Discussions are being held within FFA circles as to this happening.

Looking forward to watching Mack's sphincter tighten in butt-hurt if this comes true. :lol: :lol:

Not good for the supporters but makes perfect commercial sense. If the league is to move forward it need to cash in and this is an obvious way to do it. Clubs will be better off taking more gate money as well.

I imagine the clubs to make noises the supporters want to hear but I feel behind closed doors they will be happy with the extra money being generated.

Will this coincide with the Parramatta Stadium upgrade? I know it's been delayed but weren't the original dates for the upgrade to take place during the summer? Could be a great guise to move games there due to the upgrade. Maybe a contract was signed before the announcement of the delay and there is a legal obligation to play games there?

will just further the leagues plastic image

Unsure how you came to this conclusion.

-PB

Hmm that WOULD be an idea. So many of the Wanderers fans voiced opposition against games away from Parra, ESPECIALLY against the prospect of hosting games at Homebush - no matter what the fixture!

I think though, some bending/rationale needs to be forthcoming from the fans, 'given' the demand exceeding supply dilemma, a positive dilemna no doubt, seeing most games technically 'sold out' - even if most times the stadium's actual attendance was a few thousand short of that. The latter, reasons/issues surrounding that, is something we've well discussed around here.

But anyway, one, home, Sydney Derby game out there, one, can't at all hurt. It enables the wider demand to 'flood in' for that one marquee fixture where all other home games most are 'squeezed out'. That should then see, in theory, even greater demand to attend a Sydney Derby at ANZ then would otherwise?!

I can understand Wanderers fans are very concerned over 'precedent' and if they allow one, then it becomes two, three etc... but this massive fixture has drawn 40k attendances recent times, near packing out SFS. And they were SFC's home games, not Wanderer's, so arguably they saw the greater benefit more than Wanderers. A game at Homebush could, if trends in demand continue, realistically push 50k and beyond - the type of crowd figures the Melbourne Derby at it's most appealing, drew at Docklands, if not bigger.

It'd be like a 'Grand Final' game if you like, just during the season. An 'event' even though it's also 'the derby'. Could that work and why not? Less it's too early in the Sydney Derby's history, cycle? But I have an unnerving feeling that Wanderers crowds may hit a 'peak' soon, especially if/when the 'fad' wanes, including level of success flat-lining a bit? They'll still have a strong core and active support, but I'm sad to say there may inevitably be a slight withdrawing, nudging back, on the kinds of figures we've seen, sooner rather than later? Hope I'm wrong though!

So hence it perhaps being a good idea to 'strike while the iron is hot'? :-k

Edited by GloryPerth: 21/4/2014 10:05:24 PM

How many people do we honestly think will show up?

Could the fixtures get more than 60,000? If so I'm all for it, but anything less than that and anz is like a cavernous library.

Would be an incredible atmosphere if they could fill it.

Would be a joke. One game at a neutral venue? Sure. But all 3 games is a joke.

Opens up the opportunity for more revenue for both clubs, and pushes the home stadiums of both clubs for better terms in dealing with their home clubs. Can't see the harm.

Indeed, the people arguing against it are the plastic ones, only concerned about appearances. Show up and own your own atmosphere.

I think 1+1+1 is the perfect solution. All three at Homebush robs the derby of its local element.

2007 called...

Thissss

wat

Only one game should be taken there and it should be the third derby of the season.

completely ruins the best derby in the league.

smart move, why you would host matches in stadiums that are woefully unsuitable capacity wise when their are viable alternatives, is an opportunity lost.

For me it would kill the build up to the games. A big part of the derby atmosphere is created outside the stadium on the way to the game. At Parramatta and the SFS both sets of fans can either wait and march with their respective fans, go to one of the many pubs along the way to stadium or do both from the station. By the time they get to the stadium they're ready for the battle.
A big part of the journey will be taken away by dumping both sets of fans at Lidcombe station before shuttling them to the Olympic complex right on the doorstep of the stadium.

SFC and WSW should be celebrating that the occasion is big enough to warrant this, rather than be hesitant against it IMO.

Good for the game. Make the tickets a bit cheaper than a normal game at ANZ and fill the place up.

That's Australian football fans. They complain about everything.

:lol: agreed

inb4 EG, but the best example is we spend forever devising what we think would be our hypothetical best team of the league each season, and then they bring in the All Stars concept and it's like the FFA have murdered poor innocent babies judging by the reaction :lol:

God damn that pisses me off.

I agree, we should be celebrating that the success of the fixture is big enough to warrant this but I think it is far too soon, and I don't think the time will ever come, to consider taking all 3 games to ANZ. The supporters and members still need to feel that they have some ownership of the derby.

I think we should have it so that derbies (Sydney and Melbourne) happen at a similar time each year.

IMO the best thing would be if games 1 and 2 of the Sydney derby be played at the home venues and by the third game there are enough "priors" to really attract people to Homebush.

Marketed well I reckon we could get 70K next season. We easily fill the SFS and if marketed at general sports fans and "event goers" as well as the football community this could become an annual fixture in the Sydney sporting calendar and a full house.

