What do you get when you combine the word ‘in’ with ‘competent?’ An accurate description of the APL – the organisation currently running the A-League into the ground.
Can anyone guess how many fans turned up at Allianz Stadium on Christmas Eve to watch Macarthur Bulls smash Sydney FC 3-0 and heap even more misery on Sky Blues coach Steve Corica?
It’s TBA. Perhaps by the time Saturday afternoon’s minuscule crowd is announced, we’ll have forgotten the fixture even took place.
Which is no doubt what Danny Townsend and the Australian Professional Leagues are hoping we do around their decision to sell off the next three grand finals to Sydney.
Make no mistake, the APL has drawn a line in the sand and made it crystal clear they are anti-fans.
Why wouldn’t they be? It’s not like Townsend or the likes of Paul Lederer and Chris Fong or any of the other executives who put their name to the most cataclysmic decision in A-League history have ever had to buy tickets to games.
They wouldn’t have a clue how much time and effort fans put into attending matches – particularly away from home – because they’ve never had to do it themselves.
Danny Townsend (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Which is why Brisbane Roar fans were one of the first groups punished for the behaviour of Melbourne Victory supporters at the recent Melbourne Derby.
It was Football Australia who handed down a range of barely decipherable sanctions, but it’s travelling Brisbane Roar supporters – all of whom booked their flights and accommodation long ago – who join law-abiding Victory supporters in being unfairly locked out of the fixture at AAMI Park on January 6.
But the administrators who run the sport don’t care. If you paid for expensive flights to watch your A-League team in peak holiday season, that’s your problem. They already think you’re insane for being a passionate football supporter in the first place.
Because if the past couple of weeks have taught us anything, it’s that the APL have no understanding of football, no comprehension of fans, and no idea how to run the A-League.
Why else would you allow police and security personnel to stand around twiddling their thumbs at the 20-minute mark of the most volatile A-League fixture in years?
The excuse trotted out by the powers-that-be that they thought Victory active supporters were simply planning “to walk out” is laughable.
But it’s in keeping with an organisation that signed off a broadcast deal which has apparently crippled the league less than two seasons in, which wasted $30 million on the world’s most confusing website, and which thought nothing of breezily locking out the majority of A-League fans from watching their team host the grand final – only to seem genuinely astounded by the response.
If this were any other industry, many of these decision-makers would have been tapped on the shoulder and asked to find a new line of work long ago.
But because this is the A-League, with its lack of media scrutiny and any real consequences for poor performance, the competition blunders along making mistake after mistake.
No one disputes the fact that hooligans can never be permitted to wreck A-League matches. The actions of a handful of anti-social idiots have ruined several fixtures for the rest of us.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
And Football Australia and Melbourne Victory are no doubt caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to doling out appropriate punishments.
But all of this stems from the APL’s staggering incompetence in handling one of the most divisive decisions in the competition’s 18-year history.
If they couldn’t understand how fans would react to the decision then they don’t understand football – and nothing over the last two weeks suggests they’ve suddenly got a clue.
So on and on the latest battleground rumbles in the never-ending war on A-League fans.
Apparently a festive season full of empty seats, disengaged viewers and dismayed players is exactly what the APL wants.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I was totally the opposite, I could see putting the owners in charge would be a huge problem. Not because they would pander to these deluded fools that call themselves fans and fullfill the wishes, but you cant put the fox in charge of the coop. The thing that saved it all was the Silverlake money, they jhave segregrated the money as well so the beggar clubs cant get it, why anyone would be dumb enough to invest in the A-league is completely beyond me. That it happened however means the owners were right to do it. The stupidest thing would be to do what everyone here wants put the fans in charge. Of course you would be ok because your rear is protected being part of one of the two gangs, but nothing would cause me to laugh more than see these fools that support the hools at their mercy, Like that stupid geek blogger thought he could wear this polo top, and the RBB ambushed him after a Sydney game. What next let the RBB run the dunnies as well at the ground, like the gangs do in Hong Kong.
