For those posters living in Aus and Kiwi metropolitan centres - Perth, Adelaide, Geelong, Melbourne, Sydney, Gosford, Newcastle, Brisbane and Wellington - with easy access to A League  clubs, do you watch  ALM or ALW football live?

Do you attend most games?

  

I go to most city games for the men and women's try to watch on tv 

Nah

Until the FA pull their finger out of their arse and level the playing field.

Used to attend nearly every home game and at least 2-3 away games a season, usually Mariners, Newcastle but been to Melbourne a few times.

I've really dropped off in the last few seasons since covid hit, largely due to my friends I'd go to games with moving out of Sydney and finding it harder and harder to convince people to tag along. This season's been a bit different due to the new stadium and all. 

Would like ke to see a league women highlights program as the live games are never repeated in the UK unlike the men's who also have highlights 

Go to all Mariner home games (unless unable to because of sickness or work). Hoping to get to more NPL games (CCM Academy) this year. 

Not until they put basic systems in place ie. Expand, transfer fees, NSD - regardless, must be a proper ecosystem.

I get free tickets, but am beginning to lose enthusiasm for attending. The long drive to Hindmarsh and the search for parking spots is beginning to be a drag. I've been to one game this season and three last season. However, prior to Covid I probably went to 8-10 home games per season.

I've had COVID twice. I'm vaxxed to the max, and still always wear a mask and carry hand sanitiser to any indoor setting.

I don't tend to to wear a mask at outside venues if it isn't crowded. I took my mask off sitting in a stand watching Western U v Roar ALW and Western U v SFC last week in Hobart. If I'm at a crowded cricket game outside I will wear the mask. COVID is an issue for live spectators.

Is Hindmarsh easily accessible by train/bus? Looking for rare  parking spots is a drag. Although I'm happy to walk 15-20 mins to  a stadium.

I wonder what is decreasing your enthusiasm besides COVID? Heat in an Adelaide summer would be off-putting.  In the rare occasions it rains in Adelaide in the AL season, Hindmarsh on TV looks to have a lot of uncovered seating.

Basically, you attended most AU home  games prior to COVID.  

Seriously???

Even if you're one of the few people that still care about COVID, there has never been a recorded case of COVID in Australia being transmitted in an outdoor setting.

Not one.

When they were locking us up in our homes, closing the playgrounds, and keeping us out of public parks and spaces --- the best thing we could have done is be outside in the sunshine.

Advancing age one of the main reasons. I've been attending matches at Hindmarsh since 1966.

Stopped reading after had covid twice and vaxxed to the Max lol. 

Yes, hilarious that he doesn’t see any irony in this statement. Perhaps he doesn’t know what a vaccination is supposed to do?

Mariners home games and sometimes when Mariners playing Sydney FC in Sydney.Did go to the Sydney v Wanderers game several seasons ago  as my SIL asked me to come down -he is an FC supporter.

Mariners home games and sometimes SFC & WSW sometimes Newcastle and once Perth

only HAL game i ever attended was Jets vs Mariners final in 08. 

I've watch a number of NPL sides against HAL opposition in the AUS CUP, but that's as far as it will go for me.

Nope from me as well obviously. Might catch a game or highlights on telly when Im bored and indirectly watch an Aleague franchise play during the FA cup.

Interesting to read who watches ALM and which  games they attend.

I'm green with envy all those places in Aus where posters have access to fortnightly AL football. In Tassie we only get a few games, but I tend to  attend  any game on live in Hobart. I'll even travel and stay overnight in Launceston, 2.5 hours drive away to watch an AL game.

There is is also an increasing  chasm in standard between the AL and the local NPL.

I probably watch more on the TV than I attend live these days. I'm a MV member, so I'm paying to go to every home game, but it's a rubbish time of year for football. I was interstate for most of the summer break, so I missed a few games. In December there is always stuff on as well that tends to conflict. I have a toddler (and another one on the way), which takes priority at the moment as he's too young to go to games and we can't always get a babysitter. Fortunately, my son doesn't mind if I have the football on the TV and as a plus it tends to put him to sleep. On TV I'll always watch the Friday game as well as the MV game if it's not on Friday. I'll also have a Sunday arvo game on in the background.

