paulc is the Pauline Hanson of the soccer world, when it comes to effnicks, he doesn't like it!!!

KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK

-PB

Effnik clubs from Kekistan have held football back in Australia.

Here are 2 articles in relation to this one -

Sydney FC v Sydney United shows cracks between old and new football | Joe Gorman | Football | The Guardian

Football often turns on a single moment, and from that crucial decision, the game swings back to the visitors. Naumoff, a player who is still very much on the fringe of Sydney FC’s first team, pops up again to belt home a left foot piledriver from a difficult angle. Like his first effort, it is absolutely unstoppable.

This time it’s The Cove’s turn to gloat, and they sing “this city is ours”, and “who are ya?” at the opposition. Two flares sail over the stadium fence and land not far from where the FC fans stand. Luckily nobody is hurt, but the synthetic grass gets a good singe. The Sydney Croatia fans sing “you can stick your fucken’ A-League up your arse”, before returning to the more familiar chants of their mother tongue.
Sydney United
A young Sydney United fan celebrates his team’s equaliser. Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
There is a bit of argy bargy in the box as Sydney FC goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic - a former Sydney Croatia player - literally picks up Ibrahim Haydar and moves him out of his way while Sydney FC line up to defend a free kick. The players rush in for the opportunity to push and shove each other before the referee breaks up the pantomime. As SUS bay for blood behind the goals an old bloke turns and yells something at me in Croatian, and I nod and smile, though I have no idea what he’s on about. Maybe he’s as impressed as I am that Vedran was able to lift ‘Ibi’ clean off his feet? He’s a big fella after all.

The resulting free kick sails over the bar, and as Rudan urges his boys on from the sideline, Sydney FC midfielder Ali Abbas sets off on a mazy run, bamboozling several defenders before sliding the ball into the back of the net. It is the third goal off immense quality for the visitors and Sydney Croatia’s Cup dream is crushed.

In Melbourne, another Croatian club, St Albans Dinamo, are beaten by Perth Glory. Palm Beach Sharks and Adelaide United go through to the quarter finals at the expense of South Springvale and Brisbane Roar. But all the focus is on the proceedings at Edensor Park, where the catharsis of competition brings the factions of ‘old soccer’ and ‘new football’ a little closer together.

Sydney Croatia might be disappointed by the result, but with more than 8,000 people through the gates, it’s still a red-letter day for the club. Assistant coach Jerry Bilokapic poses for a photo with a gaggle of kids holding Croatian flags, the players thank their supporters and club hero Luka Glavas says goodbye to his legion of fans for the last time. At least half of the players return to the dressing room without their shirts, having thrown them into the crowd for the kids to savour. Just as Mark Rudan dreamed of playing for Sydney Croatia as a boy, so will a new generation of youngsters. The cycle continues, and for a club that has produced over 40 Socceroos, that’s something all Australians benefit from.

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/sep/24/sydney-fc-sydney-united-ffa-cup


Is Heidelberg's big crowd a one-off or evidence to support A-League 2?

Heidelberg United fans barrack for their team.
Heidelberg United fans barrack for their team. Photo: Getty Images
The FFA is not about to introduce a second division or promotion or relegation to the A-League any time soon.

But the supporters of traditional clubs, champing at the bit to get the chance for a rebirth on the big stage, will point to the bumper crowd at Olympic Village for the FFA Cup quarter final between Heidelberg United and Melbourne City as further evidence that there is a strong appetite for football outside the A-League.

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More than 11,000 people turned up to the old, rather run-down venue close to Northland shopping centre and the Olympic Village shops, once one of the most celebrated locations in Australian sport when it played host to the athletes of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

It was one of the biggest Heidelberg crowds – at least at this venue – in history, so in one sense it cannot be regarded as typical and it was a special occasion.

It featured a one-off – and last-ever – appearance by the former captain of the Greek national team, Kostas Katsouranis, and it was a game that celebrated the Bergers' chance to make a real splash on the national stage against an A-League club that is part of one of the richest football businesses in the world, the Manchester City-owned Melbourne City.

Katsouranis' presence clearly swelled the numbers for this largely Greek-supported team, while anecdotal evidence suggested a fair few Victory fans turned out to barrack against City as well.

Everyone expected the gulf between the full-time professionals of City and the part-timers of NPL Heidelberg to show up eventually, and it did. It was always likely to, especially as City's players were hard fit on the cusp of their season, while the hosts' campaign had ended more than a month ago.

Leaving aside the quality gulf, what did the game say about the desirability of a second-tier league in Australia with promotion and relegation?

Competition is the essence of all sport, but it is sadly lacking in the A-League, where there is no penalty for failure.

