The on topic thread

[moomba]

 

[RossFC]

That's enough internet for me today.

 

[RPCB]

Haha, **** off!

That’s going way too far even with the whole English bias thing.

 

[BerlinChair]

That's enough internet for me today.

Not for Moomba, he’s got to find every anti United thing on the whole information super highway. I believe he can.

 

[jd2010]

SM

I'm not saying expand for the sake of it at all. I'm saying there's only demand for 1 max 2 more sides and you're talking about a 16 team comp. maybe in 10 years or more Adelaide Brisbane and WA could sustain a 2nd side and it could get there.

Until then fix the mess which is 40% of the comp and bring in Woolongong and Canberra

 

[SM]

SM

I'm not saying expand for the sake of it at all. I'm saying there's only demand for 1 max 2 more sides and you're talking about a 16 team comp. maybe in 10 years or more Adelaide Brisbane and WA could sustain a 2nd side and it could get there.

Until then fix the mess which is 40% of the comp and bring in Woolongong and Canberra

Canberra.

 

[Latro]

So Bojan is Stan Collymore.

 

[Jatz]

Canberra.

Canberra makes far more sense than some of the other suggestions. They’ve got a viable stadium, they’ve got the W league club there they can align with. I’d rather see Canberra than a 3rd Sydney side.

 

[jd2010]

Canberra.

They've got nearly 100k bigger population than Wollongong and nearly 3x the population of Gosford (not that putting a side there went well enough to use as a benchmark)

 

[Jatz]

I'm pointing to evidence that they can turn out a strong crowd for a midweek fixture. 11,000 also turned up to an A-League game between Sydney and CCM there.

I'm not sure what you're missing, but you do realise more teams means more games each week? 14 teams = 26 rounds of 7 games = 182 games compared to 27 rounds of 5 games = 135 games.

What do you think is the solution to the big problem then mate?

Yes but you’re still talking about one off games. You’re making an assumption based off that. Being able to get those numbers consistently is a very different kettle of fish.

Apologies, misunderstood what you meant RE more fixtures. Thought you were meaning more rounds.

Not expansion. Rectify the problems they’re facing with the existing clubs before we add more teams in that won’t be competitive. Adding more teams at the level of CCM helps absolutely no one.

They’ve tried expansion before and it’s fallen flat most times (WSW the exception). There’s no reason to suggest that would change if they did it again now.

 

[SM]

Yes but you’re still talking about one off games. You’re making an assumption based off that. Being able to get those numbers consistently is a very different kettle of fish.

Apologies, misunderstood what you meant RE more fixtures. Thought you were meaning more rounds.

Not expansion. Rectify the problems they’re facing with the existing clubs before we add more teams in that won’t be competitive. Adding more teams at the level of CCM helps absolutely no one.

They’ve tried expansion before and it’s fallen flat most times (WSW the exception). There’s no reason to suggest that would change if they did it again now.

What else am I meant to base it off? Doesn't it stand to reason that crowds will actually increase when it's their team that they watch week in week out rather than decrease?

 

[SM]

They've got nearly 100k bigger population than Wollongong and nearly 3x the population of Gosford (not that putting a side there went well enough to use as a benchmark)

But don't have an established football culture.

Their population is also mainly pollies and uni kids.

 

[SM]

Canberra makes far more sense than some of the other suggestions. They’ve got a viable stadium, they’ve got the W league club there they can align with. I’d rather see Canberra than a 3rd Sydney side.

Probably why I haven't suggested a third Sydney team (apart from using the Hills as an example of a high population area).

Canberra would be GC all over again.

 

[jd2010]

But don't have an established football culture.

Their population is also mainly pollies and uni kids.

Not many places outside Wollongong do which is tough since an 11 team comp wouldn't work.

 

[SM]

Not many places outside Wollongong do which is tough since an 11 team comp wouldn't work.

Adelaide does, a regional Victorian team could work, Tasmania could.

 

[Magma]

mediawatch's piece on collymore's pepsession was fantastic.

 

[Established1870]

Wollongong, Canberra, Tassie and South Melbourne should be the 4 most serious expansion prospects.

FNQ, Auckland City, Adelaide City and either a second Perth side or NT side should be the next considerations (maybe regional Vic too like SM said).

Main thing is finding areas where the A-League wouldn't be challenged too much and can properly build a fan base and community engagement.

 

[moomba]

Not for Moomba, he’s got to find every anti United thing on the whole information super highway. I believe he can.

Oh no. I've been rumbled.

How will my cunning plan to post "every anti United thing on the whole information super highway" come to fruition now.

 

[jd2010]

Adelaide does, a regional Victorian team could work, Tasmania could.

Does tassie have a bigger football pedigree than Canberra? Haven't quite a few Socceroos come from Canberra?

FAITH Magma is there a gap in the market in Adelaide where a second side would be able to do what WSW have done and not just be a MH

 

[SM]

Does tassie have a bigger football pedigree than Canberra? Haven't quite a few Socceroos come from Canberra?

FAITH Magma is there a gap in the market in Adelaide where a second side would be able to do what WSW have done and not just be a MH

When you look at the turnout for the GF a few years back I would say absolutely.

 

[jd2010]

Fwiw SM I'd love the a league to have 14-16 sides I just don't think the game can afford another expansion failure like the Queensland two or an expansion non event like Melbourne heart

 

[SM]

Wollongong, Canberra, Tassie and South Melbourne should be the 4 most serious expansion prospects.

FNQ, Auckland City, Adelaide City and either a second Perth side or NT side should be the next considerations (maybe regional Vic too like SM said).

Main thing is finding areas where the A-League wouldn't be challenged too much and can properly build a fan base and community engagement.

I'm just not convinced about Canberra but agree on the other 3.

 

[jd2010]

When you look at the turnout for the GF a few years back I would say absolutely.

Wouldn't they have all been united fans at the gf?

They'd only be able to defect 10-20% away from the main club. It'll be like heart all over again.

most Wanderers fans weren't FC regulars before coming in were they? I'm sure I've read a stat somewhere how them coming into the league brought a new fan base rather than splitting Sydney's up. Adelaide (or Perth) would need to do the same thing for it to work.

Melbourne Heart never did and just tried to lure in those who didn't like what MV were doing, like myself (I can't support a team that continually employees Kevin Muscat). But that's a limited pool of people even in a big sporting city so it's failed to do get enough support

 

[SM]

Fwiw SM I'd love the a league to have 14-16 sides I just don't think the game can afford another expansion failure like the Queensland two or an expansion non event like Melbourne heart

What does expansion actually cost if the sides coming in are established NPL sides with infrastructure, branding, and existing squads that would just need topping up? Genuine question. A-League get big license fees out of them and presumably would get a lot more in TV rights.

 

[SM]

Wouldn't they have all been united fans at the gf?

They'd only be able to defect 10-20% away from the main club. It'll be like heart all over again.

most Wanderers fans weren't FC regulars before coming in were they? I'm sure I've read a stat somewhere how them coming into the league brought a new fan base rather than splitting Sydney's up. Adelaide (or Perth) would need to do the same thing for it to work.

Melbourne Heart never did and just tried to lure in those who didn't like what MV were doing, like myself (I can't support a team that continually employees Kevin Muscat). But that's a limited pool of people even in a big sporting city so it's failed to do get enough support

Not necessarily, plenty would be football fans going for the event, otherwise Adelaide would get bigger crowds at premier regular season fixtures.