After another weekend in which not that many people watched some excellent A-League football, perhaps the only thing that can save the competition is a visit from Paris Saint-Germain.
“We don’t do gimmicks,” Australian Professional Leagues boss Danny Townsend said on the official A-League podcast last November.
Now Sydney Morning Herald journalist Vince Rugari is reporting that Paris Saint-Germain’s latest premature exit from the UEFA Champions League could see them in line to pay a visit to Australia this May for the latest encounter with the A-League All Stars.
More than 70,000 fans filed into Accor Stadium in Homebush to watch the All Stars rattle Barcelona last May, in a match that helped put Garang Kuol on the radar of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Now Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe could be the next to sample the salubrious sights of Sydney’s Olympic precinct – Neymar is injured – as the APL tries desperately to forge a connection between casual football watchers and diehard A-League fans.
If it was ever going to happen, you would have thought it might have happened by now.
Townsend has made comments in the past about the A-League being an “entertainment business” and it’s clear the APL’s decision to bundle an All Stars game in with the A-League Grand Final is an attempt to look beyond the existing market for fans.
The problem is that fewer and fewer of those existing fans are currently turning up at matches.
A reported crowd of just 4,881 fans showed up on a glorious Sunday afternoon to watch the best team in the league in Melbourne City down Brisbane Roar 2-1 in an entertaining affair at AAMI Park.
Aiden O’Neill’s opening goal was a thing of beauty for the home side, and the Brisbane-born midfielder won the game with his second after Jay O’Shea hauled the visitors level from the penalty spot.
Almost 10 years after the City Football Group’s takeover, the club moved into its custom-built training centre at Casey Fields in the city’s south-eastern suburbs this time last year.
But they’ve remained curiously disinterested in growing attendances at AAMI Park and seem more inclined to move City personnel on to feeder clubs like Troyes in France.
It’s a shame more fans didn’t turn up on Sunday, yet the situation was mirrored in Saturday night’s free-to-air fixture at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle.
On the plus side, the timeslot didn’t feature one of the Sydney or Melbourne clubs for the first time since February 4.
And when Nestory Irankunda came off the bench to smash home his third goal in three games – following a five-goal first half – he set the seal on what was another enthralling encounter.
All eyes will now be on Graham Arnold as he names his Socceroos squad for the upcoming two friendlies against fellow World Cup combatants Ecuador.
But if there’s a connection between the likes of Irankunda – or better yet, Craig Goodwin – and the quality of football regularly on display in the A-League, it seems to be lost on fans.
(Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Newcastle are in the unique position of being propped up by a consortium of three clubs in the form of Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers and Western United, as the search for new owners drags into its third year.
And the ongoing uncertainty is doing nothing for their box office appeal, with only 4839 fans turning up on Saturday night to see the returning Goodwin play a starring role in Adelaide’s absorbing 4-2 win.
There are those who insist we dwell too much on crowd figures in the A-League – preferring instead to focus on the quality of football on the pitch.
But that argument overlooks a couple of key points.
The first is that almost any game in the world feels like it’s worth watching when it’s played in front of packed stands.
And the second is that the sight of all these empty seats is doing nothing to convince anyone that it’s our league that’s worth watching.
Perhaps that’s why the APL needs to pin their hopes on PSG as a desperate last resort.
AR
Guest
"Not a single facility has ever been built for an A-league team by governments." This is a statement from a person who doesn't live in the real world. Every. Single. Stadium... that ALeague clubs use has been 100% government funded - AAMI Park, Parramatta Stadium (with its 'safe-standing' specifications), Perry Park, SFS, Coopers...all of them have been 100% government funded. It seems what you're demanding is that *each* privately-owned ALeague club has its very own stadium (i.e. no sharing with any other co-tenant) and 100% government funded. And indoor with air-con too? The delusion of some of these kids knows no bounds.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Not a single facility has ever been built for an A-league team by governments. The case of Parramatta a public pool was demolished in order for the Paramatta Eels to move the stadium across so they could steal more public land for their gambling den and they even made the side of stadium a corporate area for their gamblers. The new Sydney stadium no one asked for it to be rebuilt even, it could have lasted 1000 years apart from the roof. Some creative accounting where 2 billion came from Perth 1.5 billion is even worse value. A-league teams are an export earner, they drain their rich overseas owners of money and are not subsidised. They pay rent for everything they use. The AFL are like the housing commision residents well at least as far as the drug taking, the housing commision residents pay more rent.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
The Glory never got over 4k for any of their games actually.
