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Enlarge textRight now the A-League needs stability and not extra clubs, writes Jesse Fink.
Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC played in front of 7677 people at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday [GETTY]
- 30 Comments | Join the discussion
No cause for panic? Okay, maybe not panic, Ben, but you should be very, very alarmed.
A-League crowds are abysmal and, as they say in marketing land, they are "trending" down each week. Brisbane's attendances especially should be setting off the fire alarm at FFA headquarters in College Street, Sydney. Not even 8,000 against Sydney FC? That's a seriously bad set of numbers.
Not only are attendance figures crap – let's not mince words – but clubs are going broke. After barely half a dozen games of the season, one of North Queensland Fury's major investors pulled out. Brisbane has put out the collection tray, joining a long line of clubs to have sought FFA largesse to help it survive.
Yet amid all this doom and gloom Football Federation Australia yesterday granted a licence to the league’s newest team, yet unnamed but based in
Sydney’s western suburbs and the brainchild of a consortium headed by Ian Rowden.
They will play in 2011/2012. Next season Melbourne Heart joins the existing 10-team comp.
No one other than Rowden and his partners are happy.
Eamonn Flanagan, a blogger based in Canberra where Ivan Slavich was hoping to install a team, wrote this morning: "We didn't get the 12th licence purely it seems because we weren't called Western Sydney ... the FFA has certainly angered many Canberrans with their process of selection. If indeed there was ever a process."
Tasmania United's Martyn Wells was more diplomatic: "TUFC Inc. congratulate the western Sydney consortium ... this does in no way deter TUFC's determination to acquire an A-League license ... (our) endeavours are ongoing."
While privately a rival consortia hoping to represent western Sydney was apoplectic: "The stench from this is overpowering. They have no money, no ground, no memorandum-of-understanding with Football NSW, no grassroots support ... this pack of Johnny-Come-Latelys has been given TWO YEARS to put together a club ... a consortium that didn't exist a month ago, and never submitted a bid by the June/July deadline. A sad, sad, sad day for new football ... 'old soccer' has returned."
Maybe a touch over dramatic, but certainly the Rowden bid came out of nowhere and
you really do have to question why the announcement needed to be made now, when there is absolutely no concrete detail to the bid beyond the names behind it: Rowden, John Moore, Charlie Yankos and Peter Tredinnick.
"Those details will come out eventually but they are not for now," Rowden said yesterday at the press conference held to make the announcement.
Gee, does that fill you with confidence?
And please, Michael Cockerill, you really are having us on by saying: "At last, at long last. Some clarity from the fog that has been western Sydney's long and winding road towards the A-League."
Clarity? Clear insomuch as the whole process was far from well handled and pissed off a whole lot of people. And I'm sorry, FFA – an 11-team competition is a joke whichever way you cut it. More so because what the A-League needs right now is stabilisation, not more baggage.
Expansion is a good thing – I've long supported it – but putting your heads in the sand over fundamental issues such as ticket prices, crowds, free-to-air exposure, the salary cap, keeping the best players we have in this country playing in this country and not in Saudi Arabia, obviates against the whole point of doing it in the first place.
The past few months have not been Australian football's finest moment.
:: For more Fink musings on the big issues in football, check out Half-time Orange on The World Game.
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Comments (30)
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14 Dec 2010 16:45 AEST
From: Sydney
The main problem with the game
Look its simple. 1. The A-league is on cable tv, there for the viewers numbers are down and in turn is ruining the great game of football 2. if u want to take on the AFL or NRL, you do what they do, put it on free to air TV 3. to top it off, you broadcast it on SBS and have a supporting show, maybe entitled "Santo, Sam, and Ed's" , i think you will bring in a lot more viewers and interest to the game!! ..Simple
16 Oct 2009 22:54 AEST
From: Blue Mountains
Poor A-League Crowds
The root cause of low and falling crowd sizes at A-League games is poor quality football games with next to no entertainment value. I've been waiting for decent quality, entertaining football in this country for over 40 years and I don't think I'm going to see it in my lifetime. I can watch more entertaining games from the amateurs playing at our local ground. Attend an A-Leage game again or even watch it on the telly? Sorry, I've got to wash my hair that night.
14 Oct 2009 13:55 AEST
From: syd
referee
POOR REFERRING is one of the problems with attendance. Some refs got their pet players and would allow them to do whatever on the pitch. JG has been suspended for 7 games for gesture toward crowd – what TT got for his gesture. What JG got for striking linesmen in groin? People are not blind and will not watch game where results are determined by refs. This season we have at list 3 games results influenced by refs. Poor referring was also factor in tumbling crowd in basketball. I was one of the dropouts.
08 Oct 2009 11:13 AEST
From: Sydney
Where is the media?
