Thank you JB. We are in agreeance, with each other.

One of the many reasons the NSL fell on hard times is, as you have quite rightly pointed out, the lack of a strong revenue-raising formula. {The NSL were chasing their tails and had run out of ideas} and at the base of it, all was the lack of money.

This brings us to today, and why the ALM & W need a broadcast deal and why those broadcasters have to have a say in how the league [not the game] is run. So when the likes of myself whine about fixtures that are biased towards a certain market, I have to suck it up and be grateful for what we have.

I know there will be a mountain of people who will disagree with this last statement, and I am sure they will tell me that it is the fans who should be put before any commercial deal, and if they have a strong argument, then all I can add to their argument is why can’t the fans fund it all then?

First the minor semi-final and no crystal ball in the Kings household, plenty of discussions though. She, who must be obeyed, is steadfast that Victory must never be given a leg up by us picking them [she should have seen my record before saying this I think] as she is looking over my shoulder I am told WE are picking Western Utd to pull off the biggest comeback since Lazarus.
Now for the main event. This will be a ripper of a BIG match. Unlike Wednesday’s tension-filled nil-all battle, this will become a free-scoring affair, with all those goals both sides missed in their first encounter finding the back of the net. After a 2 all 90 minute feast of football, the following 30 minutes provide both drama, controversy and a 90 + 3-minute penalty that rescues City to drag them into a nerve-racking penalty shoot-out. at 7 all with no goal-keeper getting close to any of the goals so far, young Socceroo goal-keeper in waiting Joe Gauci, pulls off a blinder and as young Nestor Irukunda steps up to the spot with the crowd holding their breath, the silence is deafening, and with the calmness of a seasoned pro, sends the Might REDS into the Grand-Final against their most hated of rivals Victory Western Utd.
edited by Mrs King.

Stu – being at Hindmarsh the tension in the game was paramount (pardon the pun) with all the firepower both sides exhibited I was amazed and joyed that no one found the back of the net.

There is nothing like being at a game live, and no matter how many make excuses not to go to a game, well ‘more fool them’. The tension in the crowd around me was at such levels, you could just about taste it.

Bring on Sunday.

I think you are right when you stated that the NSL were braver, they were in 1977 when they became the first national club sporting code to go national. So playing in winter when all we were doing was playing against localized state-based sporting codes, was a natural decision. But towards the end of the NSL, I would say they were chasing their tails, the clubs had no vision and no way of finding a solution to the problems they were facing.

As much as I just don’t like Victory I can’t see them being beaten, Western Utd, just seems to lack that killer instinct, which Victory has an abundance of.

Adelaide vs City, the paupers versus the rich kids, my heart tells me that we [Adelaide] will win here tomorrow night, but that is my heart, my head tells me that we will fight out a mammoth draw, 3 all and head to Melbourne on Sunday with it all to play for. City goes into this series, as RED hot favourites, they have had the rest, and come Sunday Adelaide’s older legs will be found out. So the GF will be between the two of the richest clubs in Australia.

he is right Chris, and that is the same reason why another team in Adelaide won’t work. The corporate support just won’t be there.

@Brainstrust – Ibusuki is a gem, you must have mistaken him for someone else. 😁 he does give defenders a hard time, but he only gives out what he gets in return. His work rate is fantastic, but label him as a ‘hacker’, no you’ve got that all wrong mate.

That may be all true Roberto, but hell the football has been great, well most of the games have been.

Buddy, Thank you but SSSSSSSHHHHH we’re flying under the radar still. Let the East Coast media do all their talking about how it is going to be a Victory vs City Grand Final and leave poor old Adelaide out of the discussion.

We are hopeless and don’t deserve to be there, [hahahaha] just a shame we won’t host the GF now,

Stu, First of all, I am sorry you had to feel the brunt of misguided supporters of SFC. As a very avid supporter of both the A-League and in particular AUFC, I too am glad that a club, many tell us needs to be successful for the A-League to flourish is missing the finals. I say to those who are still convinced that the A-League needs SFC to be successful to be relevant, what a load of crap.

At the moment, the pundits are saying that it will be a Victory vs City Grand-Final, it may happen that way, but also it may well be that a Wellington vs Reds Grand-Final and that is just what the A-League needs more than anything else.

@Matthew – That’s part of the problem mate, too many people seem to think it is. They think to be an active member you have to be a hard thug, but in reality all you need to be is inclusive and have a genuine love for your club.

@FIL – You ask “What’s the reaction going to be when pro/rel comes into play.” I ask you, what do you think the reaction will be?

A second team being ‘promoted’ into the A League from Adelaide would be a disaster for them. Why? I hear you ask. The answer is simple, to play in the A League, they would need to play out of Hindmarsh, or at 2nd best the new Football SA mini-stadium at Gepps Cross [Capacity 5000] so immediately their costs jump, plus full time professional wages for the players and support staff.

P/R sounds idealistic but there is a hell of a lot of hard work to go before it can be implimented.

