On the back of a historic weekend for football, it’s probably time we started asking ourselves what we want our competitions to look like in the short term and years to come.
First things first, congratulations to Adelaide United for smashing the W-League attendance record for a standalone game.
Some 5159 fans filed through the gates of Coopers Stadium on Sunday afternoon to watch the Reds record an impressive come-from-behind 3-1 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers.
It looked great on TV and it kept Adelaide’s W-League side – historically one of the least successful teams in the competition – in the hunt for a spot in the finals.
There weren’t quite as many reasons to celebrate at a rain-drenched McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, where the heroes of the day were surely the ground staff who managed to ensure the pitch was playable.
Brisbane Roar had to dig deep to grind out a 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix, although the Kiwi side were aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty deep in stoppage time.
Riku Danzaki’s handling of Tom Aldred’s hurried clearance was deemed accidental, but it’s hard to see how the Roar didn’t gain an advantage from Danzaki’s unplanned intervention.
(Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Adelaide’s men’s side then smashed the Newcastle Jets 4-1 in the second game of an unprecedented double-header, with all four of the Reds’ goals coming in the first half.
It was a forgettable performance from the Jets, who are fast filling the shoes the Central Coast Mariners used to wear.
That’s what happens when clubs are allowed to wither on the vine due to a lack of investment.
Newcastle might be one of the most parochial cities in Australian football, but the fans haven’t had much to cheer about over the past couple of seasons.
However, one of the things the A-League hasn’t done particularly well is develop a culture of match-going attendance regardless of a team’s form.
Some clubs fare better than others, but it only takes a defeat here or there for many fans to decide they’ve got better things to do.
Which begs the question of why the A-League shouldn’t start to consider admitting teams from cities boasting genuine community support.
Like Cairns, for example.
I’ve just spent the week up in the far north, and not for the first time it was abundantly clear exactly how much football culture exists in the city.
From Edge Hill United’s latest FFA Cup run making the nightly sports reports on the commercial networks to the FQN Northern Premier League actually getting write-ups from the Cairns Post, it’s a city crying out for some top-flight football.
There are historical links too, with clubs like Mareeba once among the most feared in Queensland. And in the 15,000-capacity Barlow Park, there’s a venue that could play host to A-League football with a rudimentary amount of investment.
So why don’t we discuss cities like Cairns when we talk about A-League expansion? Lack of imagination, for one thing.
Which is why, following the introduction of Western United and Macarthur FC, we now have three teams each in Sydney and Melbourne and none in cities like Canberra, Wollongong or Auckland.
In his new book Code Wars: The Battle for Fans, Dollars and Survival, Dr Hunter Fujak of Deakin University suggests that globalisation and the spectre of the English Premier League make it tough for the A-League to ever establish itself as a genuine drawcard.
Yet I would argue the chance to watch live football up close and in your own home town is how the A-League should have positioned itself all along.
There’s no reason that shouldn’t include cities like Cairns somewhere along the line, even if it’s in a national second division.
Yes, there’s the question of who pays for it. But how is that any different to what we’ve got now?
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
They should be in tip top condition. It's the national game
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
In other words you think OFC would have voted for Australia if it was on its own just cause LOL it would have voted for NZ if the bids remained separate and Australia would have been pressured by AFC to drop out in Favor of Japan if the Australia and New Zealand bids did not join
Micko
Roar Rookie
Why wouldn't the OFC vote for Australia anyway?! :shocked: 1. It's in their backyard 2. Australia allows OFC to have pro soccer based in NZ as part of the condition for OFC letting Australia join the AFC... ...seems harsh they wouldn't vote for Australia with or without a joint bid with New Zealand!
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Australia needed NZ for the OFC vote and Japan was also running which would have Split the AFC vote so no Australia would have never won on its own because it would have been unlikely Japan would have pulled out of the Running in not for Australia and New Zealand Merging there bid
Micko
Roar Rookie
I think Australia could've easily won and hosted on it's own, but a joint bid is good PR, especially since the joint bid transcends confederations too. It's the only realistic way NZ was going to host a tournament of this magnitude I feel.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Keep dreaming! :silly:
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
It's a pretty poor move considering Australia and NZ are co hosting and there would be no World Cup in Australia tried to do it on its own, as a neutral I'm looking forward to it as there is no way in hell Wales will Qualify
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
AFC East is indifferent to Australia through if the Australian government keeps poking the Dragon so to Speak the Chinese FA might Change there tune, AFC West still wants Australia gone
Micko
Roar Rookie
Australia wanted to be in AFC and AFC is happy to have Australia. Kiwis get annoyed by it because it means a lack of internationals against Australia.
Micko
Roar Rookie
I think they considered NZ a rival in the upcoming 2023 world cup, and they weren't prepared to let them use the W League to develop their players when they could be a potential opponent.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Australia should not be in AFC anyway as it is not a part of Asia and Unlike Israel it has no political reason to be in another Confed also the Nix W-League bid was rejected despite the fact it had secured funding from NZF and the NZ Government or in other words funding from the Australian FA was unnecessary
Micko
Roar Rookie
The reason they will veto it is because it effectively costs Australia money to subsidise NZ pro clubs, whilst NZF (the same governing body that conspired with OFC to blackmail Australia to let an A League franchise be based in NZ) does nothing to help the FFA or the A League in general.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
I think Micko is from WA and is upset that a 2nd NZ team is far more likely and viable then a 2nd WA team hell a Cairns team is likely more Viable then a 2nd WA team but I will say that any NZ Expansion of the A-League or W-League will likely be Vetoed by the Australian FA
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Western United are also giving away free tickets and even memberships but to no avail. Cairns would be the same deal maybe worse. Canberra should have got the bid FACT and lets just forget about Tassie as they are another WU incoming. If the question marks over Wellingtons existence are to be told with low membership numbers and crowd figures then sorely one only needs to look at WU and Mc Bulls to see this aspect of metrics is redundant when a Australian club can only manage 2.5k crowds on a good day.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Telling you the reality of the situation isn't "anti-NZ", even if you don't like it. The fact was there was no interest previously in a pro Auckland side. And as I alluded to before, Perth having a novelty one off rugby league games did well in terms of crowds, I was there watching it at a chocka block Waca ground. But when the Western Reds came into existence, they were giving out free tickets to help prop up crowds after only a year or so.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Mareeba is a town of 10K about an hour west of Cairns (not even the same council and councils are massive in area in QLD) but it does have the highest Italian population of any Single Suburb in QLD
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Sky Clearly have faith in the Nix as they are now one of the clubs sponsors but hopefully with the APL negotiating the next NZ Broadcast Deal rather then a organization that wants to kill our club perhaps we can get a better NZ TV Deal next time round, a 2nd NZ team or even a Nix W-League side would also increase what a broadcast deal in NZ is worth only debate with Auckland is figuring out where a Auckland team plays as all 4 Auckland Stadiums have there Pros and Cons
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Mate the FFA had there chance to kick the Nixs out but all the A-League clubs wanted them to stay, also the fans of other clubs too were showing support with banners of #SaveTheNix on them.Hence why Gallop folded and gave them a 10 year deal. And about the Fox Sports money, it might be leeching but its not personal its just business. Anyway we need Auckland in the A-League ASAP before any other club. Done right it will be bigger then Melb Victory.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
I agree but it always comes down to whos gonna pay for it
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
In Regards to QLD I think Gold Coast should be in the A-League as the 2nd QLD team as its the Largest Regional City in Australia, 2 More Brisbane teams should be in the 2nd Division one of which should be Power the other should be Southside or out toward Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Cairns should all be considered as well