All 9 Australian teams have been guaranteed a spot at the top table long into the future, with commercial imperatives dominating the game's thinking: the idea of a Perth club, for example, being relegated and not having a top-tier team in WA for sponsors to advertise nationally or the broadcasters not to have an Australia-wide footprint is unthinkable for the game's administrators.

There are understandable fiscal reasons for the game's governing body thinking that way.

But at some point, if it wants to underwrite the future development of the game – and most of the players come through the non-A-League system, even if it is during their junior phase – they have to provide some kind of incentive for these second-tier clubs to invest and continue to produce players and grow the game at the grassroots level.

At present the FFA Cup does that as it gives them a chance to shine on Fox Sports and in front of a bigger crowd – at least to the quarter- and semi-final stage, and possibly to the final, although it is expecting an awful lot for Hume City to knock over Melbourne Victory in the semi-final later this month.

There are arguments against, of course. Crowds during NPL games during the winter are hardly exciting and while the diehards make a lot of noise, few neutrals seem too concerned.

But is it a chicken and egg situation? If fans of local clubs knew there was a chance that their investment in juniors could see them produce a team that could take them into the A-League, would they care more? Would more business get behind them to support them and make it a possibility?

George Katsakis, the Heidelberg coach, is hardly a neutral, but like so many who have given a lifetime to the traditional clubs, he is hoping that one day the FFA will relent and find a sponsor or commercial set-up that allows them to create a national second division, which will give clubs such as his the chance to dream of a spot in the A-League.

"Having been born and brought up at this place I haven't seen anything like it for a long time," he said after the game.

"We may have been losers on the park but in football and community terms we made ourselves very proud. It [a game of this sort] gives you a foundation to build on. It's something every club would aspire to every time, and it's very important to try and continue to build momentum.

"That match was a great indication of grassroots football and its history, and we have forgotten about its history. No doubt Kosta's appearance had something to do with [the huge crowd] but it took an NPL club to bring a marquee player and make the message that we did," said Katsakis, arguing that there is clearly scope for a second division.

Not everyone would say that clubs such as Heidelberg (and South Melbourne, Melbourne Knights, Sydney United, Sydney Olympic and Marconi) are small clubs anyway, as they have often been painted in these days of A-League franchise teams.

Certainly not Katsouranis, who led the Greek side in the 2014 World Cup at Brazil. His take was quite interesting, as he suggested that the facilities and support at Heidelberg were better than at many clubs in Greece.

He announced his retirement after the match, and it's fitting perhaps he should have the last word. "I am very happy. I play in front of many Greek fans and I help a big club to grow up."

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/is-heidelbergs-big-crowd-a-oneoff-or-evidence-to-support-aleague-2-20150930-gjxvjh.html

These matches happened and the sky didn't fall down.

Australia doesn't have the luxury of a spread out population over 50 cities.

We need to follow the models that work, the AFL and NRL. Flood the big cities with multiple teams. Imo it could be a mix between new and old.

It works on tv also. The only limit is the invisible barriers the FFA creates

Roberts must still be banned

That's a bingo.

Personally I don't see any clubs with ethnic ties being introduced to the A-League until promotion and relegation comes along. There is still too much "fear" of what could be done to sponsors, the game, the league etc. Even when the FFA relinquish some control of the A-League I don't see it happening.

I think promotion and relegation will be their only avenue in the near future (right or wrong, I just think that is reality).

Consider this ... there is nothing stopping the non-ethnic based sides playing in the state NPLs at the moment, but how many our in the top flight in each state atm??

NSW has 5 out of 12 teams with no ethnic ties I am aware of (a few others might no longer have strong ethnic ties that I am not aware, e.g. Parramatta??)

WA has 7/8 out of 14 teams with no ethnic ties I am aware of.

The high number of clubs still in the top flights with ethic ties to me suggests that they are still doing something right at the grassroots level and providing adequate development pathways (key components of the FFA's NC). But their "fans" (or at least their reputation / perception) are probably what are holding these clubs back more so than anything the clubs actually do.

Parramatta use to have thousands of Maltese followers now they follow Rugby League as the attendance showed at the Malta Vs Phillipines rugby match last weekend and Rugby League made them most welcome.

Yeah I wasn't sure about Parra ... such a diverse and multicultural area of Sydney I didn't know how the fan base for the team had evolved (I haven't lived in Sydney for nearly 20 years).

I cant and wont support suburban terrorist clubs like the ones mentioned. Australia and New Zealand does not need that shit ever FACT.

Youre whole approach is a little on the nose. Isnt it more 3rd generation migrant ties? Anglos are an ethnicity too you know right? Are you dividning up these clubs based on who they were founded by..or what their current support consists of?...By which ones are "anglo: vs "all the rest"? Or is it anglo & celt vs the rest? Or is dutch in the continental europe team or the British Isles team? Is there a list i can look up on the internet somewhere to determine who belongs to which team? .......is  there a list of former ethnic clubs turned broadbased?..... Pls provide clarity/links.

