A-League thread

[Ramps]

im sure the 2 people and a dog that were there were delighted 

[mightytiges]

The A League is bleeding. Seen the crowds. Its taken 5 years- most teams are getting less than half what South Melbourne used to get in the NSL.

The facts would beg to differ Ramps 

South Melbourne average crowds in last 6 NSL seasons

1998/99    - 8329
1999/2000 - 6564
2000/01    - 8001
2001/02    - 6033
2002/03    - 5094
2003/04    - 6773

Avg crowd last 6 NSL seasons - 6800

Only North Queensland and Gold Coast average less crowds than that in the A-league. The Victory have averaged 3 times that in the past 6 seasons  .


The other thing to remember is South was one of the biggest clubs in the NSL. Most NSL clubs were getting crowds under 2500 every week. Clubs were dying left right and centre around South. 11 clubs in the last 6 seasons went under - Gippsland Falcons, Newcastle Breakers, Carlton SC, Northern Spirit, (West) Adelaide Sharks, Adelaide City, Brisbane Strikers, Canberra Cosmos, Parramatta Power, Adelaide Force and Eastern Pride. The sport as a whole was broke and needed reform. The FFA have dropped the ball with expanding too quickly and ignoring the A-league over the past 18 months concentrating on the World Cup.

[Ramps]

When the USA gets 2022 and the Government stops the funding, itll be all she wrote for the A League and the FFA. All the clubs are losing money. Losing millions of dollars. The millionaires are getting sick and tired of throwing good money after bad. They will all walk soon enough! Melbourne Hearts getting 4000 to a game lol. Oh Dear!

[mightytiges]

The sport as a whole isn't broke unlike it was under Soccer Australia so certain clubs can be propped up. I couldn't careless about Heart btw. I would've stuck to one team one city rather than adding new clubs.

[Ramps]

Its reached the stage where Soccer Journos are basically asking Lowy to put in his millions to save the A League. The NSL survived for 3 decades, this mob are in trouble and its been 5 years lol.

[WilliamPowell]

IMHO the biggest problem with the A-League is the "product" itself, that is the game.

Again IMO the crowds are now reflecting that. The novelty has worn off

The way it is played by the majority of clubs in the A-League is BORING and I see that as it being its biggest weakness. It sends me to 

I will give Melb Heart one thing - they actually seem to play an attractive style of soccer

The next biggest problem are the private owners. They don't appear to be involved for the betterment of the game, involved because they want a toy that makes them money

As for what we had before - I wasn't interested in the NSL at all. Apart from South Melb I couldn't name many more clubs. And the reason I wasnt interested was because unless you were a "fan" as such you wouldn't have known it was going on unless there were violence at games.

That is the one thing the A-League has going for it - people know about it because it's been promoted well. Doesn't mean people are interested it just means people know about it

[tiger101]

how does the A-league go with foxtel do they get abit of money from there tv right maybe thats what will keep them afloat not crowd numbers

[mightytiges]

how does the A-league go with foxtel do they get abit of money from there tv right maybe thats what will keep them afloat not crowd numbers

It was a 7-year deal signed by the FFA at the end of the first A-league season with Foxtel for exclusive coverage. From memory it was only $130m (?). The FFA and the clubs are waiting for a better deal when the next tv rights negotiations come up but that isn't until 2012 and the money won't be allocated until 2013.

[Ramps]

better tv deal common MT .. is the comedy festival on or something. The A League is going out the back door at a rate of knots. Its time for the saviour of Australian soccer to return. That is the might, the power and the glory of FIFAs team of the Century, South Melbourne.

There can be no successful competition without South Melbourne, Marconi, Melbourne Knights, Wollongong etc. Its time to bring back real clubs and not franchises who have sucked in afew customers along the way!

[mightytiges]

better tv deal common MT .. is the comedy festival on or something. The A League is going out the back door at a rate of knots. Its time for the saviour of Australian soccer to return. That is the might, the power and the glory of FIFAs team of the Century, South Melbourne.

There can be no successful competition with South Melbourne, Marconi, Melbourne Knights, Wollongong etc. Its time to bring back real clubs and not franchises who have sucked in afew customers along the way!

The NSL proved the bold lol

3-0 to the Victory today over Brisbane and up to 4th. There may be hope yet this season with Ricardinho getting on the board too.

[Ramps]

so whats happening with this league? is it still going? is it still solvent lol?

[mightytiges]

so whats happening with this league? is it still going? is it still solvent lol?

The A-league isn't the old NSL run by a incompetent and financially broke Soccer Australia so that question doesn't need to be asked  . 11k on a cold Wednesday night for Soccer in Melbourne is a decent crowd.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Here's next season's fixture.

http://www.a-league.com.au/site/_content/document/00001665-source.pdf

The FFA has held off the Melbourne derby until after the footy finishes. Interesting to see size of Heart's crowds and whether the league can sustain two clubs in Melbourne.

Not unless the AFL GF is a draw.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha 

[Judge Roughneck]

so whats happening with this league? is it still going? is it still solvent lol?

if melbourne victory win the Asian champions league in swan St stadium football and this city will grow

[Ramps]

so whats happening with this league? is it still going? is it still solvent lol?

if melbourne victory win the Asian champions league in swan St stadium football and this city will grow

And if I had a 14 inch knob Id be in the movies