I hope so...  I have seen quite a few of these kids at local soccer clubs over the years, where mum and dad are clearly not interested in anything other than AFL and see just taking the kids to soccer training as a bit of a chore...  Hopefully their interest is kept and they pass this on to the next generation.... One benefit of having "effnik" background is that football and love of the club is a "cradle to the grave" type love....  Everything else like swimming, AFL, basketball, athletics, golf is sport... Football is life :)

Exactly. The only step some will take is to watch the Socceroos + Matildas at a world cup. They won't take that one more step and follow an AL or NPL club.
That being said, I reckon I've noticed a bit of a shift with the young kids. There seems to be a bigger interest in football, mainly the euro leagues, but locally as well. I know of quite a few kids that are raised in typically 'AFL' households but for whatever reason have gravitated towards football instead.

Possibly true but there ARE more than 2 million (depending on what stats you choose to believe based on participation and viewership and attendance) FOOTBALL fans in Australia that are well aware of both overseas and local clubs... thats more than enough of a market to try and appeal too... scratching stragglers away from NRL and AFL doesn't work, it hasnt for 20 years now and it wont in the future.... 

Feet on the ground beat armchair theories every day - I will now say that WU did a poor job marketing in Ballarat and missed their chance this time.

I did not think you took it that I was demanding people choose a club - just that it was a hypothetical "if you were forced to" supposition. Before I got into football I would hear results of Aussie games and the names were just names. I still think after all these years that most non-footballing sports fans wouldn't have a clue about football other than knowing the big EPL club names and maybe a few clubs from around the world. How we can show them what they are missing out on is the change of the bottomless market.

Thats a well presented response my friend and absolutely, perfectly, reasonable... My only, really mild, counter, is that APL IS trying to force people to choose an A league club to the detriment of all others (the APL, not you RiMB, sorry if my comment sounded like that), their very existence depends on it...  By closing it off from any relationship with the other 1000 clubs in the country and having clearly defined (at least according to them) geographical catchment areas. By desperately trying to appeal to the family friendly "mainstream" sporting public and by alienating any semblance of active support from within their own ranks, they dont WANT people like me (or even some of the rusted ons here) attending their games or watching them. 

As for WU and regional areas ... sure it may sound good on paper but ...... I spent 3-4 hours seeing clients in Ballarat yesterday  .... not ONE single mention of WU or Aleague, not ONE flag or sticker on a car or jersey or sign on a shopfront or ANYTHING... The two blokes that mentioned soccer at all during the day both wanted to ask me what I thought of Ange in the EPL.. When I asked them about if they went to any of the WU games at Mars stadium they where genuinely surprised that these where even played there.... Sure, my 15-20 people sample size is minuscule but thats what the reality was. 

P.S you are doing your job as a Roar fan perfectly... passion for the club drips from every keystroke of your posts..... Love to see it and can confirm Roar is my defacto Aleague club of sorts :)

Henry helped bring you to the Roar - my job as a Roar fan wanting the club to grow to give you reasons to look in from time to time, and the clubs job to give you something to maintain that interest beyond just one of your lads. And if you are interested enough with what you see you might just bring a few mates along one day - but at the least you will be one less voice opposing the Roar and to a very very minor degree less brutal on the aleagues competition as a whole (you know - like it isn't ALL bad). Your own interest is not fandom, but more of a chance at a longer term awareness and hopefully association that I think holds a great deal of value.

For WU there are plenty of football fans in greater Melbourne who do not have a club in the aleagues mens competition. Up to WU to be smart about drawing their attention - be it school visits with giveaways, visits to local and community clubs and the like - as I expect most clubs do(?). Take the same show on the road to fresh markets (Ballarat even) and hand out merchandise and some of those people will notice sports results for that club where before that they were an irrelevant bit of sports noise (like baseball, basketball and rugby scores ;) ). As you say, greater Melbourne already has baked on fans and jaded/ruined relationships to contend with - so anything regional gives them a fresher chance to get attention - then up to them to play well enough to hold that attention. Can't overstate the potential benefits down the road of a 'sports star' visiting kids and lighting a fire in their imagination.

With the aleague mens as it stand now I am lucky enough to only have been burned by poor football and not fallen foul of the political and authoritarian issues that have soured so many. As such it lets me say this is where we are now - where do we go from here - even choosing to ignore the number of years we have had the aleague to be in the position we are now. Every new person who pays attention to the aleague mens competition is another possible long term interest.

