“Big Ange is now Manager of one of the top 10 biggest Football Clubs in the World.”

😂 😂 😂 Tottenham are NOT, I repeat NOT “one of the top 10 biggest Football Clubs in the World”. Taking nothing away from Ange, and what he is achieving, but you need to get off the drugs.

When I first opened the article I was sort of expecting the typical AFL is the best (due to to be from a Melbourne perspective – I may be wrong here)…..
But reading the article in full, while there are some potential statistical errors/not full stats etc, I thought the article was pretty balanced and came across as someone trying to be fair and rate the sports without and rose tint glasses on…..
While I agree with those that explained why the stats used don’t tell the full story as some stats are potentially missing. Other than that, I thought it was a nice article, and puts those who use stats for their own agendas to shame…..
So I can only say nice article, especially when comparing it to other articles on the same topic. Nicely done 😊

Interested as to why would/should an EPL team (or any overseas club) play one of their league matches in Australia?? Playing an “Exhibition match(es)/competition(s)” is one thing. An official league match is another thing altogether.

RE: Coatbridge… [quote]”Scottish football would have had global appeal after the Old Firm match in Sydney”[quote/]…
You seem to hold Exhibition Tournaments in very high regards ????

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Ah, The Bunnet… Not only was he a saviour/”white knight”. Fergus McCann was a visionary. He saw the true potential of Celtic and took steps to see that potential reached (under the climate we find ourselves in – to reach our full potential either Celtic has to leave Scottish football or things in Scotland change drastically).

I know quiet a few people who don’t like, nor want the Final Series, as it takes away glory of the true Champions of the League (first past the post), and allows teams who haven’t been as good throughout the season the chance of the claim to be recognised as the best team in the league if they can string a 2 or 3 wins together during the play-offs. In football there are far to many influences in a match that affects an outcome of the game, be it a bad call or two by officials, a string of suspensions or injuries, or a poor day at the office from an attacking player/ to a keeper putting in having a game of their life/a game to forget.

To decide the ‘best team of the season’ with a one off match, instead of the team who performed the best/most consistent over a 20-something/30-something season is not logical. How people think it is the best way/fairest way to decide who is the Champions is beyond belief. Crazy even.

As for your argument that other countries have these type of competitions ie the FA Cup, they are separate competitions then the League. You don’t see the winner of the FA cup declared winner of the Perier League, like how the winner of the Final Series are declared winners of the A-League. Having a knock-out competition is fine, great even. But not as a way to decide who should be crowd winner of the League.

I always find the following argument (in favour of having a Finals Series) “Supporters of the clubs that have nothing to play for will no longer attend games/follow their team”, as a rather poor showing on these so called fans. It seems to me that the mentality of Australian sports fans are nothing more then fair weather/bandwagon supporters. As soon as things get tough, they pack up and leave. When times are good, they are the most die hard fans you’ll find. A bit of a joke if you ask me. Loyalty? What loyalty.

Someone might want to tell those at Aberdeen this. As it appears those who need to know have clearly missed that class/topic when it was made/discussed 😀

It seems to be working for Cardiff this season since they changed from Blue to Red. They really must like their brothers across the Severn (Bristol City) to want to change kit colours so to be the same/similar as to them 😀

Can a Mod delete the last couple of posts that are duplicates. I’m not to sure as to what happened.

Cheers

…

RE dasilva

QUOTE – “the thing about the final series match is that these matches are do or die match where a loss means you are out. That type of pressure is not transferable to any regular season match. The pressure to do well in winners take all or matches where you know that if you play poorly, you are eliminated from the competition is the mark of the champions” /QUOTE.
I’m sorry, but this statement/line of thinking doesn’t take into consideration other events outside of the players control that affects matches/results.

A team who dominates their opponent can still lose the match thanks to forces outside their control – ie: disallowed goal/s from a wrongful offside call/s. A player wrongfully red carded from an over zealous referee/poor sighted referee. Etc, etc. Then you may have a situation of a team picking up a few suspensions and/or injuries before the match is played which can really hamper a team, especially when there isn’t t much quality squad depth or the like.

The above are just a couple of examples (there are plenty others) of things outside of the players/teams control that can (and DO) affect outcomes of match/es, regardless of how the players/team mentality and ability are like.

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I’ll reply to the following two questions you ask, even though the situations are a lot different to that of a football match (due to all the different factors in football), and hence are somewhat irrelevant…

QUOTE – “How would you rate an athlete who breaks the world record in the heats but hten lose in the finals?” /QUOTE.
I rate that person as the fastest person in the world for said event.

QUOTE – “Did anyone here cheer Steven Bradbury when he won the final despite barely scraping his way to the finals?” /QUOTE.
Who?
I had to google Steven Bradbury. He won Austrlia’s first ever gold medal at a Winters Olympics?

RE dasilva

QUOTE – “the thing about the final series match is that these matches are do or die match where a loss means you are out. That type of pressure is not transferable to any regular season match. The pressure to do well in winners take all or matches where you know that if you play poorly, you are eliminated from the competition is the mark of the champions” – /QUOTE.
I’m sorry, but this statement/line of thinking doesn’t take into consideration other events outside of the players control that affects matches/results.