I've been watching the Greek Super League but many games are that bad that I need to get my fix from the A-League from time to time.

I was a 12 year consecutive member for MV and would go to at least 10-12 games a season.
The last season I was a member was when MV got smashed by SFC in the semi final but I found the overall experience and atmosphere boring that year and it impacted my ability to enjoy the game and skill level.

I can't say I miss it tbh especially with the recent GF decisions.

Interestingly enough I used to do the same for AFL games & attend 10 games a year but I only went 3 times last season.

I went to an AFL game once & was so bored by half time, I never been back.

I used to live in Inverell. northern NSW and came up to the parents-in-law and watched games whenever I could. Even bought a membership the year I was planning to move up here. Had membership then for several years.

Attended a Suncorp game this year. The dross that is served up by Moon is so disgusting, it is amazing that they can call themselves a football team. I do not know why the Bakrie's persist in owning Brisbane Roar. I will think about going again more when we have owners that care.

I am excited about the NSD.

I'm with you. The sooner Roar gets sold off the better. Alternatively, another team in Brisbane.

Moon is doing the best he can with the squad be has. They don't have a striker and they probably have the weakest team on paper on the league. 

No, he's not. Just like 90% of coaches in the league he's not good enough. 

With due respect, how much insight do you have regarding Australian coach education, Anthony?

I've undertaken a number of semi- pro or pro  courses with Football Aus and the Dutch KNVB.

Since the Berger Tech Dir tenure for Football Aus, our coach education in Aus is similar to what they have in France, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Holland. Without it we would never have come 11th in Qatar.

Haven't  seen enough of Roar, but  Moon may be doing a good job with the cattle he has. He was in the games I saw last season.



  

Agree with previous posts about Roar. We have a rubbish squad, possibly the worst coach in the league and consequently play boring, low quality football.
We used to bring through decent youth players but Wenzell-Halls is probably the most promising of the bunch in the past 20 years!! I don’t imagine the players are any worse, more that the coaching staff are picking the wrong ones or not improving them. Depressing even thinking about how far my team and the League had fallen.

The team and the club specifically has fallen to the lowest depths.

The APL is in control of it's own destiny but hey, blind freddy could see where there vested interests will be directed - from the time they took control out of FFA's hands.

Roar needs a new owner and/or Brisbane needs a new club to compete against them.

I'm a bit out of touch with Roar, but not long ago, under  Craig Moore, as Youth TD, I thought Roar was developing some impressive young players?

Caletti was one of them. He looked promising.

You raised a great example. After captaining the national u/17s in 2015 he made the Roar Aleague squad the following year. In the four years after his debut at Roar he played <50 games. Nowhere near enough. Adelaide gave him a decent chance but at 24 he’s now playing 5th tier football in Japan. 

I've raised this point with a number of A L coaches ( usually in workshops), national underage coaches, NTC coaches, state TDs, SAP coaches, etc.

All of them state  it is a  complicated process as to why some players improve and  others plateau.  Some peak early - then fade out. Then others who were nothing as underage players peak late.

In a forum with the Victory coaching staff a few years ago, when Muscat was head coach,I raised how Broxham, such a good played at age 17 had barely progressed beyond that level in the next 5-6 years or so. In comparison, Milligan, had made a lot of progress in his mid twenties, just as there were many calls for the younger  Luke Brattan to replace him in the Socceroo line up.

Muscat joked it was his brilliant coaching of Milligan! Then he stated the same - that it was an  inexact science how players develop /improve quickly at different stages in their career.

Caletti would be perfect for a Second Division.  Like many others.

I like his fast handling speed, fast feet, neatness  on the ball and ability to control the rhythm of the game. Then he improved his ball winning, which was a weakness.

Was Brendon Borello another Roar prodigy a bit earlier? 

 I was he  hearing  it around the traps that Moore was doing a very good job for Roar as TD and developing youth. I don't know what happened to his role? I also thought Thomas Broich was involved in the Roar youth development? Any ideas what happened to them and the youth development program at Roar? 

