A-LEAGUE launch: "New Football"

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Hiraldo
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Post by Hiraldo »

james_ wrote:The report in The Australian today refers to the Sydney A-League team as the Sydney Blues. I had only heard them referred to as Sydney FC before now.
Bad journalism. Nothing new in Oz soccer.
james_ wrote:John O'Neill mentioned yesterday the addition of teams from other cities, say, Hobart, Canberra, Townsville, after five years. What interested me is that there appears to be no plans to add further teams from the existing cities. That must really get up the noses of fans in Sydney and Melbourne.
Maybe he doesn't want to upset the Sydney FC and Victory owners just as the league's starting to get off the ground.
james_ wrote:It was also reported in the paper that down the track the ASA will look at taking the A-League from a domestic league in Australia to a Super 12-style regional league involving countries from Asia.

But doesn't the Asian Football Confederation already have a Champions League-style competition (I use the UEFA competition as an example because I don't know what the AFC competition is called).

Why can't the ASA just work towards having A-League clubs admitted to the AFC competition? Why try to reinvent the wheel? My guess would be that the ASA wants ownership of the competition.
Agreed, poor direction. I'm not even sure if it can be done. The Football Kingz are allowed into the NSL/A-League as they would officially still 'represent' Australia, but I seriously doubt if Asian clubs would like to do the same! Unlike NZ, they've already got decent leagues to play in and have no need to compromise themselves by representing a foreign country. I doubt FIFA would allow such a large league (geographically) to happen as well.

As you said, the answer is to get into the AFC-run Asian Champions League, not form an ASA-run Asian league!

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Hiraldo
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Post by Hiraldo »

HMS Cheesemaker wrote:How can the ASA justify no team in Western Sydney but two teams in the Northern Sydney Basin?
Because there was only one Sydney bid not opposed to two Sydney teams, as well as no bids wanting to represent Western Sydney except possibly Marconi.

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Post by yob »

One detail that interested me - If a Super 14 side goes to Perth, MES will be upgraded to 22,500 capacity, not 18,000 like I thought.


HMS - Queensland Lions have a belter of a deal with Suncorp that allows them to profit from matches with crowds of 7,000.

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Post by yob »

Hiraldo wrote:
james_ wrote:The report in The Australian today refers to the Sydney A-League team as the Sydney Blues. I had only heard them referred to as Sydney FC before now.
Bad journalism. Nothing new in Oz soccer.
james_ wrote:John O'Neill mentioned yesterday the addition of teams from other cities, say, Hobart, Canberra, Townsville, after five years. What interested me is that there appears to be no plans to add further teams from the existing cities. That must really get up the noses of fans in Sydney and Melbourne.
Maybe he doesn't want to upset the Sydney FC and Victory owners just as the league's starting to get off the ground.
james_ wrote:It was also reported in the paper that down the track the ASA will look at taking the A-League from a domestic league in Australia to a Super 12-style regional league involving countries from Asia.

But doesn't the Asian Football Confederation already have a Champions League-style competition (I use the UEFA competition as an example because I don't know what the AFC competition is called).

Why can't the ASA just work towards having A-League clubs admitted to the AFC competition? Why try to reinvent the wheel? My guess would be that the ASA wants ownership of the competition.
Agreed, poor direction. I'm not even sure if it can be done. The Football Kingz are allowed into the NSL/A-League as they would officially still 'represent' Australia, but I seriously doubt if Asian clubs would like to do the same! Unlike NZ, they've already got decent leagues to play in and have no need to compromise themselves by representing a foreign country. I doubt FIFA would allow such a large league (geographically) to happen as well.

As you said, the answer is to get into the AFC-run Asian Champions League, not form an ASA-run Asian league!
A-League

A - Australia
A - Auckland
A - Asia

Works for me. The only separate country that doesn't fit the string of A's is WA. :lol:

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Post by james_ »

The Gold Coast is likely to be used as a part-time home ground for Queensland's new national soccer team.

source: ABC Sport

Well you've certainly got a top notch venue in Carrara stadium! :lol:

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Post by Jeffles »

Carrara would be hopeless.

But it does add weight to the argument for a new rectangular stadium on the GC.

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Cheesie-the-Pirate
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Post by Cheesie-the-Pirate »

Hiraldo wrote:
HMS Cheesemaker wrote:How can the ASA justify no team in Western Sydney but two teams in the Northern Sydney Basin?
Because there was only one Sydney bid not opposed to two Sydney teams, as well as no bids wanting to represent Western Sydney except possibly Marconi.
That isn't really a justification. That is an excuse.

The various clubs may have only wanted one team. Of course they did - they want a monopoly.

But it simply doesn't make sense to have 3 NSW teams and have them where they are now.

Totally illogical.

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Post by Egan »

A monopoly Sydney bid is a good thing and a 41,000 seat stadium means their was no need for another Sydney based team.

D'Avray Technical Director, the Glory's Tana and business partner will only have 10% of the shares with the other 80% in the hands of the public.

Glory have budgeted for a crowd average of 11,000 while they will still gain a loss...but the year after will gain their first profit in some years.

Heres a story from www.thewest.com.au

Glory focus on search for high profile coach

JONATHAN COOK

A marquee player is not on Perth Glory's immediate agenda but the club is determined to appoint a high-profile coach once Mich d'Avray is confirmed as its technical manager.

Under the rules of the Hyundai A-League, teams are entitled to sign one player whose wage is not part of the $1.5 million salary ceiling.

The aim is to use a sprinkling of star players in the fledgling competition to create greater public interest.

Australian Soccer Association approval is required for all marquee players to ensure they meet certain standards. But while players such as former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit and Everton striker Duncan Ferguson have been linked to the new competition, Glory is focused on finalising its coaching group.

