People criticising Wollongong's NSL crowds are forgetting that they're better than most NSL teams... average crowds took a huge jump from the NSL to the A-League. Within a few years with solid growth I can easily see a Wollongong team averaging 10k+.

Sam Malcolmson: Phoenix will rise, but we need an Auckland team

Despite their struggles I'm convinced the Phoenix will soon be a force in the A-league again. More importantly, though, I believe the time is right for the A-league administration and New Zealand Football to consider establishing a new franchise in Auckland.

Yes, I can hear the cry that the Kingz and the Knights were dismal failures. But the A-league has progressed as a professional organisation since those embarrassing days. A new franchise will also learn from those mistakes and the success of the Phoenix in their infancy. There are enough well-heeled business people in Auckland to relish this challenge.

Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick is on the right track with the attractive style of soccer they are playing, and even a 25 per cent success rate from the strikers would have them in the top four. Once Merrick can offload a few players and sign his own, they will be title challengers.

The standard of the A-league has dropped this season but such is its closeness and unpredictability that I agree with Merrick's prediction that the Phoenix will make the playoffs.

My major concern is the poor crowds - the last two home games have attracted only around 6000 spectators. That is a big problem when you consider that last Sunday's game was played on a beautiful evening, with a late kickoff making it attractive for families during the school holidays.

That match against Sydney City highlighted that the Phoenix are really a Wellington team. Only four New Zealanders started the game and one of those, Andrew Durante, is a recently naturalised Australian.

This is not a criticism, but an observation that the pathway to professional soccer for New Zealand youngsters is restricted.

Added to that, the national league is a dismal competition and interest sparks only for the O-league, where Auckland and Waitakere have represented New Zealand well.

An Auckland A-league team, based at North Harbour Stadium, would offer more opportunities for our youngsters as well as reinvigorating the world's number one game in the country's biggest city.

Auckland's population of 1.5 million must surely be able to maintain a successful and popular A-league team. It would also be easier to attract high quality overseas foundation players and coaches to a multi-cultural city like Auckland.

How about Ryan Nelsen as the coach and a player such as one of the Manchester United legends Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes as the marquee signing who would double as assistant coach. Happy New Year, and be safe in 2014.

From the facebook page, looks like it'll be a lot easier to add an Auckland team now according to CNN!

It's a well known fact that NZ is just an Australian state.

would love to see the cash from the sale of WSW put into a team in between Liverpool and Campbeltown. Stadium could be an issue, but that might even be the impetus for a boutique football stadium in Sydney south west. I think WSW could handle the competition for support. I also think that if it doesnt happen quickly, it will be very hard to place a club in that region in the future, and we would end up with a similar situation to MV/MH.

Gotta fact check this. Firstly I think when only 1 team cities that are broad based and played in the same stadium moving from NSL to A-League should be considered when doing a like for like comparison when talking about any future Wollongong team.

*note, i picked the highest average for a season each NSL team had that I could find

Jets 01/02 averaged 9383 and all time a-league average is 10,480
Glory 01/02 averaged 12,801 and all time a-league average is 8,588
United 03/04 averaged 12,568 and all time average a-league is 10,911

I fail to see any Wollongong team getting a significant jump just by being in the A-League compared to their prime support in the NSL and when they won 2 championships in a row.

Also aren't CCM having troubles because of a lack of corporate support? How is Wollongong going to be better at this when they have the Dragons and Hawks to compete with in getting local corporate support?

Does that mean we can replace Lucas Neill with Winston Reid?

Challenge ahead for Football South Coast

FOOTBALL

It was a year of heartbreak for Football South Coast. The region’s governing body had the home of football vision Dapto within reach, but in the end it was simply the victim of politics on both sides of government. However, a light in the dark glows, with the belief an A-League team could be established within three years, as revealed in Friday’s Mercury. Will 2014 provide the platform for Wollongong to return to the national football landscape? Mercury football writer MITCH COHEN takes a look at five key areas for the new year.

