A-League Expansion

[sorjesk]

Geelong would be good but I think they only have an AFL culture down there (but ppl from Geelong hate Melboure and we need more tard hate in the league for sure)

 

[kevrenor]

Geelong would be good but I think they only have an AFL culture down there (but ppl from Geelong hate Melboure and we need more tard hate in the league for sure)

Plenty of Cro' culture in the league too!  :ashamed:

 

[dibo]

I hope that the FFA stays with 1 team, 1 town idea - sydney wouldnt be able to support two teams (23k for a semi?), melbourne maybe but is there two football stadiums?

you're presuming that *all* people who would ever support an a-league team already do and that the market is a fixed size. you can actually grow the market.

personally, i think melbourne's a harder ask for expansion, as the good grounds are few and centrally located - new stadium, telstra dome, mcg, all a stone's throw from the CBD. you could do an east/west thing - east at the new ground, west at the dome perhaps.

sydney's easy - a new team at parramatta would be sweet as, with the east vs west angle and parra's quite easy to get to from most parts of sydney.

Geelong would be good but I think they only have an AFL culture down there (but ppl from Geelong hate Melboure and we need more tard hate in the league for sure)

Plenty of Cro' culture in the league too!  :ashamed:

you miss the cevapi?

 

[SNOWMARINER]

My 2 cents worth,

The A-League needs to expand as quickly as is financially responsible to create a longer and more interesting competition for the benifit of players and supporters alike. I'm keen as to see 3 new teams next year ( I'm an optomist that's for sure) with the GC, townsville and Wollongong I understand to already be planning with the FFA. I'd settle for 3 teams in the next 3 years with atleast 1 newby next year.

I don't think either Sydney or Melbourne should have a second team for a few years atleast. I think the A-League needs to expand in areas it is'nt in yet and think the three I've mentioned above are the go.

I agree with Floss on the names issue and think .......United or ......FC are better. I hope the GC don't go with Galaxy, that's so w*nky L.A a cheap rippoff that I'd be scared would turn supporters off. Imagine the Central Coast Galaxy, christ that might have turned me into a Jets supporter. I like the sound of, for the Wollongong based team South Coast FC or United considering it was mentioned they wanted to have a name that included the entire region.

 

[FFC Mariner]

People from Parra and Westwards have little if any affinity with Lowys mob and what another great away day for us.

I actually dont mind the GC Galaxy as a name, it represents the place. Gaudy, cheap, superficial and pure white shoe trash.

Never to ACT, they dont generate the crowds and it is a shithole of a place to go to.

 

[marinermick]

Yep... The return of Miron is imminent... He is being touted as the coach of the Gold Coast..

Actually Miron has said he will definitely not be the coach. He will be the TD.

paul okon is being touted as coach

good choice IMO - especially if he robs some players from the scum

 

[nero]

Expansion of A-League:

One new team for next season 08/09, Gold C Becks.(Terrible name Galaxy)
GC seem ready with $, new stadium and should hopefully achieve, same crowd success as NRL team. Makes another HAL derby. All three games should be close to capacity attendances(maybe not 1st season but like us V scum now). Prepares HAL for another spot in ACL. Extends the season. HAL moves in before AFL. Bye gives teams a chance to recover, but should only be used next season.

V5- Bring in Thunder FC(change name). Should be ready with $, sponsors, players etc and not a burden for the FFA(like they would be if brought in next season). Better to have new teams outside of NSW already 3 teams involved. QLD seem to have a huge youth talent pool that keeps getting better each season. Having Thunder in the league will prepare players for similar hot conditions in Asia. Hopefully making Asia less of a burden if we ever select a-league players for the Socceroos.

Beyond V5- 2nd Vic team hopefully Geelong not 2nd melb.? Melb. should not at this point in time have two teams as there seems to be to many crowd problems.
Tas tiger team might be the 3rd team for that region. Or a 2nd Melbourne team?

Gong FC for sure. Hopefully before a Western Sydney Team? Make more derbies for us and with a small stadium should be able to fill after a few seasons. Like Dragons(NRL). Plus they cover the South coast.

Western Sydney team - Maybe if Sydney FC can get their act together with crowds, then its possible. Otherwise RIP Bling FC.

Possibly a Canberra team. I don't like it myself, with us, jets, bling, gong, west syd there are too many NSW teams and might bring the old NSL problems back, of too many shitty teams close to each other. Sponsorship for other teams in the area are not to spectacular.

Finally another sheep hugger team. Maybe on the South Island. But i'm not to convinced that fans would come again to the HAL,  after the 1st and 2nd seasons flops.

