Increasing the importance of NSW rivalries

It looks like this season we have a really good opportunity to build a strong foundation for all NSW based A-League clubs that will make us a power base for football in the A-League. Melbourne Victory has a lot of competitive advantages that other clubs don't have but we don't really seem to focus on the advantages we have.

Each club has a point of connection.

We have our derby with Central Coast, as do the two Sydney teams. WSW has Lyall Gorman and a host of former Jets players. Sydney has Del Piero and are likely to follow him wherever he goes.

Given that we play each of these teams 3 times, focussing on motivating away supporters to travel to other NSW games will increase the revenue of all of these clubs. We will all benefit.

It's a competitive advantage that the clubs in the other States simply do not have and we should really take advantage of it.

I think it would be great if supporters and the clubs worked together on this to promote travelling to NSW away games.

The clubs need only 1. Promote the away games to NSW rivals as much as possible 2. Promote the atmosphere that can be created by travelling fans 3. Encourage travelling fans to attend away games 4. Promote travelling options to make getting to away games as easy as possible. 5. Encourage their own fans to become the biggest travelling contingent in the league (much the same as they focus on the 11,000 member target)

Each club's supporters can communicate with the supporters of other clubs so that we all see the importance of making these rivalries work for the benefit of the game, we encourage each supporter base to communicate with their club about it and we encourage our own supporters to attend these away games.

If all four NSW clubs did this and we saw 2,000 to 5,000 away supporters travelling for each game it would be a huge benefit to the league as a whole.

Thoughts?

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Originally Posted by hauss

Each club's supporters can communicate with the supporters of other clubs so that we all see the importance of making these rivalries work for the benefit of the game, we encourage each supporter base to communicate with their club about it and we encourage our own supporters to attend these away games.
If all four NSW clubs did this and we saw 2,000 to 5,000 away supporters travelling for each game it would be a huge benefit to the league as a whole.

Thoughts?

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1. Make travel to said games easy. Train or bus to front gate, easy direction and parking for cars.
2. Low cost entry ($5) for away supps with season members tix & kids free. If home supps can scam their way in well good luck to 'em.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hawk

1. Make travel to said games easy. Train or bus to front gate, easy direction and parking for cars.
2. Low cost entry ($5) for away supps with season members tix & kids free. If home supps can scam their way in well good luck to 'em.

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Here are the things I've thought about. I've sent an email to the Jets CEO about it because I think this is an initiative the can really benefit the game and each of the clubs. Up until now the clubs have not really taken a direct interest in away games. There is obviously no direct financial benefit to do so, but if all clubs work together, they will all benefit.

What clubs can do:
1. The management of each NSW club identify this as a specific project and see how it will benefit them.
2. Obtain agreement amongst the NSW club CEOs to participate in the project so that all NSW clubs will proportionately benefit from the away support
3. Via available media sources, each NSW club should promote the fact that they want to achieve the best travelling support amongst their NSW rivals and find a way to document it (in a similar way to the way you promote the 11,000member target – see it as a source of pride for the club).
4. Each club promote the importance of travelling away and highlight the attractiveness of each away game: Sydney FC – Allessandro Del Piero, Central Coast Mariners – F3 Derby, WSW – Former Jets players
5. Determine transport options early and promote the various options available to all fans: train schedules and coaches organised by the Squadron, parking options for people driving to away games
6. Work with supporters to determine strategies for making travel easier and enjoyable for your own supporters
7. Ensure that the away supporters have access to reasonable seating and an enjoyable match day experience, highlighting things available for them to do before and after the match where they will find things to do and friendly hospitality.

What supporters can do
1. Work with their own club to develop strategies to increase travel to NSW away games.
2. Work with the supporter groups of the other NSW rivals to stress the importance of developing travelling support amongst themselves. Encourage other supporter bases to bring their fans to our home ground. Offer friendly hospitality.
3. Organise transport options for their fellow supporters. Coach travel organised by the Squadron has always been well received by fellow supporters because they see that it is non-profit and any funds over and above break-even go into paying for better tifo displays at home games, which improves everyone’s match day experience.
4. Organise car pooling where coaches are not viable eg. To the central coast
5. Work on increasing the colour and activity of away travelling support that is fully in accordance with FFA’s code of behaviour and in which supporters of all ages feel safe.
6. Self police anti-social behaviour and cooperate with Police and security on match day.