The problem with the a-league is that the lack of media is causing a lack of sales. Has anyone seen commerical channels (7,9,10) actually PROMOTE upcoming matches. Why?. Becuase they are more concerned into the tennis, nrl, afl and cricket. If it was not for SBS and The World Game, not only would there be no a-league but perhaps no football at all.
03 Oct 2009 7:28 AEST
From: Canberra
Re-think the finances
If football is to spread across this great country we need regional teams in the National competition. What the FFA needs to do is rethink the financial model so regional teams can be sustainable long term. Regional teams should have lower financial thresholds to account for smaller populations. Does it matter if regional teams have smaller budgets and smaller crowds. Isn't the idea to spread the football mantra right across this land. There isn't a truly national competition in any code in the is country and football could be the first. Teams from NT to Tasmania. Smaller budgets, smaller crowds but still sustainable and part of the success of football. People will say that these teams won't be competitive yet this, i hink is not the primary issue. Many leagues around the world have teams that are less competitive that others this is a plain fact. Yet our regional teams could become nurseries for our most talented younger player who would prefer to test their skills in the A-League rather than the youth league. Regional teams would increase our expertise in football administration, coaching and officials building a bigger base. Lastly more teams means more coverage and access to an even bigger base for the future.
02 Oct 2009 13:48 AEST
From: Adelaide
Too many whingers
I believe there are just too many whingers that follow football and some have no idea what they're talking about eg. we can't just show the game on free-to air TV because FoxSports has EXCLUSIVE rights till 2013. That's why they paid $120million and without this money we would not have an A-League. The reason for a 2nd Melb & Syd team is to have a match every week in the biggest cities. They just need to make sure these clubs are based geographically far enough from existing clubs. This will justify a huge TV deal in 2013 which will no doubt include free to air. The same reasons apply for having teams in growth areas such as Nth Queensland and Gold Coast. Having said this, I believe ticket prices are way too high and are the main reason for reduced crowds in SOME cities. Adelaide, Wellington, Perth and Sydney crowds are all up. The quality of football is excellent despite what some whingers are saying. What do they expect, La Liga or EPL standard?
02 Oct 2009 12:01 AEST
From: EMU PLAINS
A LEAGUE
i have followed football (soccer) all my life, but can not get interested in the A League. Firstly, Football in the summer is just not on. Secondly how can you support Sydney FC when they keep changing Coaches and players every season ( no chance to get to know the players in the team )
02 Oct 2009 11:45 AEST
From: melbourne
Football Code conspiracy
Will the A-league end up like the old NBL Basketball league - look what happened there. Is football really in the mainstream? If so, why isn't it on free to air TV?
02 Oct 2009 11:20 AEST
From: perth
ticket prices and attendances
We all talk about ticket prices that are to high for the quality of football in this country, yes numbers are down due to a number of issues,first of all why are we having to charge young children to get in the genral admisssion?The reason why the glory were bringing in the crowds in the old NSL was that owner Nick Tana was giving away general admission tickets to children under 15,Which always had to be accompanied by one or two paying adults,GET THE KIDS IN is a major prioraty,also the Facilaties are a joke at me bank stadium,with all the royalties we receive from the mining sector why do we have a third world ground for football, and now western force will endure the same issues.Another major problem is the FREE TO AIR ISSUES there is no AFL on tv now so why not put two or even three games over the weekend,we are not asking for live matches just some local football on tv to keep people interested,media play a major part in the growth of any sport and unless its afl the rest of the sports dont get a look in,this is a job for Lowy and Fed gov to sort out.One other problem we face now is putting the game live on fox when playing at hme,afl dont put games live unless they are sold out,why go to the game when u can watch it on tv for alot LESS money.
02 Oct 2009 9:39 AEST
From: Brisbane
Gaz, for once I agree with you!
This fish certainly does stink, Gaz, and the sooner transparency returns to the FFA (if it was ever there), the better! I want to see the A-League do well, but completely ignoring quality bids like Canberra's undermines all the credibility that the FFA has built up over the years. Surely "bedding down" the largest football market in the country (apparently that's Western Sydney) shouldn't be done at the cost of the goodwill of the rest of the football fraternity? Frank Lowy and Ben Buckley have some serious explaining to do before this one goes away.
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About this Blog
The Finktank is more of what you've come to expect from Jesse Fink, The World Game's enfant terrible, but with a bent on the big issues in sport. No sport, no personality, no subject, is off limits.
Jesse Fink Jesse Fink is one of Australia's most popular football writers and sports columnists. He is the author of the book 15 Days in June: How Australia Became a Football Nation (Hardie Grant, $29.95) and writes twice a week as "Half-Time Orange" for The World Game and weekly for ESPN Star Sports in Singapore. He lives in Sydney.
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