If the was the risk of relegation there would still be interest for MV and Bulls. These last two rounds would probably be more interesting at the bottom of the table than the rest. The Premiers have been decided. Right now, any of the bottom 6 could finish the season at the bottom.. 

The issue that LFC raised is that there is nothing for 6 clubs to play for when in fact there is.  If and when we go to P/R that will galvanise interest in the bottom of the table but I doubt we will get rid of finals so interest in the mid table will be retained.

As I mentioned someone always says otherwise eg above.
What are they playing for ? pride ? players contracts ? < thats everyday,
Say Bulls and MV were actually having to play re relegation.
Bet you the intensity would be 200% higher even last few weeks And might I add the crowds would likely be healthier.
10k only at parramatta when they are finally making finals after sometime not and playing against as per C O mentions normally the most disliked club (and used to traavel in hoards) if playing for relo it could be 20k attending because it would be a show to see.
Jets Bulls, just over 4k - nothing to see here for the Bulls be lucky to lift crowd figures as we can see.
I don’t understand you.

Ok here goes...as the child of immigrant parents growing up in Melbourne West in the 70's and 80's, and as LFC says, being labelled a wog ie racism by the Anglo's was not rare.  Sometimes full on violent shit too.  Didn't make the 6 o'clock news, but it happened in schools, at night clubs, even just walking down the street.  Not sure of it was you but someone here said they never saw anyything like that happen.  Well it did. I've got the scars on my knuckles to prove it. 

How is this relevant?

Those Anglo clubs may- or may not have accepted and even welcomed those migrants. 

But it made every sense to those migrants to stick with their own kind and build their own social networks and that include building their own football clubs.  The ethnic clubs were never just about the football.

Well said. 
I'm from the west as well and of similar vintage. 
Accurate story for the 70s and 80s. 

Speak to the older generation who came in the 50s and 60s and didn't speak english... and you'll hear this was a daily occurrence even in the workplace. 

Listening to them it's easy to see why they gravitated to their own in all aspects of life. 

It was the same in the South East i can tell ya both, dont worry... While I agree with both Enzo and Butler about alienation from Anglo society being one reason for the creation of so many effnik clubs I also think (and Im basing this only on the Greek Australian community I can attest too) that had their been more successful football clubs already established and had soccer been a more popular sport when they came then the young Greek lads landing at station pier in the 50s and 60s would have gravitated to it... 
As it is, ALOT of the older generation of migrants followed VFL clubs because that was the "only game in town" and why "Footy" to this day is well supported by older Greek and Italian gentleman, and their families have 2-3 generations of following a VFL team.... I ask my father in law who came in 55 why he is such a Collingwood fanatic and his take on it is that there was nothing else to do on a Saturday afternoon, hang around the streets of Collingwood until 1/4 time and then get into Princess St Oval (for free after 1/4 time) to watch a bit of sport... if Collingwood was playing soccer vs Richmond it would have been even more enjoyable and I think many more would have flocked to these massive soccer cubs if they existed.....

I agree we formed our football clubs as a social extension of ourselves but, especially for the Greeks, we have over 500 separate social clubs (basically every little region of Greece has a "brotherhood" or social club or reception centre or church group, most aligned to the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne) which is where people had their social functions. weddings, baptisms, dances whatever.....  where they went to socialise, to look for work or support.... to meet a spouse, to teach their kids the language, culture and religion they believed was important to their identity... clubs like Hellas and Heidelberg, Heracles, Port Melbourne, Clifton Hill, Clarinda, Malvern City etc etc etc etc seemed to be an extension of that (more a love of the sport of soccer) not a replacement if that makes sense?

yep I had something typed out earlier re Enzo's post.

Yep well said.......
my father wouldn't allude what was happenning when he first arrived (1950) but to put his head down worked hard but I know even in the workforce he copped heaps from anglo's, he took it on the chin to keep the peace and to gain acceptance......
We grew up on the north side of sydney that was 90% + traditional anglo in the 60's, I had trouble at school, I had diff lunchs no money for the canteen, behaved/dressed differently at local dances and got picked on heaps (in groups the gutless buggas) and like Enzo mentioned, I had to put up or shut up countless times , the school sports director wouldn't put me in the school team yet I played Div1 Club with most the aussies picked.
Those guys and some we're mates all selected in Rep football (those days you could play both) again overlooked, my Dad had a gutful had it out with them in the meantime a selector from the south west side of sydney (a wog) chased up my Dad to play there that we did.
Yep racism was huge, sickenning tbh what we went through - how this is managed in todays world is bliss thankfully my kids didn't go through anything like I did.
Flytox as Enzo mentioned, not all anglos were DH's naturally but generally "wogs" weren't welcomed, looks, language and the different way to life, treated like 2nd class citizens.