@Ali – The author won’t own up to who he really is, he suggested to me once that he can’t do his job if everyone knew who he was. A strange answer TBH.

Some authors on here just sprout an opinion, which is fine, but they frame it as an informed piece of journalism, which it isn’t.

@Andy – I think you should of asked the actual Red Army about your statements before putting it in print. If you made those statements without any actual proof that is what the majority of older Red Army members felt, you may be in for a surprise. Most on the Red Army Facebook page are calling you out mate.

@Matthew – May be he spoke to someone, who knows someone, who has a second cousin who went to a game once and was disappointed when he/she got told to behave.

There has been some good feedback on their [The Red Army] Facebook page about the article. Most of it less than complimentary.

@Tim – According to the facebook pages of Red Army Group, several in fact, there are no issues. Andy may have spoken to an individual who might have been ‘upset’ but the Red Army had, has and will continue to have a pretty good working relationship with the club.

You are right FF. AUFC was set up in the first place to cater for all football fans in SA. They were the ‘Peoples Team’, and every aspect of the game was in some way involved.

I know there will be some who don’t like that concept, mainly because they are still emotionally tied to their local community club, and that’s OK. But no one in their right mind, would or should want to see the AUFC base watered down.

You make some good points Tony. Who do you know in SA who would have a lazy 20 mil laying around to splash on another A League team?

You were right Waz. I didn’t pick that one.

I tipped him to score the hatty against the RAMS or the BULLS or what ever they are called.

If we can call it quits now I think I’ve got it won. I even picked the right score. Com mon you REDS

Unfortunately, I have been absent not that my selections would have added anything to the ‘crowd’ in fact many will ask that I stay way longer.

There is no logic in my selections. Maybe there is just blind faith in what should be.

City 1 vs 2 Adelaide – Adelaide to win in controversial style [now there is a surprise] with an 8 minute VAR decision over whether Bernardo was inside the box or not when he got tripped by Scotty J. I wonder if we will see any more wonder goals in this game?

Wellington 1 vs 1 Roar – My heart will want the Kiwi’s to win just because. Well I’m not too sure any other side/club could do what they are doing. Oh hang on Perth are. A tame draw.

WSW 2 vs Victory 0 – All of a sudden the Victory don’t seem to be invincible and Poppa is struggling to find the right combinations to get them back on track. Wanderers to win but I will remind everyone that Victory are foxing it atm.

City 3 vs Jets 1 – City to bounce back after their upset loss to Utd. But the Jets are not as bad as they seem.

Wellington 2 vs SFC 1 – The Nix to stun the ‘other’ sky blues. I think 2-1 but it may be a lot more.

Macarthur 1 vs Adelaide Utd 3 – Clough to send a clear message to all in the ALM. He is not related to the great Brian or his son Nigel [in case anyone was wondering] but he can still score goals, 3 in fact.

Victory 1 vs CCM 2 – It’s not often Mariners come to Melbourne and enjoy a win, but the will this time.

Western Utd 0 vs WSW 0 – although Rudan will be motivated to do well, I can’t see them scoring in fact I can’t see either side doing enough to trouble the scoreboard attendants.

Perth 1 vs Roar 0 – Just a gut feel, that sooner or later the Glory will get use to playing away from home.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I get a clean sweep here. But stranger things have happened lately.

@Bazza – A long time ago I was involved in a discussion group about sport in general in Tasmania. Many in that discussion group came from various sports on the Island.

It became abundantly clear very early on that there was a divide within our group and on the Island itself. Regardless of the sport there was a Hobart/Launceston ‘argument’ happening. If you came from one of those two cities you were pushing their barrow.

It seemed to me at that time that there first needs to be a unification within the island sporting groups to put a combined effort forward. If my memory serves me well, football was the most divisive of most of the sports there while Netball seemed to be the most unified. AFL code didn’t seem to be too interested at that time because the VFL/AFL were ‘looking after them’.

An investment on upgrading an existing venue in one of those two cities seems to be the better option rather starting from scratch. But it comes down to ownership of the venue [in my opinion] if someone could find and get hold of an existing venue, then bring it up to the required standard that the APL require, as a first step, then I think the APL would look seriously at the apple island as a legitimate option for expansion. With APL approval the FA may be obligated to agreeing to them becoming a viable sporting team representing the whole of the community.

Hi Stuart, I have watched closely your updates on the happenings over in the ‘old dart’ and I felt some what underwhelmed by the the whole window this time around. Maybe because Chelsea didn’t seem to be involved other than holding onto Rudiger for a short time longer.

You summed up the movement as it played out. Which brings me to this, with most of the action happening at the foot of the table, none of the clubs, bar Everton, have done that much to much in the way of players that actually stand out as sure fire ‘wins’ [Just my opinion] What surprised me most of all are the signings that Newcastle did and didn’t make. I fear they may have let this opportunity slip by and will drop back into the Championship. Along with both Burnley and Norwich.

I am, I did, and still think he is the ‘Special One’.