The A-League’s newest derby: Bulls and Mariners

I look forward to the Bulls smashing teams like Roar and Victory of the park,

There might have been some bullying on the part of the broadcaster (soon to be ex-broadcaster), but there is little doubt in my mind that Macarthur has a greater chance of success than a team from Canberra or Tassie. In any event, it's the system which chooses the new teams which we should reject (selling licenses to the highest bidders). It's not about whether a team of Canberra or Tassie should be in the comp, the real question is: why can't clubs from Canberra and Tassie have an opportunity to work their way up to the top tier?

another nsw team was not needed in the league, it should've been Canberra or Tasmania. this was another case of being bullied by foxtel into a decision that was wrong for the game

I'd rather Sydney play out of Moore Park and just be pretty good, then live at Kogarah and be the best. I'm only persevering with renewing memebrships at Kogarah because I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, if Kogarah ended up being that light then I wouldn't renew my full season membership, probably opting to get a 3 of 5 game pass instead, and I suspect many others from around Sydney wold do the same thing. There's nothing around Kogarah stadium to do before or after a game, plus the actual ground is a dump, I hate sitting/standing on a hill and it's not even a rectangle so the view isn't even as good as you'd expect from a small boutique ground.

I'm surprised this article didn't mention the friendly match between a composite Macarthur South West United side and a Mariners squad that included Usain Bolt, who scored 2 goals in a 4-0 win to the visitors. The new side will have plenty of motivation going into the match. Talking point: Can the Mariners repeat their previous result without their talisman striker? - IN THE BUILD UP BEFORE THE LAST MATCH: “As Bid Chairman, I’m excited to have one of the world’s greatest athletes playing a trial game in our region. As a Football fanatic, I can’t wait to see Usain do his stuff on the field. It’s also exciting to have the Central Coast Mariners chose our region for Usain’s next game. This is also a great opportunity for our local NPL players not only to play against a Hyundai A-League side but also against one of the world’s highest profile athletes” - Gino Marra “I am jealous I wish I was playing. How great is this going to be, not just for our community but for the local NPL players dreaming of one day playing in the Hyundai A-League and to say they have played against Usain Bolt is something they will never forget" - Nick Carle “Watching one of the world's greatest athletes run onto the pitch in Campbelltown will be a great day for our region” - George Brticevic, Mayor of Campbelltown

Well, if initially it's half the support, that ain't bad.

“The classic case is Brisbane Roar” err, Nick, do keep up - we’ve got the marvellous Dolphin Stadium as our home

The Random Derby - That sounds like a great name for it. Simon Hill: "Tonight looks set to be another great clash in The Random Derby between Macarthur FC and the Central Coast Mariners who will be fighting for bragging rights for some reason. What they'll have to brag about I don't know, but if whatever it is gets them excited about it then we should be in for another cracker and for that reason I'm looking forward to tonight's contest." - Reminds me of the best football TV ad ever: Watch the Football! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MusyO7J2inM

On playing matches in Kogarah Danny Townsend actually said: "The fans love it. Our membership is up, our retention rate is the highest in the club's history and the churn rate (non-renewals) is lower than it has ever been at our club". https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/sydney-fc-unfazed-by-possible-stadium-delays - Meanwhile the budget for the stadium has blown out to $828 million, up from previous estimates of $735 million despite removing the curtain from the design which all three tenants regarded as an important feature. https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/led-curtain-to-hide-small-crowds-at-sydney-football-stadium-missing-from-new-plans/news-story/f76519be1c98f4dff2f9fc519e2d28ad - I'm sure they would all prefer to stay at Moore Park, but if it doesn't stack up financialy in a post covid economy then they might be forced to leave. The councils of St. George and Leichhardt have already put out feelers to poach SFC and the Warratahs to make them tenants at their own stadiums, offering lower rent. Also keep in mind that any money spent on paying stadium fees can't be spent on the club's football program and could affect perfomance on field.

Great article, love the connection drawn between the two coaches. Now that 42% of A league teams are based within a two hour radius of the Sydney urban area, a few random Derby’s will emerge...why not this one!

The prices MacArthur FC are charging for memberships is ridiculously high at $450. One cannot charge champagne prices for Fanta! Even my beloved Ajax would struggle to have decent crowds with the team MacArthur FC are assembling. I expect they will see very few memberships bought. This is particularly the case as MacArthur, as I have previously stated In previous posts, is a pocket of poverty, with very high levels of unemployment. Incidentally the Mariners have been badly let down by the FFA and need assistance to be kept in Gosford even though their crowds are not the best. The FFA should never have expanded last year as there was not sufficient demand or purchasing power in the areas chosen and there certainly isn’t now the economy is in dire straits. These two clubs will suffer the same fate as North Queensland and Gold Coast.

Possibly, although I really cant see Moore Park not having a rugby tenant that represents NSW/Sydney. Also while SydneyFC may try and put pressure if the rent increases, I'd argue that they'd be very foolish to willingly move away from Moore Park to somewhere like Kogarah. Mamy fans would not be happy with this.

The report on 4 Corners was very concerning. But the next A-League broadcast deal is due before the opening date for the stadium and the economic situation won't have improved by then or may even be worse than it is now. Other stadium deals could also put stress on other clubs and cause issues there too. The classic case is Brisbane Roar, but now with the collapse of Super Rugby it may also put additional pressure on Sydney FC if Moore Park loses the Warratahs as a tennant. Sydney FC CEO Danny Townsend has said previously that they would reevaluate wether or not to stay at Moore Park at the end of their current deal. So if the Warratahs leave and Sydney FC have to pay more in rent then they might not want to remain there.

Well that was I was expecting, or a black strip across the chest either horrizontal or diagonal like these: https://i.imgur.com/GcPLXw0.png If they just want a white shirt with black shorts then they should get rid of the bull. The away kit with navy blue and gold reminds me of the Newcastle Jets: https://i.nextmedia.com.au/Galleries/20170626045352_GettyImages-56320856.jpg

Probably lucky then that attendances will likely be capped, so only the most passionate and/or cashed up will be able to attend. As for Tarneit, I saw their community featured on 4 Corners the other night, not good at the moment, but by the time the stadium is built the community should hopefully be out of this COVID financial slump

Oh big call, only time will tell the kind of support that the Bulls will have, as they'll need to bring an equal level of supporters to create a strong rivalry

I really don't mind their away kit. For the home strip I would have liked to have seen Black & White strips :thumbup:

They might struggle a bit in the post covid economy. Revenue from tickets, memberships, merchandise as well as from TV or streaming subscriptions can all be expected to fall. In an area with 1 in 3 young people unemployed, you can expect these kind of discretionary spending items to take a big hit. Meanwhile in Tarneit, two out of three tennants are in rental stress and it's a similar story across Australia wherever you look. For the A-League in particular with the youngest supporter base of any football code, the economic impact on young people in particular is of concern for league revenue.

I don't like the kit design - A great big Silhouette of the bull from their logo on a white background. Really? Who came up with that one, the same people who designed the jersey for GWS Giants? https://www.macarthurfc.com.au/news/macarthur-fc-announce-inaugural-home-away-kit

When I read the article's title, I initially thought: hmmm, not sure about that, but then the author reminds us of the history of the two coaches involved. So well played to the author! I wish to publicly proclaim that I will be supporting Macarthur from next season. As for the "strikingly white number", I'm 50/50 about it. I'm sure it will grow on me.