Peeking Thru The Clouds From The Ivory Tower
Season 2015/16 is almost upon us but something just doesn’t feel right. The right noises aren’t coming from the ivory tower we know better as FFA HQ and fans do have a right to show their lack of enthusiasm.
For starters the revolving door of players still exists with no less than 89 players from last season either changing clubs or being no longer involved in the league. We have lost some quality player from our ranks including Damien Duff, Josh Kennedy, Mark Milligan, Andy Keogh, Terry Antonis, Bernie Ibini, Mark Janko, and Tomi Juric. Plenty of other players have found new homes with different clubs, sadly a reality of this incestual nature of the league.
The league has a feeling of becoming stale with the limited 10 team competition. Playing home and away is stock standard for football leagues throughout the league, but the third meeting gives the feeling of the league dragging on thru the last few weeks of the season. The league has dramatic financial issues with Newcastle, Brisbane and Central Coast all behind the eight ball already before the season has commenced. The lack of memberships sold for this season at Suncorp stadium should be setting off alarm bells for the FFA to resolve ownership issues with the Bakrie Group. The saga has dragged on far too long and when Brisbane run out for their first home game on the 18th against Central Coast don’t expect to see a decent number of fans in the stands.
We travel south for our next major problem where the Wanderers fans are being treated like ten year olds on a library excursion. The proposed draconian regulations from security and New South Wales Police should not and cannot be agreed to. Fans have the right to march to a stadium if they choose and move around in the allocated bays (within reason). Banners and flags containing offensive slogans shouldn’t be tolerated at any sporting venue and swearing whilst not a great look for any sport is mostly a reflection of the everyday community, not just Parramatta Stadium and the A-League.
If you look at A-League promotions and what makes the Western Sydney Wanderers the best community club in the league is its inclusiveness, something the league has struggled to attract throughout the first decade of the league. We should be celebrating the great atmosphere the RBB bring to every game in the league, not restricting it. Yes there are some supporters that may go over the top during games but let’s identify those and punish them, not the entire supporter base for their actions. This is a just another clear example of how those in the ivory tower has fallen out of touch with the common supporter.
The league doesn’t know a great atmosphere even when they fall over one and create it by accident. A standoff between the league and the AFL resulted in last season’s grand final being played at AAMI Park and one of the best atmospheres created in for the entire season. The first thing the league does is lock down the soulless Etihad Stadium to a multiyear deal to host grand finals if a Victorian club earns the right to host the title decides. Yes it’s a maybe a financial decision by the league, but AAMI Park is the perfect venue should Victory or City host the grand final in 2015/16, especially given both are heavily tipped to feature in the title decider.
On a positive note Newcastle has done some great work with the community and appears to have put the ‘Tinkler years’ behind them. A sense of community is back with the region that has been so rich in our football history and finally those fans can look forward to a positive season on and off the pitch.
Whilst we are told how excited the league is to start the season (on an international weekend mind you) it’s very hard to convince ourselves this season will be special. Fans of the world game are continually frustrated by those in the ivory tower making poor decisions and I don’t see this changing anytime soon.
So what do we do? Do we walk away from the league and refuse to give football the support it needs in this country or do we take on the challenge and make the A-League ‘Our League’.
It’s a tough quandary fans find ourselves in whilst we do want to support domestic football at the highest level in this country any growth will see incompetency rewarded. Season 2015/16 is crunch time for the league and whilst the Asian Cup succuss and qualifying for three consecutive world cups can be looked on as a positive by the FFA the continual uphill struggle to grow the game once again hurts football in Australia.
Season 2015/16 could be the most important yet, let’s hope those in the ivory tower don’t once again ignore those in the stands and continue to halt any momentum we as fans have worked tirelessly to create.
This is Our game, don’t forget that Frank Lowy and David Gallop.
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