I wasn't looking to force anyone to choose a club - just saying if they had to you would have a lot of people saying things like Sydney or Adelaide without actually knowing it was SFC and Adelaide City they were thinking of. I heard someone on a quiz show naming Wellington Glory as an aleagues club. Perth is not a fair example because WA is quite insular as I understand it (there are 2 states in Aus - WA and everyone else) and their focus might be more regionally oriented. My point is, people may have heard of the Roar but they have not shown it enough interest to know anything about it other than maybe orange and maybe the name. Certainly not enough to say they would rate it higher or lower than any other aleagues club. There is such a massive pool of untapped interest (for any league or code for that matter) among the unknowing masses that every little visit to a regional town helps. Every person we can get to a live football game is a win (as long as they can do their part and entertain).

I suspected this may have been the case... and fair point too... Yes I will cast an eye on little Henry to see how he is doing but therein lies the problem.. It is not fandom of any worth mate. South , like lots of NPL clubs, has had players move to the "bright lights, big city" of the Aleague who do you show interest in?... CCM where Matty Miller went or Newcastle afterwards?  or what about MacArthur where he is know as ONE example?  - Shit I think he even played a handful of senior matches at Melbourne City before signing with us :)

Forcing everyone in Australia to choose an Aleague club is what the APL is TRYING desperately to do mate, as was the FFA  regime before them... I understand your call that "any" interest may lead to recognition, but some of these franchises have been around for 20+ yars now.... I would think there wouldnt be that many people elft in the country (maybe some regional communities maybe?) that wouldnt at least have heard of the anems of Victory, Adealide United, Roar etc etc....  Ask an AFL numpty in Perth who the local sokkah team is they will know the Glory..... the fact they dont watch is another thing all together. 

Perfect example of what, Im trying, to say is WU .... They are trying desperately to appeal to a demographic that just does NOT exist anymore... Anyone that loves football in Melbourne is either involved in local clubs, and/or possibly is an Aleague fan of either Victory or City.. The other majority either just watch EPL or other overseas football or are just Socceroos/Matildas event going bandwagoners who sometimes play Football computer games .....  As much as I despise what they are and who they represent, they have a snowball's chance in hell of ever getting more than the handful of degenerates that just wanna be different, to their games (and family and friends ofcourse)

this was done originally when AL commenced and NSL pushed out to the never never.
I struggled like thousands of others, I tried my best with SFC and for my kids but I just couldn't grasp it in the end.
I luved seeing ADP but in ways it was like being at exhibition games to me.
Our mate from Adelaide hit me up (forgot his nickname and good bloke) about my SFC times and he was right, I engaged but in time I turned off and he rightly called me out.
I couldn't help it it just wasn't me, how many before me didn't even give it a go as we all know so hence this NST is more important imo for the game that others wouldn't even consider to comprehend.

apart from the obvious on a semi pro player accepting a pro contract that is a given yer it doesn't drag much other interest to grow AL from that perspective.

There is toooooo much collateral damage and not just from ol bitters pov even their gens below have been disillusioned by the game overall - the modern day other distractions and above all even supporters from both sides have contributed alot of angst towards each other.
I can spend 5mins reading some comments in reddit and it says it all from that side of the fence for eg.
I say this RIMB for both sides have football supporters first and foremost and have been driven away due to the countless cluster f's and more so the games 2 different pathways.
We are too damn small to operate/function this way forever.
Sure your AL can carry on being stand alone but for what ? and with sub standard crowds in major stadiums ?
It just doesn't compute and it makes the game look sub standard to neutrals and in the press.
Sure I know NPL is no better and worse but its semi pro what do you expect.
Its just not great all over when you luv the game in this tinpot screwed up place and eggballs.
All the more reason to be 1 for its not going to work having 2 comps imho.

I chose the word fondness deliberately (and to be honest I was thinking of you and Henry Hore when I chose it). You would be crazy to expect anyone to become a mad follower because they knew someone who once played for a club - my point is that interest is a start. Same for the clubs they follow over time as their friend/relative moves around. All generating interest. It is then up to the specific clubs to do something with that interest before they move on again.

