ozzieeagle

Couple of reasons for the above title.... Firstly lets dismiss most of the viewers that will take a look at this thread. Sky Viewers and Premier league club TV watchers dont bother with this thread please. Your not real supporters ! ... The term Plastics comes to mind... Caviet... Unless you were a Premier league Season ticket holder or went to at least 75 pct of your clubs home games.

Basically I'm aiming this thread at people that go to games in the football league and Scottish leagues each week in the UK. There will come a time when infrequent glimpses of your team on TV at ungodly hours will start to irritate you beyond belief You may even get to the stage after 8 years or more where you stop looking at your teams results first thing after a game. You may even get to the stage when you dont know who your team is playing next.

So are you going to try the A league ? If not why not ? Just want to see the UK based reasons why the A league is having a bit of a hiatus. This lull happened with the MLS then it really started to kick on. So when are you guys coming.

Was very impressed with the Newcastle Support at AAMI on Saturday.... They obviously have a decent atmosphere at their ground. So in their case... and Sydneys and Adelaides and possibly Perths I dont think a dodgy atmosphere is much of an excuse at this early stage of the A league developement.

I dont expect many if any replies ....but I'm dead keen to spread the A league word.

knockoff nige

Fan of the year, you are.

ozzieeagle

I'm willing to blow my own trumpet because with 500 plus live games home and away I aint no slouch

No way would I be satisifed with just Football on TV... I realise thats a minority though.

Thanks for the opportunity to bump the thread

knockoff nige

No worries. Thanks for the opportunity to point out your ignorance as well as the contradiction in your post.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Well technically I'm disqualified as my team are in the Prem, so I can still watch them on the box.... but I've stopped doing it. Getting up at stupid o'clock just stopped being worth it.
We don't have an A-League side in the Gong and I think I'd struggle to start watching a 'new' team if one was ever set-up here... but who knows.
I tried watching a few Dragons games in NRL, but that was never going to work.

ozzieeagle

How far is Newcastle from you... . I was incredibly impressed with their supporters ethic and the way that club is run and plays the game. I would definitely suggest it's worth a trip if its less than 4 hours each way. They didn't shut up for the whole game.

I wonder how many people give up watching their clubs at stupid oclock when they begin to realise what a desperatly lonely and distance realising expereince it becomes.

Took me about 8 to 10 years before I realised it was causing me more grief than pleasure. Watching a time delayed replay is a bit like kissing your sister.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

About 140 miles. Sydney sides are closer, but if I was going to take up watching lives games again it would have to be a Gong side. Going up to Sydney to watch would be like becoming a Cockney Red

Distance, in terms of watching 'your' team, really doesn't make the heart grow fonder. Even getting hammered 6-1 by City didn't register much more than a "meh".

ozzieeagle

You'll still enjoy the wins though.

If your ever in the mood to watch something like a Burnley V Preston/Blackpool game... then try a Gosford (CCM) v Newcastle game.

They definitely dont consider themselves Sydney either.... Get rather hysterical when faced with "Your just a suburb of Sydney" or "Small town near Woy Woy" turned their back on the game and the rest of the supporters for at least 10 mins after that. Got to admire their spirit though.

papilon

Why would you not want a premiership fan to start watching A-League?

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Can't say I was too upset by the result in the cup yesterday.

I know the A-league has some financial problems but it really needs to try and set up sides in the Gong and Canberra. If the A-league can't maintain sides there, then I think it will struggle long term with such a small club base.

ozzieeagle

Because they will most likely baulk at the quality of the game. Much rather contribute to wrecking the game we used to love, by paying their Foxtel/Sky Subscription and wonder why the Atmosphere and more importantly English football is dying. Support your local A league team and you will be rewarded with quality local football in the long term..

Try and work out what is going on here.... All part of what I'm on about. Killing the game armchair supporters. Best protest I've ever seen on this subject.

papilon

For me what i don't like is the plastic nature of the clubs, formed artificially by the league, shame they can't just grow organically and then they would have real history and character. Why was Melbourne Heart based in Melbourne and not help an established soccer team from either, Geelong, Frankston, Ballarat or Bendigo would have been much better options. A 10,000 seat arena is more than enough for most of these teams for now and if the crowds continue to decline i can see only trouble ahead.

papilon

Who said English football is dying?? The premiership and championship most certainly are not.

knockoff nige

They want the money first, fan base second. TV rights money is far greater than match attendance revenue. But Australian clubs cant really start the same way that english clubs did and still do. (ie AFC Wimbledon, FC United). There would need to be enough teams to form a proper tiered system.

ozzieeagle

The exact same declines happened in the same time frame with the J league and the MLS.... It's par for the course.... hopefully

They had to start the league in this way so as to shake of the old Ethnic alliances and associated problems that came with that. Sad I know and I actually share your view... Although the problems here were so entrenched that the way this league was started was probably a necessary evil. I couldnt relate to the games I went to in the old NSL in the way I do now in fact it was quite alien.

. To be frank we now have the Aussies on board alongside a huge proportion of UK residents... the more flexible and foward looking ethnic supporters are on board as well.... as evident at MV with the Ethnic fans being most prominent in the North end.... "Flags and Ole's" and the Aussies and UK people down the South End... there are plenty of mature ethnic people down there as well.

Melbourne Heart has attracted a lot of the local Anti Victory people alongside some people that just like the Colour.... They now have over 9,000 paid up members. Bring the total of paid up Football Supporters in Melbourne close to 30,000.