After spending two weeks in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup cheering on my beloved game of soccer, and then reliving the excitement of the Socceroos’ journey, it was with crushing disappointment that I awoke on Monday to discover the A-League had sold off its grand final rights to Sydney for the next three years.
As a Melbourne City FC foundation member who has missed only a handful of home matches since the club’s inaugural 2010-11 season, I’m one of many A-League supporters who are disappointed and angry about this decision.
Niki Tolios with her Melbourne City scarf outside the club’s home ground at AAMI Park.
The deal, reportedly for more than $10 million, may be a win for the NSW economy, but it’s a blow for fans. It is no secret that the world game has struggled to pick up traction here, having to compete with the AFL and NRL.
We hoped the Socceroos’ exciting World Cup campaign would attract more fans to our beautiful game. Those new fans can rule out seeing a home grand final for the next few years unless they live in Sydney, regardless of which teams make it.
It does not make sense to lock in the Sydney grand finals, especially if a NSW team does not make the final.
This year’s grand final in May between season premiers Melbourne City and Western United at Melbourne’s AAMI Park drew 22,000 spectators to the 30,000-capacity stadium. How many spectators would two Victorian teams draw to a Sydney stadium? What if Perth Glory or Wellington Phoenix are in the final? Hosting it in Sydney means the team that ends up highest placed at the end of the finals series misses out on the benefit of a home final in front of fans.
It’s hard to imagine, too, that fans will be able to travel interstate to Sydney for the final at short notice, especially in this current economic climate with so many people struggling with the cost of living, and soaring costs of flights and accommodation.
Hosting a grand final at the same venue every year may work for codes such as the AFL, which has a far bigger fan base, but it will be a disaster for the A-League. This deal is a step backwards and fails to build on the momentum around the Socceroos. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the A-League to attract new fans as people will want to come out to see our global stars, with eight Socceroos signed to A-League clubs.
It appears that Australian Professional Leagues CEO Danny Townsend is prioritising money ahead of the future of the game with this deal. Judging by the negative responses, it is clear that the people who matter most – the fans – were not widely consulted.
Even fan groups from Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers have criticised the decision, claiming it is unjust to other teams in the league. Adelaide United and Socceroos star Craig Goodwin spoke out against the deal on Twitter, while football broadcaster Lucy Zelic slammed the A-League for having “sold their soul”.
Watching my team win a grand final in 2021 at our home ground of AAMI Park was my favourite and most memorable A-League experience to date. What kind of atmosphere can we expect at the most important game of a team’s season if the club’s fans are not at the final? A home final is what all loyal fans crave to see – and deserve to see after a successful season. We need to be there to cheer our team to victory.
Townsend must overturn this abysmal decision if he wants to attract the fans that will be key to soccer becoming a success story in Australia.
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