- Apr 12, 2012
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A-League The A-League Expansion Thread
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A-League
- May 13, 2012
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even worse, it's a few kms outside of the existing satellite shithole
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Thing is, in 15 years time itll just be part of normal Melbourne.
20 odd years ago Altona Meadows was an empty wasteland, now it's just another suburb.
As for the names.... they aren't the best but I mean neither are Glory, Victory, Heart or Roar.....
- Jul 9, 2010
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Glory is a 1990s marketing name, Victory was just an attempt to latch onto the whole Big V imagery, I actually think Heart was and is a good little name, Roar is shitty but it's a continuation of Brisbane Lions (the soccer club, originally Dutch thus the lion thus the orange; George Best even played for them).
Generic names like City, United don't make sense. How is Adelaide... United? It's not like multiple clubs came together nor is it a distinctly divided town.
You should try and play on a town's history or iconography (I guess Jets is okay for that reason, kinda) but with a soccer-y twist. I remember Sporting Melbourne and Melburnians were in the running for Melbourne Heart. They're cracking names. Sporting Sydney wouldn't work, but Sporting Melbourne is perfect. 'Novacastrians' for Newcastle, Dandenong Rangers is a great play on words. Western Sydney Wanderers was completely nailed in this regard – Wanderers were the first team to play a game of soccer in Australia, and in Sydney – but from the logo to the colours to the name, it's probably the only 100% great thing the FFA have ever done.
There's even something cool and kitschy about bringing back old club names: Brisbane Strikers, Wollongong Wolves. The MLS have done that well with the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps.
Western Athletic sounds alright but what is so athletic about it?
- Jul 9, 2010
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It was a joke, but all I'm saying is there's never a plan in place for any expansion team. It's all ad-hoc, all political, all smoke and mirrors.
Sydney FC were originally going to play at Parramatta, they were going to be this and going to be that. Training ground in St George. Last minute they uproot to the SFS. I was obsessively into it as a kid, those old Soccer International magazines would have half their pages dedicated to the new 'APL' every month. I'd love to find them and dig out all the old this-and-thats.
I mean I even remember 'Northern Thunder.' They had colours (steel grey and red). Then along came Gold Coast Galaxy. They were the leading expansion bids half because of the major city exclusivity deals, but they were only in those locations because the backers and investors wanted them there. Suddenly they become the definitive new markets and there's multiple bids for Townsville and Gold Coast, ignoring Wollongong, Canberra, whoever else. The FFA has no plan in place.
The fact they just gave two bids to whoever is proof that s**t ain't charging.
Say what you want about the Giants and Suns, but the AFL were always going to those markets. They primed them and pampered them. Everyone there knew a team was coming, they had seasons in the VFL, their colours were teased out and an 'event.' The FFA don't know what's good and don't know what's next. How do you expect to rally support or gel together a team with, what, four months lead-in? It would be nice if there was an actual map of importance and expansion, and I think that's the frustration.
- Apr 12, 2012
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I know
Youre are thinking of the Sydney Blues. The other bid for a Sydney team.
Sydney FC were always SFS where as Sydney Blues were Parramatta.
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- Jul 9, 2010
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Interesting, I don't remember Sydney Blues, just had to suss it then.
But Sydney FC were definitely going to play at Parra, it was massively political. My memory is that Sydney FC were always going to be the club – they had the backing and they were basically set-up by Soccer Australia and the Lowys.
The original idea was to have the Sydney team play out of Parra because it was the footballing heartland.
The other thing is, you have to remember, Australia hadn't qualified for a World Cup in decades. NSL Grand Finals couldn't even sell out second-tier venues. Soccer just was not played at the SFS that often. It was way more sensical to have it at Parra, it was almost a given.
The A-League basically had this one city, one team model half because John O'Neill had a lot to do with its formation. He'd come from Super 12 rugby where that was ('successful' lol) the model. The other reason for long-term exclusivity was because the Lowys were bankrolling the competition and wanted their club, Sydney, to be the club. The rhetoric was always centred around Sydney FC. 'Bling FC.' LaPaglia, then Dwight Yorke. The reason we didn't get two Melbourne and two Sydney clubs from the get go or for so long was basically to protect Sydney FC – other markets capable of holding two teams, well that was just collateral.
This is all despite the fact the Crawford Report wanted a north, south, and west split for Sydney and a north-west and south-east, split by the Yarra, set of clubs for Melbourne.
I had to use some pre-2005 google to suss this, but: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/nsw-cut-ties-with-new-club-over-lowy-20041212-gdkat1.html
It seems Parra was in fact the go-to, intended ground until Lowy came in and demanded it be at the SFS.
He probably got some great deal from one of his mates. It was basically the exact same time as Carlton Football Club forgoing Princes Park because people on the Carlton board would make their own bank out of games at Colonial/Etihad.
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If people are interested in the history, it's worth having a read of this book https://www.booktopia.com.au/a-league-john-stensholt/prod9781863957595.html
I remember when I first got it I read it in 2 days, it's a great account of the A-League's infancy and it's really well-written.