Part of the "build-up" is that it's hard to get tickets, especially to Parramatta. I have a feeling that moving all three to ANZ might work for a season but will quickly kill the derby thereafter. I am definitely a fan of 1 + 1 + 1 (but will be there regardless).

Also a bit disappointed that this will result in mid-strength beers and nowhere decent to partake in a few drinks around the stadium.

There's simply too much demand to ignore this now. At least one game of the three has to go there. I'd prefer the first or second game so the third won't be a dead rubber. And the other two games should be at Allianz and Pirtek.

If we sell out all 80,000 seats, the Sydney Derby would instantly be one of the biggest derby games in Asia. It would send a massive statement to the other football codes and the world.

With all this talk from the FFA on how much they value their members, they sure do love pissing all over their demands.

#NoToANZ? Nah fuck that. MONEY!
#keepmelbourneredandwhite? Nah fuck that. MONEY!

If Sydney FC need the money they can move their game. The Wanderers keep their two next year at their home ground.

Having been to both paramatta and SFS for the derby ANZ would ruin it. The inability to get tickets to the event is part of the allure of the product

Totally correct.

ANZ should only be considered if we meet in a final.

A lot of the battle lines would be lost. Terrible idea. Any traditionalist afl fan would want there old grounds back. The same will apply here.

Nope. These days clubs wouldn't be able to fit the people into the grounds. My club (Richmond) has the VFL side playing at Punt Road with a capacity of 2200. With membership approaching 64,000 it doesn't make sense to move back there and off the top of my head all clubs would be the same.

1+1+1 (with ownership of the ANZ game to rotate annually between the clubs) is the way to go.

People keep on saying that the atmosphere at ANZ is crap. Which it certainly is for nrl games with 15k fans, or even socceroos/swans games where most fans just watch the game quietly.

The fact is the stadium is a great stadium when you get more than 30-40k, which this fixture certainly would. Having active fans from 2 clubs, as opposed to no active fans at Socceroos games or other sports will also make a HUGE difference! The sound echoes around the stadium really well and the atmosphere at the derby with 40-50k would be amazing. Get 50-60k and it provides the opportunity for casual fans to experience the atmosphere too.

ANZ has never held a match of any kind with 2 sets of active supporters involved, so how can anyone comment on how crap the atmosphere would be?!

The atmosphere at the Tigers v Parra game was excellent and that didn't involve any active support other than the occasional "parra/tigers clap, clap, clap"

And they would have trains direct frmo Central/Parra for a game like this so there wouldn't necessarily be the need for Lidcombe shuttles for most. The march become a train ride and a walk from the station to the stadium. Not the end of the world when you consider the commercial benefits the league and the clubs would get from this move!.

A one off there out of the three derbies wouldn't ruin the allure, and it would be a good gauge as to how many the FFA could get there. As I said previously, if they could get > 60,000 the atmosphere would be great, and would be a great statement for the league's popularity. If they could sell it out it would be MASSIVE for the whole league.

With one derby each at Parramatta and SFS, per season, the authenticity won't be ruined.

Completely agree. When both supporter groups are begging for their own home game, you don't screw them over by moving all three games to an oversized, sterile fishbowl

I agree, all three at ANZ is stupid.

But I still think an annual third match at ANZ could become an absolute must see on the Sydney sporting calendar. And as an annual one-off it can be a full house almost every season.

We alternate who has the first and second game, and the third at ANZ. FFA, ANZ, Cove and RBB can work together to establish who has the which end, etc, to ensure the atmosphere is the best it can possibly be.

I think it could end up being one of the biggest derby games in all of AFC. And that's something I'd be prepared to sacrifice a home game for every two years.

Very well reasoned post.

Yeah, nobody knows the difference between AC Milan and Inter.

Edited by paladisious: 2/5/2014 04:31:58 PM

To be fair, the San Siro is the permanent home to both clubs, whereas I'm saying take both Sydney and WSW out of their homes for 1 match a season and put on an absolute extravaganza. I agree that with both sets of active supporter groups the occasion would be electric.

I'd go so far as to say that the atmosphere would be something Sydney has never seen in its history, not even the Uruguay game (as we were all in the same boat that night). Two sets of fans wold provide a night to remember. Plus our games are usually very tight anyway so plenty of onfield action.

But I would still like it to be an annual one-off rather than all three at ANZ.

lol Indeed. Atleast ADP will be 'all-but' guaranteed to be there, nice 'send-off' opportunity too (Cue late injury pull out - fingers crossed NOOO! :x :p) - To 'appease' the masses they will seek to secure the likes of Heskey, Broich and co too this time, surely - 'learning' from last time (Gallop put in some 'guarantees' in the aftermath of the last 'All-Stars'). It was a little farcical setting it up as they did, building the expectations and even 'All-Stars' name, to then have half the squad pull out. They may aswell have called it an 'A-League Select XI' or some such! :p It's still a Mickey Mouse exercise we all recognise - but hopefully it rakes in the dollars once more and helps boost the interest in the league, if even minimally, via varying measures.

Edited by GloryPerth: 2/5/2014 07:40:42 PM