But their "fans" (or at least their reputation / perception) are probably what are holding these clubs back more so than anything the clubs actually do.
Id say its more the closed top tier and lack of pro/rel or any official transparent expansion criteria/pathway through to top tier that is holding these clubs back.

Australia and New Zealand? Is New Zealand  part of the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association (APFCA) is it? 

Thats weird. Maybe it means your opinion doesnt matter? Dunno..........

Ethnic ties implies that the club has links to a specific ethnicity (be it historical, in their symbolism, supporter base). Such as APIA Leichhardt Tigers, which was founded by the Italian-Australian community (APIA stands for Associazione Poli-sportiva Italo Australiana). The club obviously has strong ties to the Italian community in Leichhardt. Nothing wrong with that but that is an ethnic tie (which as others on here have made obvious isn't appealing to them).

Similarly Bonnyrigg White Eagles are a club with Serbian ties (their logo has the Serbian flag in the background and the Serbian eagle in the foreground, not to mention their team name). Again nothing wrong with this, but the club obviously is very proud of their ethnic ties to Serbia.

Then you have a teams like Wollongong and Sutherland which have been about representing their region, and not ties to any particular ethnic background. I'd put Manly United in this boat too (although started as a Dutch club) they no longer have any ethnic ties (since at least 1991, maybe longer but I can't remember back that far) who have acted as a representative team for the local association for decades.

That is what most people associate ethnic based clubs with. I said clubs had ethnic ties, this does not mean they are not inclusive ... simply that they have ties.

And why do you think the FFA has closed the top-tier to these clubs??

I happened to catch part of to the SST interview with the Su58 director on the way home the other day... While I can understand a lot of the frustration and don't necessarily disagree with a lot of the criticism that the NSL clubs have leveled at the FFA/A-league over the last decade, it frustrates me a bit that they seem to consistently aim for the "innocent victim" role in the situation at all times. They refuse to at least recognise any of the issues that some of the NSL clubs - SU58 included - were mired in, which lead to the reform.

That interview was a role-coloured, sentimental NSL fap-circle.

Ultimately they'll habve to meet the FFA and/or A-league somewhere around halfway and that won't happen without them recognising that they carry some of the blame for how things turned out as well.

Some of the clubs seem to at least be working on this, but a lot of them seem hell-bend on forging along the way they always have. 

Thats fair. I admit that anything obvious like flags should well and truly be omitted or officially foreign names...hit em hard w the NCIP... .but then i get to Wellington and the waters become very muddied... the clear line starts to fade and a kind of hypocrisy sets in. Nix entire existemce is targeted at non australians...either in nz or here in aus... how can that be any different? How can the NCIP allow for maori dancers (clear ethnic imagery in use for the promotion of hal) in the yoshi ad but not zorba dancers. Id like to see someone explain that with a straight face. And in a way nz is actually a worse example...as nz arent aus citizens, yet their/and our teams play ovverseas. Its not like bonnyrig play their home games in serbia... 

I think ffa originally closed the door for many reasons..some valid, some not so.. the fact that they havent worked out how to open it is their big problem...and the problem for the games growth. 

The atmosphere was terrific at that game, great night of football, except for the City win! :p

Lots of people on here have no idea about the NSL and the ignorant comments are doing my head in.

So couple of quick facts for reference
-  the Crawford Report was an investigation into the governance of football and the alleged mismanagement, corruption & near bankruptcy of the previous governing body, Soccer Australia.  It had absolutely nothing to do with the NSL or the Effnik Clubs and descision to disband the NSL was made by Lowy & his cronies. 

Crawford Report recommendations regarding the NSL also make for interesting reading with current FFA discussions:

Recommendation 46:  Soccer Australia establish the NSL as a separate entity operating under a licence from Soccer Australia with a board comprised of independent directors elected by participating NSL clubs and with separate (to Soccer Australia) funding.

Recommendation 47: Soccer Australia assist the NSL through joint marketing, television rights agreements and sponsorships.

Recommendation 48: The Chief Executive Officer of Soccer Australia have observer status on the board of the NSL

Bingo. The greatest trick that lowy ever played was convincing everyone that it was all the ethnics fault.

And they all bought it hook line and sinker.

The delicious irony btw. ^^^^^ wow just wow. 

I think Lowy looked at the marketability of clubs as a main criteria. Hence why originally only one club per city and broad region based names.

