The Beautiful Game

The A-League is in absolutely no doubt its healthiest ever state - record attendances and record memberships, combined with a higher degree of marquee quality is getting fans and administrators excited this year. Add to that, some bloke from Spain amongst the plethora of quality foreigners seen around the league, a dedicated channel for football on Fox Sports, and live Friday night SBS coverage, it appears everyone is matching this increased interest with improved media to keep fans in the loop, however one Melbourne clubs is bucking this trend. Melbourne City have seemingly implemented an almost blanket ban on media relationships from higher ranking officials to their player, meaning most media communication is being done by the coach. The move is one of many changes implemented by the City Group that was seen when they first took over at Manchester City. As a result there has been a significant decrease in the amount of information fans and other media outlets have acc...

Just under 44,000 crammed into Etihad Stadium to witness what has been described the best Melbourne Derby ever. The match itself was incredible. A hotly contested first half, and a comeback of epic proportions. The hype in the lead up to that game however played just as crucial a role in the derby's success, as it always does, fueling the electric atmosphere of both Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart  City fans. That profound atmosphere was in part driven by one player - David Villa. Prior to the Derby, Villa boasted a perfect A-League record of 2 goals from 2 games, saving City from defeat. Two bumper crowds flocked to see the Spanish superstar, over 20,000 in Sydney and over 15,000 in what is now City's largest ever non-derby home attendance. Melbourne City can also boast record membership numbers (having just eclipsed 10,000) and unprecedented Media coverage. David Villa has left an impression on Australian football, but to what extent has Australian footb...

David Villa once again left his mark on the scoreboard and the table with a match defining strike that gave City a share of the points against Newcastle. It was a pretty surreal sight to see David Villa celebrate that goal but that wasn't limited to his own presence. All tiers of AAMI park were open and a 15,000 strong crowd cheered on Melbourne City in what is now their largest ever non-derby crowd and the only time the entire AAMI park has been open for an A-League game Melbourne Victory weren't playing. It is a remarkable feat that shows how far the other Melbourne team has come but with change comes loss and the early rebirth of Victory's cross-town rivals has come at a cost of Melbourne Heart's identity. As I watched Villa run arm in arm with Australian team mates it wasn't the goal that shocked me, it wasn't his presence, the sizable crowd or the open stadium. It was the colour. Watching the game I felt like I could have been looking into any r...

Did FFA Cup scheduling rule our any chance of a  Palm Beach win? This week Palm Beach, ended their fairy tale season fittingly in the grave yard of Gold Coast Football. A 5-0 demolition at the hands of a quality Central Coast outfit leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of a club that had an almost faultless season. Palm Beach dominated in Queensland posting a remarkable 17 wins from 26 games in the season proper, 7 points from their nearest rivals. The Sharks also added a State Level NPL Grand Final win, a National Level NPL Semi Final berth and of course a Semi-Final berth in the FFA Cup. It was a hugely successful year for the Sharks, topped off with strong crowds of over 2,000 to watch them in the FFA Cup that would surely set them up financially for season to come. However despite the accolades something doesn't sit well. A 5-0 loss to Central Coast. A team that despite playing great football did itself face a tight turnaround from the previous weekend's match, ...

The A-League is back and with it comes the fanatical, vocal support unlike anything in Australia. Victory opened the season this year against the Wanderers in what is, hands down noisiest match the league has to offer. This fixture's timing in particular was rather fitting considering the importance the League has placed on first round impact in recent years. Over two thousand Wanderers faithful made the trip south to support their beloved team against  Australia's biggest club and even as an outsider, boy did they deliver. Melbourne was treated to 90 minutes of passion similar to that of the early seasons of the A-League that Melbourne was once accustomed to... It's no secret the atmosphere at Melbourne games isn't what it once was. Amazingly an a different type of growth either end of the ground has changed the match day experience. The South end have grown like a maturing professional and organised chanting is seldom at best. It's participants are c...

This week I came across a very interesting article on The Roar . Ignoring the title and the somewhat 'old-soccer, new football' undertones the writer brought something to my attention. He is undoubtedly a football fan, and finds himself in a similar position to my own and one shared by many of you, he is a keen follower of both A-League and EPL, however his own story somewhat represents the antithesis of my own. As I take an interest in foreign football after first following our domestic A-League, he experienced quite the opposite turning to the A-League after being brought up on a football diet of Chelsea and Manchester United. Why do I bring this up? you may ask. Well the answer is simply to illustrate how varied people's own connection to football is. On one hand I felt disconnected to the EPL by the sheer physical distance of the game, he on the other hand growing up at a time of the old NSL couldn't connect to the game's domestic mentality (than i...

