2022 FIFA World Cup

[Grantysghost]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Even the Sydney supporters that I have seen (including me although I don't support Sydney) think it's bullshit.

[whythelongface]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Even the Sydney supporters that I have seen (including me although I don't support Sydney) think it's bullshit.

Agree. This is a really strange decision particularly the timing. I just don’t get it.

[Axe Man]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

If the grand final ends up being say Melbourne City v Adelaide won't they they be shooting themselves in the foot revenue wise anyway?

[soupman]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

If the grand final ends up being say Melbourne City v Adelaide won't they they be shooting themselves in the foot revenue wise anyway?

You would've thought so.

From a NSW gov funding perspective, why would you put down however millions of dollars on this when under the home grand final system you have a 5050 chance of getting it anyway seeing as half the clubs in the league are from your state, and the travelling contingent for a non NSW team is likely going to be maybe 5000 max?

Also it's comical the reasons they are trotting out for this.

One is that it's so that fans (read "corporates") can pln for the Grand Final knowing where it is going to be, so can organise everything beforehand, completely omitting the fact that no one is going to do book and expesnive interstate trip in a cost of living crisis until they know their team is in it, which only happens a week before.

Also Danny Townsend (ex Sydney CEO and now APL head and the main driver behind this decision it would seem) has done a ripper softball interview on the topic already, including the amazing line "Like always the highest ranked team will be the home team in the final, obviously thats difficult if they're not from Sydney but at the same time we will respect the usual options the home team has around change rooms and ends of the field for active, we want to preserve as much of these traditions as we can".

They've also managed to use multiple players in their announcement clip saying positive things about the Grand Final in general as a way to endorse the decision, despite these quotes being taken out of context and the very players that said them (including World Cup Star Craig Goodwin) coming out and making it clear they are 100% against the decision.

What a bunch of idiots.

[Sedat]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Agree. This is a really strange decision particularly the timing. I just don’t get it.

Sporting organisations (especially the smaller struggling ones but by no means mutully exclusive to them) literally care about nothing other than hitting revenue targets in order to achieve their company and individual bonuses. And the laziest, most obvious stream of revenue for sporting organisations is from state and federal govts who throw around eye-watering amounts of public money (that hasn't yet been earned and isn't theirs) in order to buy votes/create a meaningless PR story on the news cycle. The bird in the hand supercedes any problems in the future because the cash is already banked and the individual bonuses have been paid. To hell with all the disenfranchised stakeholders - players, clubs, fans.

I have no idea who this Danny Townsend is but I suspect he could care less about the carnage this decision will cause in the future - he has banked his bonus and will probably move on to the next cushy job before the ramifications if this brain-dead decision are felt.

[Grantysghost]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

If the grand final ends up being say Melbourne City v Adelaide won't they they be shooting themselves in the foot revenue wise anyway?

They've already got the cash probably, it's more the NSW Gov that might be hurt if they don't get the tourism / advertising in that they expect.
Although it would be a really bad look if it wasn't sold out that's for sure! As Sedat's spot on post says, they don't care, they've made bank and will likely move on before facing any ramifications.

[mjp]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

If the grand final ends up being say Melbourne City v Adelaide won't they they be shooting themselves in the foot revenue wise anyway?

No one seems too bothered that the AFL GF is at the MCG every year.

[hujsh]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

No one seems too bothered that the AFL GF is at the MCG every year.

You can get away with all sorts of crazy things under the guise of tradition. Not sure the A-League can hide behind that.

[jeemak]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

You can get away with all sorts of crazy things under the guise of tradition. Not sure the A-League can hide behind that.

And a full house in a 90-100K stadium.

[MrMahatma]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

No one seems too bothered that the AFL GF is at the MCG every year.

Is that real though? No one IN MELBOURNE (which includes the AFL administrators) seems too bothered. How many interstate fans and administration think it's fair? Cause it's 100% NOT fair.

I mean, the question is never really asked cause it's a moot point, but I'm sure the vast majority of fans from interstate would prefer a "home advantage to the top team" approach.

[MrMahatma]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Soccer seems more worried about staying afloat than growing. For financial reasons the Roar now play at Redcliffe, which is 40-50min drive from central Brisbane. I get having 5k people show up at Suncorp kind of sucked, but they'd have been better off using a smaller, central venue than making it such a hassle for anyone unless the ultra die-hards from seeing it. The downstream impact of a decision like this will be stunted growth.

After the WC (and women's WC is in Australia next year) then Soccer had a great chance to really take a BUNCH of the eyeballs from the BBL given how crap that comp has become also. Very frustrating.

[Topdog]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

No one seems too bothered that the AFL GF is at the MCG every year.

There are comments about it being unfair every year but it works/they get away with it because it doesnt matter who plays the AFL know that 80k+ will attend the game. Not sure the Aleague can rely on this unwavering support in Sydney.

[Grantysghost]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Is that real though? No one IN MELBOURNE (which includes the AFL administrators) seems too bothered. How many interstate fans and administration think it's fair? Cause it's 100% NOT fair.

I mean, the question is never really asked cause it's a moot point, but I'm sure the vast majority of fans from interstate would prefer a "home advantage to the top team" approach.

Totally agree - the MCG monopoly is crap.

The Crows in 2017 for eg. No way they get spanked like that on the Adelaide Oval, a home ground advantage they deserved. Instead they are punished by playing at their opponents home ground. Crazy.

Also: suffer crows.

2016 there's an argument for the Swans to have it at the SCG. We win anyway

[soupman]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

No one seems too bothered that the AFL GF is at the MCG every year.

That's different. The AFL is a state comp that grew out to be a national one. It already had the weight of history and "tradition" behind it, and has been able to fill it every single time.

I personally think it's bullshit and would be open to a model where the minor premiers state hosts it. It would allow a 5 week lead in knowing where the GF is (which is good for the corporate and planning side of it all), and provide good reward to the team that finishes top (who currently get little recognition or benefit for being better than 2nd).

The A-League however is a national comp which at least handed out the Grand Final venue on merit. They have struggled to attract numbers to the sport and should be trying to hammer home what little advantages they have, which include home grand finals. Taking a big step backwards in terms of making the Grand Final a more neutral event that relies on random Sydneysiders filling out the half empty stadium instead of really solidifying the supporters they have does not help in this regard, and it makes a bit of a mockery of a finals system that seems superfluous at times anyway in a sport that doesn't typically embrace them as a decider.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Totally agree - the MCG monopoly is crap.

1. Tradition - a ground that was established in 1853

2. 100,000 fans guaranteed.