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Ahead of a top-of-the-table blockbuster against Auckland on Wednesday night, Adelaide United have proved they've got what every other club craves – home advantage.…
When Jordan Lauton scored one of the most spectacular bicycle kicks the A-League has ever seen, he probably didn’t think it wouldn’t even be…
Brisbane Roar couldn’t be flying higher under their popular coach, even if a couple of late goals put a dent in their festive celebrations…
Sydney FC’s 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory was as comprehensive a win as you’ll ever see in the A-League, but once again it has…
Just when the A-League Men needed a bit of a feel-good factor heading into the festive season, it goes ahead and turns on a…
It should come as no surprise that Melbourne Victory will host the annual pre-Christmas derby next Saturday given the fact Melbourne City fans have…
The best scenes in Australian football this weekend took place in the largest city of another country, with the Kiwi Derby already starting to…
The biggest mistake the A-League ever made was giving clubs free rein to spend wantonly on players without spending so much as a second…
Surely the biggest irony of Unite Round was the fact that the only fixture which generated the kind of atmosphere the APL can advertise…
He may only be three games into his Socceroos managerial career, but Tony Popovic is already faced with a sizeable challenge as he takes…
The Unite Round concept may have been shamelessly lifted from other sports, but it should generate some genuine interest based on the opening four…
When Melbourne-born Reno Piscopo arced a long-range bomb over the stranded Filip Kurto at AAMI Park on Sunday, he seemed to restore the natural…
Western United may have only secured a point from their first home game of the season, but they deserve credit for actually trying to…
Here’s a friendly tip for Queensland politicians: you can’t host the Olympic Games down at your local park. Paris had the Parc des Princes…
The sight of Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland heaving with fans in blue-and-black cheering on a 2-0 win for the home side is the…
When the going gets tough, Tony Popovic often gets defensive – which may be the only way the Socceroos can hope to get anything…
Brisbane Roar have not only released some of the best new kits seen in recent memory, they’ve also finally tapped into something A-League clubs…
Mile Sterjovski and his Macarthur Bulls deserve congratulations for their backs-to-the-wall Australia Cup win, but we should also ask whether the competition is still…
With Football Australia set to unveil Tony Popovic as the next coach of the Socceroos, the former defender needs to get off to a…
Much of the criticism around Australia’s scoreless draw with Indonesia has focused on Graham Arnold, yet the Socceroos’ coach is only a symptom –…
I haven’t confirmed this, but I’ve seen several fans mention that Sydney FC employed someone from the BBL to run their matchday experience this season.
Adelaide United have got what every A-League club wants - home advantage
Precisely why the APL and its constituent clubs should be doing everything to entice fans to attend games… not frustrate them out of existence.
Adelaide United have got what every A-League club wants - home advantage
Indeed. And given Adelaide are above Western United on the table – and look like one of the team’s to beat this season – I’d say it’s worked out for all parties.
Western United are putting the fun back in the A-League Men
He was excellent in his first stint at Brisbane Roar. Another player who slipped through the club’s fingers.
Western United are putting the fun back in the A-League Men
Max Burgess is on his way out. I believe he’ll be at the Mariners by the end of the month.
Western United are putting the fun back in the A-League Men
Hiroshi is a top-quality striker who’s been around the traps in Europe and Japan. I’m not surprised he’s doing well at Western United (although Carl Veart might be).
Western United are putting the fun back in the A-League Men
Every club utilises those flexible memberships.
The simplest metric with which to gauge ongoing support is match day attendance.
Western United are putting the fun back in the A-League Men
JoshW, the fact that you’re unable to understand critical analysis says more about you than it does about me.
Saffi, Melbourne Victory made an almost $10 million loss in the last financial year. I don’t believe they have the funds to change coach again this season.
Western United are putting the fun back in the A-League Men
Good point. Great atmosphere inside AAMI Park too, despite certain restrictions on the terraces.
One of the best Melbourne derbies in recent memory was just what the A-League needed
The simple reality is there aren’t enough A-League fans consuming media content.
