It will be good to see something different coming from BR than some of the dross of the past few seasons but then at the end of the article there is a waiver included suggesting that results might not change. We don’t take much notice of pre-season results good or bad; they don’t appear to offer any valuable insight into how a team is shaping up..so we live in hope that R.A. Is transforming the club.

Maybe someone thought it would instigate some unimaginable responses from fans of other codes….after all, “we don’t see anything on here resembling code wars” do we!

Grem, i thought some of the referees sounded somewhat militaristic but I dare say they had no experience of addressing 75000 spectators over a PA system. There were still far too many instances of reviews taking several minutes or far too long. If only the various football authorities would agree that if they can’t make their minds up in 30 seconds or less then it isn’t a clear and obvious error.

Agreed on the subject of marquees. we spend half our time trying to work out why certain players are tagged as marquees and the other half advising them as to where they can go for their next holiday.
I’d much prefer to see the A League something more like an under 25’s competition. You can keep as many over the age players as you like but can only have 3 on the field at any one time…..on the basis that you sometimes need an older head out there in a key position. I saw Clisby back at WSW last night. So he’s now played twice at Perth and twice at WSW, add on mariners, Brisbane and Mel City. I just hope he never kisses his club badge – ultimate hypocrisy.

Surely in the UK its the pay tv money that has brought in the rich excesses of the EPL? Only a handful of clubs receive the champions league squillions!

Mike, I hear you but 8 out of the last 10 years says that it is dominated by one team. The fact that it was close was more due to the internal wrangling and strife at PSG and their inability to manage all those “stars”. There again, I judge how good they are by their champions league performances and then they begin to look not quite so good on the bigger stage. Before the acquisition, as you stated, PSG were just another average club sometimes competing, sometimes not. I’d say the same thing about Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Melbourne City, probably Wrexham, Guangzhou, Shanghai and now a few of the Saudi clubs who are paying in to the retirement funds of quite a few ageing stars.
There’s good football to be found away from these areas where players are developed, given an opportunity and generally all clubs are on an even footing. I can’t imagine what the noise would be like on here if the A League contained some of the huge clubs/enormous budgets up against AU, CCM and co, its hard enough listening to the East coast bias and budgets of the Sydney and Melbourne clubs.

I have friends that live in France and they pay little to no attention to League 1. They argue that it is simply due to the dominance of PSG and that each season it feels as though the rest are kicking off to see who becomes runners up or perhaps survives relegation. I’ve argued that it is a similar story in Germany and Spain, Scotland and the EPL has pretty much gone that way too with too little real competition at the top of the tree. PSG have won 8 out of the last 10 years so its hard to argue that it isn’t dominated by one team but football in so many countries these day is about big business and money and that turns many away from that end of the market and towards something that feels more real and fair. The A League appears to be heading in that direction as well with MC although as we embrace a cup style finish to the season we can point to CCM as being current champions although we all know who is really dominating the league.
I have watched a few french games (not PSG)though and found the league to be relatively entertaining – although I like the physicality of championship games in the UK – some great battles there and they have the scars to show for it!

Stuart,

I want to pick up on the whole business of the proposal to spend a few hundred million dollars on grassroots football and facilities for females. On the one hand, I am cheering at the idea of the investment being promised but on the other I balk at the idea of how it will be distributed. I hear that there will be a panel of sports experts appointed to oversee grants. The burning question for me is how the money will be split between states? who needs most money? Will it be according to registration numbers and doled out on a pro rata basis? We keep hearing about the need for changing room facilities and better quality fields but those two issues are problems across grass roots as a whole and apply equally to both sexes.
The crux of the issue concerning fields and facilities is that with a few exceptions they are owned and managed by local councils and therefore any expenditure will have to go through that channel and in my experience they have a habit of spending ways more money than necessary employing contractors that often do sub standard work or use materials that just waste money so everything gets inflated. I can just see an awful lot of money going down the “gurgler” with not a lot to show for it.
To me, the biggest challenge for players is the pathway or lack of that gets you to the Matildas or the Socceroos. We live in a society where in football, like so many other areas of life, we don’t necessarily develop the most gifted and talented, we develop the ones that can afford to play. Whilst the a League clubs joined the NPL and youth development with the promise of no fees, they are in a small minority with all the major players (and here I’m talking NSW ) charging astronomical fees for our young players in order to pay match fees for their first grade players and maybe reserves. Typical fees for the season sit at close to $3000 in registration fees and so the first thing you have to consider is whether a family can afford for a player to have a go at playing beyond grass roots.
Personally, I’d sooner see the money spent on centres of excellence right throughout the states – based on number of players. You build good facilities and employ good people and attract the best because they don’t have to pay. The centres are formed into a league and that is where the competition comes from. I totally get that this might not work in smaller states and it is Sydney centric but this is where the numbers are. We could have 12 centres in Sydney, the same number as associations and the smallest association has over 10.000 registered players and some closer to 18000 so there is a large pool to draw from and now you have the makings of a clear and meaningful pathway. What about grassroots? – well that is where you draw from and its available to all. Meanwhile, local facilities have to be dealt with in the traditional way but with more support from the national and state bodies and various levels of government.