A team who dominates their opponent can still lose the match thanks to forces outside their control – ie: disallowed goal/s from a wrongful offside call/s. A player wrongfully red carded from an over zealous referee/poor sighted referee. Etc, etc. Then you may have a situation of a team picking up a few suspensions and/or injuries before the match is played which can really hamper a team, especially when there isn’t t much quality squad depth or the like.

The above are just a couple of examples (there are plenty others) of things outside of the players/teams control that can (and DO) affect outcomes of match/es, regardless of how the players/team mentality and ability are like.

—-
I’ll reply to the following two questions you ask, even though the situations are a lot different to that of a football match (due to all the different factors in football), and hence are somewhat irrelevant…

QUOTE – “How would you rate an athlete who breaks the world record in the heats but hten lose in the finals?” – /QUOTE.
I rate that person as the fastest person in the world for said event.

QUOTE – “Did anyone here cheer Steven Bradbury when he won the final despite barely scraping his way to the finals?” – /QUOTE.
Who?
I had to google Steven Bradbury. He won Austrlia’s first ever gold medal at a Winters Olympics?

I haven’t bought that “paper” since about 2003. I will read some news reports via their website (non sports) every now and then, and do the same when out having a coffee or something somewhere that have the free papers to read. That said, I mostly read ‘The Australian’ when out, where there are the free papers.

It’s been a very long, long time since I last parted with money for a news paper. If and when I do spend some coin on a news paper in the future, I can pretty much say, I honestly doubt it will be the Courier Mail. They are a poor excuse of a paper, but as they have no local competition there is no need for them to improve.

Because it is (apparently) much harder for a team to win a two or three matches back-to-back (and hence more deserving of recognition as the best team in the country) then it is to finish top of the table after twenty-something/thirty-something matches (which is only a minor achievement/not all that impressive).

How people can think/reason that the ‘true’ champion of the league is the team who wins a two/three game cup competition instead of the team who was the best over the course of the full season is beyond me. Surely deep down they don’t honestly believe this (if they are to be honest with themselves)?

Correct me if I am wrong, but don’t the stars above the clubs crest suppose to represent an International Club Competition (IE: European Cup, Champions League etc, etc) that the team has won? As for domestic league success, don’t each star represent 10 domistic League titles, and not a sole title?

“Can Perth reach the grand final again?”
Yes they can, they will meet Brisbane once again in the Final Series Final at Suncorp Stadium. And like last season, Brisbane will beat Perth to claim a third straight Final Series Final Title.

Bring it on!

And the above said club, have not only cleared all debts (as of a few mouths ago), but are now in a very financial sound place, and by all reports should be for the next 4-5 seasons (minimum).

@ Bunny Colvin;
In your opinion does that also go for those who’s parents have moved from the area/region/country etc, etc, yet their children follow the team of their parents/family ( and hence has become their team)? Yet never been to the area from which their team represents, or in your opinion this is different?

What an odd statement to make from someone who seems to be in favour of a ‘Final Series’
– “It still might be the rightful team that ends up with the toilet seat but the fabric of the finals has been altered slightly. Without seeding, the purpose it serves diminishes.”

Who is the “rightful team” for the Toilet Seat? Surely, someone who is a ‘Pro-Final Series’ person, the “Rightful Team” is the team who wins the ‘Toilet Seat’?

Yes? No?

For the record, I am one of those who believe the first past the post is the only correct way to declare the winner/best team of the season.

RE Ballymore: ” ( I also chuckle that you can buy Rum but not full-strength beer at Suncorp).”
You can buy full strength beers at Suncorp Stadium.

What I love about Suncorp Stadium is the “Heavy” bar. Where you can buy all sorts of premium beers for a slight increase on the cheap and nasty beer the rest of the stadium sells.

Troy???

I do have a question as I have never understood this “Euro Snob” business (I’ve heard/read people using this term, but don’t fully understand it).
First off, what sort of fan falls in the “Euro Snob” category? Are they European ex pats now living in Australia who refuse to support their now local A-League club due to ties “back home”? Or is it the Australians born and bread here, who have never left these shores who support the Liverpool’s, Manc, Barca, Milan’s of this world? What is the criteria to be classed as a “Euro Snob” exactly? Also don’t you think if it is meant to be an insult, that in it’s self also deter these “Euro Snobs” off attending?

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Now as for the topic it, there are many reasons why A-League teams struggle for support. IMO one of the biggest reasons are they haven’t actually connected with the community they are suppose to represent. They aren’t really clubs, they are plastic franchises and as such, a lot of people fail to build any real connection with their local A-League team.

In saying all of that, are the attendance really that bad? I guess we will find out where the “true” level of support for the teams are over the upcoming month. The A-League is now approaching the important part of the season, where supporters show their support to the teams. Remember in Australia the regular season doesn’t mean very much, whereas the finals are the bees knees.

Ah ha? What has that got to do with how A-League clubs would go in the SPL? Skippy and Boyd would also score goals for fun in the A-League.

I honestly don’t see the point to compare one league with another as it is almost pretty much impossible, and somewhat pointless. The A-League has improved a fair bit with each passing season, and I believe will continue to do so. Here’s hoping the the teams and FFA can be run as well off the field as the likes of most of the teams on the field.