1. HOME OF FOOTBALL

The chips may be down, but now isn't the time for Football South Coast to fold. The government's dual decision to deny $15 million in funding for the West Dapto dream project was a grenade among the FSC ranks. Where to from here? It's hard to say. But the region still lacks a premier playing facility for 16,000 plus players and a gaping space for playing fields remains in the heart of the West Dapto development. Football fans should have faith the FSC won't stop until Illawarra football gets the support they think it deserves.

2. REBUILD WOLVES SUPPORT

As St George Illawarra fast become the 'Sydney Dragons', an opportunity has arisen for a team to take ownership of the winter sporting market. A potential move to WIN Stadium and a change to a more community-based organisation can help put the South Coast Wolves in pole position. They may still ply their trade in a state-based competition but momentum for a Wollongong A-League club has to start somewhere. Most importantly for the Wolves they must first offer a product worth following. This year saw them come within an inch of a disastrous relegation, but an early start to pre-season and a strengthened first-grade squad has the club hellbent on avoiding a repeat.

3 HOST AN A-LEAGUE FIXTURE

While an A-League franchise is still a few years away, hosting a regular season fixture must be high on Football South Coast's to-do list. More than 6500 people came out to see Sydney FC play Newcastle Jets in a pre-season clash at WIN Stadium earlier this year, with the venue already successfully hosting W-League, Young Socceroos and Youth League matches. A regular season fixture must be the next step. It is almost criminal that places like Port Macquarie, Morwell, Bathurst and Launceston have hosted games in the competition's past, but Wollongong, a city rich in the history of Australian football, has fallen through the cracks. In 2014 it surely has to change.

4. W-LEAGUE AMBITION

Sydney FC's three-game W-League commitment to WIN Stadium was further indication that women's football has a home in the Illawarra. Like an A-League club, a Wollongong-based W-League franchise must be pursued. Financially more viable than an A-League club, the region has the perfect base for a team. The Illawarra Stingrays are one of the major forces in the NSW Premier League, finishing runners-up to Marconi Stallions in the top division and claiming the Club Championship. Their performance was rewarded with W-League contracts to Jordan Baker, Caitlin Cooper and Michelle Carney at the Western Sydney Wanderers. Add the likes of Caitlin Foord to the mix and Illawarra women's football has rarely been stronger.

5. MAINTAIN A STRONG ILLAWARRA PREMIER LEAGUE

How do you match it with a 2013 season that had it all? Giants fell, records were broken and the competition made a triumphant return to WIN Stadium. But if there was one blight on a fantastic year in the Premier League it was Coniston's performance throughout the season. Getting beaten 12-0 once in any competition is horrific. Twice? A disaster. The Lions conceded 93 goals last campaign and are thankfully headed back to the District League for some much needed rebuilding. But as one club falls, another rises. Bellambi arrive in the Premier League after a long hiatus and might want to put in a quick call to Woonona to see what making a successful transition is all about.

Rather than debate about which city is most worthy, why not just set up a syndicate in a few promising regions, market it, and sell foundation memberships. The place(s) with the most foundation members get a team and an automatic crowd. The unsuccessful syndicates refund all their 'foundation members'.

This way the right choice makes itself.

Having said that, if FFA jumped on a SW Sydney team right now that would be quite a good move, Sydney literally is here for the taking right now with SFC and WSW both doing very nicely. But some narrow-minded people will be in a fit about too many NSW teams, even though almost half the country lives between Nowra and Coffs Harbour...

after a long thought

11. wollongong wolves
12. ipswich strikers (upgrade their north ipswich oval, regardless of whether brisbane strikers want to join the party, the name sounds good)

13. auckland city (mt smart stadium, until a smaller venue can be found)
14. canberra cosmos (name not fixed, will change if required, not keen on another united)

15. 3rd melbourne (either south melbourne or dandenong)
16. 3rd sydney (in the south-west suburbs) or hobart timbers

Capital City FC.
Much better ;)

And their mascot

Their colours can be the eucalypt green and earthy ochre of the parliamentary chambers and their active support could be the Backbenchers.

Stupid people always wanting to kick Wellington out.

Funny how they've helped keep alive struggling clubs with a tv deal since their formation. Show a little gratitude bogans :)

With an infamous call and response chant of "Hear! Hear!".