Lessons to be learned from A-League?

[monutdfc]

Sydney has a population of 4M.
Average crowds of 16,000 would translate to 6,000 in Dublin assuming a population of 1.5M in Dublin.

[Réiteoir]

Snoop Drog - didn't the Danes do something similar a decade or so ago??

Yep - they did - forming FC København:

FC København is a Danish football team, playing in Copenhagen.

The club was formed in 1992 after a merger of two clubs: Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB) (founded in 1876, mainland Europe's oldest club), and Boldklubben 1903. They have won the Danish championship on four occasions (1993, 2001, 2003 and 2004) and the Danish Cup on three occasions (1995, 1997 and 2004).

As part of the deal - B 1903 simply had a name change and absorbed KB - B 1903 were already playing their matches at the Parken Stadium (the current home of FCK and the Danish national team).

The other half of the deal sees the FC København Reserve team playing under the KB name.

[pete]

I don't like franchises anymore than any other eL fan but it is worthy of discussion.

Oz seems to be a country of large cities whereas Ireland really only has dublin to compare for sheer mass. It would not be possible to have 1 dublin club supporting 1/3 of the population so how many would be needed & don't think can select on basic north south dublin ideal.

The eL needs a bottom up approach not top down. Need eL to link with junior leagues & underage upwards.

IMO 2007 is too soon for another eL relauch. The FAI woudl be better spending a few years preparation & have massive launch in say 2009 with proper & noticable changes in structure, players, sponsors & tv.

[NY Hoop]

Why bother developing the strongest league we can? Because it protects our game against rival codes/ leagues and ensures that the game will survive in the future.

Sydney clubs fans swore never to support 'franchise' football either but when the new club emerged, most of them realised it was for the best as their own league was dying a slow death.

I believe Irish football, which I am passionate about, is dying a slow death. Most users of this site would follow their team to the end of the earth (ie Sligo ) but I am not so sure that the rest of the numbers required to keep the game afloat would.

The Oz example is, on the face of it, 'franchising'. Supporters of Sydney Olympic, Wollongong Wolves, Marconi (the 'old' league teams) can still support their teams but they no longer play in the top league.

The FAI are considering somewhat similar criteria to determine the members of the new league. I am saying, go the whole hog and start from scratch and if someone proposes a new team to represent the whole of Dublin (or Louth for tha matter) and if that proposal is more viable and more substantial than any other proposal, then it should be considered very closely.

With all due respect you have the misfortune of living down there and where football is a minority sport. Franchise football can only work in a country like oz and the states where it is a minority sport, where there are no traditions.

Sick to **** of hearing our league is "dying a death". I've been hearing that crap for years despite recent bigger attendances and much improved European results. Long term future is the All Ireland League but we have to be careful that that is not the cure for all our collective ills.

I would suggest you leave that country. Trust me your IQ will rise immediately.

KOH

[rerun]

I would have said the same Carlin. But if your club was effectively dumped out of the league and you were offered a professionaly run league as an alternative maybe you would think different. I do.

Eh??? If my team was dumped out of the league I certainly wouldn't support either the league or the replacement super-team.

[Schumi]

One team per market... I see this as a model for football in Dublin. One club, non affiliated with any existing el club, pooling together the existing support and more.

Great idea! We could call the team Wimbledon and they could play in the English league. I can't believe no one's ever thought of this before!

[Kildare Lad]

Not A Good idea IMO, What is the point of ruining football for alot of fans ? For me definately I dont support my team for the quality, I suport them because they are me local club. I dont know if its the same for most EL fans but I dont really care about the quality, i'd prefer it if it was better but for me its fine the way it is now

[hamish]

Don't write off New Zealand. I was checking the attendances for the NZ club in that Aussie league and they were pulling in around 7,000 plus for some games - a lot more than they'd get in their local league.

Don't forget the massive attendance NZ got when they hosted the u-17 World Cup there a few years ago. 25,000 at the final and averge attendances of around 8,000 for many of the other games as far as I can recall. Bigger than attedances at any other venues for under age World Cup finals

Also under age footie there now has more players than rugby because the "European" kids are much smaller than the Maoiri kids and giving up. That info is from a rugby writer who investigated the situation and wrote about it in the Observer about a year or so ago.

There is always a market for football and that's simply because it is the one game that is truly worldwide and around here genuinely PAN European. People aren't stupid - they'll flock to see local clubs if they believe they are getting stronger in standard - on and off the field.
Look at the viewing figures for the EL play off and FAI Cup Final and the attendances. People will watch on telly and attend matches if they think it's worthwhile.

[Snoop Drog]

I would suggest you leave that country. Trust me your IQ will rise immediately.

KOH

Yep, but my pay and the temperature would both drop

KOD

[Saint Tom]

can i suggest snoop drog that a league containing team from Dublin, belfast and cork would account for 2.2(?) million from a population on the island of roughly five million.. of course that only justifies 30% of clubs.. if you go on population basis does Louth deserve a club?

[stevieontour]

[QUOTE=Snoop Drog]I rate it as been better standard than el (much better in fact. And more consistent with only one team not performing on the pitch this year). QUOTE]

Are you in Oz at the moment, and if so, have you been to a game, cause really it's far off the pace of a European League.

