A-League thread

[gerkin greg]

The name, the culture, the colours, the logo are all about the value of heritage. So much so that when the Wanderers play their home matches at Parramatta Stadium next season, the statue of Ray Price might be covered by a hessian bag, and a new statue of a former Socceroo from the west - perhaps a Mark Bosnich or a Paul Okon - will stand alongside in all its glory.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/ffa-ensures-games-rich-history-is-no-longer-hidden-away-20120711-21wa6.html#ixzz20OBgDlHl

Article headline trumpets soccer's rich history not being hidden, yet they plan to hide a rugby statue at the ground and rename the stands

One of the clubs value's is heritage, yet they disrespect the heritage of other codes

Outrageous

[one-eyed]

Harry Kewell has been named Australia's greatest ever (Soccer) footballer at a gala ceremony in Sydney.

Greatest ever Australian team (4-3-3):

           Mark Schwarzer (gk)

Lucas Neill, Joe Marston, Craig Moore, Alan Davidson
 
      Johnny Warren, Ned Zelic, Tim Cahill

    Ray Baartz, Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/soccer/harry-kewell-named-as-greatest-ever-australian-footballer/story-e6frfg8x-1226424911564

[gerkin greg]

Neil? Lmao

[Coach]

Viduka & Schwarzie were better players.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Viduka & Schwarzie were better players.

Viduka was terrible at national level. For a Centre Forward never scored a goal in WC Qualifiers and friendlies against much much inferior opposition like Jamaica and Singapore and powerhouses like Thailand in the Asian Cup.

10 or so goals in about 40 odd appearances is poor.

People are obviously still judging him by his 4 goal Leeds performance against Liverpool in 2000.

[Coach]

His job wasn't to just score goals. He could hold the ball up and create chances for others. good player. He was a better player for Leeds and Middlesbrough than Kewell has been at any level.

[one-eyed]

A bit of coup for the A-league.


"Legendary Italian striker Alessandro Del Piero has agreed to join Sydney FC for this coming A-League season.

The club reportedly has offered him a $2 million contract for a six-month stint, a fee that would make him the highest-paid player in A-League history.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/a-league/the-2-million-man-20120831-256e3.html

[Coach]

poos on Kewell

[one-eyed]

Deal confirmed and signed by Del Piero last night. $4m over 2 years.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/a-league/ciao-4m-del-piero-signs-for-two-years-20120905-25exy.html

[mightytiges]

The key for Sydney FC is keeping the bandwagon fans once Del Piero finishes up in 2 years time.

SBS look like they will showing one free-to-air A-league game a week under the new $40m p.a. over 5 years tv rights deal. It's a good choice as long as SBS don't do what they did with the old NSL and show only the NSW-based clubs most weeks.

[10 FLAGS]

The key for Sydney FC is keeping the bandwagon fans once Del Piero finishes up in 2 years time.

SBS look like they will showing one free-to-air A-league game a week under the new $40m p.a. over 5 years tv rights deal. It's a good choice as long as SBS don't do what they did with the old NSL and show only the NSW-based clubs most weeks.

40 million a year for the socceroos and A League games. Oh Dear. Theres probably about 10 million in contra including which means not much cash at all. Del Pierro was a good signing but the interest will wear of the way it wore off with Kewell. The A League is in diabolical trouble if thats the best they can do in terms of TV Rights. Lowy - OUT!

[mightytiges]

The key for Sydney FC is keeping the bandwagon fans once Del Piero finishes up in 2 years time.

SBS look like they will showing one free-to-air A-league game a week under the new $40m p.a. over 5 years tv rights deal. It's a good choice as long as SBS don't do what they did with the old NSL and show only the NSW-based clubs most weeks.

40 million a year for the socceroos and A League games. Oh Dear. Theres probably about 10 million in contra including which means not much cash at all. Del Pierro was a good signing but the interest will wear of the way it wore off with Kewell. The A League is in diabolical trouble if thats the best they can do in terms of TV Rights. Lowy - OUT!

The NSL was getting just $2m a year from Ch 7 in the late 90s and the first A-League TV deal with Fox was $21m over 7 years. So it's a significant increase (no one is deludedly saying it should be up with the massive AFL and NRL TV deals). At least now the A-league club salary caps will be covered from the tv rights money.

[mightytiges]

Emile Heskey has signed with the Newcastle Jets

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/soccer/former-england-striker-emile-heskey-set-to-sign-for-a-league-club-newcastle-jets/story-e6frfg8x-1226476821669

And there's talk Michael Ballack is in talks with Western Sydney

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/soccer/ex-germany-captain-michael-ballack-in-a-league-talks-with-western-sydney-wanderers/story-fndb5nmd-1226477528365

It's suddenly becoming trendy to play in the A-league 

[mightytiges]

Ange learning the hard way that a coach is as only as good as the cattle at his disposal. Reminds me of Hardwick's first 6 rounds when we got flogged by 10+ goals every week whil trying to learn a new gameplan. The poor 20 y.o. goalkeeper Thomas had a shocker as well.

As for the rest of the A-league, the FFA would be very happy so far. Del Piero and Heskey both scoring goals in front of 35k at the Sydney vs Newcastle game. Something the old NSL couldn't even dream about.

[Judge Roughneck]

The nsl had good.crowds and big name players