A-League Expansion

[mariners4ever]

The question i have about expansion is where they are going to find 120 new players to play in the A-League without the quality of the competition dropping?
N Qld are already struggling to attract players!

100 players IMO and I agree- how on earth is that going to happen?
we are talkin bout bench players gettin on the field- Hoffmans, Gumprechts etc. as 1st team players

gumpy might be retired by then

 

[Kareem]

The question i have about expansion is where they are going to find 120 new players to play in the A-League without the quality of the competition dropping?
N Qld are already struggling to attract players!

100 players IMO and I agree- how on earth is that going to happen?
we are talkin bout bench players gettin on the field- Hoffmans, Gumprechts etc. as 1st team players

gumpy might be retired by then

i was using him as an example
add to that list robinson (although tbf he is already for some reason playin 1st team football), spencer, prentice etc.

 

[Jesus]

There will be enough. reid making the roos squad should convince a larg number of foreign aussies to head home for equivalent wages. There are way too many making no more money playing for shit teams.

There is still plenty of quality in the state leagues as the players who have got the call up this year prove.

The youth league allows for the quality to remain high with the fact players can be match fit to jump into the first team. Unlike say browny last year who struggled because of lack of games, and hindered performances through no fault of his own.

Will take some doing. But i dont think it is a huge issue.

You would also expect in 2 year some youth league players to be considered good enough to step up to being the teams under 21's or whtever. while the under21's will be up to first team. That alone should remove 3 players per club from what is necesary.

With players like macca, zullo, kruse, owens, prentice not getting a first team place, and being up to the standard as well

 

[bulldogmariner]

120 ? how did you work that out ?

4 new teams in next 2 years. Each team has at least 30 players in their squad. So 30x4=120 if my maths is still right.

 

[goingtoadisco]

oh. i thought the squads were only 23 players ?

 

[mariners4ever]

will probably expand due to the longer season

 

[goingtoadisco]

Oh of course. Does anyone think that they will be ready by 2011 ?

 

[bulldogmariner]

oh. i thought the squads were only 23 players ?

plus all the youth players

 

[bulldogmariner]

Oh of course. Does anyone think that they will be ready by 2011 ?

Mr Lowy wants it ready so i guess it will be! MR LOWY GETS what he wants

 

[David Votoupal]

Well this is a topic close to my heart.

I feel, as a dyed-in-the-wool Western Sydney lad (live near Parramatta), that most of Sydney has never felt any connection to Sydney FC- partly because of location, and partly because of the image the club conveys in public.

Expansion is a must for the continued growth of the game in this country, and we will never have a better opportunity. We need to reward areas that have given so much to the game, which Western Sydney, Wollongong and Canberra have all done. I don't get why people jump up and down and make the argument that there will be too many teams in one state, or that 2 teams in one city is a bad thing.

How can it be?

EVERY major football city on the world comfortably supports at least two big clubs. Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and the West Midlands generally, Madrid, Milan, Montevideo, Cairo, etc they all have it. So there's no reason why Sydney and Melbourne can't be two-team cities and build up massive local rivalries to match any in world football.

The North-West of England- Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire- has well over 5 million people in a smaller area than NSW. And that region has clubs like Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan, Preston North End, Burnley, Blackpool, Oldham- some of the most recognisable names to English football fans.

The West Midlands has a touch under 3 million, and has Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Wolves, West Brom, Coventry and Walsall in its bounds. Then you go to the East Midlands (no more than 100km out) and find Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Leicester City. Once more these are easily recognised names for fans.

Nearly as much would live in a wider area stretching from Newcastle down to Wollongong, and stretching as far west as Penrith- 5 teams can be easily accommodated. If it's a good thing for football everywhere else, it should be good for football in Australia!

 

[Kris]

Well this is a topic close to my heart.

I feel, as a dyed-in-the-wool Western Sydney lad (live near Parramatta), that most of Sydney has never felt any connection to Sydney FC- partly because of location, and partly because of the image the club conveys in public.

Expansion is a must for the continued growth of the game in this country, and we will never have a better opportunity. We need to reward areas that have given so much to the game, which Western Sydney, Wollongong and Canberra have all done. I don't get why people jump up and down and make the argument that there will be too many teams in one state, or that 2 teams in one city is a bad thing.

How can it be?

EVERY major football city on the world comfortably supports at least two big clubs. Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and the West Midlands generally, Madrid, Milan, Montevideo, Cairo, etc they all have it. So there's no reason why Sydney and Melbourne can't be two-team cities and build up massive local rivalries to match any in world football.

The North-West of England- Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire- has well over 5 million people in a smaller area than NSW. And that region has clubs like Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan, Preston North End, Burnley, Blackpool, Oldham- some of the most recognisable names to English football fans.

The West Midlands has a touch under 3 million, and has Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Wolves, West Brom, Coventry and Walsall in its bounds. Then you go to the East Midlands (no more than 100km out) and find Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Leicester City. Once more these are easily recognised names for fans.

Nearly as much would live in a wider area stretching from Newcastle down to Wollongong, and stretching as far west as Penrith- 5 teams can be easily accommodated. If it's a good thing for football everywhere else, it should be good for football in Australia!

Yes but in England, they don't have to compete with three other major football codes. AFL has the highest viewership, three times that of the RL and RU in England.

 

[David Votoupal]

Yes but in England, they don't have to compete with three other major football codes. AFL has the highest viewership, three times that of the RL and RU in England.

Well in England they're sports-mad beyond belief, and not just football too.

My point is, by expanding in viable markets we will have every chance of making football #1, and with Rugby League particularly vulnerable right now, NSW and Queensland is ripe for the picking.

Clubs tend to grow together in clusters, as we've seen in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa. So they should be able to grow here too.

And it will also mean passionate rivalries. Look at how many local derbies you have around the world that divide cities and arouse passion.

 

[FFC Mariner]

You couldnt generate passion in Adelaide if you put Viagra in the drinking water.

 

[tuftman]

You couldnt generate passion in Adelaide if you put Viagra in the drinking water.

 

[Atomic]

Nothing beats a local derby. Sydney v Melbourne may be a "derby"... but it aint LOCAL! So I'm all for clubs growing in clusters (as per David Votoupal). Thanks but no thanks to Tassie, Canberra and NT. Gimmie W Sydney, The 'Gong and a 2nd Melbourne team (possibly Geelong)

 

[Auburn Mariner]

Adelaide people are VERY passionate about two main events:

Port Adelaide v Adelaide (these two genuinely HATE each other)
SA v VIC in anything (but particularly State of Origin Australian Rules)

As someone raised in the bush, I quite like Adelaide. Good climate, nice flat surf, excellent restaurants, world-class cricket & Australian Rules grounds and the best wine in Australia. Oh yes, and they HATE Victorians.

 

[David Votoupal]

It makes sense to have it based in Parramatta, it's the transport and commercial hub of the Greater West, so access is easy.

I go by the principle that what works all over the world can work here easily because it's the nature of football.

Heck there were up to 9 Midlands clubs in the old First Division in season 83/84! It was a time when clubs from that region actually won things too...

 

[Jocwa08]

ive been a rugby league boy my whole life this is my third year supporting the mariners
i just wanna know why did the NSL go out?
what happened to it?

 

[FFC Mariner]

Ch7 and the people running the game killed it.

Thats the short history mind you...............

 

[David Votoupal]

To cut a long story short: the NSL was never that bad on the field, but off the field it was blatantly unprofessional, atrociously run and unappealing to mainstream Australians, even those who were dedicated football fans like me.

Also worth noting that until the late 80s, almost all of Australia's best players played here. From that point on, the player drain weakened the NSL.