I was one of those who posted negative comments about the APL’s decision to enter into an agreement with Destination NSW for the A-Leagues Grand Finals to be located in Sydney for the next three years.
Having considered the matter further, and with information slowly leaking out with respect to the parlous financial situation of the A-Leagues, then I have to say that as much as the decision for the Grand Finals to be played in Sydney for three years is not my preferred option, I am happy to support it if it contributes to the continued survival of the A-Leagues.
I think there needs to be careful consideration of any fan action or walkouts this weekend as they will hurt further the financial position of the clubs and the leagues, and cause further reputation damage too. Such action, although well-meaning, may in fact cause existential damage from which there may be no coming back.
So, here is the fundamental, underlying question: do we want a national football league or not?
We can quibble about whether or not our A-League meets all of our want and desires, but like everything in life, it needs to meet our budget. Life is full of compromises and sometimes we have to say that we can live with those compromises if it means we have the majority of what we want.
(Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
Certainly, we have the majority of what we want in the case of a national league, since it exits and is, so far, surviving. And we have a finals series that works, even if the Grand Final might not be played where we want it. The leagues are still relatively young, and given the state of the finances, perhaps we have to smile and say at least we have a league and hopefully it will continue to improve as it matures.
To take action against what we have now will only damage the A-Leagues, perhaps mortally. It will certainly put a smile on the faces of other codes and our detractors. It certainly won’t help to grow football in Australia, and it certainly won’t help your club.
We need to reconcile with the fact that the APL has a board and its job is to ensure the financial sustainability of the organisation. We don’t have all of the information that the board has, which should of course be confidential given the commercial sensitivity. They take action and make decisions based on the financial needs of the organisation first, because if they don’t get that right, there is no organisation and therefore no A-League.
So, I say, let’s suck it up. It’s not what we want, but it may be what the league needs to do right now if it is to survive the current times. The board is responsible for making these decisions based on the information it has, and they are required, by law, to act in the best interest of the organisation.
By now, the clubs and the APL are well aware of how fans feel about the Grand Final decision, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
If we do, we may end up with no national league and football will always remain a unrealised opportunity that passed us by because we lost what we had through a tantrum over something that was not perfect but which we could have lived with if it was the difference between survival or not.
James
Guest
I’ll accept the necessary mitigation plan to move it Sydney once Danny Townsend resigns for (1) negotiating a flawed broadcast deal that didn’t include requirements to ensure a quality product which ultimately contributed to the lack of subscription uptake or even cancellation (2) delays in negotiation and communicating to supporters the membership paramount subscription discounts before the season started (3) for no timely communicating the change to the biggest stakeholders of the league
HR
Roar Rookie
It's also going to be interesting to see how the baby boomers deal with the change of becoming the ones that aren't running things any more as the millennials take over (both as a voting demographic and in positions of power). Which is happening already - the oldest Millennials are in their early forties now, and places like NZ, Finland, Chile, Georgia, Kosovo all have leaders who are Millennials, as does the UK, depending on whether you use 1980 or 1981 as the start of the range.
matth
Roar Guru
There is a saying: the perfect is the enemy of the good.
Admiral Ackbar
Guest
Then where's all the money that's supposedly come into the game because of Paramount+ and Silver Lake gone? What's it being used on?
Garry
Roar Rookie
cricket - "Sydney riot of 1879 – In a match between New South Wales and England, a riot was sparked by a controversial umpiring decision, when star Australian batsman Billy Murdoch was given out by George Coulthard, a Victorian employed by the Englishmen.[1]"
Wow
Guest
That's what the GWS Giants AFL team gets in Sydney metro ratings alone. And people think that is lousy. They might be better off on Youtube and go for the Asian betting brigade getting a look.
Rover
Guest
According to some, semi professional is better and was historically than this full time professional A-League.
