A-League Expansion

[midfielder]

There pulling some major media too.. another mega article for a club not even in the league yet...

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/a-club-of-the-masses-rather-than-a-club-of-the-elite-new-team-will-ensure-a-new-rivalry-to-put-sydney-on-the-map-20100218-oj05.html

A club of the masses, rather than a club of the elite: new team will ensure a new rivalry to put Sydney on the map
MICHAEL COCKERILL
February 19, 2010
ANALYSIS

Whichever way you look at it, Sydney Rovers are going to be a breath of fresh air. For the A-League as a whole, because they will hopefully bring the heartland back into the game. For the culture of football, because three of the four directors are former pros, steeped in knowledge, and fired by enthusiasm. And not least, for Sydney. The rivalry between the Rovers and Sydney FC will, over time, bring the entire metropolitan area into its orbit. Australia's biggest city is also the country's biggest football city.

The weight of numbers has only rarely been reflected by the key measurements of ratings and spectators. From 2011, even the A-League's most trenchant critics - the 250,000 registered players of Sydney - will find the competition impossible to ignore.

So what can we expect, what should we expect, from the Rovers? Plenty, it seems. They'll be well capitalised from the start, which gives them the resources, and the momentum, to think big from the start. A $20 million centre of excellence. A strong membership base, perhaps second only to Melbourne Victory. A nice stadium, a list of blue-chip sponsors.

Most of all, a latent fan base which, rightly or wrongly, hasn't embraced the A-League. Some of them used to watch the old NSL clubs such as Sydney United, Marconi Stallions, Parramatta Eagles, or Blacktown City. They won't go to watch Sydney FC, partly because of the distance, and partly because they feel disenfranchised by the line drawn in the sand between ''old soccer'' and ''new football''. The Rovers are going to listen to their complaints, their wishes, their dreams, and act upon them. If they get that right, they've built their foundation. Fans who won't go to Moore Park will go to Parramatta, or Penrith, or Homebush Bay, or Campbelltown, as long as they're made to feel welcome.

The Rovers want to be the club of the west, not just geographically, but culturally. Multiculturalism doesn't scare them, it excites them. Ian Rowden, Charlie Yankos and Peter Tredinnick all played for ethnic clubs, so they know, and understand, the raison d'etre. It's now a question of harnessing it.

Whatever transpires, it's the natural divide between Sydney Rovers and Sydney FC that will take both clubs to another level. There's the natural competitive tension, on and off the field. There's the geographic divide between east and west. And there's the contrast between being a club of the elite, and a club of the masses. The great football derbies of the world are all built around a similar dynamic. In a generation, perhaps two, Sydney's derby can have it's own place in the pantheon. Neither the Rovers, nor the Sky Blues, should be scared by the challenge. It's their destiny.

In the meantime, Sydney FC will - quite rightly - be trying to make the most of their biggest advantage. A head start. Only in the past year have the Sky Blues accepted the inevitability of having to share the city. For a long time, they tried their hardest to fight it. It's one of the reasons Frank Lowy sold his majority stake in the club 18 months ago.

What's best for the game might not have been what suited the Sky Blues, so the Football Federation Australia boss made sure he couldn't be accused of a conflict of interest. Within no time, the Rovers were admitted, and only since then have Sydney FC moved to shore up their toehold in the west. The honeymoon will last another 16 months, and then all bets are off. Can't wait.

 

[midfielder]

Bad news for the 'Nix... It seems the line has been drawn in the sand and is not to be moved.. There is still a pulse for them, as long as they meet the rules which apply to the rest of the clubs... Only five non-Aust players in the team!
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26499110-5000940,00.html?from=public_rss

Sad very sad just when they are coming good and this weekend may out draw the RU Super 15 match...

 

[FFC Mariner]

June, 2010: Directors Ian Rowden, Charlie Yankos and Peter Tredinnick visit World Cup in South Africa to engage Australian fan base.

Sure, good tax deductible trip lololol

 

[midfielder]

June, 2010: Directors Ian Rowden, Charlie Yankos and Peter Tredinnick visit World Cup in South Africa to engage Australian fan base.

Sure, good tax deductible trip lololol

Gee that is a strong board ... football and business experience..

 

[midfielder]

There good their marketing people... more from Rovers...

SFC can have the East we will have the rest ...

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/sydney-fc-can-have-the-east-and-well-take-rest-20100218-oj06.html

 

[bjw]

rumours that rovers may have a youth league team next season.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Is on their agenda according to the reports.

Buggers up our supply of juniors from Blacktown tho

Bastards

 

[fedelta]

no more bernies

 

[bjw]

away trip for youth plz.
kthnx

 

[bjw]

no more bernies

apparently bernie was very nearly snapped up by newcastle earlier in the yoof season, but he was injured at the time they wanted to trial him.

 

[midfielder]

Not over the line but FFA give Nix a 10 year extension.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/3387084/Wellington-Phoenix-10-year-licence-gets-nod

 

[midfielder]

Good story from Perth about their youth team...

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/glory-in-the-money-20100318-qihk.html

Glory in the money
March 19, 2010
Perth Glory's youth league side has been given a million-dollar sponsorship boost before tomorrow's grand final.

GNS China will become the Glory's youth team major sponsor for the next two seasons in a deal valued at $1 million.