Steven
Guest
When was the last time the HETALD SUN pr the RUGBY LEAGUE telegraph wrote anything gloomy about the low attendances of the teams making up bottom half of the afl or nrl table? Biased and nasty people at their helm
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Expansion into Auckland and Canberra has been confirmed by the APL hopefully someone here writes an article Rumor for Canberra is it will be a revival of the Cosmos name and that the owners of the new team will buy Canberra United and Rebrand them to Cosmos in addition to the new Senior Mens Team Rumor for Auckland is that it will be a new team called Auckland FC and will be run by Auckland City and Central United Chairman Ivan Vuksic and an Auckland Property developer Aleksander Sipka
Punter
Roar Rookie
Who?
AR
Guest
"The AFL is the biggest welfare recepient in the country." First, *recipient*. Second, it seems your answer to the "housing crisis" (as if that is remotely relevant) is to give millions to ALeague competitions that very few taxpayers (and specifically, football fans) bother to attend. Third, forget a paltry $2.85M, last time I checked, the NSW government had spent $2B on rectangular stadiums, including $1B to knock down one stadium, only to rebuild it. Fourth, asking for government money to build facilities for privately-owned clubs is something most Australians would be against in principle. The ALeague gets plenty of funding from the government. In fact, ALL of the infrastructure is provided 100% by governments. The trouble is, it's never enough, and it never represents good return on investment.
Grem
Roar Rookie
He’s as argumentative as Cameron Smith.
Grem
Roar Rookie
I don’t think Elmer will agree with these comments!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Thas AFL they are constantly thieving money from governments. For 3 giants games the AFL should be paying them to host. The AFL is the biggest welfare recepient in the country. We have a housing crisis and these govenrnment are bending over backwards to give these druggies money. LAst time they pledged some amount but late in the bid process not at the start. The amount they give for their W-league team is a complete joke.
Garry
Roar Rookie
I think its the top sport there too! "Early years The earliest written record of football played in Antarctica was during the British National Antarctic Expedition, more commonly known as the Discovery Expedition, which set sail from London in 1902."
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
It sounds good to me. There is a good potential derby in NZ if it comes to fruition.
Randy
Roar Rookie
Storm are really going backwards if Roy Masters is their captain...
Franko
Guest
I don't think you have to pay the $25m in cash upfront. Here's a clue: The ACT Government will invest $2.85 million per annum in this agreement extension with the Giants. It follows the announcement of extensions to partnership agreements with the ACT Brumbies and the Canberra Raiders earlier this year So, if they are happy to fund the West Sydney Giants in the AFLW, I cannot see why they couldn't stump something up for the world game.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Well its a pyramid scheme like the MLS, new entrants pay 25m instead of 15m. I cant see how they will find 25m in Canberra, they found 400k last time. How do they assume they will find people with the money. I would say maybe paramount are involved if the launch Paramount NZ and the sky tv deal runs out by then. If Paramount are involved with a NZ launch then they may alter the current deal so there is extra money for the extra games, At least its expansion in a different location, adding extra teams to Sydney and Melbourne was a disaster, and that was doubled down with Foxtel using COVID to break the TV deal.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Is this a positive? A-Leagues to add Canberra, Auckland teams in $50m expansion https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/a-leagues-to-add-canberra-auckland-teams-in-50m-expansion-20230314-p5crwp.html
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
The TV Deal Football Australia has with Paramount is up next year The A League TV Deal between APL and Paramount isn't up until the end of the 25/26 season The NZ A-League TV Deal with Sky is up at the end of the 23/24 season
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Thats the deal for the Socceroos and Matildas. Which is a different deal.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
My source is Paramount itself! So maybe it's not a very good source. Or maybe you have comprehension problems. https://www.paramountanz.com.au/news-and-insights/10-viacomcbs-and-football-australia-announce-largest-socceroos-and-matildas-broadcast-deal-ever/ A New Era For Australian Football Begins. •10 ViacomCBS and Football Australia enter into landmark media rights agreement until the end of 2024.
pool
Guest
Hah! 'Sacred' land. Aint no such thing.