Hiopefully there will be room for discussion later today as I cannot get thoughts down at the moment on the funding aspect and there are some really important points to raise. CU later

I will be at the stadium supporting the England side if for no other reason, I always believe it is better to have lost to the team that goes on to win the title – ie, you were beaten by the best and not by much; just like Socceroos to Argentina in December last year.

Grem,
I tend to find there are knuckleheads or whatever adjective you prefer to use whenever we attend national team games. I remember a few very unsavoury instances at the Asian Cup final and security at stadium Australia just didn’t deal with the idiots until the point where fighting began. I’ve witnessed it in smaller crowds too. However, I agree with allocated bays and they should be roped off making it really clear what they are for but I can’t see FIFA coming to the party anytime soon somehow – unless there are dollars to be made from a scheme. I’m located up much higher on Sunday so doubt whether there will be any shenanigans where we are located!

I had a good view of what was occurring in the active supporter’s area and was somewhat bemused. It seemed ill conceived to have a small group of people singing and chanting, all standing in front of a section of seated supporters whose view was obscured and probably knew nothing of the arrangements before taking up their seats. Security were busy walking up and down the aisles and moving in for brief chats with members of the group but clearly had no idea as to what their role was in the proceedings. As it was, even though I was at the front of the upper tier, it was difficult to hear anything coming from the group. There were chants and clapping emanating from several areas that were much louder and clearer and the most noise at that end of the ground came from the chorus of booing every time an England player touched the ball. I’m pretty sure the ploy backfired or just served to motivate the Lionesses even more.
It does appear that we have got active support all wrong in Australia. It must be difficult to organise tickets when fully controlled by FIFA but that aside, all it requires is for certain bays to be publicised well in advance that fans wishing to stand and sing and chant should buy tickets for those specific bays. After that, its up to the fans to create a “playlist” – but one request; leave out the “oi oi oi” chant. It needs to be buried in a time capsule to share with future fans in the 22nd century.

I think you do a dis-service to the likes of Luton in your piece. The problem faced by many clubs in striving for promotion from the championship is that whilst the holy grail is reaching the top tier of football, many don’t really want to be there and I’m probably talking fans more so than players. Naturally, they want to try and compete at the highest level but how exactly does a club like Luton go about that endeavour? How do you feel as a fan of a club that you have supported for 30-40 years or more, watched them disappear to the depths of League 2 and even beyond, survive on a shoestring, focus on youth development, play in a ground that saw its best days 50 years ago or more and then see tickets hard to come by, prices sky rocket and start hosting teams that cost more money than your whole club is worth? Part of you wants to dip your toe in the water but a large part of you says you want nothing to do with this particular circus that bears little to no resemblance to your life , values and interests in general. What ambition does the club have and what is truly realistic? Yes there is an injection of cash but it is loose change to the bigger clubs underpinned by millions of pounds of “foreign investment”. spend on players or invest in facilities and improve the place for players/staff and fans alike?
I know so many people in the UK who have switched off from the EPL, they talk about watching real football, lower and even non league and won’t be back until there is a revamp that possibly provides all 20 teams in the league with a genuine chance of taking the title. That will never happen and the EPL will continue to be attended by tourists, the well off and those that cannot give up the addiction for something they know isn’t good for them but don’t know how to disengage.

