Roar Guru
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Last Saturday night in Sydney, Heartbeat of Football – a fundraising organisation founded and driven by well-known football identity Andy Paschalidis – hosted the first ever reunion of players, coaches and identities from the National Soccer League.
Whatever the merits of a top-six final series in a ten-team competition, the number of teams who make the A-League play-offs is unlikely to change now, with the impending addition of two more teams in the next two seasons.
The catalogue of disasters emanating from Gosford came to an awful head on Saturday night.
Now that the wildly successful Russia World Cup is but a happy fading memory, the football world’s attention has gone back to intensely disliking the thought of where the next edition of the greatest show on earth will be hosted.
Throughout Australia, sleep-deprived fans awoke this morning with the feeling that a good friend had been farewelled, not to be seen for another four years.
England and Croatia are two nations who have put an indelible stamp on the history of football development in Australia, so it was inevitable their semi-final at Russia 2018 would be of more than just passing interest to locals.
If the England-Colombia game was a novel, it’d be the kind of thriller that relied on predictable violence leading up to a couple of late twists and then an ending no-one saw coming.
A colleague of mine told me it was time to move on from the Socceroos familiar lament and stick my neck out over which country is going to be the one to hold aloft the big gold trophy on July 15th.
Yes, for Australia it’s over before the knockout phase. Again. The blood-letting has begun from the usual suspects, some of it informed, some of it predictably not.
With all countries in the World Cup having played two matches, a fascinating last round is in store for at least six of the eight groups, with only two pools knowing the two countries who will be progressing to the round of 16.
In 2010, Pim Verbeek took the Socceroos to the World Cup finals in South Africa on the back of an almost perfect qualifying campaign.
Portugal and Spain produced a classic for the ages this past weekend.
For those of you only tangentially bitten by World Cup fever, the next four weeks should be renamed ‘be kind to your workmate’ month.
Melbourne Victory’s fourth A-League title in Saturday’s grand final was achieved by a side that has done it the hard way, coming from fourth place to claim the championship, the first time a team from outside the top two has lifted the A-League trophy.
With seemingly the whole of Newcastle wanting to be a part of Saturday’s A-League Grand Final against Melbourne Victory, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Melbourne and Newcastle teams have played a national club final.
As often as Riley McGree’s incredible scorpion goal last Friday night has been viewed (well over a million times just on the Newcastle Jets website alone), Fox Sports commentator Brenton Speed’s call of the Jets player’s goal against Melbourne City in that semi final will surely go down in folklore too.
The city of Viareggio is nestled on the coast of Tuscany, more famous for its gastronomic pleasures than its football, yet for the last 70 years, the Viareggio Cup has attracted the best youth players from Italy and the world.
It was Old Boys weekend and the RAAF round as Sydney FC made the trip up the M1 to face their closest rivals, the resurgent Newcastle Jets.
There is nothing quite as confronting as an over-tired child.
The Newcastle Jets sit six points behind the reigning champions from the Harbour City, after some very barren years, which saw the Novocastrians burn through coaches at an alarming rate, survive the horror of the Tinkler ownership era, and not come close to making a finals appearance.
Hi JB
Andrew’s son Steve was at the function, it was great to catch up with him too.
The night old soccer came home
I’m suggesting it. Only because Mark Rudan virtually admitted it in his post-match press conference.
Does form count for anything going into the A-League finals?
I’ll mention it every minute if we get a Grand Final like that one!
Does form count for anything going into the A-League finals?
Nowhere in the article did I say this is an issue for the broadcaster. Rather, it is a logistical issue for the league organisers.
How the A-League’s finals format creates a scheduling nightmare
Sorry, that’s incorrect. Under the old system, as soon as the finals series begins, there is only a need to have two grounds reserved, because the Grand Final was always hosted by one of the top 2. And the grand final venue is known a fortnight ahead of time. Under the new system, in Week One, it is still logically possible for the Grand Final to be hosted by any of the sides who finish 1st to 5th so that’s 5 grounds in Week One, 3 grounds in Week Two and only one week before confirming the grand final venue.
How the A-League’s finals format creates a scheduling nightmare
Punter
There may be some confusion about the EPL and “English football” though. As a long-time admirer of English football, I just wonder how many of the players in those 4 teams that have made Champions League quarter finals are English. I also wonder what effect Brexit will have on the EPL…?
