Nearpost Football: Canberra A-League

Showing posts with label Canberra A-League. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Canberra A-League. Show all posts

Saturday, 22 January 2011

Canberra more stars - still no team!

FourFourTwo are reporting

Unknown ACT teenager Tom Rogic has caught the eye of professional European coaches at Nike's Chance trials ahead of the final 32 being announced later today London time.

The fertile ground of football development known as Canberra continues to produce, over-produce quality players despite little FFA or Capital Football support or leadership for our post-15 age group - of boys.

With Luke Pilkington, Chris Bush, Kofi Danning, Sam Munro, Tom Rogic, Stephen Lustica, Andrew Baresic just a few of the young Canberra guns pushing into the A-League Youth and Professional set-up you'd have to think those numbers would TRIPLE if we had a set-up in our own impoverished town.

Capital Football need to lead and assist - in setting up an A-League Youth team. How they do it, who runs it? Questions for them.

Thursday, 6 January 2011

Canberra/Asia Business Football group to form?

The FFA might not want a team in the A-League from Canberra but Canberra will host up to seven games in the 2015 Asia Cup.

Fantastic.

Now show us how the FFA, Capital Football, ACT Government has any plan to use this huge and significant tournament to build the game either through a professional football team, a youth team and a legacy for the kids who play the game in Canberra.

After all when the Asia Cup departs will Canberra kids have a pathway or improved facilities for football.

If not? What is the point of this tournament coming to Canberra and what the hell are the FFA and to a much lesser extent Capital Football up to.

We stuffed any benefits from hosting the 2000 Olympics in Canberra, at least I can't see any for football in Canberra, let's hope we are on the front foot with this one and hear our local politicians and Capital Football Board telling the football and sporting community the benefits and direct legacy for football.

Maybe we should have an Canberra/Asian Business/Football group working with the ACT Government with a representative from Capital Football, Heather Reid. Terry Snow, Danny Moulis, Coffeys, IT and Defence Specialists, ANU, and large building firms are others who spring to mind given their Canberra and Asia interests.

There will be many many opportunities for Canberra to link with Asia through football over the next thirty years and what other business or sport can do this?

We need our own think tank/business lobby group, particularly those like Coffeys, various building firms, even Transact who have strategic interests in growing into Asia.

Or will we stuff this free gift as well?

AFL got thirty million for 3 games a year, (good for them) surely 7 Asia Cup games should provide local football a benefit.

Let's hear from Capital Football or anyone able to move the game forward.

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

Capital City to embarrass FFA 12th licence

Australia are sure to win the rights to host the Asia Cup in 2015, we're the only bidders. Although with the FFA we could still lose that!

And it will be a great tournament, one Australia could win.

But what plonker planning this bid has chosen to sink 6 or more games of this tournament into Canberra. More evidence of a lack of football growth strategy from the FFA.

The eight (8) Stadiums proposed in the Bid Book include Suncorp Stadium, Skilled Park, ANZ Stadium, Sydney Football Stadium, Parramatta Stadium, Canberra Stadium, Etihad Stadium and AAMI Park

If you want to grow football, and the FFA clearly doesn't in the Canberra region, wouldn't you take these games to Townsville, or the Gold Coast where A-League teams can perhaps benefit from this tournament.

What benefit will Canberra football get from this?

The bid to bring Asia's premier football competition, the AFC Asian Cup 2015™, to Australia continues with the host of the tournament set to be announced on 6 January 2011 by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The decision will be made at a special AFC Executive Committee meeting, following the AFC Congress to be held in Doha, Qatar next year.

Australia is the sole bidder for the AFC Asian Cup 2015™ and is required to adhere to the formal bidding process as designed by AFC.

As part of the bidding process, Football Federation Australia (FFA) Chairman Frank Lowy and CEO Ben Buckley handed over Australia's bid book to AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam on 29 July 2010 at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur. Australia's bid book contained 350 pages of information about how Asia's largest sporting event would be conducted in Australia.

FFA will deliver a Final Presentation and respond to subsequent questions from the AFC Executive Committee on 6 January 2011. The AFC Executive Committee will then deliberate and announce the host of AFC Asian Cup 2015™.

"Australia has a good track record of hosting successful major events and we believe the AFC Asian Cup 2015™ held in Australia would be beneficial to Australia and the entire Asian region," said FFA CEO Ben Buckley.