I left Australia some years ago now, so my non attendance is set in stone in that regard. I was a foundation member of AU and considered myself a bad human being if i missed a home game. That was then and this is now. I thoroughly ditched the AL after a range of self inflicted cluster fuckery that simply confirmed my suspicion that the only way to support football in australia is by joining the silent majority that plays the game, get behind the NT 100% through thick and thin, and being steadfast in refusing to supporting those FFA/AL shysters. They are a fucking cancer. I'm keenly observing from the sidelines and waiting for the new second division to rekindle my interest, but I will only re-engage on my terms. It has to be proper football or it can get fucked. No more excuses. 

who does the marketing for the games? is it outsourced? or done by the league?

who runs it? can I? because if I found out the previous UCL winning coach was in the country I'd be doing everything humanly possible to make sure he was at a a-league game while he was here. 

City vs Adelaide is a 200 metre walk from the Australian Open..... like fucking come on... pull your fingers out of your asses. He better be there.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/21190019/thomas-tuchel-australian-open-chelsea-manager/

Just lost interest in the last few years, personally, aside from attending games it would be nice if more games were FTA , I'm not going to subscribe to pay TV to be able to watch, oddly enough, I did have Foxtel. But prefer FTA

I enjoyed going to Mariners v Wanderers match yesterday.A good advertisement for the league with excellent attacking football from both teams and a reasonable crowd of just under nine thousand.Apart from the dickheads the presence of the Wanderers supporters added to the buzz and the atmosphere.

Occasionally. If my kids want to go mainly. 

Over the last ~15 years, have had a Glory membership nearly every season, and attended matches religiously.
Last season, I was one of the 3095 who was in the seemingly deserted stadium on a cold wet Wednesday night in May to see the Glory pull off a shock 2-0 win over Melbourne City and postpone City's title celebrations.

This season, the Glory have relocated to a suburban ground at the wrong end of Perth (relative to me) which is not particularly convenient to attend by public transport (my preferred option). 
So no live games for me this season, although have still been watching on TV.
Am planning on resuming attendance when they're back in NIB stadium.

Prior covid I went to maybe 2/3 SFC games more so due to being played a terrible Kogarah.
My daughter went more than me.
Haven't gone to a game since and tbh I don't have the urge in doing so, watch a game now and then on P+ (when it works) but again I just don't have the desire anymore I just find the whole game/set up under whelming......
Australia Cup games I follow with enthusiam.
I can't fathom having been a player (still going) and football devotee for over 50yrs no P/R in our top flight, its a claytons comp and during the summer I have other things to do due to fam/wife commitments more than not.
Give credit to some of the good promising players hope they get out of here and marque's of the past like ADP, Fowler, Ono, Adrian etc have been good to watch but yer, I'm not going out of my way but keeping up with results and watch some highlights.
I don't watch any W games, no interest whatsoever but for when the WCup comes along BUT watch every single Roos game and attend.

I have been a Brisbane member since season 3 and we have been attending games with a group of 5 or 6 since the A League's inception. Since the Grand Final decision we are no longer attending matches. 

Will Apl even care when most clubs membership numbers plummet before next season for the same reason?! 

Wow!

I'm annoyed about the three GF decisions too, but it  wouldn't be enough to stop my club membership if we had an AL club here.

I'm a Tas Cricket member and it costs $300 per season. What does a Roar membership cost?

Unfortunately if we don't stop supporting in numbers they won't get the message. It's really disappointing to no longer be going to games but continuing to go to games just validates Townsend and the board members decision. Obviously there are many out there like our group, active supporters or not who aren't willing to fold on this one. 

Brisbane club membership has always hovered around that $230-$260 mark. 

I don't think any league has perfect administrators all the time.

I'm sure Roar owners and admin would prefer that you and your mates  keep supporting live football by watching Roar. I'm unhappy with the Sydney GFs decisions, but I would not stop supporting my team by boycotting live games over it. 

I was furious with Gallop for knocking back a Tas A League club franchise, with the best bid they had ever had. However, it doesn't stop me from watching AL M on TV or live when given the chance.

I was also annoyed with Gallop constantly awarding Sydney Socceroo games and  only drawing small crowds of 23 000 on occasions.  Gallop never commented on the small Sydney crowds.

 Conversely, when the likes of regional centres like Perth or Canberra, held Socceroo games, and drew 20- 25 000, Gallop would complain the crowds were too small to  justify  Socceroo fixtures at these venues! I still followed the national team though.

Support the team, not the regime !!!

Insightful post, LFC.