Was the SA Government right to fork out $9 million for Lance Armstrong? This season of the A-League has left nothing to question about the significance of marquee players. The UK has been captivated with Heskey as he asserts himself as a decent footballer and Italy's romance with the little magician has seen them telecast Del Piero's matches. People are talking about the A-League around the world and talking about Australia. Domestically TV ratings are up 40% crowds up by a similar figure and it appears that the wider Australian sporting community is finally starting to embrace the A-League. According to twitter David Beckham's prospective move to the A-League is leading every sports bulletin. For these and many more reasons it upsets me and angers me that the South Australian Government refuse to support David Beckham's move to Australia. Despite Adelaide United's stunning run of form, crowds are dwindling bellow the magical 10,000 mark. The Reds...

State Leagues provide an important yet unappreciated service The recent announcement of the FFA’s $160 million deal has satisfied fans and guarantees the financial sustainability and media interest of the game for at least another four years. Many people are happy to see the FFA get their top order prime product in order in the A-League and the Socceroos, but what about the rest of their operation? Working down the pyramid leaves us in the awkward world of state leagues... and yes, we really do mean awkward. Not only do many teams feel disillusioned by the Soccer Australia’s negligence and the fall of the NSL but many are fighting for financial stability and relevance in a world that sees A-League teams poach their top talent for free if they aren’t ignored completely! The rise of Victory cult hero Andrew Nabbout is a high profile example of the potential riches that lie hidden in the murky waters of State Football so what can be done to bridge the gap between...

Emerton, Culina, Ono, Del Piero, Heskey, Beckham? In the A-League? Just a few months ago you would have laughed at the proposition, but football changes each week, so a few months is more than enough time for even the most impossible hypotheticals to precipitate into an even more inconceivable reality. Central Coast don't have the funds so Beckham is out of the question unless he buys the club with his spare change and signs himself. Sydney already have ADP although the prospect of Beckham, Emerton, Culina and ADP in the same line up is mouthwatering it is unlikely due to ADP's already high price tag. (Please note Terry McFlynn is of too high a quality to be mentioned in the same sentence as the players mentioned) Melbourne Victory... have openly said no. Yes, Ange Postecoglou has said NO to David Beckham. Western Sydney have stretched the FFA's budget as it is so Posh Spice won't be taking the train though Parramatta any-time...

True fans stick around for the football, regardless of the hype. Nothing is a gaurantee Beckham to  # aleague  is tantamount to a sugar high and we all know what follows after a sugar high. # sustainableGrowth Francis Awaritef's tweet summarises my suspicions about the A-League's recent hype. The knee-jerk reaction of the Australian sporting community has felt more like a small earthquake. Facebook feeds have been flooded with Beckham news, the A-League has taken out top spot on top news sites such as the ABC and the AAP and A-League is trending on twitter... not bad for a Friday afternoon! But as with all bandwagons, the ride must eventually come to an end and it appears highly probable that we will all wake up on Monday morning wondering if this was all a crazy dream and get on with our lives. Yes, I know it may be hard to settle with just Del Piero in our league and it is easy to get sucked into the hype, Lord knows I have, but as supporters of Australia'...

After only a few months into Western Sydney’s existence the A-League’s newest team has also become the A-League most talked about team. The hype surrounding the club from before its existence has not diminished in the slightest and in terms of public interest alone people would be forgiven for thinking the club had been around for years. In many ways the Wanderers have always been a part of Western Sydney but only now is the Australian public seeing the spirit of Western Sydney Football find a unified physical body and one that all of Western Sydney can be proud of no less. Even the old NSL representatives of the region have something to look forward as the Wanderers begin their prime objective of connecting with the region’s football community. In the weeks to come the Wanderers will face a number of local teams, at local grounds and give true fans the opportunity to watch the club build itself from the ground up in a way many argue football is meant to be watched, at grass...

