As a Perth Glory fan, I couldn’t be further away. But I know that when it comes to attendances, Sydney FC is a barometer for the A-League.

If Sydney is playing in front of disappointing crowds, you can rest assured that the competition as a whole is not faring any better. Boy did it show last season. Sydney’s crowd decline was probably a true reflection of where the A-League ranks in the public eye.

There could be a number of reasons. Poor scheduling, the continued rise ofTwenty20 cricket, expensive ticket prices. Or maybe, just maybe, it could have been that the style of football from your beloved team was, to be blunt, unattractive.

Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share

Not that I should worry too much, as I thoroughly enjoyed watching Brisbane play. That is, of course, when I could actually find a pub showing Fox Sports 3. Not every student can afford subscription television.

Brisbane were terrific to watch last season. However, while they were an improvement from the previous season, their attendances still did not match the average attendances of earlier years. One can only wonder what their crowds would have been like back then if they had performed to the same level as recently.

Every club has factors that determine attendances, but I believe they all have one factor in common. The FFA have not done a good job of creating the brand that is the A-League. They have, however, created the bland.

By this I mean there is too much centralised FFA control, where fans want variety.

Is it not exciting that every club will have their own shirt sponsor this season? To see the likes of Adidas in the Hyundai A-League will be fantastic and is a sign that the competition is heading in the right direction when it comes to giving clubs commercial freedom.

The days of away teams always wearing white are now gone, but not long past, and elements of that conservatism remain in other areas. The FFA need to loosen up.



I don’t mean they should start taking zumba and yoga classes, although that might help too. I mean that they need to accept that the clubs can actually do things on their own.

They also need to relax towards the fans. Think Hatamoto and the regulation that prevents the showing of ‘controversial’ replays on the video screen. Yet the FFA decided to use fans as the central figure in last season’s marketing campaign.

Not a bad idea, but if you are going to make a television advertisement that represents the league as being ‘fan made’, then it might actually be a good idea to make the league ‘fan made’. I am not really sure how the likes of Hatamoto or the prevention of large banners fit into that equation.

Furthermore, on the topic of advertisements, what happened to the original one with Scribe? You know which one I am talking about, the one that was actually cool. Apparently the next ad is supposed to be a good one, but if recent efforts are anything to go by, I think it is fair to say that I am feeling a little nervous.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping an advertisement simple. To prove my point, just check out the new video from the popular Australian Football page on Facebook.

Clubs and fans need to be given a chance to create their own identity. This will help improve the tribalism which only generates more interest.

By all means give the clubs a framework, but do not go overboard with centralisation that limits what the A-League needs most right now: a bit of soul and passion.

The league lacks flavour and is denting the growth of the competition.



So what can the FFA do? The improved kits are good start, but if you check out club websites for example, you will find they are basically all exactly the same.

Many fans ignore the A-League websites in favour of social media and The World Game. Why do they ignore the official A-League pages? Because they are boring.

Where is the first place a potential new fan will go to find out information about the league? If I was to hazard a guess they will most probably go straight to the official pages. What will their impressions be?

Just like the half time entertainment. I was at three different venues and the half entertainment was all exactly the same. I understand that sponsors need to be kept happy but let the clubs be more creative.

Back in the days of the NSL, the Glory had bigger crowds than they do now, and much more freedom. It showed. The half time entertainment was excellent and the match day programmes were relevant and interesting to read.

I would love to see the A-League clubs making their own programmes. The more relevant they are the more it adds to the fan experience. “Who’s going to pay for it?” I hear you say. I am not sure, but at least the money will go to the clubs.

Heck, some supporter groups do it already but maybe fanzines are the way to go for a little while. The supporters will happily fund something that they enjoy reading and creating.

The football by Glory in recent years has been disappointing but another common complaint you hear out west is that the match-day experience is just not the same anymore. You can put this down to a combination of money and FFA regulation.



I know the FFA like to avoid anything ‘Old Soccer’ but they could do a lot worse than to study the Glory brand during the NSL era.

Even with the football taken out of the equation, the experience of going to a Glory match back then compared to now was superior. Now the whole experience is blander. Not just at NIB Stadium, but at all A-League venues I have attended.

There are enough people already who claim football is boring! Let’s not give them any more ammunition.

For the A-League to grow it needs to brand itself as the prime summer sport, but most of all, the A-League, like summer, needs to be fun.