I wasn't actually suggesting Victory move there. Hence my post being in the "New teams" thread. However the person in the link you gave provided a suitable argument against Optus Oval. About the new stadium though, is it true it will only hold around 20,000? I really disagree with that. Given OP already holds 18,000. Melbournians love their sport and figures have shown that they are turning up to games, despite our poor form. I reckon these matches can potentially draw 100,000 to some games. Especially while its a one team city at the moment. Surely at least a 40,000 capacity stadium will be built.
It was a pretty safe guess. The Holland-Queensland thing is funny but to compare it to some of the state leauge/x-NSL ethnic ties is just silly.
Victory nor any other side should have to play at that schithole. 20k is true, with a clause to be able to add 5k or so extra is the demand is there. You cannot build another 'mega stadium' in Melbourne because of the contract the Telstra Dome & the MCG have with the Victorian goverment. 2 world class huge stadiums is enough, even for the worlds sporting captial. Personally I reckon 20ish is pefect. Whilst some games you would be able to draw huge crowds for every other game I'd much prefer a 95% full ground for most games & sellouts than a 45k stadium less than 1/2 full. Victory fans are clearly the best in the league. With a roof and a new stadium the passion in the place will be amazing.
Obviously a Collingwood or Essendon supporter if a new stadium with 20k capacity was built now, it would be perfect. but my point was that in a few years time, victory games could potentially draw crowds of 100k to games. i really believe that in the future, victory would fill a 40k stadium in each game with no trouble. otherwise theres always telstra dome for the big games, if someone can persuade ian collins the **********.
Nope. 20-25k with a option expand is about right IMO. If not being able to fit everyone who wants to go to games is our biggest problem in the future the future is very bright. If we are pushing 40k, 100k for bigger games then football in this country will be a wonderful things.
I'm not disputing NSW's population, i'm saying that you cannot have a team in a puny city. just say a million ppl live in northern and country nsw, that dont mean a million people are gonna go all the way to some little town upstate just to watch a game. NSW already has 3 teams, and really only has 4 cities with a population big enough to demand a stadium (Sydney, newcastle Gosford(just) Wollongong) But look at QLD and Victoria. Both states hold a qtr of the aus population each and neither think they deserve even 2 teams. true, melbourne is held back by the one city one team policy, but look at queensland, it has cities bigger or as big as gosford all up and down the coast. Gold Coast is bigger than Newcastle, Sunshine Coast is bigger than Wollongong, plus Townsville and Cairns bigger than gosford aswell as Mackay, Rockhampton, Wide Bay Area, Toowoomba, Logan and Ipswich all close to gosfords population. Dont go sayin that NSW deserves 4 or more teams just cos it has 1/3 of the population - it doesnt even have many decent sized cities. NSW is centralized! Give the others a go.
40,000 in 5 years First the quality of the league has to improve. The standard is still 3rd 4th, some games are as bad as 5th division football in the top countries. I go to the games, but the quality of football needs to be better, because right now its not getting followers of the EPL, Serie A, Primiera Lega, or Dutch leagues. People still rather watch a quality game on TV, rather than a third forth rate game. I'm rather worried, that quality wont improve, unless we buy finished up stars, or asian, african, and south american players. Once that is achieved, we might be able to loaned players from europe. This would also help the home grown talent, as they are competing against future and past good players. Also, I believe clubs should alighn itself with big european teams. My friend had a cousin from Italy over, his team Napoli is in Italy's 3rd division, he's out every week at the stadium in Napoli. He went and saw a Adelaide United game, and rated it worse than the italian 3rd division. I go to the games, I love football, I need the live fix in my body. However what about the people that get their fix on top league football, their not going to go, they look at an EPL game or Serie A game, then flick it to a A-league game, and think What the F###.
I reckon the quality will improve quickly, even next season i reckon will be much better seeing as most imports are doing quite well, and how yorke has broguht in decent crowds for sydney. If it gets to the stage where teams are getting about 15k average every game and the quality is about 1st/2nd division in england i'd be happy, cos lets face it australia is never going to have the same sort of top competition that the EPL or Serie A does.
I watch a lot of Italian 3rd division games, and its highly entertaining. I've even watched a couple of 5th division games. If the A-league gets to standards of top table 3rd division in italy which is 4th division in england it will draw a good crowd. In Aus the game will never get to a Serie B quality league, because an average player in Serie B is getting $150 - 300 thousand AUD and in each team their is maybe 3-5 players getting 300 - 500 thousand AUD and 1 or 2 players getting 500 000 +. And these players are really quality players.
Your pretty much on the money about the club payments thing, I think more than the money issue here in australia will be the way the game is played, for some reason all the players seem to think they need to be tough so they aren't seen as 'wimps' compared to other football codes. Hence you get situations like where yorke was getting kicked out of the game, and there are a fair few yellow cards handed out at every a-league match. Once we get rid of players thinking it ok to 'go in hard' the standard will lift dramatically as the focus shifts to more individual skills.
Boy, have a look at this thread and see all our Nostradamus' predict the future. The thing is, a fair few of them got some of it right!