D'Avray has had several meetings with chairman Nick Tana and has handed two proposals to the Glory board regarding his future with the club. "Now it's up to the board of Perth Glory to decide which way to go," d'Avray said yesterday.

As the technical manager, d'Avray would be responsible for all coaching matters, including youth development programs. The Perth side will seek overseas coaching expertise as soon as d'Avray's position is finalised.

Newcastle United has already taken a similar path, appointing former Socceroos and England manager Terry Venables to its top job.

Newcastle chairman Con Constantine has confirmed Venables will be in Australia next month to take up the post.

Glory chief executive Jeff Dennis said Glory would assemble a solid squad, with a strong local presence, but it had no plans to sign a marquee player. "We will look locally, interstate and overseas for our players but we anticipate the majority will be from within Australia," Dennis said.

Tana is convinced the new eight-team competition will draw a great deal of community support.

"A smaller number of games, a more intense competition and a concentration of talent will result in a better quality league," he said.

"There will be excitement from the start and the quality will grow from that - rapidly."

Glory has budgeted for average crowds of 11,000 in its first season.

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Post by Jeffles »

Egan wrote:A monopoly Sydney bid is a good thing and a 41,000 seat stadium means their was no need for another Sydney based team.
Maybe so. But why then put the team in the corner of the city instead of in a more centralised place? If you were to do that, why not have a second team in the opposite corner to ract those fans. The soccer heartlands are in that opposite corner (the western suburbs).

The other thing is that O'Neill has missed out on possible tribalism created within cities. He likes the idea of interstate rivalries but as the derbies, showdowns etc have shown, there is a lot to be said for intra city rivalry where the city can support two good teams.

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Post by Egan »

How hard is it for people to travel...I travel 50 -60 minutes to watch the Glory, it's not that hard if you are a supporter of the game.

I hate the excuse of demographics and too hard to get too, yes Sydney roads are shocking but you have the best Public Transport in the country and people can get to Aussie stadium by bus and train.

What I noted was the ease of getting into and out of Moore Park.

I think Aussie Stadium was the only place a Sydney team should have been remember the name is 'Sydney' Sydney suburbs.

Those in the western suburbs look set to just look and follow their ethnically backed teams...they need a new support base in Sydney they can't look to the western suburbs as they will not leave their traditional support of United etc.

The eastern suburbs, youngsters, gay community, northern suburbs will be attracted to the closeness to the city. Go to a soccer match then spend a night out on the town.

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Hiraldo
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Post by Hiraldo »

Jeffles wrote:
Egan wrote:A monopoly Sydney bid is a good thing and a 41,000 seat stadium means their was no need for another Sydney based team.
Maybe so. But why then put the team in the corner of the city instead of in a more centralised place? If you were to do that, why not have a second team in the opposite corner to ract those fans. The soccer heartlands are in that opposite corner (the western suburbs).
Hmm...
Where should Sydney's APL team be based?

Aussie Stadium
60%

Concord Oval
14%

Parramatta Stadium
20%

Other
6%

votes: 158
- Austadiums poll.

I think a similiar poll was conducted on Soccer NSW's site, with a similiar result. Hence why they opted to play at the SFS instead of Parramatta which they were initially planning to do.

Personally, I think SFS is the right way to go. Playing at Parramatta Stadium would, by being named Sydney FC, make it appear to be a team for all of Sydney and also make it hard for a second team to get support. By playing at the SFS, Sydney FC virtually represents the east, north and south (while not totally excluding the west from attending games thanks to the name of the club) and leaves room for West Sydney x to appeal to the west in the future.

On the other hand, not many people in the east, north or south would feel like attending West Sydney FC games played at Parramatta. Having a club called 'Sydney FC' playing in the city is the least excluding scenario that makes it possible for a second Sydney A-League team to be successful.

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Post by james_ »

Marked out for Lions' den
GARRY LEGG
07nov04
The Sunday Mail

THE Queensland Lions soccer team may try to lure former Socceroo goalkeeper Mark Bosnich out of exile in England and help resurrect his career in the A-League.

Bosnich and former England striker-captain Teddy Sheringham are the first overseas-based players to be linked with the Lions.

>>>read more

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Post by Jeffles »

Just remember where your fan base is. If fans say it is too far to travel, you can't use the excuse "if you were a real fan you wouldn't mind the travel" which Egan has dished out.

Hiraldo, you raise the best counter argument - ie. what the fans want. However I think the survey response has more to do with facilities than it does with location. Time will tell.

Sydney's public transport isn't as good as you think. Bob Carr has been copping it for nearly a year over this.

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Post by Egan »

If fans say it is too far to travel, you can't use the excuse "if you were a real fan you wouldn't mind the travel" which Egan has dished out.
Those in the western suburbs are unlikely to support a team...Parramatta Stadium was the basis of a non-ethnically based team and it failed...despite marketing heavily in the first years. Many in the western suburbs will not support the A league...it's time to get a new market and Aussie Stadium is that market.

All 'true' fans don't care were it is held...its simply just an excuse for a poor crowd attendance

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Hiraldo
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Post by Hiraldo »

Egan wrote:
If fans say it is too far to travel, you can't use the excuse "if you were a real fan you wouldn't mind the travel" which Egan has dished out.
Those in the western suburbs are unlikely to support a team...Parramatta Stadium was the basis of a non-ethnically based team and it failed...despite marketing heavily in the first years.
Marketing exclusively towards the anglo soccer Mums and Dads, as well as clearly being Parramatta Leagues Club's offshoot, was a recipe for disaster in the western suburbs.

Western Sydney could easily support an A-League club. It's just that those who have run NSL clubs in the west have had their heads on backwards and there is no-one with their heads on straight willing to back a team in west Sydney at the start of a new league.

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