"Australia is a sports loving nation and without doubt this tournament would be welcomed by all Australians. Further to that more than 27% of Australia's overseas-born population is from Asia and 24% of Australia's longstanding migrants, who arrived before 2002, are Asian-born," he said.

Australia's bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2015™ has the full support of the Federal Government as well as the support of the governments of Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

ENDS

FAST FACTS:

* Australia joined the AFC in 2006, having previously represented Oceania.
* Some 655 million viewers tuned in to the 2007 AFC Asian Cup (held in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia) with 748 million viewing the 2004 edition (held in China)
* There was a 434 per cent growth in broadcast coverage hours between 2004 (902 hours) and 2007 (3916 hours)
* Domestically, 2.5 million viewers tuned into Fox Sports over the 160 hours of the AFC Asian Cup 2007 telecast
* The Australia v Japan quarter-final broke Pay Television records with an average audience of 419,000 throughout the match
* FFA has undertaken extensive government liaison coordinated through the Football World Cup Bid Government Taskforce (established for both the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ and AFC Asian Cup 2015™ Bids)
* 32 matches (24 group stage / 8 knockout) will be played across four (4) States and Territories (QLD, NSW, VIC, ACT) during the 23 day long tournament, currently scheduled for January 2015
* A number of ancillary events will also be conducted in Australia including the Preliminary Draw, Final Draw, Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Team Workshops
* The eight (8) Stadiums proposed in the Bid Book include Suncorp Stadium, Skilled Park, ANZ Stadium, Sydney Football Stadium, Parramatta Stadium, Canberra Stadium, Etihad Stadium and AAMI Park
* AFC requires a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of five (5) Stadiums and in conjunction with FFA will undertake a Stadium selection process following the announcement of the Host Country.

Sunday, 26 July 2009

Canberra Professional Football smashes AFL?

AFL the darling of Australian sport, here for 150 years and with my beloved St Kilda leading the way have only

ONE player, one current professional player Sydney Swans Craig Bolton drafted from Canberra in their league.

One, according to the Canberra Times.

Can that be right?

Football has at least 13 guys playing professional football and at least a couple of women.

Joe Simunic, Bundseliga.
Carl Valeri, Serie B
Matt Kemp, A-League
Nikolai Topor-Stanley, A-League
Kaz Patafta A-League
Shaun Ontong, A-League
Adam Casey, A-League
Kofi Danning, A-League
Andrew Baresic, A-League
Stephen Lustica, A-League
Luke Pilkington, A-League
Sam Munro, A-League
Cody Larkin ?, A-League

Have I missed anyone?

Add in Lydia Williams currently on the Chicago WSL list, Caitlin Munoz, and a host of others in the Canberra United W-League side and we're smashing the AFL production ranks in this city.

Canberra: No room for AFL?

Canberra Times was full of stories about how much money we should give the AFL to come to Canberra.

And as Don Furner the Raiders Coach said Brumbies, Raiders, maybe 6 AFL games if Western Sydney get in and a A-League team, the city can't sustain 4 codes.

So the logical argument is AFL get stuffed!

Why because they can only take from an extended Brumbies and existing Raiders seasons, not to mention the corporate dollar.

Raiders and AFL go head to head in Canberra today and I'd be surprised if either code gets 10,000.

So do we want to see our two existing teams ditched? I think not.

Not that we don't want AFL, just that six AFL games, and more Union games will hurt all three codes.

Football well we play in summer although there will be some slight cross-over.

However Brumbies, Raiders and AFL all playing in Canbera at the same time. That ain't possible is it? Blind Freddy can see that and Rugby League fans could see the death of the Raiders.

Let's face it they're hardly packing them in now are they?

So ACT Government why don't you put your AFL funds into A-League/football and promote this business.

All the A-League needs is a great marketing spend, a great image and inclusivity program and of course a strong and viable team.

A successful Canberra football team has more potential for this city than 6 AFL games ever will.

Go the Raiders and The Brumbies, Canberra to the core.

And of course ACT Govt, when you promise to give an A-League team $800,000 per year how come the Brumbies get $1,000,000 plus $750,000 this year and the Raiders get $1.5 million per year.

Dare I suggest all codes get less and equal amounts?

Thursday, 16 July 2009

Canberra talent deserves a go dunnit

So the Canberra lad won the National TV Football Superstar Melbourne Victory contract. Nice one Luke.

And with so many Canberra boys coming through wouldn't it be nice, nay deserved on quality alone, to see a team in the A-League from this region.

