Western Sydney in 2012

[SriLankanCat]

I am from Western Sydney. Someone suggested that the Sutherland Shire can have its own team?? NO WAY! The Cronulla Sharks rugby league team whch has been around for ages are financialy struggling, no way this area could have its own a league team.

Someone also suggested Leichardt OVal, whilst it has an amaazing atmosphere the ground is a nightmare logistically. Hard to get too and Leichardt is close to the City, not really the west. It would be very hard for peopel from the West to get to Leichardt, there is next to no parking, no direct train...the worst place in my opinion to have a football team.

Parramata is definitely the way to go. Good stadium , near the train station. Easy access from anywhere in Sydney to get to Parramatta.

The team should have a good name with "West Sydney" incorporated in it.

The team should play the odd game at Campbelltown Stadium, Penrith Stadium etc to engage those communities.

West Sydney has fantastic potential.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Yeah I thought so. Its a bit hard to take the mickey out of some things in a serious crisis we have now. This stuff as had its share of the back pages recently.

I agreed with everything you said on the previous page, I'm just fed up with the constant negativity that's been festering since the failed World Cup bid.

 

[mustang]

They should bring teams that are all ready up and running in the state leagues and make them pay a licence fee like the afl do this. As it works well there all change the way the league is run make it like the afl. In the afl they own the clubs and the clubs elect the board. Why couldn't that work in soccer.

 

[.Shotties.]

Id Prefer Leichart oval as its still in West Sydney and 5kms outside of the cbd.

Leichhardt isn't in West Sydney.

 

[Dimenhydrinate]

Heart has done both, Been competitve and got decent crowds as well.

If an average attendance of 6k (minus the derbies, because we all know whose home games those really were) is considered decent, the A-League is truly doomed.

 

[Dimenhydrinate]

They should bring teams that are all ready up and running in the state leagues

Oh yeah, that's a good idea. Hellas Souvlaki Pederasty FC for the A-League.

and make them pay a licence fee like the afl do this.

No state league clubs has millions of dollars.

As it works well there all change the way the league is run make it like the afl. In the afl they own the clubs and the clubs elect the board. Why couldn't that work in soccer.

You expect the current clubs, who are privately owned, to give up ownership to the FFA? They'd sooner join Clive Palmer's rebel association.

 

[Freomaniac]

If an average attendance of 6k (minus the derbies, because we all know whose home games those really were) is considered decent, the A-League is truly doomed.

No Heart were averaging around 8,000 in season 1. They are getting similar figures this season.

Besides I rather get 6,000 than 2,500 anyday of the week.

 

[Mowse]

WS supporters have set up a site if anyones interested,
http://www.westsydneyfootball.com/

will be very interesting to see how this all pans out.
imo a west sydney team would be very successful, and with just a little time would have the biggest supporter base in the league.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

From Australian Football on Facebook..

An A-League team based in the western suburbs will be announced today, with soccer chiefs having elected to fund the club themselves, and the aim is to include the new side in next season's competition.

After months of trying to find a wealthy backer for the most prized region in Australian sport, Football Federation Australia will back its belief that a West Sydney team will tap into a huge market that Sydney FC has largely failed to engage with.

Recruitment of players and a coach will begin almost immediately, with a core of local products expected to be an essential part of the building program.

Funding for the club will come from within FFA resources, including the TV grant each club receives plus the contingency fund set aside to prop up any failing clubs this season.

Though funded by FFA directly it will be run by a separate entity, led by an advisory board of football and community figures from the region.

Ultimately there are hopes that a representative of the supporters will be included on the board, a model pioneered by Adelaide United.

It's understood a deal has been struck with Football NSW to use their training facilities and community programs, essentially sharing the association's back office.

In a remarkable twist, The Daily Telegraph understands that $3m of government funding will be announced shortly by Julia Gillard to redevelop the Football NSW headquarters at Parklea - allowing FNSW to abandon its costly but abortive plans to move to a new base at Riverstone.

A further $5m of federal funding will be given to grow soccer in the western suburbs specifically, funding infrastructure and training programs for children. Of that, $1m will be earmarked specifically for the women's game in the west, including a potential W-League team for the new club.

The new team's name, badge and colours are likely to be decided by popular vote, with soccer chiefs sensitive to any suggestion that the new model is being dictated by the game's head office.

Socceroo star Tim Cahill is set to be approached to be an ambassador for the new club, though he is thought to have no plans to return to play.

It's believed no stadium deal has yet been struck apart from an agreement to stage up to three marquee games at ANZ Stadium - most likely derbies with Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory's trips north.

Parramatta Stadium remains the logical choice for the remainder of the new club's home games, though the Showground at Homebush and even Campbelltown Stadium will pitch to be involved.

The advent of the new team seems certain to be the last rites for Gold Coast United, meaning the A-League will stay at 10 teams next season.

Sources close to the project have told The Daily Telegraph that it has received final sign-off by the board, after months of preparatory work, and the new club will be up and running within days.

The new club faces an almighty rush to be ready to play when the new season kicks off in October but documents prepared for it show a substantial amount of work on ticketing, community engagement and possible recruitment has already happened.

Intriguingly FFA owns the contracts of four Gold Coast players, including young talent Ben Halloran.

A coach originating in western Sydney such as Tony Popovic or Ante Milicic will also be an obvious target, though it's thought that Popovic is adamant he will stay as assistant at Crystal Palace while Milicic is in line to succeed John van 't Schip at Melbourne Heart.

 

[AJ_2000]

At least they aren't rushing in to jamming a team in for next season.... Oh wait.