Garry
Roar Rookie
Note.. Westerns on TV Bold now!! by that I mean the football/soccer.. :stoked: WALK IN NOT OUT
jameswm
Roar Guru
No problem from me. I know what your position is from your post - you know, above? "You are welcome to comment on my posts, but again – please refrain from trying to set rules on what I can and can’t post. That’s not your position". You mean prerogative, but it's not what I did. I just commented. I didn't set any parameters. I don't believe your 3rd last para - no point engaging in a debate otherwise. But you have conceded you will not consider or even read any other view. You're comments are very defensive.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Not exactly sure what is your problem? It would probably help if you refrained from stating you know what my position is - if you’re not sure, please ask, but it’s not helping anyone for you to assume you know. I am saying I can place a post that doesn’t have to be about the article, which is what I did in my original post here. You are welcome to comment on my posts, but again - please refrain from trying to set rules on what I can and can’t post. That’s not your position. I am entitled to “not consider other views” that’s my right and a position that varies depending upon the topic under debate and the persons making the posts. And in terms of having my opinion “taken seriously”, lol - I honestly don’t care whether you or anyone else takes my opinion seriously or not, I post here for fun and I enjoy both posting myself and reading what others have written, both I do selectively. So let’s both chill and move on. There’s better ways we can be downing our Sundays surely?? Have a good arvo :thumbup:
jameswm
Roar Guru
So what you're saying is this - you're entitled to post not on the article but I can't respond to your post? Nice logic there. And you also said you're also entitled to not consider any other view. That's a good way to have your opinion taken seriously.
Waz
Roar Rookie
All of which I’m entitled to do so not sure why you’ve bothered posting what you did?
jameswm
Roar Guru
"Apologies, I didn’t read your article. I read the headline and skipped straight to comments". So what you're actually doing is writing your own mini-article on the topic and not commenting on the article? It's pretty hard to comment on the article without reading it. It also looks like you're not prepared to read or consider any alternative view.
Silvio Arratia
Guest
It was something to be expected as many of the Roar writers at least three of them wrote articles pushing for some attacks on the decision to hold the Gran Final in Sydney, none of them considered that the APL is struggling with the league ,some owners had to step in to help the Jets and after Covid having an extra money could help the whole league, but no the Roar writers pushing for action from the fans articles have disappeared and every one is talking about the stupid ones who are wrecking football in general giving NRL and AFL reasons to attack our code; if you are serious about football first you try to understand the reasons why they came to that decisions and I am 100 percent sure if Victoria government had offer better money the Grand Final would have been given to Melbourne which held last GF with a paltry 23000 spectators, just to say where the hypocrisy lays.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I'm out of phase, in England (where Norwich is about to kick-off) but isn't the difference between NSL and A League, the APL? The league is run by the owners, not the FA. I can't see the FA having much say in this matter. As a relative newcomer who didn't grow up with the football fan culture, I've felt very uncomfortable with fan behavior this year. In retrospect, I'm not surprised that the decision by the APL culminated in a damaging incident. Almost every football fan I follow on social media has been stoking the fire all week. Our biggest enemy is within. I guess you're saying the same thing JB. Incompetent management is normal, nothing unique about football. But I'm amazed by the split in the fan base. It's unforgiveable that a lot of genuine fans want the A League to fail, semingly just because their own club isn't part of it, or they disagree with management, or they think they can find better owners, or their own club would be better. Talk about throwing out the baby with the bath water.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
2006 was actually when I moved away from the area :laughing:
Cameron Handley
Roar Rookie
NSD should never have been on the cards. Sydney United Nazi salute should have been the end of that.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
I think after what happened in Melbourne today Expansion and NSD are going to be on ice for some time and the A-Leagues future right now is pretty dicey
Garry
Roar Rookie
Noo..the catalyst was those calling for action without thinking..
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Correct, if Danny Townsend and the APL have any respect for the game in Australia he and the current board members will resign in favour of an independent group of people who will govern on behalf of all football people, the clubs, fans, sponsors. The APL's decision to sell the GF to Sydney was simply the catalyst for the most shameful day in A-league history. The darkest hour.