The_Pom_From_Aus

I think your dreaming mate, last year alone there was 33,000 new registrations in soccer in australia & thats the people who want to play let alone the ones who just play for the love of the game.
last weekend 55,000 people in Telstra Dome for the soccer final. predictions for 2 years in Victoria are for every home game 45,000 all seating, how many prem clubs in the UK can boast that Oh & how many AFL clubs can actually match that, if the AFL clubs did not have pubs & pokie machines they would all be broke, thats is However room for all sports in Australia, all you need to do is open your eyes & thoughts and get on with all the sports.

arthur

BadgeIsBack

The World Cup probably helped that, and Melbourne is known for good attendences. For the time being it will still be in AFL and NRL in Australia.

There is no need to talk about dreaming or my game is better than yours. Soccer has some catching up to do, it might be 5 years, 10 years, but not now and not next week.

Deadmeat

In my opinion soccer will never dominate in Australia all the time the game is littered with playacting and general prima-donna behaviour. It just goes against the Aussie psyche.

Yeh, there is room for it and it will get more popular (and why not, you should be able to enjoy whatever you enjoy) but until the game is more of a sporting contest and less of a Oscar nomination trial it will not take root.

TrickyTree

I'm sure the clubs would love to see those "supporters" coming through the turnstyles to show their support instead of watching the game on TV.

If the A league product can improve (as I still think it is pretty poor) the crowds should continue to improve and close the gap on the NRL over the next 5 years.

jond

I don't think it will ever take over, but one thing is for sure it will get a lot more popular as time goes on. What with it being on TV all the time.

The AFL and NRL will be looking over there shoulders and be worrying a bit.

MD09

Ok, we'll meet back here in 2012.

My prediction is that it will become more popular, especially around World Cup time, but it will never out rate NRL, AFL or cricket. The reason? Aussies love to back a winner - the socceroos, in our life time are never going to be champions.

kids here aspire to be the next Warnie, not Harry kewl. Until that changes, forget about it.

BadgeIsBack

That's true too I think to a point but I don't think its an Aussie thing. People raised on and used to the 'contest' of contact football don't understand the cultural prima donna element of soccer. I certainly don't.

BadgeIsBack

The reality is that most spectating is done at home(!)

The crowds that you get in Melbourne for AFL is truly amazing for a game primarily played in 2-3 states of 1 country. I don't think NRL even comes close in Sydney.

I think A league could catch NRL attendance figures, yes, but the whole market may show differently.

MD09

badger, due to the speed of AFL and the way it moves around the ground, it's better to watch it live at the ground, hence the bigger crowd numbers.

Soccer is alot better also watching live at the ground.

Whereas, NRL is a game which is slower and is better watched close up on TV imo. Cricket is the same.

BadgeIsBack

Yup I can see that.

MD09

It's just worlds apart watching a game of AFL on tele vs at the ground. At the ground you can see the scope of it all. It's alot easier to follow and the crowd gets well into it.

NRL is stop start, stop start, so is cricket. The action, when it happens, occurs in a split second, the close ups and replays make it more enjoyable. You don't get this at the ground.

Soccer is a game that usually flows quite well, like AFL, so of course it's going to get good ground following. Would hundreds of thousands of people be watching at home though? Not likely

BadgeIsBack

Only in Europe(!)

Frankly I'm all for the football codes as played in Australia currently. Soccer is so fustrating - its more about the histronics rather than the game. I find it quite unwatchable....

MD09

Don't get me wrong badger, I have tried to fall inlove with this soccer game.

During the world cup I got up at 4am to watch everyone of our games.

All was going well.

Until of course, we played Italia. Well, we all know what happened there.

Anyway, even if we had gone on to be in the the World Cup final, it still wouldn't get me excited like a NRL NSW vs QLD state of origin game does. As a kid I couldn't sleep the night before one of these games. Soccer just doesn't give me the same rush, and I know many other aussies feel the same.

BadgeIsBack

Just leave it until the World Cups. Australia in or out, its worth watching then I reckon providing its not too much hard work to get up for.

The_Pom_From_Aus

your right in your comments, it will take time for the soccer to catch the other sports but i do believe it will also im not having a go at you, so please dont be upset.

arthur