Agreed on match fitness but I’d add that she seemed slightly out of step with the combinations and passing channels as they were building up attacks. It was as though she was the new girl on the block learning how the team plays and in a sense she was as the rest of the team had played four games together in a relatively short space of time as she was nursing her calf. I understand the country as a whole is in love with SK and the media have built her into some kind of not so secret weapon or as a Superwoman type of hero but I’m not convinced that she is much better these days than the players around her – well particularly 3 or 4 and i watch SK play club football on a regular basis during the season and whilst she is pretty good, she is just a part of a very strong line up.

I just hope tonight will be entertaining across 90 minutes and not just the last 10. Irrespective of the goal scoring which was classy to say the least, the overall game was dull and uninspiring for the most part – more like so many tournament finals down the years where the two teams are cagey and don’t take risks/don’t want to make mistakes. The semi finals are usually more positive as teams do everything to cross that final hurdle. In a way, I’d like to see England score first tonight, just to see what reaction we get from the Matildas – then an equaliser followed by a fight to the bitter end!I think I’ll wear gloves tonight as my fingernails took a hammering on Saturday evening and this could just be another nail biter!

Reputation or form? I didn’t think SK made much of a positive contribution on the field against France. She scored a penalty and doubtless helps lift morale and she has nuisance value, and by that I mean that just by being on the field, the opposition will have to take steps to nullify her threat “just in case” – maybe even double coverage which uses precious resources and energy. I’m not convinced that starting her is the best option but I’ll be at the stadium tonight and ready to be proved wrong.

Well I will be off to the stadium tonight and although I will be supporting green and gold, I will be quite happy for Lionesses to make their way to the final. I guess I am going to be in a very small minority. I can’t wear “half and half” clothing so I suppose I should wear beige – no can’t do that!

I was reading the UK media yesterday and the Lionesses that were interviewed had no feelings of huge rivalry akin to ashes or anything similar – maybe its a fan thing more than players but byuilt up by media over a period of time. After all we have to create news as well as make it.

Instead of a public holiday, keep the country productive and allocate all the income tax being generated for that one day – can’t say I’ve done the sums but it would be more than a few dollars going to the sport!

Mike, my boys were also born there, delivery suite 10 – small world – they all love football too although it might have been the influence of a “soccer obsessed euro immigrant”.

No, its definitely a wine merchant ????

Para + It might depend on who bought the tickets originally unless there is a huge number of exchanges going on the FIFA re-sale site as there was for the Eng v Col game. for me, I’m on a winner this time around. I emigrated nearly 40 years ago and always take the view that this is the place I chose to live and the country accepted me so I support Australia in every sport and against England too. however, should the Lionesses prevail, I will have a team to support in the final this time but I’ll be there on Wednesday just enjoying the night and the atmosphere.

I was thinking along those lines. Rivalry is built up over time – in some cases an awfully long time. It doesn’t occur just because it is two protagonists that have rivalry in other sports. I don’t believe there is anything really between the Socceroos and England though.

Don’t disagree with your synopsis but those are the people you have to influence so they get wined and dined and govern the best seats in the house. I have spent many years standing behind the goals in all weather or occasionally sitting down – it took some getting used to with all seater stadiums – generally as fans, we just love being there and do whatever it takes.

Dunedin and Hamilton recorded crowds of between 6 and 8 or just under 9k but when NZ hosted a game in Dunedin they drew 25k. The stadiums may well have matched the perceived level of interest and bear in mind day off the week and kick off time which wasn’t always suitable for locals. almost certainly that would be to do with television coverage in other parts of the globe. I went to the South Korea vs Colombia game at the football stadium in Sydney. It was a Tuesday and kicked off at mid-day. The crowd was given as 25000 or so and was pretty respectable but there must have been a lot of people who couldn’t attend due to work commitments. Better to have the games that attract smaller crowds in smaller stadiums. It creates a better look and feel for all concerned. I have been to NRL games at stadium Australia where the crowd has been less than 10k and that is downright depressing. Equally, during covid I went to Parramatta for A League games with crowd of 5k or less in a stadium that holds 30k and that is equally depressing.
However, this Wednesday night I’d be willing to bet that you could fill the Maracana stadium and still have people locked out and that holds in excess of 150.000.