Every four years the football world goes a little nuts. No, I’m not talking about the world cup and I’m not talking about the Euro. I’m talking of course, about the Olympics. Unlike other major football tournaments tactics and egos don’t dominate discussions instead the validity of the tournament provides ample talking points. This got me thinking, why do we play football in the Olympics? Not only is the tournament not backed by FIFA but there are a number of differences that work against traditional football norms. For example England does not compete as a separate nation opting instead to share their chance at glory with the other nations of the British Isles under the banner of Great Brittan. To add to the mayhem countries cannot select their strongest squads, instead National teams comprise of under-23 players and are only allowed to field a limited number of over age players. At first glance Olympic football appears as though it is merely a second r...

Could state league football solve the A-League off-season problem? Six months is a long time. Unfortunately this is how long a-league fans need to wait until they see their respective teams battle it out for points. Sure for a few fans the development of Western Sydney’s new a-league club will be entertaining to watch but the bottom line is nothing constructive is being done to keep fans entertained. Ask any business person and they will tell you that this isn’t good for the league. The break means many fans turn to rival codes and many more forget about the league completely! A-league fans are at risk of becoming disengaged with the game over this period. Being a young league the FFA needs to make sure fans connect with clubs the same way fans have connected with AFL and NRL clubs but the half year off-season gap threatens the A-League’s potential to do this. The FFA must organise off-season fan engagement as soon as possible but what can the FFA do to solv...

Fans screamed and sung in the airport, lighting flares to celebrate the grand occasion. Onlookers were baffled at the abnormal events unfolding at Melbourne Airport but no amount of greasy looks or security talks would dampen the crowd’s spirit. To Europeans, similar scenes, although rare, are understandable but here in Australia one would not be expected to understand the passion of these people. But why was this crowd cheering? For whom? For Olympiacos of course! Greece’s biggest and best club (sorry PAO fans but the red side of Athens does have more fans and trophies) has landed in Melbourne and for the first time in over 30 years no less! It is needless to say it has it has been a long time between drinks. However considering Melbourne’s large Greek population and the level of support for international teams like Olympiacos why has this been the case? Where haven’t Olympiacos come down under for the last 30 years? To put it simply it wasn...

Each new season brings a number of changes with it. Players and managers are constantly under pressure to perform or face the looming threat of contract termination. The countries two biggest clubs (market wise) Melbourne Victroy and Sydney FC currently find themselves without a coach after inconsistent seasons. Following the success of Central Coast and Brisbane Roar the A-League has learnt the value of good coaches and what they can do to a club. News sites suggest Sydney may be close to signing Graham Arnold and that Melbourne Victory  is also making a play for Ange Postecoglou.  These bigger clubs have traditionally relied on proven personnel to satisfy the high expectations of their fans and rarely take risks in fear of failure. However given the youthful nature of the a-league should smaller clubs be shielded from larger clubs in order to be allowed to grow and develop? Specifically should the F FA  introduce rules to protect sma...

Who will win the Premier's Plate this year? It's been a roller coaster year for the A-League and after 24 weeks of quality football we are just a week away from the end of the regular season and the start of the finals series! The final week of the regular season will be met with mixed emotions from fans but one thing is for sure, the round will be one of the most intense and historic in A-League history with a few mouthwatering clashes to come. Only two teams remain in the contest for the premiers plate and who better to battle it out then Central Coast and Brisbane. Last year's grand finalists are arguably the two most deserving of the award, having significantly lifting the technical and tactical quality of the A-League over the past two seasons and finding the consistency few a-league teams (including past champions) have been able to maintain. Moving down the ladder Sydney and Newcastle are playing for the last finals spot. The fairy tale-like scen...

The last few weeks have seen the Australian football community shaken to the core. Clive Palmer's shanaigans have up until recently always been a bit of a novelty, a side-show in the wild ride known as Gold Coast United. Many fans laughed off these little acts of rebellion, such as the crowd cap and the closure of 'the beach' active supporter area, thankful that their club wasn't effected however as we all know Palmer's act soon came to effect more then the fans of Gold Coast and turned heads in the mainstream media. I'm not going to describe in detail how Clive Palmer has and plans to challenge the FFA I simply want to raise a question that has been on my mind. How will football fans be effected? Palmer's FA threatens not just the FFA's credibility but everyone else involved in the game in Australia. Should Palmer decide to launch the 'Super A-League' its players are at risk of losing FIFA recognition and the chance to play in FIFA r...