It’s been a while…
As we enter the final stanza of the final, Generic FC prepare to take one last gasp corner to avoid extra time and take the Cup final for the third time in four years. Short corner is ignored (thankfully), Keeper comes out and fluffs it, goalmouth scramble ensues and somehow the left back Smith has put the ball into the back of the net. As the stadium erupts Smith who has scored his first goal since his record transfer arrival runs straight for the middle of the pitch, ignoring the fans behind the goal. Smith takes off his Generic FC shirt and underneath has a message of “This one is for you Corporation Inc” the controversial ownership group who have deep pockets but little knowledge of the world game.
If the last 48 hours has taught us anything it’s that fans remain the most powerful stakeholder in football and always will. Parasite billionaires once again misread the room when it comes to creating an invite only “European Super League” filled with some of the richest men in football and their clubs. In defense of the owners the room is hard to read from the corporate boardroom, the furthest away from the stands you can get.
Chelsea fans celebrated outside Stamford Bridge after their club were held to a 0-0 result against strugglers Brighton and Hove Albion, showing the results off the pitch trumped those on it. Whilst Australia is far removed from the Billionaires shitting the bed on this occasion, it’s a timely reminder of how powerful fans and club history can be.
Links to a “closed shop” and the grubby fingerprints of City Football Group all over the current A-League model, this is a timely reminder to those in power who have ignored the fans for far too long. Whilst financially it’s not the greatest time to hit the reset button with the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic and the sporting competition in Australia more competitive than ever.
On the pitch the A-League product is solid with the majority of clubs having the ability to beat anyone on their day. The finals should be intriguing this year with outside factors of World Cup qualifiers and Olyroos selection potentially throwing the season into chaos. Melbourne City finally look like reaching their potential as burning favorites for their first title after destroying cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory for the second time in the season and ultimately being the final nail in the coffin for Brebner who was treading water all season.
Off the pitch fans need to become a higher priority for the league. For far too long the balance sheet has been given too much attention, and whilst important to be financially viable, if you don’t respect your fans, they will stop coming; regardless of on field performances.
Melbourne City ironically are in the best position of the three Melbourne clubs and a proposed move to the South East could build a bigger fan base for the franchise. The Heart/City teething problems appear to be over and the club has finally grasped the concept of acknowledging the fans and their role in the club. Personally, City can do whatever they want, frankly I’m not interested but a strong City is good for the competition, as long as the league don’t give them too much power.
Western United players have slept in more beds than Errol Flynn, and that’s just for home games. Four home grounds is far too many for any club and makes a mockery of what they are trying to achieve. Whilst Covid-19 has hit at the worst possible time for the club and plans seem to be slowly progressing Western United need a consistent home base for the season otherwise the nomadic club will quickly become irrelevant. If results go south, Tasmania won’t be the coldest place the club enters. Off the pitch the club is working hard to build a fanbase, personally I have a membership I am yet to use it due to outside factors, but also a genuine lack of interest in the league in its preset state. Hopefully this will turnaround soon.
Melbourne Victory where do we start… Whilst many of us gain pleasure from seeing Goliath take a huge fall, we all must acknowledge the league needs a competitive Melbourne Victory. We all agree this season is a write off and season 2021/22 starts now. The ownership needs to win the fans back and the first step in that direction would hurt financially but long term hits the back of the net. With City heading East and United playing out West, now is the time for Melbourne Victory to claim ownership of the best football stadium in Melbourne in AAMI Park. With tenants moving out (City) a decent deal financially could be secured and a long-term deal reached. Game days might not reach the helicon days of Olympic Park but a move from the football wasteland that is Marvel Stadium would be a positive first step.
Two clubs on the New South Wales coast also need significant improvement, Newcastle and Central Coast Mariners. Whilst the Mariners are flying and the fairytale story of Alou Koul should be on frontpages everywhere their financial future as always is up in the air. Why not float the possibility of fan ownership? If the club is valued at $5million why not seek $1million from local council (for 20%) and have 4 million shares at $5 each with a minimum buy of 100 shares per transaction. If the valuation is higher just adjust the figure but also include a clause where one company/entity can only own a maximum of 40%. It’s all just spit balling but both the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets are based on strong community support.
Fans will always be the most important stakeholder in our game, let’s hope one day the A-League comes to this realization.
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