Yesterday the APL made an announcement that communicated that the Grand Finals for the next three years would be played in Sydney under a partnership with the NSW Government.
https://keepup.com.au/videos/id/apl-announces-a-leagues-sydney-grand-finals/6317052001112
The following is an official response from the Central Coast Mariners Official Supporters Club on that announcement.
As the A-League’s first recognised Official Supporters Club, we very clearly understand that without the engagement of fans, there is no long term future for professional football in Australia, regardless of how much short-term money might be pumped into the sport.
We therefore view the APL’s announcement regarding the hosting rights of the A-Leagues Grand Finals for the next three years as a serious misstep, given the apparent lack of genuine engagement with key stakeholders, in fans and A-League clubs alike, which is likely to remain a source of potential distrust into the future.
To compare this announcement with models used in other countries completely overlooks the unique challenges of football in Australia and potentially unnecessarily penalises the fans of non-Sydney based clubs. Trying to create a focal point for the biggest match of the season potentially thousands of kilometres from the home of either team is clearly naïve and ill-founded, whilst placing the burden of the cost of interstate travel and accommodation on fans at short notice, which has previously led to clear instances of price-gouging. In a competition structure where the minor premiership carries less perceived prestige than the A-Leagues finals series, the desire to host a Grand Final, with the potential advantages this confers, is one of the few incentives a club has to finish the regular season as high in the league as possible. Should that club subsequently consider moving its Grand Final for either commercial or capacity reasons, should be solely their prerogative.
Given that football in Australia already has to endure a number of compromises in order to compete with other, more established codes, this initiative by the APL can only make the challenge harder for the majority of A-League clubs and their loyal fans. It is therefore particularly disappointing that the APL has chosen to make such a divisive announcement at this time, thus potentially undermining much of the positivity that has been generated during Australia’s recent endeavours at the World Cup. Such periods of enthusiasm may not last long and instead of dividing our sport, the APL would perhaps be better served in seeking to capitalise on the efforts of our Socceroos by reinforcing stakeholder engagement, instead of damaging it.
We therefore view the APL’s announcement regarding the hosting rights of the A-Leagues Grand Finals for the next three years as a serious misstep, given the apparent lack of genuine engagement with key stakeholders, in fans and A-League clubs alike, which is likely to remain a source of potential distrust into the future.
To compare this announcement with models used in other countries completely overlooks the unique challenges of football in Australia and potentially unnecessarily penalises the fans of non-Sydney based clubs. Trying to create a focal point for the biggest match of the season potentially thousands of kilometres from the home of either team is clearly naïve and ill-founded, whilst placing the burden of the cost of interstate travel and accommodation on fans at short notice, which has previously led to clear instances of price-gouging. In a competition structure where the minor premiership carries less perceived prestige than the A-Leagues finals series, the desire to host a Grand Final, with the potential advantages this confers, is one of the few incentives a club has to finish the regular season as high in the league as possible. Should that club subsequently consider moving its Grand Final for either commercial or capacity reasons, should be solely their prerogative.
Given that football in Australia already has to endure a number of compromises in order to compete with other, more established codes, this initiative by the APL can only make the challenge harder for the majority of A-League clubs and their loyal fans. It is therefore particularly disappointing that the APL has chosen to make such a divisive announcement at this time, thus potentially undermining much of the positivity that has been generated during Australia’s recent endeavours at the World Cup. Such periods of enthusiasm may not last long and instead of dividing our sport, the APL would perhaps be better served in seeking to capitalise on the efforts of our Socceroos by reinforcing stakeholder engagement, instead of damaging it.
The CCMOSC will always stand with true fans of football in Australia in denouncing any decision made without the genuine engagement of all clubs and their supporters, as they are the very lifeblood of the sport.