Broad Shoulders

it officially got sold out last night, it got announced on Twitter about 8pm

Jon77

WOW! Got my tickets for this game the day they came out, have very good ones thankfully.

The Eels get some good gates but it is not very often Parra Stadium is TOTALLY sold out because of the fact that there are a few restricted view setas in there where the roof line gets in the way and so on. I have been to a few massive Eels games where these have been left empty.

I think this will be the first time I have seen Parra Stadium officially at capacity

I think football clubs in Australia long term need to think about building their own stadiums where by it is a proper football stadium with stands close to the pitch and the possibility of capacity attendances. I know that in the plans for the long term future of WSW is the wish to build our own purpose built stadium. I have heard rumours that this could be out a Campbelltown or Fairfield mind, which wouldn't be so good.

ozzieeagle

Great news re Parramatta stadium, gladdens my heart after being here for so long whilst football was way in the background. WSW may well be the team that truly and finally entrenches football into Australian mainstream sport.

Next benchmark will be a minor one but possibly useful one. Jan 12th.... Melbourne Victory v CCM... In Launceston on a Saturday arvo.... could sell Aurora out as well. I'm booking that one this week. People in Melbourne reckon Tasmania could bring regular 15K crowds to the A league. Fantastic location for away trips


It would be handy to have football as the first code to establish itself with a permanent team in Tasmania

Jon77

What else is there to do in Tasmania They would roll up to watch paint dry surely ?

JoeBloggs80

Yup, should be an absolute cracker! Can't wait.

Also interested that sydney have started poorly, and WSW slightly better than most expected. I feared a few weeks ago that it wouldn't be much of a contest but reckon it'll be a really competetive game.

Jon77

I would take a 1 - 1 draw right now. I think we will get our first goal but I worry Eastern Sydney will be too strong in the end.

Heart says WSW 2 - 1 Eastern Sydney FC

Head says WSW 1 - 3 Eastern Sydney FC

Jon77

http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/s...-1226496763964

Broad Shoulders

my prediction is that SFC will do a Victory this season and finish in the bottom 3. Victory last year relied too much on Kewell to carry them and likewise I see the same in SFC with ADP. They have been truly terrible so far this season.

ozzieeagle

I reckon the Wellington V Brisbane game will set a new high in the standard of domestic football in this region. Can't wait for tbat one. I'll be amazed if Brisbane beat them over there.


I've woken up all optmistic again, and am actually looking forwrds to Friday V Adelaide, You would have thought I'd have learned by now.

Broad Shoulders

there are two teams in our league that I just do not understand all the hype about. They are Perth and Wellington. They both play the type of football that English club teams were famous for in the last 70s and early 80s. Both teams tend to score opportunistic goals rather than well constructed goals. Perth in particular are pretty much solely reliant on Smeltz scoring, otherwise they have nothing. Last season Smeltz started the season not scoring and coincidentally Perth were bottom of the league, when he started scoring they started winning, he is well and truly carrying that team. If Burns was dealt with by referees the way most other players are dealt with he would be sent off in most games.
It's harder to judge the Phoenix just yet. They were impressive in their first game, against a very poor SFC and the game against Heart is unfair to judge them considering the personel problems. The one thing I do not understand is all the hype around Ifill. I am sure if he stopped being Donut King's number one customer he would be a threat

JoeBloggs80

Agree to an extent - but the level of the A League is such that good organisation and high levels of fitness can get you a long way. This is what Perth and Wellington both do very well. This is of course applicable in English lower leagues too (an even to the EPL in Stokes case) but to really progress, and without wanting to sound too much like that nob Craig Foster, the league as a whole does have to focus more on technique and intelligence to improve.

Brisbane seem to have changed that in the last couple of years, but there is still largely that old school mentality - and in my opinion it is that which is holding back the national team (who I fully expect to lose to Iraq tonight).

Broad Shoulders

yep agreed there. You see, I don't take too much glee out of our result v Victory as I know that what goes around comes around and sooner or later Ange is going to get that side going beautifully and sooner or later we will be on the receiving end of it.

For me, there are plenty of teams in our league that are very well organised but lack a lot of skill levels. You only have to look at CCM's achievements with very limited personel to see that. Heart have also impressed me these last two seasons. They are a very well organised team and are probably the only team to have consistently outplayed us in every game last year

Jon77

MASSIVE weekend in the A League!!!!!!

Excitement really building for tomorrows derby against Eastern Sydney, can't wait

And for the first time ever someone has asked me at work if I have any spare tickets as they couldn't get one! Never thought that would happen for a football game in Sydney! Still people on the hunt for them and will be a few still hunting for one around Parramatta tomorrow.

Will be getting down to Parramatta for around 2pm for a good few pre match drinks and will probably call in to one of the many good restaurants for a meal also. Haven't felt this good about a game since the UK!

Wonder how many Eastern Sydney supporters will be arriving via the Rivercat, great way to arrive. Parramatta centre will be all blue, red and black tomorrow.

Just hope I feel the same way at 10pm tomorrow

<EDIT>
Interestting to note that the Eastern Sydney FC fans have been makign a BIG thing about them being the team for ALL of Sydney and ALL backgrounds.

And yet on their forum they are currently ripping in to 'typical Westie' types. They cannot maintain their position as a team for ALL Sydney as these kinds of comments will always surface now there is a team representing the West of Sydney. Better they officially change their name to Eastern Sydney FC now than carry on the hypocracy.

ozzieeagle

I hope WSW win.... for one major reason, I hate this Marquee major player syndrome that the A league seems fixated on. I want Del Perqueero and the cultural cringe that him and people like Kewell bring to the A league gone forever. I want him back in Italy with his tail between his legs and dont want to ever see a non performing ex "Star" in the A league again. Give me a talented Aussie or foreign youngster wishing to further their career any day than these old worn out hacks.

Having said that, A couple have performed OK.... Dwight York being the main example, Jury is out on Heskey yet.

JoeBloggs80

I think Del Piero being here is a good thing. He is a genuine superstar and could have gone to the middle east or china for more money if he wanted so I don't think he's just here to put his feet up. Sad as it is, aussies need names like that to get hooked into football. If it creates a few more long term fans of the game then its worth it imo. Look at the attendances in the first 2 weeks, hoepfully a few of them will stick around. Even though he'll be on the other side I'm looking forward to seeing him play tomorrow.

Kewell is a different kettle of fish though - he clearly didnt give a toss from the start.