 

[thomas477]

I would much rather have a wollongong team then a west sydney team

 

[dibo]

I would much rather have a wollongong team then a west sydney team

i'm starting to see that angle, with one qualification - WIN stadium needs some serious work first.

new eastern and western stands. simple things - single tier, simple roof, nothing fancy. that's about all. will help the other tenant too, the dragons (though as a sydney dwelling st george rather than illawarra fan i'd be happier still if they played only in sydney for my own selfish reasons).

there will be a west sydney team eventually playing out of parramatta, but when is the question.

eventually there will be 5 nsw teams - mariners, sydney, newcastle, wollongong, west sydney.

 

[fish]

I think Wgong will be well down on the list tbh.
The A League for me is about new direction and I  dont see a new franchise being offered in the near future at the expense of fresh places with new fan bases

 

[dibo]

working on the whole map of places where we might eventually go, i reckon that there could be 16 clubs eventually. that's the recipe for a nice little 30 round season (plus finals?), which i think would be pretty well ideal for our purposes.

NSW:
Central Coast
Sydney
Newcastle
[Wollongong]
[West Sydney]

Victoria:
Melbourne
[New Melbourne club]
[Geelong]

Qld:
Roar
[Gold Coast]
[Townsville]

WA:
Perth

SA:
Adelaide

NZ:
Wellington
[Second NZ club]

ACT:
[Canberra]

 

[fish]

Id love to see west sydney get a team, massive area for juniors
canberra?? not sure if theyd pull 10,00 plus for an average or more like the mariners( woot woot)

The exciting teams for me are Gold Coast and Townsville, 2 massive areas that love sport and will get behind their teams just as we have done.
Looking forward to Dairy Farmers in 38 degrees with 100% humidity

 

[dibo]

i'm optimistic not only about new areas but old areas as well - you *can* revive old markets as we've seen most spectacularly with melbourne, queensland and newcastle and with new markets the mariners show the way. with successful clubs coming to town to play, the new kids won't be pushing into the dark, they'll have a lot of the surprises and pitfalls illuminated before they get there. the problem will be more about managing expectations.

i definitely think places like canberra can work, simply because if it's pushed right, marketed right and linked in with what is a reasonably strong football area (and probably linked in with the AIS for facilities etc.). geelong and wollongong will be hard asks but they're the sort of places we'll wind up going eventually.

west sydney is an absolute no-brainer, and i've got to laugh every time someone says that they couldn't work because sydney fc's crowds are rubbish - it's not like we're talking about a situation where everyone who will ever support a club in western sydney is already supporting sydney fc - there are a helluva lot of people out there who aren't yet hooked up to the a-league and west sydney might make it that little bit easier for them.

 

[fish]

I think Melbourne has worked as I see it as a new entity, no baggage from the days of old and they for me are the success stroy thus far.Sporting capital of our country no doubt and leaders off the park, membership wise etc and possibly an  exceptance that if they f**k it this time there is no fall back plan?
The Mariners worked because we have people in positions who came here and looked at what they had to do, put a plan in place with the correct people and now we have a premier trophy winning team.

Newcastle have done well because um um hang on its coming to me... oh yeah Cons got money and he loves football ,be it his way or not theyve done very well this year.

 

[marconigirl]

Possibly a Canberra team. I don't like it myself, with us, jets, bling, gong, west syd there are too many NSW teams and might bring the old NSL problems back, of too many shitty teams close to each other. Sponsorship for other teams in the area are not to spectacular.

Just curiously, isn't Canberra in ACT not NSW???
and isn't it like 3 hours away from Sydney? (approx 1.5 hours from Wollongong?) that's still further(just) then Sydney and Newcastle..

 

[marconigirl]

west sydney is an absolute no-brainer, and i've got to laugh every time someone says that they couldn't work because sydney fc's crowds are rubbish - it's not like we're talking about a situation where everyone who will ever support a club in western sydney is already supporting Sydney fc - there are a helluva lot of people out there who aren't yet hooked up to the a-league and west Sydney might make it that little bit easier for them.

That is one reason why we (my family) support the Mariners and not Sydney, (hassle of trying to get into the city...) I reckon, if I wasn't a Mariners fan I would prob go for a West Sydney team, as it is close and easy to get too..

 

[FFC Mariner]

Priority No1?? Get a Gold Coast team in ASAP.

We profited from the NRL balls up on the CC, they have an opportunity because the AFL have stuffed up the same way.

A bye in V4?? Sure, if it means another nail in the coffin of AFL and/or NRL

 

[~Floss~]

A bye is a fantastic prospect as long it's making the off-season shorter; that's my number 1 preference.

 

[Deej]

Gold Coast are lookign good, plus they could be after Gumps and Clark?

 

[fish]

and Spenny