I personally think the NSL was slowly transitioning to more broad based clubs (Glory, Parramatta, Carlton, Northern Spirit, Strikers etc.). These clubs generated interest in the game beyond the walls of the soccer fraternity in Australia ... Soccer Australia just didn't know how to take this increased interest and grow from there. I think the traditional "ethnic" NSL clubs, such as South Melbourne, Marconi etc. actually complimented and benefited from the mixture of broad based clubs and "ethnic" clubs. I remember going to a Spirit game against Olympic. The chants by Olympic fans (mainly Greek based) added great atmosphere and because there was no ethnic tension with the Spirit fans you simply had a sing off (actually got the Spirit fans to sing louder).

I think this is where Lowy didn't see the benefit of traditional clubs ... he wanted to appeal to a new fan base, rather than build on existing ones (perception??) Admittedly it would have been interesting to see how flexible some NSL clubs would have been with fitting in to the A-League (and I'd imagine the financial security required in the A-League may have seen most fall by the way side). I think some clubs would have (and still could) added a lot to the A-League, but I really think other than probably Souths, we won't see them until a second division and promotion/relegation is introduced. 

This screen grab is from the PAOK vs Schalke Europa League game this morning. I am in no way trying to link this to any Greek-Australians or clubs with ethnic ties to Greece or even suggest they would have flags/banners like this but its a clear example of what the FFA is scared of.

In saying that though, the FFA needs a better way of dealing with this fear of theirs because locking certain clubs out of top flight football because of it isn't the way to go about it.

I don't normally screen shot stuff like this, I have no connection or opinion to any of this at all, really its none of my business but I saw the banners and this thread and felt the two were linked in example only.

post a picture

Lets be truthful here shall we, you are trying to link this to Greek based clubs in Australia otherwise you would never have posted it or suggested you aren't trying to link the two. Some of the banners that are up in football stadiums around the world are pretty classless and I couldn't see them getting into our stadiums here anyway, except perhaps if your watching an AFL game. 

You definitely suit your username.

No I'm not actually. I feel the need to state it so no assumptions are made that I am. People are pretty quick to jump to conclusions around here and I felt if I state my intentions first and foremost, I wouldn't offend anyone and it wouldnt be taken the wrong way. 

Its an example of what the FFA think they are avoiding, regardless of race or creed. 

I'm fully supportive of an open football pyramid regardless of the clubs and its history and have stated numerous times, other than the Tasmanian bid, that SMFC should be next in the A-League.

Meet Perth Glory’s most colourful fan, Mr Juicy



MEET Perth Glory’s most colourful fan.

His name is Gino Gambino, but he’s better known as Mr Juicy, a 31-year-old Melbourne pro wrestler. He knows exactly the moment he became a Perth Glory convert – it was May 21, 2001. Glory were playing Melbourne Knights and striker Bobby Despotovski gave a three-fingered salute to the crowd. “I’ve been a fan ever since,” he told Quarter by Quarter.

Gambino rarely misses a game when Glory play in Melbourne and flies to Perth “once or twice a year” to watch home games from The Shed at nib Stadium. “There is no other way is there?” he said.

Gambino is known for his flamboyant outfits in the ring, but is simply one of the purple army at Glory games. “I don’t need to dress up. I am six foot and 140 kilos so I definitely stand out,” he said.


Mr Juicy with Perth Glory striker Diego Castro.Picture: Supplied
He says Diego Castro is his favourite player and hopes the club sticks with coach Kenny Lowe despite yet another frustrating season.

“He’s a superstar. A great coach. He’s just passionate. You can see he loves the game and loves the club, I just think it is going to take time,” Gambino said.

Gambino has been wrestling for 13 years out of Japan, Australia and the US. “It’s the best job in the world,” he said.

The Mr Juicy moniker was handed to him by a Puerto Rican wrestle named Mr Yummie.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/opinion/glen-quartermain/meet-perth-glorys-most-colourful-fan-mr-juicy-ng-b88767082z.amp?__twitter_impression=true





*Sorry if the first pic offends certain people

Italian name. Juicy was either a Carlton fan who couldn't move to MK or SM when they collapsed or was picked on by Croats at highschool at the time. At a guess.

Sadly I reckon Juicy is just fken ignorant about the meaning of what Despotovski did. As for ol' Bobby D himself, the years haven't made him any less a flog.

Have no sympathy for anyone regarding this. Glory fans are wankers. Knights fans need to stop worrying about Serbs and realise their are other issues in europe right now.

It's odd he celebrates it today as you could forgive him for being 13/14 at the time. Point is, clubs aren't bad. People are just dickheads. I'm sure AL has its fair share of dickhead supporters.

The dickhead gods don't discriminate by race.

Bobby also didn't know what was going on in the pic.

Important to note too that this was done by an aleague fan. Not that i give a shit either way. The harsher the bants the better imo.