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Crowd numbers for the A-League have remained abysmal as the competition didn’t get a boost from the Socceroos’ incredible World Cup run in Qatar last year.
Football Australia would no doubt have hoped that strong support for Graham Arnold’s men in the Middle East would spill over to the struggling domestic competition after the tournament ended on December 19.
He hasn’t.
Website data austadiums.com revealed just how bleak the numbers have been, with the game between Western United and Newcastle Jets on January 15 attracting just 2,356 supporters.
Also, at the January 8 game at Campbelltown Sports Stadium that featured Macarthur FC against the Jets, only 3,123 fans came through the gates.
The dismal crowd count is in stark contrast to scenes during the World Cup, where Federation Square in Melbourne and Darling Harbor in Sydney were packed with fans as Australia reached the round of 16 for the second time.
Perhaps fearing what might come, Socceroos star Craig Goodwin practically advocated for healthy numbers in A-League games after Qatar.
The huge crowds during the World Cup showed that the Australian public still cares about football (Pictured Federation Square in Melbourne)
But despite the Socceroos’ World Cup heroics, the number of spectators in the A-League each week remains appalling (pictured, a pitiful crowd during a recent match in Wollongong)
“Hopefully what we’ve achieved here can help grow the game at home because the A-League is better than it’s perceived to be,” the Reds captain said in December.
‘The message to [the public] is this: ‘go out and see the Socceroos who are playing in the A-League’.
‘Support your local teams and embrace Australian rules football; help him grow.
“This is about building on what we’ve done here, not just as a gaming group, but as a nation.”
Unfortunately for Goodwin, and Football Australia, his call to arms fell on deaf ears.
Socceroos star Craig Goodwin called for healthy numbers in A-League games after Qatar; his call to arms has been ignored
A bleeding Melbourne City Tom Glover is escorted off the pitch by his teammates after fans stormed the pitch at AAMI Park
The poor numbers in A-League matches have been exacerbated by the shocking scenes in the Melbourne derby on December 17, which was an unwanted black eye for the code.
The pitch invasion at AAMI Park saw Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover hit with a bucket and referee Alex King was also injured in the ensuing chaos.
Before the derby in round eight, Melbourne Victory had drawn the highest average attendance of the season, according to the A.B.C.
But following the heavy penalties issued by the FA, those numbers have plummeted.
Melbourne Victory aren’t the only A-League side to experience a drop in support on home soil, either.
Despite sitting in third place, Western Sydney Wanderers have seen their average attendance drop by more than 60 per cent at Commbank Stadium.
Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets, both struggling this season, have suffered declines of at least 30 per cent.
Then we have the final big announcement from last month, which created a tension of gigantic proportions.
The decision to grant Sydney hosting rights until 2025 was nothing short of a disaster, despite the PR spin of Australian Professional Leagues chief executive Danny Townsend.
While the deal struck with Destination NSW last month was worth $10 million, A-League teams earning the right to host the deciders was one of the best features of the competition dating back to 2005.
APL boss Danny Townsend is not a popular figure with many soccer fans after his announcement of the Sydney grand final last month.
Fans of Adelaide United and Brisbane (both teams pictured) will have to fork out for flights and accommodation to watch the grand final in Sydney for at least the next three years if their teams make it to the decider.
Dozens of disgruntled fans have voted with their feet, refusing to attend the games on principle.
And fans who attended games across the country later left to protest.
Labeled by Townsend as a “unique opportunity to build a tradition for soccer fans,” the corporate deal will be forever doomed.
Once the development became public on December 12, Perth Glory boss Tony Sage called the move a “shit joke” on social media, while Sydney FC support group The Cove posted : ‘While of course this decision benefits us, it is completely unfair and unfair to the rest of the league.’
For the A-League to succeed, the competition needs some real standout signings to put bums in the seats.
Not players from Europe in their 30s and 30s looking for a final payday.
Playing during the summer is ridiculous given the heat, and the fact that there’s no chance of clubs being relegated due to the absence of a second national division means mediocrity is alive and well.
Many players are not up to the task, and a look at the 12 A-League clubs will tell you that many marginal faces are ‘recycled’ year after year.
The Socceroos showed that the public still cares about the global game, but rather than sit idly by in the eyes of many, Football Australia needs to make complete changes, now.