There was never going to be assimulation in the NSW Fed/State levels because of the ignorance.
A real shame for yes who knows what may have been BUT I'm glad the ethnics did it their way, their own Clubs, the DNA of Clubs built ground up is what its about.
I'd love to have seen a unified competition but both sides set their paths, one due to ignorance the other for shelter and unity and alot MSC mentions as well.
Flytox o what might have been.

Unfortunately, racism was rife in the 50s, 60s & 70s, I had terrible experience in the northern part of Sydney as a kid, thankfully things has changed a bit since then.
The difference with me was that I didn't feel sorry for those ethic clubs, as I also saw first hand their insecure views of these ethic clubs as the wrong type of wogs (like myself of Portuguese background) & lots of Anglos were not picked in the Greek, Italians or Croatian teams despite being in all the representative school sides. So it went both ways.
So while I don't disagree with all those who experience racism in schools & see their fathers experience the workplaces, this was rampant during this times, the ethic clubs were doing likewise, hence why I never followed an NSL club even though I followed the players in the 70s, 80s & 90s.

Yeah I've mentioned this before. Got cut from a side because I was the wrong type of ethnic kid at a Sydney club.

robboos, sure it went both ways that wasn't right as well, 2 wrongs don't make a right the ethnics had their backs against the wall no matter which way you look at it - and then the in fighting got out of hand as well......
Unfortunately you never really had a top flight Club from recollection but those early Fraser days, I had a fellow anglo team mate actually join our squad in the O35/1 days who raved how good it was playing for them.

LFC, see I never seek the Portuguese culture, maybe I was different as I wanted to assimilate, plus I was not in the middle of the city, mixing it with other ethnics, we lived on outskirts of Sydney past Hornsby &  there wasn't many other Portuguese people about. My father had his cronies (Portuguese friends), but I always wanted to be an Aussie, hence my love of football started following the Socceroos in 1974, I loved that team, then I followed the Kossies, Krncevic, Oscar Crino, Yankos, in the 80s, the Zelic, Okon, Farina, in the 90s & of course then the GG. They were my national team.
I had heard all the stories of Eusebio & then Paulo Futre, after that Rui Costa & Luis Figo all were heroes & then of course the great one, CR7, I love their foods, their great explorers, who changed history & allowed the Government to rape & pillar the new world, but I always felt more Aussie & never really had any Portuguese friends & never felt the need for it.
But yes I did cop a lot of racism in my youth from the Anglos, then I married an English lady.

Very common in those days.

1971 went with a mate to a club in western Sydney.... offered a trial as a keeper.... his ethic name aliened with the clubs background, and his was also born overseas in country most associated with the ethnic club...

Unfortunately for my mate he was a throw back, while his dad and mum had dark skin... he was Lilly white with flaming red hair...  anyWho when we arrived he was accused of lying and and not allowed to trail... he was good at sport and finished up playing RL for Wentworthvil a kinda level down from the top level RL... 

Having said that I walked into an East Timorese/Portugese side when I first got to Darwin. Then played 2 seasons for a Greek side so it wasn't like 'all ethnics are bad'.

Goes both ways I suppose.

Robbos, I hear you don’t take me full opposed about this all just relaying what occurred and I’m in fact not far from where lived. I grew up that area as well and moved back in the area some 6yrs ago.
Also lived in northern beach’s as you do now.
My relos got me over their parts to watch games at Lambert and SU after my games and I loved being around more like minded ones for where we lived I was the odd one out.
I’m Roos through and through but like you I have vested interest in my bloodline.
Murray Barnes a Roo back in my young days played for my Club.
I rejoiced 74 like mad.
I also appreciate what the ethnic clubs did as well and the many 1/2gens who made it because of being here.
It was a win win coming for so so many but for the racism was ott.

Mid - you could say I was incognito like your mate, northern Italian/Cro mix fair skin reddish hair but I speaka the lingo.
Gawd I caught out many unassuming olive skinned wogs then they got it haha 

Relegation is definetly needed, but surely you couldn't keep the salary cap if you have it though, so it would be unlikely a team of MVs size compared to the rest of the league would ever be in a relegation fight this late into the season. 

