I can't believe they don't have a marquee in their front/middle two.
FFS. I understand clubs wanting to protect their monopolies but I hope the A-League administrators ignore Sydney FC and let it through. One of the worst things for the NRL is Brisbane's monopoly. Obviously there is another A-League team in Sydney (the Western ESFC) but the city is big enough for two more teams.Sydney FC are set to oppose the expansion in southern Sydney and are likely to submit a counter to the FFA.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...-murray-and-craig-foster-20170306-guri2d.html
Can it really handle another team? ... I thought Eastern ESFC's membership numbers were already being questioned? Its gonna make a dent in their numbers more than the Westies
I agree with you mate. I can't follow them if it merges 3 regions. Last weekend I was away in Bathurst for my kid's pre-season football tournament. It was Friday night and the majority of the bar I was in voted for the Sydney FC - Melbourne Victory game to be on the big screen television before League. Imagine proposing that 10 years ago?This has been put out to the media by the FFA as a tester for support. I hope it fails, because just releasing this information proves that having football in Australia run by non football people is a journey down the wrong path.
It's quite clear that football the world over is so successful due to its tribalism. You see it everywhere, quite often to the detriment of the game for obvious reasons. The same goes for all sports. St George and the Steelers would have far more passionate support if they still represented their own districts, rather than being a hybrid club, where each set of supporters get to travel to their local home ground just 4 or 5 times a season.
To try and create a team combining two distinct geographical areas of support is just going against the grain of what builds this tribalism.
Surely if originally the FFA thought the Central Coast was worthy of it's own team, than Wollongong should also be considered the same......or even more so, considering it has a prouder and more distinct football heritage and history than the Central Coast EVER had.
This is where this bid is so wrong. Sure, add a southern Sydney team, but don't try and tie it in with another region that does not associate itself with that team, whether they are patronised with a bit part in the team name or not.
Actually, the FFA would be better served entering two teams from the region. A southern Sydney team AND a Wollongong team. That's how you create rivalries.
But all of what I've said doesn't matter because it doesn't meet former News Limited lawyer and NRL boss Gallop's metrics for the future of the game in this country.
This is why I originally said in this post that non-football people running the sport in this country is a f**king disaster. They do NOT understand the game and its fans.
Former AFL honcho Ben Buckley was no better when he was at the helm.
Former ARU boss John O'Neill did a half decent job, but thankfully, he didn't stay around long.
The FFA need to bring in a Football person, if they seriously want to further the game in this country.
This bid ISN'T good for the game. Just Fox Sports. And even then, it ain't as good for them as two teams - Southern Sydney AND Wollongong.
Problem is most of the Shire follow Sydney FC and are not turncoats like you.esfc. The team for all of Sydney and Arnie told us that they would be the Man U of Asia.
Surely a little Shire team won't harm that?
Problem is most of the Shire follow Sydney FC and are not turncoats like you.
Well I hang out with my Shire buddies and regularly travel with them to games and they say different. Besides how can I turn my back on a Serbian centric team like Sydney FC unless of course the new Shire based team are called the Southern Sydney White Eagles.I've mentioned this before. My sister lives in the Shire and her husband and a lot of his mates are football players and fans and esfc fans. They've all told be they WOULD support a local team, so speak for yourself buddy.
I agree with you mate. I can't follow them if it merges 3 regions. Last weekend I was away in Bathurst for my kid's pre-season football tournament. It was Friday night and the majority of the bar I was in voted for the Sydney FC - Melbourne Victory game to be on the big screen television before League. Imagine proposing that 10 years ago?
I love my A League, we are heading in the right direction but we need to be careful. Even though we lost when that prick Santalab scored against us a few weeks ago the buzz in that souless stadium was still bigger than anything I have experienced since the Eels' run in 2009.
Well I hang out with my Shire buddies and regularly travel with them to games and they say different. Besides how can I turn my back on a Serbian centric team like Sydney FC unless of course the new Shire based team are called the Southern Sydney White Eagles.