Fixed that for you

It has taken 93 games to break the million mark this season.  It took 91 games last season.

Boycott. 

Glory vs Brisbane : 10831

This round was the 3rd best attended round this season. (Sadly only a avg of 12,505)

Revised down on HAL site to 22648. Which makes sense because you can hear the ground announcer on telecast saying "over 22,000"

Sydney v CC - 12188 (source - HAL site)

i believe we were 36,000 down last week compared to the previous season. that margin must have tightened after the good crowds on the weekend. and Melbourne derby this week (2 home games for Victory, unlike last year) should see it tighten up further. 

Total attendance is now down 18k (1.7%) on last season.

it should go up after a few derbies and the finals 

Season 1 average: 10,956
Season 14 average to date: 10,765

That's the issue here. The FFA has thrown away everything we achieved or tried to achieve in this whole time. Whether or not we beat last season's 4th lowest crowd average in history is simply a distraction.

Finals don't count.

Jesus that is depressing reading.

Imagine qualifying for the WC for the first time in thirty years and then in 15 years no one caring anymore.

Personally, I don't think it's a bad thing that we've been able to maintain that first year average, you could argue that's a very good result.

this is more evidence that WSW and City in particular aren't pulling their weight. 

Why?

We've got 1 million participants in the game, and yet we can only rely on approx ~55k to come and watch a game over the weekend? The purpose of the A-League was to capture those who were 'disenfranchised' with the NSL - yet all these years later, we're still no better off? I'd say its disastrous that we've been unable to move forward as a professional game in the 14 or so years since the 'revolution' of football.

If that crowd average was full houses across the country than yeah, I would probably agree with you - the mass of empty seats at games tells us this is not the case.

Put another way, you’re only enagaging 5% of the participation base.

are you suggesting that the disengagement with "old soccer" is the biggest reason for the crowds? i put it to you that a far bigger issue in this country are the Eurosnobs. 

The Aus population has grown by 20% over the last 10 years, so in effect we have actually gone backwards in a massive way

It's not a disengagement with old soccer or its just Eurosnobs. We have a fairly large football fan base and the HAL isn't connecting properly. I'm not expecting 100% connection but surely, we need to be getting more than 5% after 15 years.

Not the biggest reason, but certainly a sizeable one. I'd argue that the disconnect with both old soccer and Eurosnobs is down to the same thing - the complete and utter refusal by the FFA to run an internationally credible competition along normal football guidelines.

There will always be some people who are fairweather kunts who are attracted to star players overseas rather than local clubs and players. However, as Burtz said, we MUST be doing better than engaging 5% of the active football community in this country - I highly doubt that 95% of the football population are Eurosnobs.

i'd agree with that. 

15 years of a professional national competition, some superstars come and gone, crowds sliding for 5 seasons in a row, utter chaos from head office, tv ratings in the toilet --- but hey, you could argue that its all a very good result.

:blink:

When the league commenced 14 years ago, 10k crowds were viewed as a pass mark.

The average over that period has been closer to 11k.

On what basis are people thinking it should somehow magically be a lot higher?

Participation?  Absolutely nothing to do with how many people go and watch a professional league.  The NRL has hardly any participants in their sport, but get massive ratings (and higher attendances than the A-League), participation means nothing.  Plenty of sports out there with good participation but can't afford a professional competition.

When you consider what the NSL was getting....

A great man told me watching the epl from Australia is like masturbating but watching the a league is like having sex. That’s the message we should use more imo

It shows our penetration levels for support are so low.

While the FFA has tried targeting Shazza and Robbo the afl loving fans as potential fans they should actually focus on targeting the people who are actually like and respect the game.

I still strongly believe the atmosphere that games used to generate was a marketing tool in itself. The party atmosphere you used to get at Parramatta was a selling point to games on its on. Now you have games as souless with a mediocre squad. Why would you fork out good money to watch crap football at expensive prices

I don't disagree, but it's worth noting that the Victory, the largest and most successful club in the country boasts that half its membership also have AFL memberships.

If this competition was a well run league with competent administrators and appropriate marketing then the current average/aggregate attendance would be alarming.

But it’s not well run nor blessed with competent administrators so the competition is getting exactly what it deserves after years of neglect and is now rapidly eroding even its core support.

Victory show what potential is there, Nix did it with 23k at the weekend, and even Roar started off with two 15k crowds before things went to crap.

It’s probably a big ask but a well run league, the establishment of a Div 2 and a roadmap to pro/rel with all our life times would have this thing flying.

Half these people are wogs who grew up with both sports. Melbourne is a different beast.

that's would be so nice.