It covers off on Sydney Blues, on Parramatta, on the make-up of Sydney FC - all the way through the World Cup bid and GC United.
I remember when I first got it I read it in 2 days, it's a great account of the A-League's infancy and it's really well-written.
It covers off on Sydney Blues, on Parramatta, on the make-up of Sydney FC - all the way through the World Cup bid and GC United.
- Apr 12, 2012
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I cant say I remember Parra being in the frame for Sydney FC.
I remember sitting on the old Sydney fc pro boards hoping they were the winning bid on the day it was announced and the days leading up to it and they were going to be based at the SFS.
Unless Parra was the very very early stages for it. By the time I took interest sfs was the home base for the bid.
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- Jul 9, 2010
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Dude, it says on that news article (from 2004) that Soccer NSW dropped out late in the game for a few reasons (junior development, signing some American collegiate spud on a tiny list) and one of them was because the bid had moved from Parramatta Stadium to the Sydney Football Stadium. Ie Soccer NSW wanted the bid to be at Parramatta, and was on board with the idea it was at Parramatta, and pulled out late because it wasn't going to be at Parramatta.
- Mar 29, 2010
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Team 11s would be home base broke ground at Casey Fields today. 
- Apr 12, 2012
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No side of the government said they would definitely build that ground though did they?Team 11s would be home base broke ground at Casey Fields today.
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- Mar 29, 2010
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This is the training base. This was always 100% confirmed, it was the actual stadium in Dandenong that had no guaranteed funding.
- Apr 12, 2012
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- Mar 29, 2010
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Construction kicked off yesterday on our regional soccer facility. This project will deliver:
- Four soccer pitches, including three synthetic and one natural turf
- Associated infrastructure including floodlighting, fencing, coaches’ boxes and goals
- A regional pavilion with a community room, eight unisex change rooms, a unisex referee change room, public toilets, storerooms, kitchen and canteen
- Paths, landscaping a public art entrance, and
- Approximately 200 additional car parks
What could have been
- Four soccer pitches, including three synthetic and one natural turf
- Associated infrastructure including floodlighting, fencing, coaches’ boxes and goals
- A regional pavilion with a community room, eight unisex change rooms, a unisex referee change room, public toilets, storerooms, kitchen and canteen
- Paths, landscaping a public art entrance, and
- Approximately 200 additional car parks
What could have been
Meanwhile WMG have barely held a fan forum or even know where they will be playing...
Definitely a missed opportunity
*Insert monthly "BuT NiX r dA pOrBLeM" post here".
But seriously, what do these people think when they make these decisions on licences? Macarthur seems at least kind of capable, but West Melbourne is munted and has always been a s**t choice. Gallop is not capable of being so high up. Nikou I would have thought would have SOME Hellenic bias, but nope. They settled on this circus.
But seriously, what do these people think when they make these decisions on licences? Macarthur seems at least kind of capable, but West Melbourne is munted and has always been a s**t choice. Gallop is not capable of being so high up. Nikou I would have thought would have SOME Hellenic bias, but nope. They settled on this circus.
With Melbourne trotting out the 'sports capital' line at every opportunity, I would think Athletic would work - it is a proper football name, plus the club would be an 'Athletic' club of sorts.
'Sporting' always felt too contrived for my liking.
- Jul 9, 2010
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But they want to play in Geelong the first few seasons and Tarneit really isn’t Melbourne proper. It’s just part of the sprawl. If Dandenong got in, they would’ve accept and embraced their geography and history - they wouldn’t be Eastern Melbourne, because no one actually thinks of it as Eastern Melbourne. It’s its own kinda place.
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- Oct 28, 2012
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How much money did they throw at the marquee? Or what little information did they tell him?
If they end up out of AAMI Park this is going to be a disaster. Sold on the premise of catching the imagination and hearts of the fastest growing region and giving them a club to follow. A club which looks like having no home in the west for at least 5 years. Great stuff.
Hopefully Tassie can take over their license when it inevitably gets sold after leaking millions every year.
If they end up out of AAMI Park this is going to be a disaster. Sold on the premise of catching the imagination and hearts of the fastest growing region and giving them a club to follow. A club which looks like having no home in the west for at least 5 years. Great stuff.
Hopefully Tassie can take over their license when it inevitably gets sold after leaking millions every year.
- May 13, 2012
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First and foremost, this is a real estate deal. They'll hang around for as long as they think they can profit from the real estate (and the way prices are going currently, maybe that won't be too long).
Geelong is only an interim venue, any fans they can pick up from there will be a bonus.
With regard to Tarneit - there will be a precinct structure plan before any development can commence for the surrounding area, with a focus around the stadium I'd imagine. Plus, the proposed site location is only a few hundred metres from the the primary train line and it was my understanding that there is a station being proposed. So depending on how things pan out, it could well be an activity hub in the outer western suburbs.
Perhaps I am being overly optimistic/naiive, but the more I look into it, the more I think it may actually turn out to be a good move. Tarneit is also far enough from the city that there is a clear delineation between central Melbourne and the western suburbs. So on that front, I think distance is actually an asset.
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