Would have had you down as a regular live AL attendee. I've always thought of you as a veritable football tragic.

I unequivocally believe using football performance metrics, the ALM and ALW have never been a better standard. Qatar has shown many overseas leagues in Europe that Aussies play in, to have less standing  relative  to the ALM than they did  prior to the 2022 WC. 

Regardless of machinations of various AL admins, whatever they do or don't do, isn't enough to stop me attending every game live if we had a team here. I'd become a member too. I'd also observe some coaching sessions. 

The only thing I  don't like is summer football played in heat.  I  prefer  to be at the beach in warm weather, rather than watching live football or coaching it.

D2,
I am a football tragic no doubt about it - keeping my finger on the pulse here and OS obviously and my involvements in local football.
AL/SFC I jumped on the early bandwagon in support of the big picture D2 and my kids when young, my 3 kids lives was/is football as players (all to date) so being at grounds was/is our weekends - then go to a NPL and AL depending the koff times as long as the wife didn't have other plans.
Even became a SFC member for the kids that now, the boys grown up don't care about AL/ALM games whatsoever (both play and go to NPL games) only my daughter keeps going for the social side more than anything else AND I still pay for the membership x 2 to this bloody day ! I'm nuts I know. 
I'll go to a game or 2 sooner or later this season.
AL/ALM/FA are trainwrecks for all to see and unfortunately their actions influence a good % of core supporters away from the game due to frustration and lack of forward progress.

I hear you re the "stats" and all but you coming from down there with all due respect doesn't have the stds like we have week in week out to watch incl NPL.
I get as much as a high watching a good NPL game, be it 1 2 3rd levels as I would watching many AL games over the years.
For top flight pro football I have seen more dross games watching paint dry than exciting ones.
Putting aside MC standards of late CCM are the stand out Club last couple of seasons, the rest is just meh why bother AND as you mentioned, SUMMER is NOT football time !
Only this stupid country that I know off, it just doesn't compute for me and ok NSL didn't have P/R for crying out loud its long long overdue we tried it but for this franchise system Lowy implemented we're stuck in a void.
NSD is the saving grace for the die hards, live and hope it becomes.
Sorry W football kills me to watch, all kudos to them but yer nah not interested even though my daughter played a few rep seasons she's given it away.

Haven’t been to AL game since last season’s GF. Live in regional Vic now. Watch 2-3 games each round on Paramount plus though. If i lived near Gosford i would definitely attend Mariners games cos they play more interesting football and have some decent atmosphere at home games

i watch it - no long attend games cant stand the FA and the lack of atmosphere 

i do not follow the league and where near as close as i used too however i still watch most games or at least have them on in the background 

preferred the NSL over the A league it had P/R and passion  

the A-League has a number of fake clubs and celebrates mediocrity, i also am not a fan of the 'finals series' 

this isnt AFL or NRL whoever tops the ladder wins the league - you have an Australia cup as the knockout competition  

The A-League has the same amount of P/R as the NSL did.

And now with double the effnik hooliganism :)

It was far more prominent with Croatia and SM Hellas in the NSL. 

Take Greek clubs in Greece for example - quite accepting of flares and is the norm. Heck, seen kids light flares at village games.

Yep, that football kulcha certainly transfers

FACT. - there has been more violence in the HAL then there ever was in the NSL. 

Nonsense Beretta. Here are better FACTS.

FACT - when there's negligible media coverage as was in the NSL, less is reported even if the violence levels were higher. When it is reported, we know the media blows it up - as it did then and as it does now.
FACT - comparing apples with apples of the lows and highs of the AL vs NSL, A-League produces 3 - 4 times higher crowd averages than the NSL.
FACT - when there's large crowds in attendance, the risk of violence escalates
FACT - violence in the AL is predominantly caused by wannabe individuals or pubic haired groups because they're simply idiots. Violence in the NSL was that too, but predominantly violence caused by those that purport to represent a nation with grievances directed against a nation on the other side of the world. Neither of the 2 cases (AL or NSL) are acceptable, but you would understand how Australians feel with waring factions fighting each other in a neutral country that has nothing to do with their grievances.