That’s why we always get on here and complain about the mainstream media: because The Roar is one of the very few places that actually runs A-League content and provides a forum to discuss it.
A decade ago, I was hired as an A-League expert on the sports desk at ABC Online. That role fell by the wayside long ago… no one ever clicked on the football stories.
At what point do we admit the City Football Group offer the A-Leagues very little?
It’s a great stadium, that’s for sure.
And at some point A-League fans also need to realise it’s them – not administrators – who create the atmosphere in the stands.
I went to games at Crystal Palace, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and Lazio in May one thing all of those fixtures had in common was a fan base that would have laughed at the idea of ever paying attention to administrators.
Fans in Europe create the atmosphere. They’re not waiting for the league to tell them when to go to games, let alone what to do at them.
At what point do we admit the City Football Group offer the A-Leagues very little?
I know I reported it earlier this season, but New York City FC spent something like 25 million euros on incoming transfers in 2024.
At what point do we admit the City Football Group offer the A-Leagues very little?
“What I don’t see is anyone from APL or clubs getting proactive on driving fans back.”
Which is the crux of the problem. How many more clubs are going to be allowed to continue treading water for another wasted season until the whole thing comes to a grinding halt?
At what point do we admit the City Football Group offer the A-Leagues very little?
Douglas Costa and Juan Mata are desperately needed. (And so are reinforcements).
There simply aren’t enough diehard football fans who’ll turn up at games week in and week out – as we’re currently seeing – to keep the lights on across the A-Leagues.
We can discuss their effectiveness on the pitch until the cows come home, but the reality is the A-Leagues needs more marquees, not fewer.
At what point do we admit the City Football Group offer the A-Leagues very little?
I think plenty have noticed the drop-off in Victory attendance, including their own fans. Perhaps the derby this weekend will spark a bit of a renewal.
At what point do we admit the City Football Group offer the A-Leagues very little?
Their averages get blown out a fair bit by Melbourne derbies. But yes, would love to see attendances bounce back across the board.
At what point do we admit the City Football Group offer the A-Leagues very little?
And every year the same media illiteracy from fans who believe it’s the job of those who write about the A-Leagues to solve its problems, instead of the administrators who literally get paid to run them.
At what point do we admit the City Football Group offer the A-Leagues very little?
David Shilovsky has only got where he is today by telepathically copying all my tips.
I see you, David! This week’s the week…
A-League tipping: Round 8 - Auckland finally on the road, can Jets and Glory avoid implosion?
So how much, then, does being a former player in the league – as Ruben and most other A-League coaches are – influence the decision to appoint them as head coach? Is that a factor?
A-League Talking Points: Auckland send more records tumbling, debutant's red card bites Sydney
I wouldn’t say I’m glass-half-anything.
I’ve simply asked the fairly obvious question of how the league expects to attract fans towards the back end of the season when the majority of its marquee fixtures have already been played.
The best game in Australian football right now is played in New Zealand
Reckon they’d let me toss the coin at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night?!
The lack of atmosphere at A-League games is slowly killing the competition
It’s apples and oranges, though, as the point I’m making is that pretty much every NBL team is producing an atmosphere that leaves the A-League in the dust because their venues are full.
Adelaide 36ers are selling out practically every game, Melbourne United smash Melbourne City attendances (why do we only ever count Victory?), and even the Brisbane Bullets decided to move to a much larger stadium this season.
In other words, if you were choosing your sport solely on in-stadium atmosphere… the NBL is winning. That hasn’t always been the case, but it is right now.
The lack of atmosphere at A-League games is slowly killing the competition
It never ends…
The lack of atmosphere at A-League games is slowly killing the competition
If I worked for the APL, and get on the phone to Larry Kestelman and ask him for some tips.
The lack of atmosphere at A-League games is slowly killing the competition
MLS still uses massive NFL stadiums in many markets. Clubs like Chicago Fire have even moved out of their soccer-specific stadiums and back into NFL grounds over the years.
They’re doing well in markets where private investors have helped build stadiums. (Los Angeles FC, Austin FC etc.)
Adelaide United have got what every A-League club wants - home advantage