As long as an NPL club and an aleagues club are considered two totally separate leagues there is a chance for a died in the wool Souths fan having an interest and maybe even attending a game or two of aleagues football.

I honestly think if you forced everyone in Australia to choose an aleagues club as their favourite there would be a very high number who could not name a club with certainty let alone lean towards it over any other club. Generating interest is just a chance to make another small step forward.

I agree with your sentiment mate, the Aleagues can indeed (and will) exist outside of the football pyramid. It does INDEED offer an option for those wanting to step outside the local, ethnic and traditional communities and thats my point..... that "resource" seems to be almost tapped.

Sure, for now, it is the highest level of league in the country but is that enough?

As for your points regarding the eagerness of an NPL player to sign for an Aleague club, is that really surprising? Any player worth his/her salt wants to play at the highest level (and for the highest salary) possible..

1/ They accept it because it is a higher level of competition (and exposure and money are a big part of professional sport). - cant argue that :)

2/ Fans of the originating club are likely to have a level of fondness for that aleagues club while they are offering the player game time - are you sure about that? How many Oakleigh fans suddenly started following the Aleague because of Joe Knowles? Or South fans now religiously follow Henry Hore as examples?

3/ Family, friends and associates of the player will show some level of interest in the player, club, and by association the league. - Sure, but with the life of an Aleague players these very same "supporters" will be forced to cheer on at least half a dozen clubs before their son/daughter/friend retries from football... not really the long term rusted on growth the franchises are looking for?

And yet, take a humble NPL player and offer them an aleagues contract.

1/ They accept it because it is a higher level of competition (and exposure and money are a big part of professional sport).
2/ Fans of the originating club are likely to have a level of fondness for that aleagues club while they are offering the player game time
3/ Family, friends and associates of the player will show some level of interest in the player, club, and by association the league.

The aleagues do not have to exist as a part of the pyramid - it can continue to exist as a stand alone product without harming the pyramid. It is fans' expectations that it is not meeting and maybe the fans are expecting too much from the league. It offers a higher level of football. If that is what you want to see then it succeeds. It offers a sense of belonging that goes beyond local, ethnic and historic traditional ties. If that is what you want it succeeds. It gives you a chance to step outside of community and be a part of something bigger. If that is what you want then it succeeds.

Ask nothing more of the league and you get what you see to enjoy or pull your hair out from week to week.

Growth by this method would be slow, but anything that lifts awareness, involvement and interest to add to the baked on supporters is a plus.

In fairness to clubs like Victory, Sydney, Western Wanderers, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane .... they are pretty entrenched in their markets and have "hoovered up" any possible fans they are ever going to get... There isnt much more scope to grow any further.. They have gone beyond the ability to "connect" to their fans like a community club can (although Adelaide and Perth could still I reackon) .... The "mistake" I think that was made with these clubs from the start is that they started out wanting to be a Manchester United without trying to grow from a Newton Heath first for example.... glitz and glamour soon fades and people move onto the next thing..... 
20 years down the track and they still feel relatively new on the scene... 

haha thanks mate - point is its about right I know :)  I really don't get why football people get their head around this cockamani comp - what because of the $$$ Lowy threw in and turned it into a great show for the ethnics screwed up not being inclusive to others ? well they had no choice for to be frank back in those days anglo Aussies hated to admit they liked soccer/gay football and wouldn't have attended or be seen dead at any bloody game in the first place.
Bad press, yer that game and ethnics are poofs might I add.
So Lowy presents this new model that isn't a true football model but new dawners and the likes open their arms this is football.
Yep the $$$sponsers are fantastic I agree but NO this is NOT football model its a front/show and all he wanted was control - milk the money from all especially sucker license paying suggardaddys/sponsers incl to fund it more than anything else and he had no contest.
Ok works in merica but we not mericans, they are brought up with chains be it food banks sports you name it....
Sadly we going that way BUT sport ? ffs how do you get passionate about a football Club that doesn't have a home ground that is the MAIN backbone foundation to build from !!!!!!
Like WTF these APL suits no diff to Lowy, take anyone's $$$ for the license - let alone we will survive Bulls CEO commenting after Slaters comments we will survive and grow as long as we keep tipping in $$$$$$.
WU no home f all support and yet they were champions and still can't pull in more newbies.
Bulls has a home of 18k capacity struggling to draw more than a chook raffle, the cow bells turn paying customers away LOL......
Jets are fucked and macca Jones Stadium capacity 33k ! how many devoted macca newy people are going ? f all for years not just since they are without a sugardaddy.
CCM yer the small little loved club punching above its weight, every comp needs that sympathy Club and that they are, the up and downs have been enourmous, I was surprised it survived but they more than the rest imo have a very good YL/Academy (heads up to AU might I add) huge kudos there for tbh without this they'd be stuffed !
The rest couldn't be bothered its a long enough whinge :) post on a comp that just lacks respect from many many in the game.
Its performance the last 5/8yrs is on record where it stands in the big picture.

