Five Things – Round Nine
Wanderers want their fair share, Mariners at a cross roads, and midweek games in need of a boost– this is 5 things we learned from Round 9
Pay dispute goes public for WSW
With the threat of boycott remaining at Wanderland, these are testing times for football. The majority of domestic players are on modest salaries, and the Wanderers squad is a perfect example of this. When they break the mould and achieve something far beyond anyone’s comprehension, it probably shouldn’t become much of a surprise when they demand more than 10% of the Club World Cup dividend. While the demanded fee of 50% is excessive, on face value it is hard to argue against a greater reward than 10%, given all of the sacrifices the players made in the process of winning the ACL. The Club World Cup was never scheduled or budgeted on without their achievement, and they would rightly argue that future development projects are the job of administrators, not to be funded by this tournament.
NSO a no go
10,000 was the magic number for Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth to conclude whether or not North Sydney Oval has currency for relocation. A fraction over 7,000 was the result, comfortably below par. As Andy Harper rightly pointed out after the Mariners 3-0 loss to Victory, there are a number of reasons why this flirtation with Sydney’s North just won’t work – you lose the core supporter base, and North Sydney Oval is simply not a football venue. Brookvale Oval is the next experiment on the calendar, but the same issues remain. If Charlesworth is determined to own a North Sydney A-League franchise, then he needs to take it to FFA HQ and put forward his case when expansion is on the table, leaving the Mariners in safer hands. The frustration at the lack of crowd support in Gosford is on the mark, but it shouldn’t mean throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Perth the real deal
This column has been equally guilty in underestimating the value of Perth Glory this season. Witnessing the team operate in the flesh gave a different dimension to what you see on television. They have size, strength, mobility and skill. Sydney huffed and puffed on Thursday night, and were it not for an incredibly dubious penalty, they really got no reward. Marinkovic is easily the best dead ball specialist in the league, his deliveries are a reminder that set pieces can be a weapon. To come back from a goal down away from home against a more fancied opponent should give the Glory faithful reason to believe that anything is possible this campaign.
Phoenix flying fancy-free
How times have changed in the A-League. Just like their distance derby rivals, Wellington now have enough quality and belief to go away from home and kick in another gear to win football games. Although beating the Newcastle Jets 3-1 in their current state isn’t worthy of popping any champagne bottles, these results did not happen in the past. With Nathan Burns in red-hot form and sitting just a point behind Sydney FC, the Phoenix should be well placed to comfortably make the six this season.
Midweek football needs a boost to avoid lull
The Australian sporting public is conditioned to consuming sport on Friday nights, Saturday and Sunday. Anything outside of this delicate parameter requires a lot of poking and prodding by way of advertisement. Two fixtures in Sydney on Wednesday and Thursday resulted in predictably low attendances. The A-League is at its peak after the AFL and NRL conclude, and just before the Test Match cricket begins. There is a small lull in media buzz and attention when cricket takes centre stage, and a far greater one when the other football codes begin. With such heavy fixture congestion to compensate for the Asian Cup, the FFA should take measures to enhance midweek games – cut prices in half, bring women and children in for free. There are steps that can be taken if you know attendances will be low. We accept too easily that momentum in the league peaks and troughs, but we shouldn’t.
@blake_1986
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