A good thing that the FFA are running the side in the interim, needing a wealthy backer would have the club folded in 2 years.

 

[Luigi742]

What is the point of playing games at ANZ stadium? It's not exactly like your going to get more than 20,000 at those games, and it'd hurt atmosphere

 

[Barkly St End]

Last roll of the dice for the FFA and A-League. Putting absolutely everything into this, putting it all on the line, if it falters, it basically sends the A-League back to starting out in season 1.

 

[Freomaniac]

Last roll of the dice for the FFA and A-League. Putting absolutely everything into this, putting it all on the line, if it falters, it basically sends the A-League back to starting out in season 1.

I doubt its the last roll of the dice.

It would of been better to hold them off for another season to get more tv rights money.

It would probrably mean GCU will be gone now unless they get the 5 million in 3 weeks.

 

[Fitzy72]

There will never be a last roll if the dice with the FFA, they'll keep coming up panic attacks.

Personally I'm still amazed that a Western Sydney team has taken so long, but in saying that, they're rushing this through and it would have been better to announce that they would be part of the ALeague in the 2013-14 season, to build a fanbase up.

They have to be called Western Sydney. They have to be based in Parramatta with the odd game in Penrith / Campbelltown / Blacktown (in the same way Sydney FC should be playing more games in Kogarah).

It would be really nice as well if they could have a strip that does not include orange or black. They have to distinguish themselves from GWS and Wests Tigers (I think GWS made a huge mistake with the same colours as a western sydney based NRL team). Plus orange is a poxy colour and I couldn't imagine it being worn in the A League.

 

[EBUS]

There will never be a last roll if the dice with the FFA, they'll keep coming up panic attacks.

Personally I'm still amazed that a Western Sydney team has taken so long, but in saying that, they're rushing this through and it would have been better to announce that they would be part of the ALeague in the 2013-14 season, to build a fanbase up.

They have to be called Western Sydney. They have to be based in Parramatta with the odd game in Penrith / Campbelltown / Blacktown (in the same way Sydney FC should be playing more games in Kogarah).

It would be really nice as well if they could have a strip that does not include orange or black. They have to distinguish themselves from GWS and Wests Tigers (I think GWS made a huge mistake with the same colours as a western sydney based NRL team). Plus orange is a poxy colour and I couldn't imagine it being worn in the A League.

Brisbane Roar?

 

[RevDog]

And some people are suggesting the A League should have a relegation system in place in the future, we already have one.

1 out, 1 in.

 

[coolknot]

Nice one Revdog! That means there is a chance GCU will return in 2013-14!

 

[Fitzy72]

Brisbane Roar?

Thanks for catching up there mate.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Huge day. And with potentially league decisive consequences.

The market is there. Huge football playing population. The interest has been there for a while. Getting even a percentage of these fans will see the club succeed. This isn't Melbourne: 10,000 kids won't rock up from the get go. But to build on a base of around 6-7,000 is certainly viable. The most comforting thing is that there is a market. Miron Bleiberg said that on Fox. The market is there. It's up to this club, and the FFA, to tap into this market. Do that sufficiently enough, and you'll have a viable club.

However, make a mess of this and you've tarnished expansion. This is a one time opportunity. Blow this, and say goodbye to a heartland club for an entire generation. Losing this battle will seriously detriment the success of A-League.

It's make or break.

And hey, I accept it.

 

[peternorth]

FFA will do what it can to ensure they win the final. its important for the league and sport. they were ecstatic when sydney won in s1

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Everyone seems to forget the New Zealand Knights died in the arse at the end of the firs season and the Wellington jumped straight in and they haven;t been anything near a disaster so there's that to hang on. It's the right move but yeah it's a panic move. If they can hold out for a couple of seasons and average 10k then everything will be ok. Glass half full etc..

 

[Silent Alarm]

Everyone seems to forget the New Zealand Knights died in the arse at the end of the firs season and the Wellington jumped straight in and they haven;t been anything near a disaster so there's that to hang on. It's the right move but yeah it's a panic move. If they can hold out for a couple of seasons and average 10k then everything will be ok. Glass half full etc..

Playing Devil's Advocate, but I wouldn't say the 'Nix are "anything near a disaster". Their success has been moderate. For the only professional soccer team in a country, in a capital city, they've been slightly disappointing. In contrast to the Knights, they're a raging success. But.. y'know.

But I do agree. I'm quietly confident about Western Sydney.

 

[Stewies Power]

Last roll of the dice for the FFA and A-League. Putting absolutely everything into this, putting it all on the line, if it falters, it basically sends the A-League back to starting out in season 1.

Once this new West Sydney team fails like United and Fury did and the Kewell care factor wares off and he retires, I'm not sure what the A-League will do. Already we are seeing much less A-League news in the media even though it's finals time. But that was their choice by choosing to go up against the opening rounds of the AFL season and to a lesser extent the nRL season.

 

[mojito]

Once this new West Sydney team fails like United and Fury did and the Kewell care factor wares off and he retires, I'm not sure what the A-League will do. Already we are seeing much less A-League news in the media even though it's finals time. But that was their choice by choosing to go up against the opening rounds of the AFL season and to a lesser extent the nRL season.

Might that be because Adelaide is out of it already?

 

[Stewies Power]

Might that be because Adelaide is out of it already?

No. They were still in it when the final stages of the nab cup was in process and media attention was dying down. Not sure why they no longer finish the season at the end of Febraury which was pretty much a free weekend for them with no AFL or NRL