So here goes with current transfer value in brackets.

Keeper

Codey Larkin (Adelaide United Youth,)

Defence

Matthew Kemp (Melbourne Victory, 30, Value $200,000)
Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Newcastle Jets, Socceroo, 23, Value $300,000)
Josip Simunic (Hoffenheim, Bundesliga, Croatian International, 31, $6 million)
Luke Pilkington (Melbourne Victory 18, Value tbd.)

Midfield

Kaz Patafta (Newcastle Jets, Australian Under 17, 20, Value $50,000)
Shaun Ontong (Newcastle Jets, Australian Under 20, 22, Value $50,000)
Adam Casey (Sydney FC, Olyroo, 22, Value $150,000)
Carl Valeri (Grossetto Serie B, Socceroo, 24, Value $2 million)
Stephen Lustica (Gold Coast United, 18 Australian Under 18, Value tbd.)

Forwards
Kofi Danning, (Sydney FC, Australian Under 20, 18 Value $250,000 and rising.)
Andrew Baresic (Gold Coast United, 22, Value $100,000 and rising.)
Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus, J-League Socceroo, 27, Value $2,000,000)

and that makes 13 and a fair bit of football class in those guys.

Have I missed any certain Canberra starters?

Sam Munro and a heap of others running around in NSWPL will be itching to get in the team, not to mention all the guys at the AIS and all Luke's mates in the local Premier League.

Add in a couple of non-Canberran overseas players, maybe a couple of other Aussies and you'd have a squad to compete with any A-League side.

So of course we wouldn't get all these in any one season but the point is Canberra has the talent.

Friday, 10 July 2009

Football Fans Priority Offer Ends Wed 15th July

Spread the word, send the link to your network and friends so they don't miss out on the offer http://eepurl.com/cgGb

Thursday, 9 July 2009

A-League4Canberra Media Release

MEDIA RELEASE:
July 9th
Canberra to host Hyundai A-League games: Fans urged to buy tickets early.
The Central Coast Mariners will play two Hyundai A-League games at Canberra Stadium in coming weeks and this is great news for the Canberra A-League bid and all sports fans in the region.

Canberra A-League bid leader Ivan Slavich is delighted, “Canberra supporters have already shown outstanding support for football at the recent Socceroos game played at Canberra Stadium; and now fans of football, and sport, across Canberra and the region have further reason to celebrate.

“I’d urge everyone who wants to see a successful Canberra A-League bid to attend both Central Coast Mariners fixtures to be held at Canberra Stadium in coming weeks. A strong crowd will further enhance our bid and progress,” said Canberra A-League bid Leader Ivan Slavich

“We are delighted there will be a special offer for all Canberra A-League Foundation Members and fans of football. Foundation Members and fans can show their support for the A-League4Canberra bid and top level football in the region by buying tickets to both games and take advantage of the significant discount prior to Wednesday July 15th.
“Football Federation Australia will be watching the level of interest from the region. And we’re expecting a decision on Canberra’s A-League bid in next few weeks,” said Slavich.

Match and ticket details: Tickets are available from Ticketek at www.ticketek.com.au
Friday 4th September: Central Coast Mariners v Perth Glory (Canberra Stadium)
Sat 31st October: A-League Central Coast Mariners v Adelaide United (Canberra Stadium)

Slavich added, “Foundation Members can still join and take advantage of this special offer. We are aiming to get as many Foundation Members signed up as possible before the A-League 12th spot decision is made and if you haven’t signed up yet I would urge all sports fans from the surrounding regions to join us now and show your support for Canberra sport.
To sign-up as a Foundation Member go to www.a-league4canberra.com.au

Tuesday, 7 July 2009

80,000 greet Canberra marquee

Did anyone turn up to greet Australian Rugby's most expensive player Wallabies and Brumbies returning superstar Matt Giteau when he signed on for the Brumbies...well judging by his ads for ACTTAB maybe some ACTTAB staff, but 80,000 turned up to see Ronaldo arrive at Real Madrid.

No game, just Ronnie and his shirt!

Poor old Kaka..he only got 50,000.

So how many will turn out to see the arrival of a Canberra marquee....in football, or any code for that matter!

Wednesday, 3 June 2009

Canberra: Could we ever match this?

Is it true that only a Canberra A-League team, a financially viable one, can deliver what the Central Coast are planning and Canberra Youth and Football community so desperately needs.

