A League Is It Now Still Born??

[MFKS]

I would say we have almost reached the point of it time we drain the pond and start again

This ALeague now has the smell of the NSL did about 2 years out before its death

What exactly needs to happen to un **** the mess FFA have got the domestic game into ??

[Premy]

Sky isn't falling, close thread

[MFKS]

Sky isn't falling, close thread

No one is watching it

Foxtel will not stump up the cash going forward

The 2 new franchises wont help a bit

The sky has already fallen

[turbojetfireV8]

the changes to the board don't seem to have translated into any change in leadership or direction which is my main concern - get rid of the deadwood at the top before you go throwing out the baby, the parents need to be replaced first...

[Couscous]

Craig Foster, may peace be upon Him.

[belchardo]

the changes to the board don't seem to have translated into any change in leadership or direction which is my main concern - get rid of the deadwood at the top before you go throwing out the baby, the parents need to be replaced first...

perhaps this needs time. the board may be chomping at the bit to turf gallop, o'rourke (or whoever the anonymous head of the a-league is) and others, but we've got no cash to pay them out.

[380]

Replace the board with Trump. #Makefootballgreatagain

Nah seriously the A League is in a world of pain and it is entirely on those head in the sand types at FFA. Game can't even begin to turn things around til Gallop and Wilson move on. Problems with the game can't be sorted if those very same people at the heart of being in a position to sort shit out are deniers and these two have denied for long enough. The game has bled the casual follower and is now really testing the patience of the most ardent of followers. I was amazed at Fox Sports viewer numbers for our recent Fri night game v City. From memory it was 18 thousand which is disgraceful and my understanding and without checking the the next day Saturday numbers were just as woeful.

My other gripe with the game is the standard of the product itself has declined rapidly. With the exception of a handful of imports and Australian born players the A League really is carrying players that to be honest would struggle to get a gig anywhere else in a 1st team competition. The gap in standard between the A League and the next level down has narrowed considerably and this because the A League has gone backwards. Honestly when you see players like Sotirio and the Baccus brothers, Blackwood even our very own Jackson regarded as good enough to be contracted players in a countries top tier competition you know the quality of that competition needs to be brought into question.

The member is right the A League is beginning to have that real stench about it not unlike the dying days of the old NSL. When you employ a Yes man to Rupert to run your game and and as has a history of leaving a trail of destruction in sports management well what can i say. You got what you paid for.

[Alton]

Replace the board with Trump. #Makefootballgreatagain

Nah seriously the A League is in a world of pain and it is entirely on those head in the sand types at FFA. Game can't even begin to turn things around til Gallop and Wilson move on. Problems with the game can't be sorted if those very same people at the heart of being in a position to sort shit out are deniers and these two have denied for long enough. The game has bled the casual follower and is now really testing the patience of the most ardent of followers. I was amazed at Fox Sports viewer numbers for our recent Fri night game v City. From memory it was 18 thousand which is disgraceful and my understanding and without checking the the next day Saturday numbers were just as woeful.

My other gripe with the game is the standard of the product itself has declined rapidly. With the exception of a handful of imports and Australian born players the A League really is carrying players that to be honest would struggle to get a gig anywhere else in a 1st team competition. The gap in standard between the A League and the next level down has narrowed considerably and this because the A League has gone backwards. Honestly when you see players like Sotirio and the Baccus brothers, Blackwood even our very own Jackson regarded as good enough to be contracted players in a countries top tier competition you know the quality of that competition needs to be brought into question.

The member is right the A League is beginning to have that real stench about it not unlike the dying days of the old NSL. When you employ a Yes man to Rupert to run your game and and as has a history of leaving a trail of destruction in sports management well what can i say. You got what you paid for.

Don't just leave it at Sotirio,Baccus brothers, Blackwood and Jackson, what about Hoole and his entire offsiders except Millar, Henrique etc etc etc etc

[boz-monaut]

the refereeing has really turned me off watching games too

seriously why bother watching when there's such as obvious bias to the big city teams

the GF VAR snafu just killed it for me

[MFKS]

Structurally I reckon the whole concept is ****ed

Franchises
No Transfer Fees
No actual clubs
No Pro Rel
No 2nd Division
NCIP

This Arse ended model that Lowy gave us in 2005 has reached its peak and going down

We basically have an invitional only closed comp played for PayTV ratings and overpaid PFA members benefits
It is achieving **** all else

To me it dont matter if Gallop Lowy or anyone is there

The current model is ****ed and we need to change it ASAP

[Roundball Enthusiast]

Strategy takes time to implement. Board has been in, what 6 months? Give them time to implement meaningful change.

