On the weekend the A-League drew a larger crowd than the AFL in Melbourne

[midfielder]

Just to show how far the game is moving in Australia .. this article is from an AFL journalist ... the A-League on the weekend draw a larger crowd than the AFL in Melbourne..



http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...cket-prices-20140330-zqopr.html#ixzz2xUtpKK00

 

[sydmariner]

hahaha sucked in drug cheats we beat you

 

[dibo]

The reason it's notable is that it barely ever happens.

Look at the tone of the article: "we're better than this, it's unbelievable we make such poor decisions that even the A-League is competitive with us".

Hardly oozing fear, more warning against dumb decisions.

 

[Big Al]

Yes but once the fans turn it's pretty hard to turn them back.

Look at NRL - Why would any one go to ANZ ever little own to watch Souths vs. whoever. Massive stadium with crap seats miles from the play & probably a fortune.

The sydney derby out shone them to & to be honest if moved to ANZ could probably draw 60,000 easily.

Everything is geared towards TV as they pay the big bucks but the atmosphere at the grounds is just as important to the game overall.

I'd happily go to games & tape them on TV if the price & view is right. Just like CCS is.

 

[eenfish]

The heavy use of MCG wasn't about TV money alone, though. It was about being able to have a stadium that addresses the regular need to have over 60,000 people at a match. In the NRL, they have games at ANZ, an 80,000 seater, barely cracking 15k in attendance which completely defeats the purpose of moving a game away from a 20k seater stadium elsewhere.

The AFL is facing two main issues: the growing anger and frustration over the drawn out process in regards to punishing Essendon, and an increase in ticket prices for all games with "premium games" being hit more. If you're a non-membership fan of clubs like Collingwood and Hawthorn, the min. ticket price for the MCG is $30. That is nose bleed, third tier, a mile away from the action. The atmosphere at a packed MCG is intense, but whats the point of paying premium and buying nosebleeds for a 1/2 empty stadium when Collingwood play a team like GWS?

The A-League, whenever people wanted to disparage it, would compare our TV viewership to the NRL and then our attendance to the AFL. Our TV viewership is improving and if the old yard stick for successful attendance is getting closer then it means up-and-up for the A-League.

But we'll see. World Cup year, hopefully that can boost things. AFC Cup around the corner, that might help too.

 

[midfielder]

The reason it's notable is that it barely ever happens.

Look at the tone of the article: "we're better than this, it's unbelievable we make such poor decisions that even the A-League is competitive with us".

Hardly oozing fear, more warning against dumb decisions.

Well yer ... but as the evolution continues... it is a line in the sand mark... may not happen for another 9 years ...

 

[Big Al]

Even if we won the world cup half the country still wouldn't go to the A league because they would have forgot about it a week later.

The derbies are the draw card for the game. IMO

WSW fans have grabbed a lot of press both good & bad but it had people talking & wanting the experience.

The Sydney derby is now a premium event & sells the game fantastically well as does the Melbourne derby.

SBS has also helped as when nothing on a Friday night I had family watching A League when they never would.

Then my Aunty (Eels) & her friend (Swans) said to me they won't to go to see what a live game is like. Took them to WSW & they loved it & would go back. My Aunty was going to go to the socceroos last game but I talked her out of it.

The crowd breads atmosphere which is what people want when they pay there money. Lets face it some people will pay for anything as long as there are tens of thousands going there to.

Football is certainly a game I enjoy at the ground - While I love watching on TV as well I know plenty who couldn't watch a whole game.

With the WSW fans it has pushed other clubs to embrace the active support or the non active to interact with the active to add a better night for all.

For me the fan at the ground should still be No. 1 - If sport becomes a TV show then just like Lost or Desperate House wives it will be a hit for a while then disappear as the heart & soul of it will be lost.

I think we even need to strive for $10 seats subsided by TV money as the better the atmosphere at the ground the better product in the living room.