On a few occasions sure Paulie but could you kindly tell me what"grievances"  nations like Italy, Malta, Greece and Croatia had against each other? Ill wait for the wikipedia research shall I?

that true good pick up on his error einstein, doesn't mean its right in 2006 - 2023 let alone way way back then but was a whole different world then mind you as mentioned, funny similar problems have prevailed at the supporter fronts.

I used to watch every game when it was on fox. I used to love saturdays marathon that lead into the epl fixtures - good times.

Now I might watch two games a week but with little care of the result. Usually watch Adelaide United games and Melbourne Victory (great atmosphere). I hate paramount plus and I don’t think I should be shuffling from tv to tv around the house trying to get an app to work so I can watch a game. Absolutely ridiculous. 

I have been an Adelaide United member for about 15 years. Some seasons I may go to most games, some others not so much. Last year I didn’t manage to go to any! This season I have gone to 3 games, started taking my son as well. As mentioned above, I don’t really care if they win 10-0 or lose 10-0.. maybe I am just getting older? 

Rarely missed a Roar home game for the first 12 seasons. Have only been to one game at Dolphin stadium. More likely to watch Lions in the NPL than Roar nowadays. 

Concluding there are probably circa 13 on  this thread who watch A L live, 10 who never  watch A L games at all (TV or live), and a few who watched AL live until recently.

There are at least another 6 -12 who comment on live A L games on a regular basis, in weekly AL match threads on this forum.

What happened to hundreds of those starry eyed 442 fans with passionate  AL club allegiances,  who used to post on here?

I go to 85% of home games and pay for 100% I just didn't post here.

There's been good vibes around Hindmarsh this season. 

Delighted to hear about the great vibe around Hindmarsh, Davide.

Not long ago, AU had quite a high proportion of local South Aussie players playing for the club. I wonder if this has contributed to the good vibe,  solid attendances?

I had you counted as an A L regular attendee who didn't post  in this thread.

Definitely.
How much of a contribution is anyone's guess but I am certain it's a very large part of it

There are 2 teams (no 3 teams but while Man City performs on the field, not sure why no crowds) but Adelaide & Central Coast, playing nice eye pleasing football, producing future Socceroos & have a good vibe in their crowds.

Agreed.
Equal 3rd on the table too

Even though it was painfully hot ( thanks APL for 5pm kickoff's in summer, idiots ) we went to the SFS on the weekend.  Very entertaining game, good crowd too by the look of it.

I usually go to 17-18 Victory games per season (plus finals if we qualify). So far, I have been to 6 of 15 (due to the APL GF decision and being banned from travelling). We still have 7 home games left and I will probably get to maybe 4-5 of them.

Don’t go to the Wuck games because they’re usually played a distance from where I live, but I am a member and watch almost all of them on TV.

Can’t believe I am saying this, but for the first time in many, many years I am sorta looking forward to the AFL season. While Football is my number 1 sport (always has and always will be), the whole stuff around the APL decision, the derby, the treatment of MVFC fans post-derby, other supporter groups kowtowing to the APL, and continued Sydney centric attitudes of football administrators (eg. the Matildas Cup of nations)… I could probably do with another distraction.

Sad to hear a solid football  fan like you looking forward to AFL season.

The GF decision is never going to stop me  from watching AL live. No league  runs  perfectly with sage decisions by all administrators all of the time - does it?

The football quality on the pitch is paramount for me.

Wouldn't surprise me one bit that like you, many silent others are also looking for alternative entertainment.

APL have done a crap job with their one and only baby.

The code must have a good feel about it to gain the interest of a larger audience, including football followers. Look what happened to the NSL.

Totally agree Paulie... The solution is to fold the Aleague and start again with brand new franchise clubs.... One "team" per city, maybe align the with big bash clubs so they can share the KFC sponsorship bucket hat thing and do double headers.

i watch live football but i refuse to support pride round - so not this week 

The GF decision is one of many from my perspective by regular posters over the times - active support and or regular members have been pushed and pushed, they forget and move on as happens But it seems the GF call has broken more backs D2.
Despite the outlook of worry about the game alone forget the GF call its burnt more supporters, point is how many more in the future and then whats next ?
Not sure how or where newbies can recover those jumping off.
Look at attendance figures over the weekend, without the Syd Derby its pretty ordinary for a Pro league in participation.

Its pretty ironic paulc, what goes around comes around.

More like reap what you sew!