.
The Knights have been big supporters of a national second division, and have even published their own white paper discussing what they believe are the pros and cons of the division structure announced by Football Federation Australia’s New Leagues Working Group.
At this point, the creation of a second division seems more a case of when and how than if.
Honestly, it cannot happen soon enough.
While the Knights game demonstrated the potential NPL clubs can bring off the pitch when properly incentivised, the Strikers proved once again that the gulf between the pros and the rest isn’t necessarily huge on the pitch either.
The Strikers shot to a 2-0 lead but had to be satisfied with getting the job done on penalties following a stirring fightback from the Phoenix.
It has to be acknowledged that Wellington are in the midst of a big off-season of change with new coach Ufuk Talay picking up the pieces from Mark Rudan’s departure, but nevertheless, this was an impressive Strikers performance.
Between the Knights impressive off-field performance and the Strikers on-field performance, the National Premier Leagues are teeming with high-quality candidates for a national second division which will help to promote continued investment in the game and the development of its players.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
We can have NPL clubs competitive in the Round of 32 when they are in the midst of their own season and A-League clubs are deep in pre-season Outside of that they are not It's great though when they are able to generate a fair bit of money from these games that go a long way Which is why I believe NPL clubs should be able to negotiate transfer fees rather than the $3000 they get when HAL teams acquire one of their players
jbinnie
Guest
Mathew- You have put together an article here that debates subjects that are close to every football fan's heart. Unfortunately you have presented some statistical data based on information obtained from club sources (always dangerous) and then proceed to put forward reasons for expansion of the HAL and a Division 2. This is very dangerous ground to get into, supposition and hope are being used as criteria while ignoring the obvious,the lack of money in our game.One can argue these points into infinity but the fact remains ,even in a 10 team fully professional football league, we have divisions in performance that have to be reviewed and improved before any progress is made. In that ten team comp we have average home attendances,and how those figures affect the finances of the teams is obvious to most with Victory averaging around 21,000 paying customers against CCM's 5500. You don't have to be awfully bright to calculate that in gate money alone that shows a differential of $7,000,000 at Victory against $1,790,000 at Gosford. That is a huge discrepancy and over a period of 3 or 4 years can only mean one thing,the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer as they try to compete. Now I would like to read your views on how that gap in potential earnings can be bridged in order that our 10 team competition stabilizes before we try and expand that competition and set up a lower division to facilitate, not just promotion and relegation, but "SUCCESSFUL" promotion and relegation. That would be interesting journalism. Cheers jb.
jbinnie
Guest
Evan - A bit surprised at your reference to what you obviously consider "ethnic" clubs being "shafted" by unnamed personnel.To the best of my knowledge those clubs you mention were banned from using certain "titles" in their names and flying certain national flags at their games, long,long before the creation of the HAL in 2004, in fact these instances occurred nearer the formation of the NSL in 1977 when clubs like Hollandia and Azzurri were made change their names to Brisbane Lions and Brisbane City respectively, before they could participate in the then 'new" national league, 1977, 27 years before the HAL!! As you have probably gathered I have a great problem with people "playing" with history and this article does tend towards that fact of life. To the best of my knowledge there was nothing to stop any club applying for a licence to play in the inaugural HAL, the only "barrier" to be faced was the $5 million dollars required to purchase that licence, plus another $4 or $5 million to meet the incidental costs in signing up 23 players and the coaching and administrative staff required to run the organisation on full-time wages,before a ball has been kicked. In my experience in the NSL it is doubtful,no it is probably deadly accurate, that there was not a club in the country with that amount of ready capital and even today it is highly unlikely that factor has changed all that much . The writer talks about "clearing $100,000 at one game". Has he ever considered what the weekly wage bill is for at least 40 full time personnel who have to be paid 52 weeks of the year with match income in all its' forms only being gathered in for 26 weeks. The biggest drawback to essential expansion for our game has nothing to do with past history ,the drawback is lack of money in our game, and until that changes we are stuck with the game as it is and nothing short of government or business intervention is going to alter that fact. Cheers jb.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
The Melbourne Knights fans are living in a by-gone era. The football community has grown up. They haven’t. I think that says it all, and thanks to the journalist here for pointing it out.
Evan Askew
Guest
If Melbourne Croatia ever get into the Second division they will bear the consequence of their behaviour by the number of people who go to their games and remaining a niche club. As for the chants about the A league? What was said? You have to unnderstand that the fans of Melbourne and Sydnney Croatia, SOuth Melbourne Hella and Marconi Fairfield and sydney olympic would be pissed off at their shafting when the A league was created. So chants about the A league that are less than complimentary are to be expected.
Tyke
Roar Rookie
And that filthy chant about the A league they had, I learned that Melbourne knights fans are bunch of bogan dipheads last night, good for them
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
Also the Knights - https://indaily.com.au/opinion/2019/08/08/stench-of-bigotry-sours-ffa-cup/
Admiral Ackbar
Guest
It's probably not going to happen this year, but the best thing to happen to the FFA Cup would be a match between two clubs that used to be NSL rivals, eg Perth Glory and South Melbourne. That would be proof that football existed in this country before 2005.
At work
Roar Rookie
The Knights grandstand is pretty good, overall considering the weather a great turnout. Also that’s the huge benefit of owning your own stadium, no extortionate rental fees and much better opportunity to turn a profit on match day.