Some of the players have good technique, but the speed of the game allows them to express their skills so easily. The Defending is pathetic.

Think about it, we've all scored that "Great Goal" in training or on a Sunday morning. Doesn't count for **** against an un organized defense.

Shelbourne would wipe the floor with any team here.

As for attendances. Other than Sydney, most teams get just over 10,000.
Which if you compare populations is about the same as Ireland.
Sydney's fans base is bigger due to the immigrants living in Sydney.

The main difference is that people are more positive to their teams limitations here and they look for the positives instead of the negatives.
Their media will show the goals during the sports news etc. Which don’t happen in Ireland.

What I like about the A-League, and I know you guys might go crazy, but I think the Idea of Championship games at the end of the league to decide the Winner is a great idea. The excitement grows and it teaches teams to time their peaks better.

[Snoop Drog]

Saint Tom, my point was that this "franchise" idea was gaining moderate initial success in Australia (Thread Title- "lessons to be learned for A-League? note the question mark) and that our own league should, at least, consider it. I'm not sure where the teams should be located in order to proportionally represent the entire island or if representing everyone proportionatly is the right way to go.

5million people / 12 teams = 400,000 people or so per team. Population of Louth/Meath/North Co Dublin = 300,000??? (A guestimate) which by your reasoning would be slightly short of representing the island proportionally.

[Snoop Drog]

[QUOTE=sirhamish]Don't write off New Zealand. I was checking the attendances for the NZ club in that Aussie league and they were pulling in around 7,000 plus for some games - a lot more than they'd get in their local league.
[QUOTE]
Sir Hamish,this season has been a complete disaster for the NZ Knights and they are, probably, the biggest dissappointment regarding A League. Their attendances average 4,000 (great by local NZ standards but the lowest by far in the A League)

They openly admitted that they had picked the wrong players for the job and hadn't expected to meet such strong opponents in the A League. They have lost four members of their squad including Simon Yeo (the only half decent player they had) and their captain (due to team turmoil- probably because management said the palyers were sh1t!)

Expect to see a huge reshuffle in the Knights camp before next season (including management)


NZ Knigths Trivia!
They have the longest away league trip (to Perth- 6,000 kms) of any other team in the world (apart from Perth! badly structures sentence there )

I think they are the only team in the world to not only play outside their own "national federation" (ala Derry City) but outside their own Confederation (NZ is in Oceania Federation while Australia are now part of Asia)

[Snoop Drog]

[QUOTE=stevieontour]

I rate it as been better standard than el (much better in fact. And more consistent with only one team not performing on the pitch this year). QUOTE]

Are you in Oz at the moment, and if so, have you been to a game, cause really it's far off the pace of a European League.

yep, I have been at every Sydney FC home game and the away games at Central Coast and Newy. The standard is below most Eurpoean leagues but I stand by it is better than el.

Follow this (flawed) logic for a mo: I reckon Australia would probably beat Ireland at international level if they met tomorrow (when they last met a couple of years ago, Ireland were narrowly better but I recon Oz has got better and Ireland have deteriorated a bit).

It is very possible that A League players may get an international callup and maybe even a WC call up (something that has always evaded el). Archie Thompson, who left Victory a couple of weeks ago, will most probably play in the WC finals.

I know that Aussie pool of players may be smaller the Irelands and therefore el players are not needed but I believe the standard in Oz is higher.

Roll on a Shels preseason tour of Australia so we can see!

[stevieontour]

[QUOTE=Snoop Drog]

yep, I have been at every Sydney FC home game and the away games at Central Coast and Newy. The standard is below most Eurpoean leagues but I stand by it is better than el.

The defending in the A-League is my biggest gripe.

I could get 10-12 a seson in that league if I played up front, and I'm crap.

Watch them honestly, they don't put players under pressure, and the amount of times you see a centre half run at a striker with his stance totally wrong, and his lack of conviction in the tackle is laughable.

Yorke looks great in midfield, yep he was an amazing striker, and a very talented footballer, but he stands on the centre spot and looks amaizng in a position he has no experience at.

[Snoop Drog]

I agree defenders have alot to learn (esp at Sydney FC).

[Réiteoir]

NZ Knigths Trivia!
They have the longest away league trip (to Perth- 6,000 kms) of any other team in the world (apart from Perth! badly structures sentence there )

Incorrect.

The longest away trip in Senior Professional Football is the one made by Luch-Energiya Vladivostok to Zenit St Petersburg in the Russian Premier League.

A distance of some 10,500km

[Jerry The Saint]

Incorrect.

The longest away trip in Senior Professional Football is the one made by Luch-Energiya Vladivostok to Zenit St Petersburg in the Russian Premier League.

A distance of some 10,500km

And Pat Dolan complained about having to go from Cork to Ballybofey.

[Réiteoir]

And Pat Dolan complained about having to go from Cork to Ballybofey.

From Cork,Cork
To Ballybofey,Donegal
Distance 419.7 kilometres


You would have to do the journey from Cork to Ballyboffey 25 times to cover the same distance from St Petersburg to Vladivostok

[Dodge]

Sure Dolan has a granny from Vladivostok