As for viewing the game, Online (streaming) services don't release their numbers. I think you'll find most have transitioned to mobile viewing over F#cksports viewing. (As its free as a Telstra customer. Most F#cksports customers also have Telstra mobiles).

Not worried until shit doesn't improve well into next season, personally.

[380]

the refereeing has really turned me off watching games too

seriously why bother watching when there's such as obvious bias to the big city teams

the GF VAR snafu just killed it for me

Said this about 3 months ago on here you just know that wether it be a game to sit down and watch at home or one of our games driving in to the ground to watch you just get that gut feeling the poor officiating will have a major bearing on the ultimate outcome. Things are pretty screwed up when it gets that bad. Even that game v Perth at home earlier on the season was screwed up by the officials without even making a bad call. We would have been lucky to have got 75 mins of football that day Perth slowed the game down so much and got away with it. Imagine not being a season ticket holder and paying one off inc booking fee to sit through that type of effort from officials in managing a game. You wouldn't come back.

[The Dunster]

Anyone critical of how Rupert Murdoch and Fox Sports are handling the A-League broadcasting rights is obviously too young to remember channel 7's shit show with the NSL broadcasting rights.

Fox are far from perfect but compared to what we had they are doing a fabulous job.

[boz-monaut]

that's exactly it

I don't enjoy going to games anymore so I don't, even though I have a season ticket

why bother when you're going to see the Jets put in a half arsed effort of poor quality football, no atmosphere because of restrictions put on active support, and on top of that the refs will be terrible and biased

it's not about money, it's about not wanting to give up two hours of my time each week for something I don't enjoy

[MFKS]

Anyone critical of how Rupert Murdoch and Fox Sports are handling the A-League broadcasting rights is obviously too young to remember channel 7's shit show with the NSL broadcasting rights.

Fox are far from perfect but compared to what we had they are doing a fabulous job.

Disagree

Foxtel have a lot to answer for

Their presentation of the product is garbage

Peadick Slater and Bozza and their little circle jerk does nothing to keep one interested

As for the commemtators Speedy and Harper FMD


Then lets look at their involvement in how the comp operates
We play after the Tardball and NRL for their benefit
We have kick offs at 5:30pm in Summer time for their benefit
We have certain clubs constantly getting the good viewing spots for their benefit
We have them deciding how and where and when expansion occurs
All the meanwhile we have spent 14 years buried off on a limited medium

They aint no friend of the game they in it for themselves

As for 7 **** them but at least they were consistent in their approach of trying to bury the game

[MFKS]

that's exactly it

I don't enjoy going to games anymore so I don't, even though I have a season ticket

why bother when you're going to see the Jets put in a half arsed effort of poor quality football, no atmosphere because of restrictions put on active support, and on top of that the refs will be terrible and biased

it's not about money, it's about not wanting to give up two hours of my time each week for something I don't enjoy

I still going but I agree with a lot of this

We play in ridiculously large stadiums, The FFA have kneecapped Active support both of these things **** the atmospherre
The refs **** every game and if they fail the linesmen or VAR do only for Wilson and the FFA to defend the ****s Monday morning and say they were right

Other thing that shits me is we have games in clumps at home then weeks without home games. The other week I gave the Nix home game a miss and still watched us play 2 more games in the next 10 days at Stade de Newy and they even played in Japan during this 10 day period


As for the Jets and their shit football comment I can cope with that as it aint my main interest in seeing joga bonito

But the rest of it is making going to games a chore

[380]

We all know Gallop has to go to start the improvement process but things have been structured in a way at FFA HQ meaning Gallop gets to hide behind a designated boss of the A League. First it was De Bohun and now O Rourke. Gallop has been positioned to pick and choose when he pops up and accept when there is credit to be had but when there is criticism and fair criticism at that leveled he has in place people like O Rourke to be his fall guy.

Remember the cock up of not booking a proper venue for a Grand Final, The figureheads including Gallop couldn't point the finger quick enough at De Bohun in order to excuse themselves of any responsibility.

[MFKS]

We all know Gallop has to go to start the improvement process but things have been structured in a way at FFA HQ meaning Gallop gets to hide behind a designated boss of the A League. First it was De Bohun and now O Rourke. Gallop has been positioned to pick and choose when he pops up and accept when there is credit to be had but when there is criticism and fair criticism at that leveled he has in place people like O Rourke to be his fall guy.

Remember the cock up of not booking a proper venue for a Grand Final, The figureheads including Gallop couldn't point the finger quick enough at De Bohun in order to excuse themselves of any responsibility.

