Socceroo_06
September 13th, 2006, 11:46 AM
Low blow for FFA as rain, finals hit hard (http://www.smh.com.au/news/football/low-blow-for-ffa-as-rain-finals-hit-hard/2006/09/12/1157826941899.html)
DESPITE none of the crowds at A-League matches last weekend passing the 10,000 mark, it is too early to start becoming concerned about a possible decline in attendance figures for the fledgling league, says Football Federation Australia head of operations Matt Carroll.
Last weekend A-League crowds ranged from 2107 at a rain-soaked North Harbour Stadium in Auckland to 8785 at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide. The combined attendance for all four games was just 23,588.
Carroll blamed those figures on a combination of the finals series in the other football codes and bad weather. "We've had the worst weather in September since records have been kept," he said. "It was lucky that some games were even played - the New Zealand game was almost cancelled. That's how atrocious the conditions were."
In addition, it's worth remembering that, putting the characteristically robust AFL attendances to one side, crowd figures for the NRL - even in what was the first week of the finals - were hardly overwhelming. More than 50,000 turned out at Suncorp Stadium to watch the Broncos, but the other three games attracted crowds of just 23,752, 15,690 and 14,628.
All of which begs the question: why does FFA persist in starting the A-League season at the precise point of the sporting calendar where interest in football's major domestic rivals reaches its peak?
"If we push [the start of the season] back, that does create difficulties with the Asian Champions League [which commences in March] and ground availability," Carroll explained. "There's the start of the Super 14 and NRL seasons that gets in the way."
Carroll said that, in spite of last weekend's disappointing figures, there were still many positives to be drawn from the start to the season. "The average is still sitting just under 15,000 [12,074]," he said. "And the Fox ratings are up 18 per cent."
He added that all the clubs' memberships had doubled since the end of last season, and that since the price of membership included tickets to each of a club's home matches, this would "help insulate the clubs against inclement weather".
With the league's four biggest crowd pullers - Queensland, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne - all playing at home this weekend, expectations are high that overall attendance will be well up on the early rounds. "Weather permitting, of course," Carroll said.
In other news, Melbourne Victory yesterday announced they would appeal against the three-match suspension handed out to Brazilian striker Fred. Fred, who was sentenced last week for violent conduct, has already served one match of the ban. The appeal will be heard tomorrow night.
DESPITE none of the crowds at A-League matches last weekend passing the 10,000 mark, it is too early to start becoming concerned about a possible decline in attendance figures for the fledgling league, says Football Federation Australia head of operations Matt Carroll.
Last weekend A-League crowds ranged from 2107 at a rain-soaked North Harbour Stadium in Auckland to 8785 at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide. The combined attendance for all four games was just 23,588.
Carroll blamed those figures on a combination of the finals series in the other football codes and bad weather. "We've had the worst weather in September since records have been kept," he said. "It was lucky that some games were even played - the New Zealand game was almost cancelled. That's how atrocious the conditions were."
In addition, it's worth remembering that, putting the characteristically robust AFL attendances to one side, crowd figures for the NRL - even in what was the first week of the finals - were hardly overwhelming. More than 50,000 turned out at Suncorp Stadium to watch the Broncos, but the other three games attracted crowds of just 23,752, 15,690 and 14,628.
All of which begs the question: why does FFA persist in starting the A-League season at the precise point of the sporting calendar where interest in football's major domestic rivals reaches its peak?
"If we push [the start of the season] back, that does create difficulties with the Asian Champions League [which commences in March] and ground availability," Carroll explained. "There's the start of the Super 14 and NRL seasons that gets in the way."
Carroll said that, in spite of last weekend's disappointing figures, there were still many positives to be drawn from the start to the season. "The average is still sitting just under 15,000 [12,074]," he said. "And the Fox ratings are up 18 per cent."
He added that all the clubs' memberships had doubled since the end of last season, and that since the price of membership included tickets to each of a club's home matches, this would "help insulate the clubs against inclement weather".
With the league's four biggest crowd pullers - Queensland, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne - all playing at home this weekend, expectations are high that overall attendance will be well up on the early rounds. "Weather permitting, of course," Carroll said.
In other news, Melbourne Victory yesterday announced they would appeal against the three-match suspension handed out to Brazilian striker Fred. Fred, who was sentenced last week for violent conduct, has already served one match of the ban. The appeal will be heard tomorrow night.