David Votoupal
01-27-2005, 08:22 PM
The reorganisation of soccer, oops I mean (association) football in this country would have to count as one of the biggest reorganisations (or do we say bloodless revolutions) in the history of Australian sport. A reorganisation that perhaps should have taken place long ago, but in the end we're glad it's happened.
This is the round ball game's big chance in Australia. This year is a big year, because of the launch of our all-new domestic competition and our bid to qualify for the 2006 World Cup with the best crop of players we've known to date.
The new competition's name, A-League, follows in the footsteps of Japan and South Korea's professional ventures. And if those can succeed and the MLS has so far, then why not the A-League? What it needs is to attract an at least reasonable level of support, which some might say is easier said than done because Australian soccer fans will always have loyalties to overseas teams first. But Perth and Adelaide have shown that a well-run and inclusive team representing the city can work.
The challenge will be extending this formula to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. A number of supporters of "ethnic" teams are quite bitter about losing their position in the Australian game's elite (and looking at Sydney United, Melbourne Knights and certain state league clubs' so-called "fans", you can see exactly why Frank Lowy and co have a point), but they know full well they had to reform or go. Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory need to market themselves to the wider public, to be able to attract decent crowds and sponsorship.
Whilst Perth Glory and Adelaide Utd have the backing of the wider sporting public in WA and SA and it is hoped Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory have the saeme, Brisbane is a peculiar case. The Queensland Lions, a former NSL club, were the successful applicant it would seem on the basis of financial strength from its massive pokie venue. But this is the reason their successful application isn't going to be universally received even amongst the Sunshine State's notoriously parochial sporting public. The Lions are the Port Adelaide of Queensland soccer, their domination of the local league through buying the best local talent has earned them the animosity of other clubs.
The other three clubs are two from regional NSW- Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets- whose support should be guranteed by virtue of local parochialism, and the New Zealand Knights. The last one could be the weakest link I fear, because the standard of the game across the Tasman isn't very good.
But what to expect of the overall standard of the league? The NSL was much maligned in this respect, people saying it doesn't hold a candle to top flight European and South American leagues (well duh) or even lower level European leagues (haha). This was proven in many ways to be inaccurate. Many of the Aussies plying their trade in Europe today didn't have their football education at the fabled Ajax, Atalanta, West Ham, or wherever youth academies. No, they had their football education with our humble domestic clubs. And many of them have become valued performers for their European clubs, and how many top flight performers have come from the lower divisions in recent times?
The NSL's best players and teams, in all likeliness, were stronger than what even many Australian soccer fans wanted to believe. This was definitely the case in its last season, as Perth Glory and Parramatta Power were arguably the strongest club sides produced in terms of talent and standard. I was one of those who went to Parramatta Stadium on a free last season to see a finals game between the two, and even I was pleasantly surprised. (The Grand Final was a different matter, but let's not get into that now...)
So all I'm saying is, give the new league a chance. It will only work until we, the Australian soccer public who've so long wanted our sport to be given a fair go, are willing to do our part to make it work.
This is the round ball game's big chance in Australia. This year is a big year, because of the launch of our all-new domestic competition and our bid to qualify for the 2006 World Cup with the best crop of players we've known to date.
The new competition's name, A-League, follows in the footsteps of Japan and South Korea's professional ventures. And if those can succeed and the MLS has so far, then why not the A-League? What it needs is to attract an at least reasonable level of support, which some might say is easier said than done because Australian soccer fans will always have loyalties to overseas teams first. But Perth and Adelaide have shown that a well-run and inclusive team representing the city can work.
The challenge will be extending this formula to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. A number of supporters of "ethnic" teams are quite bitter about losing their position in the Australian game's elite (and looking at Sydney United, Melbourne Knights and certain state league clubs' so-called "fans", you can see exactly why Frank Lowy and co have a point), but they know full well they had to reform or go. Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory need to market themselves to the wider public, to be able to attract decent crowds and sponsorship.
Whilst Perth Glory and Adelaide Utd have the backing of the wider sporting public in WA and SA and it is hoped Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory have the saeme, Brisbane is a peculiar case. The Queensland Lions, a former NSL club, were the successful applicant it would seem on the basis of financial strength from its massive pokie venue. But this is the reason their successful application isn't going to be universally received even amongst the Sunshine State's notoriously parochial sporting public. The Lions are the Port Adelaide of Queensland soccer, their domination of the local league through buying the best local talent has earned them the animosity of other clubs.
The other three clubs are two from regional NSW- Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets- whose support should be guranteed by virtue of local parochialism, and the New Zealand Knights. The last one could be the weakest link I fear, because the standard of the game across the Tasman isn't very good.
But what to expect of the overall standard of the league? The NSL was much maligned in this respect, people saying it doesn't hold a candle to top flight European and South American leagues (well duh) or even lower level European leagues (haha). This was proven in many ways to be inaccurate. Many of the Aussies plying their trade in Europe today didn't have their football education at the fabled Ajax, Atalanta, West Ham, or wherever youth academies. No, they had their football education with our humble domestic clubs. And many of them have become valued performers for their European clubs, and how many top flight performers have come from the lower divisions in recent times?
The NSL's best players and teams, in all likeliness, were stronger than what even many Australian soccer fans wanted to believe. This was definitely the case in its last season, as Perth Glory and Parramatta Power were arguably the strongest club sides produced in terms of talent and standard. I was one of those who went to Parramatta Stadium on a free last season to see a finals game between the two, and even I was pleasantly surprised. (The Grand Final was a different matter, but let's not get into that now...)
So all I'm saying is, give the new league a chance. It will only work until we, the Australian soccer public who've so long wanted our sport to be given a fair go, are willing to do our part to make it work.