Hhahahah brilliant analogy bud... made me laugh at how accurate it is. 

TBH it is what it is and a nice rope hanging around the APL’s neck waiting for it own to hang it one day for surely you got to cut a cancer off sooner or later.

Good point. I was living in past. 

An A-League licence doesn't have a stadium commitment. The only requirement is to ensure a venue is booked for 13 home games. Could be 13 venues in 13 different towns. As long as the venues meet minimum requirements they are good. WU don't have to build a stadium if they decide it's not viable. It will be tough to build an audience without one, but they don't have to if they don't want to.

Withdrawn by whom ?

For the life of me I don't understand how Western United haven't had their licence withdrawn for breach of the stadium commitment. This is unloved clubbing haven done the images of the competition immeasurable harm with their ongoing farce of the novel stadium and the no supporters. They've have a been the AFls dream, an absolute embarrassment and ongoing marketing disaster for the A League. 

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/saudi-pro-league-low-attendance-31695095

:) 

It shows entirely what the backbone of AL is - a model/business that struggles to transition into a community sport compared to a typical business per say.
Its like a Hungry Jacks making use of the maccas kitchen for a period of time or pizza hut order taken through a dominos outlet.
Identity is hard to establish half baked.

Training pitch, yes, their own ground, no. Training pitch is 100% council owned and run. Same situation as your average NPL club.  It's also not ready yet and they are yet to play a game there. Their original selling point was having the only club owned stadium in the A-League, which at the time they are quoted as saying it was shovel ready. They are yet to start building it.

I thought they were playing in their own ground now? At least the training pitch. Who wants to go to AAMI park for a third team playing average football that hasn’t carved an identity? I thought these guys running the club are businessmen? That is some limited insight into what is required to build a football club 

Commence building the privately owned stadium they promised 5 years ago would be a good starting point.

how does a new club grow in a very parochial afl and burnt MV/MH market, a good number of NPL Clubs and countless association Clubs let alone no home ground and right now a basket case of a comp hardly getting any air time let alone melb media.
City have got crickets with titles of late and have struggled gaining much support, even MCG quotes how hard it is to support that Club.
Sports Clubs shouldn't or can be forced down peoples throats to support as you know, its a passion htf can you turn people around to luv it.
Newbies is your only hope to the future, they should arrange having new baby born WU kits handed out in every maternity ward in their region and offer free rego once at 7yrs old - oh do they have any U7 on Jnr teams ???

Long term strategy? Victory owned the aleague men's market around Melbourne and perhaps throughout Victoria. Heart/City came on the scene and attempted to pick up the disillusioned and annoyed around Melbourne. For WU to pick up general followers to provide some credibility/visibility the odd regional visit might gain just a little bit of favouritism "if I was forced to pick a side...".

Look at the Wollongong Firebirds when Nix chose not to play out of NZ during covid. It is not an identical comparison since Wollongong has had a strong football history but it shows that a team that makes the effort to go places can garner a little bit of fondness if nothing else.

WU need all the fondness they can get as they try to grow.

If it were City as an alternative I doubt it'd be much better in Ballarat. WU are garbage and as a club have no soul but that just makes it even more stupid to send them to a city like Ballarat. 

For some perspective from Saudi Arabia; 

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/saudi-pro-league-hits-another-new-embarrassing-low-that-could-humiliate-cristiano-ronaldo-415742?fbclid=IwAR0THDJ3dpkdfYGe_OfUX3SYQ8JFwgBAUSrBEHPTaDrvDbe62iwKq4iWP9w_aem_AYOvphsC8xLJZ_7-0EiTbpmRHbppZJn1_acgsf3n7uPrUsx-tdA0vTORGjqgN0qYD5I

Maybe if Union paid their Rent



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