Most A-League players can't compete in Asia. Why shoot the messenger?
Good point, thanks for clarifying.
Why the Mariners may be the most important club in the A-League
There sure is. And he’s a really good player.
Can the NPL and A-League ever be friends?
Your argument appears to be a little circular. BBL crowds have dropped by more than 20% in 2 seasons. BBL is mass vacation care with some bats and balls.
A million fans, stacks of stats and the embarrassing Mariners
People attend professional wrestling and circuses in big numbers too.
A million fans, stacks of stats and the embarrassing Mariners
Buddy
I agree. The Mariners should never be moved to another region. If and when that region is ready, they should be in the A League on their own merits. Moving franchises around the country might work in the United States for American Football but I think it would be a disaster here.
Why the Mariners may be the most important club in the A-League
Slightly revisionist history…
Why the Mariners may be the most important club in the A-League
Waz
The reason I used the term “needs” is due to the FFA having the region to themselves. It might not necessarily be the Mariners in their current form, but abandoning the region would be incredibly foolish. As to Mulvey contacting Lawrie McKinna, it had more to do with community engagement than anything else. Mulvey moved to the region and seemed to be seeking out advice about what works best. I don’t think that’s a stupid thing to do.
Why the Mariners may be the most important club in the A-League
American college football gets bigger crowds than the AFL and most of the football leagues in Europe so your comparison is a little meaningless.
The A-League has six months to save itself from oblivion
I was quoting an article from the Herald. I have no recollection nor can find evidence of of AFL drawing those crowds. If so, happily stand corrected.
The A-League has six months to save itself from oblivion
OK, Robbie Slater I get. But Fox didn’t tell FFA not to have the South-West Sydney team start next season.
The A-League has six months to save itself from oblivion
Not true, Harold. Had the Wanderers not existed, the government would not have invested in a rebuild of Parramatta Satdium because the Eels on their own were not worth the money. It was only when the Wanderers packed out the place every second week that the decision was taken to upgrade, and then rebuild.
The A-League has six months to save itself from oblivion
It’s a fair question, Christo. When the A-League began, Frank Lowy “wished” for a crowd average of 10,000 by Season Three. He got it much earlier than that. It’s worth noting that in the last 2 years, the A League have attracted a crowd of 62,000 for a regular season club game in Sydney, which is the biggest crowd for a regular season game for any sport in NSW history. Melbourne Victory average crowds that are bigger than the biggest NSL regular season crowd in history.
A crowd of 8,500 for a Western Sydney Wanderers game would have been unheard of when they had a home ground. But they have been crucified by the rebuild of Parramatta Stadium, which cannot come quickly enough for a club whose supporters redefined active support through the league. Their “homelessness” has also coincided with an alarming slump in form. Even though playing out of the Olympic Stadium amplifies the emptiness, it’s still better than the farce that was Spotless Stadium next door.
The A-League has six months to save itself from oblivion
What exactly have Fox Sports done wrong?
The A-League has six months to save itself from oblivion
Mike
What exactly are the mistakes? I don’t disagree – the A League has struggled this season but what do we compare it to? If it’s the NSL, let’s not, because as much as I and a lot of others fondly remember those times, the A-League is light years ahead in terms of organisation, promotion and crowds. If it’s other football codes, well, the NRL and the AFL have both experienced crowd and ratings drop-offs in recent seasons but because they are operating from a larger base with a whole lot more TV money to play with, it’s not a crisis. The NSW State Government’s obsession with infrastructure has killed the biggest marquee match the league has, because there’s not a decent stadium to play it in, and no reliable public transport to get to it.
So what’s the answer? Promotion/relegation? Not for years. A National Second Division? OK, but which of the current NPL clubs around the country could afford to play in it? An independently-run A-League? Possibly, but run by whom? Expansion? Definitely, and it’s coming, though too late for many, and the league needs to do it a whole lot better. In fact, study how the AFL does expansion and go from there, go and say to Canberra, Hobart, Wollongong and Brisbane City, “Right, you’re coming into the league in 2 seasons. This is what you have to have in place by then.”
The A-League has six months to save itself from oblivion
Wanderers fans didn’t trash the old stadium, it was their existence in such numbers that led to a new one getting built.
Sydney is the most embarrassing city in Australia
They certainly did, Macca. Vince Savoca was there, looking as fit as ever.
The night old soccer came home