The Football Thread (5 Viewers)

[HeCtic]

The point is that if this is meant to be the future of football in this country, then some degree of free to air coverage beyond that of goal highlights as shown within a sporting brief is necessary. The creation of a highlights package is all that is needed, and that a deal allowing for such a programme to be aired hasn't been negotiated is just... It beggars belief. If they want the competition to succeed, then they should be trying to expose the game to as many people as possible, no matter the cost. I do realise that nobody may have wanted the free to air rights of the league as a whole and that a highlights package from Foxtel wouldn't exactly be cheap for any station yet alone SBS, but it's something that the competition needs, and it's something that the new administration should have considered and acted in favour of long ago.

I'm sure that O'Neill and Lowy did try and negotiate some sort of package for free-to-air coverage, but given the uncertainty considering the actual demand and value of a contract it would have been a very difficult sell for them to make.

Fox Sports already has a huge number of subscribers who stated that Premiership and Champions League football are reasons for signing on, so they already have an establsihed football base of viewers to cater for.

And that's the thing, from a marketing stanpoint we've never really seen the demand for football viewing in this country be high enough to be considered anything more than a niche market and most stations wouldn't be willing to pick up the rights if it won't have the mainstream appeal of other football codes.

At the moment we'd be about the level of Super 12 Rugby from an optimistic viewpoint. So unless the League can pull in the crowd numbers and the dosh I belive that allowing it to establish itself on Cable in the short-run is an important step.

I don't believe Fox Sports will be letting an investment like this go under, they'll invest a lot of money into the game and are already suing their contacts and influence withing the media to promotew the game. Give it a couple of seasons and if the League is a decent success a bigger station will be happy to pick it up and run with it.

 

[copious]

I would of liked some free to air coverage, but considering the ridicilously low prices of tickets I might actually go watch some Sydney FC home games.

 

[my sharona]

8 000 tickets sold so far.

And that's just the booked ones

 

[LMF^^]

The Sydney Melbourne game looked real good, 2 wonderful headerz. Shame that I couldn't go, maybe I'll go next time around.

So itz only $7...? Thatz good value.

 

[slip]

ok let me first say - great debut weekend for the league, a couple of quality goals, some good crowds the old nsl record for regular season was less then 20 000. the games today got over 20 000. I will attend again despite newcastle's loss, and might even go to every home game this year.

TO IAMSICK OF YEAR 12 - there is a great article floating around the web by an sbs reporter about the thrill of a nill all draw.... basically goals arent the only excitement, there is excitement in the fact that the winning goal could be scored any minute, any attack could see you team score. the excitement of hitting the wood work wtc.

now this tv arguement.

ffa(then soccer australia) was totally bankrupt when o'neill took over. you try starting a new league with no money. this has a flow on effect.

you can turn the nsl into the premier league over night, its about small(correct for the time step).

fox deal was the best for several reasons, the first is money, it ment the ffa had some. secondly it if the game isnt on free to air friday night in sydney, more people in sydney will go down and watch, more money. finally the a-league hopes to generate enough excitement that the highlights etc on free to air tv (which there was plenty of on the world game this weekend) attracts people to the game.

the game needs the clubs to be profitable to work, the ffa does not give money to clubs in the same way the fa gives money to the premier league clubs. in the future this may happen, until then gate reciepts are the main revenue for most clubs.

finally i just want to re-state that you dont go from nsl to premier league over night. the standard of players, the number of teams, free to air coverage will all increase over the coming years.. if and only if clubs get the support they need to be successful.

 

[Komit]

Just got back from the Sydney FC game and it was excellent. They said 25 000 attendance but it was more like 30 000 as they started letting in people for free because of the huge queues.

The quality of football this weekend was good and definitely better than the NSL in its final years. Everyone is comparing the NSL and the A-League when they know shit all about the A-League or know shit all about what the NSL was. If you look at the quality of all of the A-League sides and if you actually know something about Australian football then you wouldn't be making arguments based on what you read in the Daily Telegraph and what other ignorant people tell you.

Hectic, I agree that there is not enough interest in the A-League, but then again is there much interest in Australian football? Australian football fans look to Europe while neglecting what's happening on their home turf (and arguing that the A-League just started is not an excuse). Based on this, I think a lot of people should stop whinging about TV and shit and actually go to the games and take some time to at least who the players. I would bet everything that 9 out of 10 "Football Fans" in Australia will have no idea about players such as Archie Thompson, Ante Milicic or Michael Baird.

 

[king_of_boredom]

all i have to say is go Sydney FC.

 

[bJ_Bhoy 87]

all i have to say is that there are some dickheads out there

and they are worried about our beautiful game:

http://www.a-leaguesucks.tk/

apparently the guy is so against us calling our game football that he made a site about it.

i say we all give him shit

 

[Komit]

What a wanker. There are legitimate reasons why to dislike A-League - AFL not being one of them.

 

[my sharona]

There were like 20 hardcore Melbourne supporters with their entire bay to themselves, but the rest of the stadium seemed pretty packed.

haha how good was the fight at half time..?

 

[bJ_Bhoy 87]

fight?

plz let the underpriviledged in on the goss...

 

[Komit]

There was more than 20 Melbourne supporters - I was sitting next to them and the fight was shit. Pffft. Ethnic soccer brawls is soccer violence, not that.

 

[Numero Uno]

lol A league thread
what an ingenious concept

 

[Numero Uno]

all i have to say is that there are some dickheads out there

and they are worried about our beautiful game:

http://www.a-leaguesucks.tk/

apparently the guy is so against us calling our game football that he made a site about it.

i say we all give him shit

Probably some aussie anglo who know that AFL's Days are numbered wutta cunt
this guy is a narrow minded fuk

 

[my sharona]

There was more than 20 Melbourne supporters - I was sitting next to them and the fight was shit. Pffft. Ethnic soccer brawls is soccer violence, not that.

Looked just like two rows of 10 where i was sitting. How many people were there?

I guess it wasn't that much of a fight, but it took a while for the police/security people to get there so it was mildly amusing.

It was funnier when Melbourne scored a goal - the whole stadium was quiet except for that tiny group who were like jumping around on the empty seats around them.

 

[HeCtic]

Sydney v Melbourne goals

The game was awesome, loved the atmosphere. Sat near the Melbourne cunts and got a bit rowdy. I'll make a proper post when I've sobered up a bit..

 

[my sharona]

Sydney v Melbourne goals

The game was awesome, loved the atmosphere. Sat near the Melbourne cunts and got a bit rowdy. I'll make a proper post when I've sobered up a bit..

Haha i freaking love you.

Were you in C or B?

 

[HeCtic]

Section C, you might've seen me wearing my Fabregas jersey Me and my mates tried to start a "Clap your hands if you hate Victorians" chant. Didn't last too long though.

How good was the 3 minutes Mexican wave though? Brilliant night out.

Anyone gonna go on the 16th to the Mariners game?

edit : section C not B.

 

[copious]

Timbk2 and I will be there, we were spewin to miss tonights game.

 

[my sharona]

Section C, you might've seen me wearing my Fabregas jersey Me and my mates tried to start a "Clap your hands if you hate Victorians" chant. Didn't last too long though.

How good was the 3 minutes Mexican wave though? Brilliant night out.

Anyone gonna go on the 16th to the Mariners game?

edit : section C not B.

Hmm... no i was too busy looking at those bizarre Victorians.
wtf was the 'union rebels' or whatever they call themselves..?
why did they have the old-style Eureka flags..?

The mexican wave was pretty fun, although it died after like two rounds where i was sitting (section B)

I haven't had so much fun in at least a year