As part of the deal, the youth league side will also participate in a prestigious international youth tournament in China.

Perth will also travel to China for pre-season and in-season tours.

Glory owner and mining magnate Tony Sage said the deal would have crucial flow-on effects. ''This sponsorship is not only important in terms of the cash value to the club, it will also see the Perth Glory brand prominently positioned in China and amongst the Chinese community of Western Australia, and will help the club develops its assets, namely its players and coaching staff,'' he said.

 

[Harsulas_SFC]

$500k a year for the youth team is more than some senior teams are getting.

 

[FFC Mariner]

http://www.theroar.com.au/2010/04/06/how-heart-can-differentiate-themselves-from-the-victory/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theroar%2Fsoccer+%28The+Roar+-+Soccer%29&utm_content=Google+International

How Heart can differentiate themselves from the Victory


What a week it was for the A-Leagues newest franchise, the Melbourne Heart, with the signing of former Sydney FC pair John Aloisi and Simon Colosimo, revealing their strip and announcing their training and administrative base.

And the manner in which they made those announcements was encouraging, also.

They resisted the temptation to make those announcements all at once, instead announcing them over consecutive days, making sure they forced themselves into the press over an extended period. (They could even have gone one step further by releasing their home strip in a separate launch as opposed to revealing it at the same time as they announced Aloisis arrival).

But clouding all the announcements and developments are still the doubts about how the Heart can differentiate themselves from the Melbourne Victory, particularly with no geographical, ethnic or cultural differences to tempt Victory supporters over to the new club and entice new fans to the game.

(The most common reason I have heard from Victory fans considering switching allegiance to Heart is a perceived arrogance from Ernie Merrick, which is hardly a worrying sign for the Victory).

The consensus among pundits is that the Heart will have to be aggressive in all facets of building a club.

They must, we are constantly told, build and develop an aggressive rivalry with the Victory (Aloisi did well to get the ball rolling at his announcement), be aggressive in social media platforms, be active in local communities, be aggressive in public relations to get the club into the press regularly, etc.

But this should be a basic requirement for any new club, let alone one facing the model A-League club in terms of membership, supporter base and on-field success.

The Heart needs more than just the basics to succeed.

One tactic it has discussed openly and could be key to building a supporter base is attracting former NSL club fans that were left disenfranchised by the creation of the A-League and the Victory.

Whether they can do so remains to be seen. Just because it has been five years since the A-League began doesnt mean a gaggle of former NSL fans are going to be enticed back by the Heart.

But the Heart need to try and build a fanbase somehow, and working within the communities of these former NSL teams should be a priority, particularly if there is a large ambivalence to the Victory.

While Mark Viduka still refuses to rule out a playing return in the A-League, he is likely to have some coaching role at the Heart, in addition to being number one season ticket holder with the Melbourne Knights .

The Heart should exploit this connection, building some sort of link with the Knights to entice their community base to jump on the Heart bandwagon.

Having Josip Skoko, the Hearts all but confirmed marquee signing, will also help in this regard.

While the Victorys supporter base is pulled from all ethnic backgrounds, the Heart shouldnt be afraid to go after specific ethnic groups and winning over former NSL supporters needs to be a priority.

They need points of difference, and they need to exploit Victorys weaknesses, which, in reality, is only its inability at inception to entice NSL fans en masse to the A-League.

That first game against the Victory will be crucial (the most important in the A-Leagues history?) to start building the rivalry. Every controversial moment will be the first building blocks of the rivalry.

If the FFA has any scheduling smarts (they didnt show much of it this season), they will start the new season at Melbournes new rectangular stadium with the first Melbourne derby; the first in the A-Leagues history.

Doing everything they can to build the Melbourne rivalry is imperative for the Hearts sustainability.

 

[fedelta]

the heart will have a cheersquad..

 

[Jesus]

Starting with a melb derby is an awful idea.

What happens if the tards smash fart?
That is an aweful way to start a new club.

1st tard derby has to be the 1st weekend AFTER the afl final.
Allow it to get some media and build up.
They should start at home to sydney or adelaide. I would say both those clubs would also bring decent numbers to get a first look at the bubbledome. As well as a lot of victory and football supporters in general interested in the stadium.

Playing melbourne football fans against each other 1st up is not the best way to do it when 1 team is long established IMO.

I dont really see the fact tards have 20k average as a problem for heart attracting fans. Melbourne is a big city. The rivalry will help create fans for heart regardless. Especially as the underdog

 

[Jesus]

I am hopeful we dont play scum or bling til after the nrl finals are over. Since we will have another 6 week break, probably will leave us with 2-3 early home games. They should be low-mid drawing teams, allowing us to play our bigger matches as the season progresses and there is no competition.

I will be expecting sydney to play fury twice early again before they get their squad settled

 

[FFC Mariner]

Will be a GF rematch in R1 IMHO

 

[Jesus]

Will be a GF rematch in R1 IMHO

I think the FFA already realised Bling vs tards will get higher attendances if further into the season, hence last round in sydney this year

 

[dibo]

Will be a GF rematch in R1 IMHO

I think the FFA already realised Bling vs tards will get higher attendances if further into the season, hence last round in sydney this year

Flipside argument - you need something to get the season off with a bang otherwise people might not notice.