But could someone help me with the maps posted above please.

But could someone help me with the maps posted above please.

the nz derby, something i hope to see in the a-league in the future.

It sounds weird to read but I suppose it's only marginally different to the Welsh derby (Cardiff v Swansea) soon to talk place in the EPL.

Can't see a second NZ team anytime in the next decade and to be honest I don't think we should have any more NZ teams. A-league has done all we can for NZ football and it hasn't done enough to justify the expansion - unless they are fully self sufficient and CONTRIBUTE to the league then we have no reason to consider any future bids from NZ.

I think Canberra must be the next addition - it's crazy to think that nearly a decade in we don't have a club in the nation's capital! Maybe to coincide with our 40 years as the first national football comp (ie 2017 40 years since NSL 1977) we should look to an NT team also become the first league to have a team from every state and territory. Even if it only gets 5k to home games it'll help create a city of football fans and local heroes playing for their local team.

So Canberra and Darwin would be my next two suggestions then Wollongong and Geelong to follow and GC and NQ Fury reintroduction to finish the expansion at 16. 26 weeks everyone plays twice - midweek games over summer.

Campbelltown is too isolated to represent the south-west and too small to host a team in its own right. Liverpool is the only realistic south-west choice.

Why Sydney's south west is an AFL, rugby, NRL and A-League soccer desert
Sept. 11, 2013, 2:06 p.m.
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WHY is the south west such an elite team sport desert?

But before answering that question, let’s look at where the south west is: most people would agree it is made up of the Fairfield, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly local government areas.


It is, by anyone’s estimate, a sizeable chunk of the great city of Sydney. Its combined population is easily more than half a million — not bad at all.

The next question is: which elite sports represent this massive region:

A-League soccer: Nil

Sydney club rugby: Nil

AFL: Nil

NRL - Wests Tigers, who play a paltry four of their NRL home matches at Campbelltown Stadium.

The region fares better during summer when Camden and Campbelltown are represented in Sydney grade cricket by the Ghosts, and Liverpool Fairfield by the Lions.

But the reality is that when it comes to both economic impact and political influence, the winter codes are where it’s at in Australia's greatest city.

Grade cricket is watched by the proverbial two men and a dog each Saturday morning, even though it’s where Australia’s Test stars begin their long journey to the top.

It’s fair to say the half a million people who call the south west region home deserve a lot better than the current reality.

Even the NRL presence of the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown is more the result of deals between members of the two sides who decided to merge in 1999 than some logical, planned move.

The truth is that if the Wests Tigers in 1999 had listened to the voices of reason who called for the establishment of a go ahead, pioneering, professional club - the Broncos of Sydney — instead of one formed with the aim to just share the spoils of the new entity between the Magpies and Balmain — they would be a powerhouse.

Not only it’s certain they would have won at least one more premiership than the arguably flukey win in 2005, they would be solely based in the south west of Sydney.

Had that been the case, the AFL, soccer and maybe even rugby union, would have had no option but to follow suit and I would not be writing this piece.

But that is just conjencture, which only explains why half a million people have to follow a team in other parts of Sydney — or even other parts of Australia.

In soccer, people in our region find it almost impossible to follow the inner city focused Sydney FC. Same for the Parramatta-Blacktown based Wanderers. And the south west has been soccer heartland for decades.

It’s not Aussie Rules heartland, but, boy, how can you follow the Giants from your Casula home, or Canley Vale or Ruse and Elderslie.

So it’s good to see that at least Liverpool Council is making a serious effort into setting up a third A-League club in its local government area.


I just wish that they would join forces with Fairfield, Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly, to make their bid that much more likely to succeed.

These council areas will never hear the regular calls to amalgamate into one huge council, but there's nothing to stop them working as one on the sport front. The rewards of success would be huge. If they failed, so what, they could start all over again.

The Liverpool bid on the other hand was run by people from Liverpool who wanted a new stadium in Liverpool. I doubt they would have accepted moving to Campbelltown.

Since populations is going to be a factor in where the next team or teams go because it is important to take tv deals and attendances into consideration. I thought it would be good to see each areas current population and projected future populations.

Wollongong (Wollongong/Shellharbour/Kiama
In 1998, With a population of 264,128, the Wollongong Wolves averaged 5,567 in their NSL when they came 6th place.
Currently, the population is around 292,136
In 2017, The next likely time for expansion, the population is estimated to be about 303,630
In 2022, 318,574
in 2030, 343,891

Canberra (Canberra/Queanbeyan)
In 1996, with a population of around 297,300, the Canberra Cosmos averaged 3,176 when they came last in the NSL.
Currently, The population is around 422,249
In 2017, 455,113
In 2022, 499,813
In 2030, 580,644

Geelong
Currently, the population is around 227,699
In 2017, 241,957
In 2022, 261,042
In 2030, 294,758

Aukland
In 2001, with a population of 1,022,616, the Football Kingz averaged 6,620 when they came 8th in the NSL.
Currently the population is around 1,530,315
In 2017, 1,624,221
In 2022, 1,749,747
In 2030, 1,971,077

Tasmania
Currently the population is around 513,024
In 2017, 517,141
In 2022, 522,333
In 2030, 530,748

Townsville
In 2010, with a population of 181,743, North Queensland Fury averaged 6,723 when they came 7th in the A-League.
Currently the population is around 186,310
In 2017, 203,254
In 2022, 226,617
In 2030, 269,712

Also the reason why i chose those years for each cities former teams is because those years were their best attendance wise that i could find.


Also Aussie4ever4, could you put this in your first post for future reference by any chance?

Got any links for these tbitm? currently updating thread.

(these were added ages a go though)

I'm starting to get massively tired of hearing talk of the need for a 2nd Western Sydney team. Yes, the region is football heartland, and yes it has a massive population that could sustain a few teams, but pleeeeeeease, is there a need for a team? Will there ever be a need for a team? Western Sydney has embraced the Wanderers. Penrith is behind the Wanderers as much as Fairfield is, as is Campbelltown, Parramtta, the Hills etc etc etc.

Just look up the 'South Queensland Crushers' rugby league club or Melbourne Heart and you'll get an idea of why a 2nd WS club would struggle when up against a club that is already established, well-supported and represents its region. Another WS club would do more damage than good to the Wanderers and the A-league.

If crowds get too big for the Parramatta stadium, then there is always Homebush down the road. I'd rather see a massive Wanderers club rather than 2 or 3 small clubs in Western Sydney. The Wanderers have all the ingredients needed to change the sporting landscape.

Edited by Jowel: 30/9/2013 03:44:30 PM