Waz
Roar Rookie
You’re not very good at fishing are you :laughing:
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
No its not. Under Lowy you were a loyal Roar fan and apparently everyone's greatest desire which they never stated before was the right to host the grand final. Now that you have abandoned the club the only conclusion is Lowy was your preferred master.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
What your saying is yet another load of manure, for most clubs APL main revenue source would be attendance at the games over TV money, as sponsorship is actually directly linked to corporate areas on the ground. So add the attendance+membership+corporate+sponsorship it will be more than TV money for most clubs though obviously not some of the new ones.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
So a lot of people are now identifying as city supporters in posts, I didnt realise they had that many fans. Why would a Frenchman not be supporting Victory the first club in Melbourne and with many French players.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
No they dont, most of the people claiming to be EPL fans are pretenders in this country, they will watch their team if its on early and they aren;t doing anything else. Once they put the price up at Optus and it was also no longer free for some goodbye to the big numbers Optus used to have . Forget EPL , Australians will stay up to watch the world cup but thats about it . Australians watch other sports at convenient times, the rugby league world cup did Australians did not even bother to watch it in numbers. I know Tongans who held a house party to watch it in the middle of the night , I imagine Samoans would have all stayed up as well, their respective islands in the Pacific almost the whole population watching it despite not even playing the sport locally. Australian rugby league fans certainly didnt do it in any numbers, does anyone think Italians or Greeks here would stay up to watch their rugby league team no chance, and very few Italians and Greeks in their home countries would have known it was on.
Garry
Roar Rookie
According to twitter “A Christmas Present for SFC fans! It appears Corica’s time is up as Manager with the board holding an emergency meeting today. ???? Decision has been made to part ways, seems as if yesterday will not be his last game however the search is underway for a fitting replacement.” ..ps apparently the source isnt totally reliable so we’ll see!!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
A lot of wannabee journos unable to get a job elsewhere what will happen to them if the A-league goes down centerlink.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I think City played it very well , they knew they get the three points if it was abandoned, they got Glover to lie down and say he was going to hospital, Then they cut to the dressing rooms and he was standing up instead of at the hospital. Burgess in contrast wasn't even taken off the field and he copped a much bigger head knock than Glover who didnt even go down. I am suprised there has been no attention to Burgess not being taken off given he has missed the next week, but no ramifications to Sydney not taking him off.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Mikey boy got mocked on the A-League Sub Reddit for this piece
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
There are other professional Gridiron Leagues such as the CFL which I love, XFL and USFL but none of them have the money the NFL does and out of those 3 only the CFL is accessible in Australia
Garry
Roar Rookie
yes..time was needed to clear the area and take the heat out of the situation.
Garry
Roar Rookie
yep full of half truths & hyperboles and totally lacking in facts and data...another irresponsible piece of - cough cough - journalism from Mike..
Nifty Nick
Guest
When the MV active fans invaded the pitch vs City I was already anticipating the media frenzy. Watching at home and seeing officials deliberating in the tunnel prior to calling it off, I thought to myself the smart thing for those in charge will be to continue the match as it will only make things worse if they don't. Police were finally on the field where they should have been and the reserve keeper could have been brought on and enough officials available to continue the match. For me this was another mistake from the APL, a big one. That said I still cant understand why it took 40 mins which only magnified the fact they again were totally unsure of what to do. Did anybody think calling it off was the best option ?
Chewy
Roar Rookie
Do I think the league is run well, no. I understand the financial pressure to do this but the key to this issue is that the mojority of clubs (and therefore all the fans) were kept in the dark until after it was made, that is wrong. As someone who was a security guard at a stadium, they are caught between a rock and a hard place. There are some really tight rules and the risk of being charged with assualt is real.
Partyhat
Roar Rookie
I’m English but spent a fair bit of time in Oz , so no eurosnob because all the code war /football standard nonsense that is regurgitated daily on the Roar is not a thing for me. I support a Championship team in UK but obvs watch EPL and lots of other football. Up until the last few years England have been enormous underachievers..talented individuals but bad team, but definitely there’s positive feelings around this lot. (And the Danes were awful)
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Do the research. Goodwin, Souttar, Arnold, Leckie,have all garnered post-tournament attention but the bigger talking point is that our domestic league fostered most of that team. We turned heads defeating a top 10 team in the Danes and we put up a decent fight against the Argies. I apologise if I am wrong but I seem to be picking up on the unmistakable stench of Eurosnob
Partyhat
Roar Rookie
I’m not sure why you claim the English national team sucks but, whatever it’s a common narrative spouted by true blue Aussies but what’s this “everyone talking about little old Oz”? I know everyone on the Roar thought it was the greatest moment in sporting history but a couple of scabby wins parking the bus was hardly front page news across the world :happy: :happy:
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
I hope you gifted Chris the experience of your cerebral impediment....the EPL, is a bloated, over hyped competition run by oligarchs, oil states and rich disinterested Americans. Their main game is to make money and to sports wash their money.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
A response like that also suggests both cerebral and educational limitations. That's ok, the world always need garbage men