But that is just scapegoating Gallop

No doubt Gallop lacks character and personality for the role etc and we really shpuld be able to do better than him

But he is just thhe dimwit fronting the media firing the bullets for the other ****wits making the decisions

If the Griff was FFA CEO we would still have the same problems with the same clowns making the decisions

[plague]

If the Griff was FFA CEO we would still have the same problems with the same clowns making the decisions

Oh piss off.

[idontwannaplaywithhowey]

Anyone critical of how Rupert Murdoch and Fox Sports are handling the A-League broadcasting rights is obviously too young to remember channel 7's shit show with the NSL broadcasting rights.

Fox are far from perfect but compared to what we had they are doing a fabulous job.

Bring back Paul Wade as a commentator thanks!
And how horrible was the highlights show....

[plague]

Replace the board with Trump. #Makefootballgreatagain


as much as this is a good and accurate take, the fact is they kind of are doing that.

They are putting the league back in the hands of a bunch of ego driven rich wankers.
these are the perfect people to drive it forward. Because their only goal will be to out-do each other.
expect salary cap blowouts, no focus on needing useless young Australian talent, and a dog eat dog attitude towards winning.

this is a good thing, as the rich wankers will be paying for it.
if it means they are happy to lose a few million a year in order to hoist the shiny dunny seat about their heads, then so be it.
its these broke ass community clubs like the wasted space Gypos that will suffer, and Charlesworth etc can be shouted down by the big boys with deep pockets.

In Americas 3 biggest sports, the winners trophy is presented to the owner first, before the players, before the coach.

its the only way forward.

[MFKS]

as much as this is a good and accurate take, the fact is they kind of are doing that.

They are putting the league back in the hands of a bunch of ego driven rich wankers.
these are the perfect people to drive it forward. Because their only goal will be to out-do each other.
expect salary cap blowouts, no focus on needing useless young Australian talent, and a dog eat dog attitude towards winning.

this is a good thing, as the rich wankers will be paying for it.
if it means they are happy to lose a few million a year in order to hoist the shiny dunny seat about their heads, then so be it.
its these broke ass community clubs like the wasted space Gypos that will suffer, and Charlesworth etc can be shouted down by the big boys with deep pockets.

In Americas 3 biggest sports, the winners trophy is presented to the owner first, before the players, before the coach.

its the only way forward.

We sort of had that in 2008 when Con decided he was lifting the trophy didnt we??

[Jetmaster]

as much as this is a good and accurate take, the fact is they kind of are doing that.

They are putting the league back in the hands of a bunch of ego driven rich wankers.
these are the perfect people to drive it forward. Because their only goal will be to out-do each other.
expect salary cap blowouts, no focus on needing useless young Australian talent, and a dog eat dog attitude towards winning.

this is a good thing, as the rich wankers will be paying for it.
if it means they are happy to lose a few million a year in order to hoist the shiny dunny seat about their heads, then so be it.
its these broke ass community clubs like the wasted space Gypos that will suffer, and Charlesworth etc can be shouted down by the big boys with deep pockets.

In Americas 3 biggest sports, the winners trophy is presented to the owner first, before the players, before the coach.

its the only way forward.

You are right in that it isn't "sport" anymore - it is business.

Everything is now based on maximising dollars - WC bids, sponsorship deals, moving clubs to soulless stadia, having import only teams, VAR, big match ticketing, television scheduling moving games - this just football but all sport is going this way. Entertainment and corporate dollar.

Believe me WWF was ahead of itself - won't be long till we see staged competitions in other sports. Things like T20 and AFLX are obvious targets.

[plague]

We sort of had that in 2008 when Con decided he was lifting the trophy didnt we??

oh yeah thats right.
memory shaky but did they present it to him, or was it him and North together and he just kind of grabbed it?

either way it was brilliant, and exactly the sort of ego fill these type of people crave.

but year, go check the NFL Superbowl. The commissioner of the league hands the trophy over to the owner who gets the whole stage to himself.
its bizarre, brilliant and uncomfortable all at once.

[belchardo]

can a 13 year(?) old league be described as still-born?

[MFKS]

Got to love the dumb ****s at FFA

Put a break in the HAL this weekend for International Football and then they dont have the cash to pay the Socceroos to actually play a game

World class incompetence

[Jetmaster]

Wish I could step back to 2005-2008 - life was so good for football fans then.

[StannyCFCJET]

Wish I could step back to 2005-2008 - life was so good for football fans then.

Especially Jets fans

[Jetmaster]

This is before Man City had money too.

[MFKS]

Wish I could step back to 2005-2008 - life was so good for football fans then.

Agree

It had a positiveness to it

The FFA shot itself in the foot from about this point onwards
Increasing player wages and costs to owners, no expansion no pro rel and no development plan for kids

Reality is this was about the extent of their vision

Setting up of the HAL

There was no .....

.and then plan