My mate Italian background also... spoke little Italian ... broad Aussie accent... finished up a doctor .... 

Also agree it was not all the same and we may just have been there on a bad day..... its my experience that all population groups from all lands have similar population %'s.... for all the really good people there are an equal number of really bad people... just saying the NSL was neither bad nor good it just was and reflected the time it was in... 

"just saying the NSL was neither bad nor good it just was and reflected the time it was in... "
truer words haven't been spoken Mid, well said. Lets all move on, clubs are clubs and players are players and people with all sort of funny sounding names are ALL Australians..... its 2023 lets get this stupid round ball addiction of ours moving in the right direction:) Dont worry about the standard of any league.... let alone the Aleague. If enough people play the game and are welcomed into it again the standard will rise AND the crowds will come.

Thats terrible if you faced such prejudice Robbo, seriously mate that shit isn't on... I AM surprised though because, as Flytox stated above the "effnik" clubs in NSW had a majority of anglo, welsh, sottish players rather than migrant kids..Wonder why the effniok clubs let THEM play...??? Maybe it was a NSW thing only??? Down here, at junior level it was, sadly, more about dickhead committee members or sponsors pushing for their sons/nephews to play for a club or they'll stop paying sponsorship every year.... Nationality didn't have much of a say in it mostly...... maybe I never saw it because I had the right sort of surname but I didn't only play for "Greek" clubs in my youth and never came across what you say...... It was in the 80s though so maybe things had changed a little by then?

From my memories of the NSL I can't remember ANY club have an exclusive ethnic group of players ONLY.... In fact my favourite Hellas players (apart from Boutsi) were ALL non Greeks. Steve Bair, Dougie Brown, Trimmers, Davo, Crino. Covegny, Durakovic ...etc etc..

Things were going to change, they had already started changing.
Even by the time the NSL started the old Dutch clubs were no longer powerhouses, and barely had any players with Dutch heritage.
Once in the NSL, with Brunswick Juventus, you'd be lucky to find one Italian name in the starting XI.
I can recall when Inter Monaro entered the NSL they had one local Italian in the team.
The Greeks, Cros, Serbs and Macedonians were holding out a little longer, but change would have come eventually (they're all hard headed and stubborn!)

A league R23 attendances

Jets v Macarthur - 4380
CCM v City - 10556
WSW v Victory - 10788
Nix v Roar - 8320
Sydney FC v Perth - 12850
Adelaide v WUN - 10110

Fantastic round! That will investors and broadcasters great confidence.

That's 57k fans! Not even the shithouse NSL with its 24,000 clubs could get those numbers.

It looks like those who foretold the death of the A league spoke to soon.

A league is back baby!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  WOGS RULE, SKIPS PULL............. HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAh 

Was there many great Greek players in the NSL? It seems the whos who of the Socceroos are mainly of Croat, Italian, British or just plain old Aussies.

I recall Inter Monaro had two top strikers of Italian heritage- Valeri and Giampaoli.

Raskopoulos, Patikas... but, yeah, not that many.

Carl's dad Walter, I presume

Don't forget Tsekenis,Katholos,Yankos and Boutsianis

robbos few more than you think tbh as some have mentioned......
Quite a few played in Greece instead of the NSL for they got good gigs like unknown to many GK Kiri, played 6 CL games for Olympiakos, he's a god over there.
Came to know him whilst my son played for GRM, top bloke, Patikas would frequent the Club as well.
https://www.myfootball.com.au/news/tohouroglou-giving-back-game

MSC I don't know going way back before my times re Flytox quoting many anglos etc in Div1 but once I got into the fray there was alot of wogs originally but many anglos came into the mix, you only have to look back to some pre Arnold/Slater etc days ala Warren and others they sure did get into 1st squads.
I think it was harder getting into Jnrs more than Snrs for if you had the "game" you'd slot in.
As had been mentioned at Jnr levels it not what you know who you know as you mentioned, cash money for Spiro or Luca get in instead of Johnny who was a better player let alone another ethnic out.

I'm sorry all this talk is off topic yet interesting per say But I do wonder what could have been for eg, had there not been so much racism, a better managed State Fed, unity, where we'd be today talking about "crowds" - for NSL did have some good crowds at times be it here or Melb and the countless sister Clubs in other States.
IF they did have the direction and better leadership finally turning Pro combined what came in later we'd be in a better space instead of this constant snakes and ladders we keep going through.

Good news!