By comparison South Coast has 10,500 and Central Coast 12,500.

Sunshine Coast 5,500.
http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-9393-0-0-0&sID=265952

Thats a fair figure. How many of those travel down for Brisbane games though?

Gold Coast A-League bid

OFFICIALS at Gold Coast Soccer have urged Football Federation Australia to think carefully before it decides where to place a new A-League club if New Zealand fails to come up with the money to run a team next season.

A consortium from the region emerged yesterday as a possible replacement for the New Zealand Knights, who have been given until tomorrow by the head body to come up with $2million to fund a side.

Townsville, which is understood to have put in an impressive bid and, to a lesser extent Wollongong, have been mentioned as possibilities to fill the Kiwis' spot if they fall over.

While Townsville has six months' head start on the other candidates, Gold Coast Soccer president Peter Gray said the consortium behind the region's bid, consisting of successful local property developers, is "ready to go".

"I have no doubt that, despite giving away a bit of a start, we are ready to put in a very competitive bid for the franchise," Gray said.

"We have a very influential and powerful group of Gold Coast and interstate businessmen who are very keen to get involved in the A-League.

"They are more than capable of making it happen."

The consortium has already decided the Gold Coast team, if successful, will play out of Carrara Stadium, which is the temporary home of the Gold Coast Titans, who will make their NRL debut this Sunday.

The AFL will also use the stadium for matches involving the Kangaroos.

A new stadium is also being built at Robina and the proposed club would have no problems eventually shifting its base there.

While there has been no discussion in terms of player recruitment, The Australian understands several locals have been mentioned as possibilities for the coaching role, including former Newcastle, Sydney Olympic, Marconi and Fijian national coach Lee Sterrey, former Wollongong Wolves coach Nick Theodorakopoulos and former Queensland Roar coach Miron Bleiberg.

Gray believes it would be good for the A-League to get a strong foothold in the booming area and urged it not to give the AFL and rugby league a "free hit".

"We all know the Titans are ready to kick off in the NRL and that the AFL is spending a huge amount of money to try and get a foothold on the Gold Coast," Gray said.

"Football is very strong in our area.

"We now have over 8500 registered players and that is 1200 up on last season's figures. We hosted Sydney FC in a match against Queensland Roar in the A-League pre-season last year and, on a very wet day, we got over 7200 paying customers to the match.

"We have to capitalise on our expanding base and not allow the other codes to get a foothold. If I was the FFA I'd be thinking over this very carefully."

Gray, a former board member of Soccer Australia and former president of Soccer NSW, said the GCS would not have a financial stake in the new licence but is prepared to provide office facilities and staff. "We are not in the business of spending kids' money on things like this," Gray said.

"But we have offered as much assistance as possible to ensure the bid is successful.

"The people involved in the consortium are cashed up and have the support of the Gold Coast council."

Gray added the consortium had spoken to FFA several months ago about gaining a licence for the 2008-2009 season.

"We were due to talk to them again at the end of March in relation to the 2008 bid, but we will try and bring those talks forward, in light of the events of recent days," he said.

The Townsville consortium remains a strong favourite to fill the void if the Kiwi club falls over.

Townsville project director James Gage believes the club, which would have New Zealand great Wynton Rufer as coach, can raise the $2.5m minimum required by FFA within 24 hours.

- See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/gold-coast-a-league-bid/story-e6frg7s6-1111113149102#sthash.3gzpFOpL.dpuf

Where were those 5500 people week in week out? :-k

-PB

We need to focus on strategic growth which will add value to the league in regards to attendances, corprate support and TV ratings, with that in mind I'd only be expanding in the following areas

Auckland
Canberra
Wollongong
Geelong

And then I'd be looking at a strong semi professional B-League, comprising,

Townsville Fury
Sunshine Coast
Ipswich
Tasmania
Christchurch
Albury
South Melbourne
Melbourne - other team
Sydney Olympic
Sydney United
SA team
WA team

The costs involved setting up a national A2 league would be pretty high....

I don't think there should be any more nz teams. Otherwise we should be asking the nz fa to be making big contributions for creating a league for them. Plus I thought the aff wanted Wellington out as it is? Canberra, Wollongong, eventually Tasmania and another Queensland team for a medium term expansion. No generic 'other' teams like heart. Wsw works because locals know what it represent, who does heart geographically represent?

We need to focus on strategic growth which will add value to the league in regards to attendances, corprate support and TV ratings, with that in mind I'd only be expanding in the following areas

Auckland
Canberra
Wollongong
Geelong

I don't think there should be any more nz teams. Otherwise we should be asking the nz fa to be making big contributions for creating a league for them. Plus I thought the aff wanted Wellington out as it is? Canberra, Wollongong, eventually Tasmania and another Queensland team for a medium term expansion. No generic 'other' teams like heart. Wsw works because locals know what it represent, who does heart geographically represent?

The NSL was able to do it.

The NSL was able to do it.

How is an aleague 2 league going to survive, who is going to cover the costs of the league (travel, salaries etc)?
abc television ?

How is an aleague 2 league going to survive, who is going to cover the costs of the league (travel, salaries etc)?
abc television ?

How is an aleague 2 league going to survive, who is going to cover the costs of the league (travel, salaries etc)?
abc television ?

I doubt travel is as expensive as you think it is. Right now the NPL Queensland seems to be doing fine even with all the travel some teams would have. And some of these teams only got 200 or so people to games. One would imagine if you picked the right teams for a 2nd their national comp that each team would get at least 1000 + some level of corporate support.

Salaries might be a harder question since no doubt some teams can afford more than others, but in no way could this be a fully professional league.

First question is what will add value to the HAL.

1) More content
2) Wider audience
3) Truly national footprint

With that in mind my teams would be


1. Sydney FC
2. Western Sydney Wanderers
3. Central Coast Mariners
4. Newcastle Jets
5. Melbourne Victory
6. Melbourne Heart
7. Adelaide United
8. Perth Glory
9. Brisbane Roar
10 Wellington Phoenix

then

11. Canberra
12. Wollongong
13. Tasmania
14. Auckland
15. Townsville
16 Darwin/Surabaya (young, parochial fast growing city) tied with a football mad AFC city

This would mean

240 games plus finals rather than the current 135 plus finals
Teams in every state and territory and access to a dynamic football market in Indonesia plus Asian sponsors.

Semi professional and would have to be conferenced me thinks.

Kinda like the NPL is right now? That said i'm not particularly for a national 2nd div. At least not until we have at least 16 teams in the 1st