They will struggle around 5-6k until they're stadium is built. Local derbies will boost their numbers but it will die off if they aren't a winning team. Can honestly see NQF numbers pretty quickly. 

I agree, but in principle, if they finally get their stadium built, and I reckon it's years away if it ever happens, would it be an issue getting 6k in your own boutique stadium?

That number doesn't sound great, but I'm not at all surprised it is low for a number of reasons. Firstly there has been nowhere near enough fan/community engagement. The other thing that keeps coming up is that many people in the region seem to have the 'let's wait and see' approach. I know a couple of people that live in Tarneit and they have said they will wait until the stadium is built until they jump on board. On the topic of the stadium, some sort of visible progress really needed to be made prior to memberships being available. Just the visual of machinery digging up the land is enough to provide a daily reminder to the locals that a stadium is coming. Overall I don't think they have provided enough to get excited about just yet. Even the squad (albeit pretty good), they really needed to dip into the marquee fund and bring a big name to get people excited. Especially in an era where instant gratification is so important. I don't think they will get anywhere near 5k members in the first season, but that doesn't mean they won't get 5k bums on seats regularly. That's a very good possibility.

I have heard they aren't offering the month by month payment option. not sure why. paying $200-$300 in one go is a big hit for many people, especially your target younger demographic. They need to change that quickly. 

I doubt any A League club sold 350 new memberships in the first day this year when sales opened - without renewals it’s always going to be a low number. 

It seems many clubs membership number is in the same ball park as their resulting average attendance so that’s the leading indicator on where attendances will sit I recon. 

The end end of the first week should be a good indicator - those that have committed to support WU knew this was coming and should be early to jump on board. 

7000 average is the minimum pass park for attendance. They have a large population to tap into, no excuses. 5000 in a huge stadium like in Geelong would look and feel absolutely awful, no atmosphere whatsoever. I really don't understand why this team exists when their stadium doesn't. 

I agree this team has a lot to live up to if they fail we all fail 

I still don't think they have been advertising enough they need to stop being invisible 

They paid more money than their opposition. Simple as that. At the end of the day that was all the FFA was looking for at the time.

I don’t think they are invisible. They’ve been doing massive community engagement if you look at their FB page. 

their facebook page is 8k mcarthur fc have 18k and they have posted nothing 

There have been numerous engagements in local schools and clubs (don’t make me create a list). 

True, but the question is whether it is enough. IMO they should be doing much much more. 9k on facebook, 10k on instagram is absolutely rubbish in this day and age. With them visiting schools and clubs, that number should be much higher. 

Yes, there has been absolutely no advertising whatsoever. The club only achieves some level of broad marketing whenever the main A-League social media pages give them a plug.

There needs to be targeted YouTube advertising, billboards and bus stop signs through Geelong and the Western Suburbs, radio & TV advertising etc. 

No one knows the team even exists and they look very amateurish from a glance at the social media and membership website.

If it were in a built up area, wouldn't be a problem. But in Tarneit, yeah, could be an issue.


Not us at the Victory. At this point, I'm not sure anything would stop us. If the A-League were to go tits up tomorrow, I think we'd be fine.


And Fox wanted new clubs in Sydney and Melbourne.

Yet Lowy and his boys gave them a set of keys. They won't last a season at this rate.

LOL what?
It was new ffa that gave them the keys...

Infiltrated by Lowy and Capital Football NNSW ass kissers.

I’m honestly not as pessimistic as some about them. 

We wait and see what transpires but I know several that have never been members of MV or MC but have got memberships at WU so somehow they are getting some traction. 

nice try, but Western United is all on new ffa 

You tell yourself that Heather Reid.

Local? They are in geelong  mostly.  They only started hitting  up Wyndham schools this past couple of weeks 

I don't need to. New ffa gave western united the licence. It's a matter of fact.

So true mate. Lowy was so much better, slaps in the face, out with the new in with the old etc etc 

Given that a vast amount of the support will need to come from Geelong over the first couple of years, I’m not too sure why some would question that strategy.

The biggest chance to maximise hearts and minds in Wyndham and the western suburbs of Melbourne in general will be over the next couple of years leading up to the new stadium. It will be a hard sell to try and gain a significant foothold in the area playing in Geelong and Ballarat, but step by step it will need to find ways to broaden the base.

Probably stating the obvious but the single biggest thing they can do to endear themselves to the Western Suburbs is get that stadium under construction as soon as possible. Merely having the presence of a huge construction site with Western's logo plastered everywhere in the local area will go way beyond any number of school visits. The longer the Sayers Road site remains a cow paddock the longer people won't register their existence.

Fully agree on that one.

That level of progress will show how committed they are to the region.

Agreed. I think everyone will feel better about United once ground is broken on the stadium.

The Macarthur bid is looking better & better.  

i'm going to get a $30 membership to help these sad sacks out 

Macarthur always made some sense.  WU made some sense only to the extent that it was the one "Melbourne" bid that both Victory and City were happy to endorse.
In the meantime, the Victory is building its facilities in the area which is supposedly part of WU.