An international standard training and education centre the whole region can be proud of.

Now if the Central Coast can plan this....in what just four years ago was Rugby League heartland we in Canberra can surely have the same one day can't we?

Central Coast better than Canberra

From the Midfielder:

Lyle Gorman and Peter Turnbull presented their plan for a Mariners Centre of Excellence to be built at Club Tuggerah. The plan is extremely impressive. It will cover 22 acres of land; 14 acres currently owned by Wyong RSL and another 8 acres gifted to the project by Wyong Shire Council. Wyong Mayor Bob Graham commented during the meeting that Wyong Shire Council intends to fast track all development applications as a project of major significance to the Wyong Shire.

From memory, the development consists of:

* 6 international class football playing fields (including the two existing fields)
* several futsal playing fields
* a new two story building on the self storage/auctions side of Club Tuggerah incorporating:
o 120 accomodation units
o indoor heated swimming pool
o gymnasium
o sports science centre
o Mariners FC administration offices
* refurbishing the existing Club Tuggerah building incorporating new outdoor seating areas
* a new, two story building built near the edge of the current Club Tuggerah car park extending toward the fishing club boathouse including:
o club facilities (i.e. bar areas etc) that approximately double the size of the existing club facility. The two areas would be joined by a covered walkway
o multiple conference room and function room facilities
o catering facilities and amenities
o other stuff that I’ve probably forgotten

The fields will be used by Tuggerah FC, the National Youth League and the W-League sides for training and competition matches. The Mariners and visiting A-League clubs will use the fields for training. Visiting A-league sides would use the accomodation. It was also noted during the meeting that there are expectations for an international football presence at the facility through the Mariners FC’s links with various overseas football clubs.

Monday, 1 June 2009

Western Sydney ahead? Not in financial terms

What to do with Canberra? If Western Sydney is ahead as media reports suggest and I doubt it from what I'm hearing, what will the FFA do with Canberra?

Canberra has more money, better community support, better football infrastructure, more padi-up foundation members....but Western Sydney are ahead.

You work it out! Expect more of this media stuff in coming days as FFA meet with Western Sydney and if there is any semblance of a bid at any level that is credible from Western Sydney then you can expect leaks and powderpuff stories to come flying as the FFA/Sydney are media are desperate to build on anything that resembles a real bid

You might ask why has it taken so long...indeed where is Lucas Neill and his bid! Remember him?

Western Sydney ahead

Canberra's A-League bid chief Ivan Slavich saying it's a case of now or never for the largely untapped ACT marketplace.

"We've demonstrated to the FFA that there is support for football in the region, we've got the financial backing and we've got strong support from the local government, so we've got all the criteria covered," he said yesterday.

Thursday, 7 May 2009

Canberra: An entrepreneurs dream?

Imagine if you were a Company and you had this many people from one city who used your product every week guaranteed:

30,000 people made up of:
12,000 aged 3-18 primary users
5,000 aged 19-90 primary users
13,000 18-90 secondary users..over 50% female.)

Imagine you could guarantee that these customers would stay with you for 20 years.

What entrepreneur wouldn't give for such a client base, such strength.

Harold Mitchell will tell you that the greatest influencers of discretionary spending in our society are children and mothers (women)

What would Brumbies/Rugby Union and Canberra Raiders/Rugby League do with this client base? I shudder to think.

From the rumours I've heard...(could be wrong)Capital Football has recently been offered the opportunity to build a Futsal Stadium in Canberra. The Government has offered to fund 50% of the building. Capital Football has knocked it back...maybe they have other plans, maybe they don't want to take a risk, maybe it's sound practice.

The Football Community would own it.

Imagine if we paid all our Futsal Stadium revenues to football...and not to the Netball, ACT Government or the Tennis Centre etc.

Wow, we could take the profits on the food, take the profits on the shop that could be put in place.

We could run the National Championships, the School Championships..for football, for our kids, our clients.

Futsal 24/7

Imagine if the Futsal Stadium had space for 4 outdoor fields. Imagine if we had the space to build in the future, accommodation, offices, further shops...etc

Imagine if we caught all the water of the roof and well..forget your astroturf couldn't you.

Imagine if we had a plan to pour revenues back into local clubs, any profits either reducing registration fees or improving the resources provided to the clubs.

Imagine if this organisation offered the clubs the opportunity to buy every ball through them. Imagine if they could make $10 a ball from the distributor. (And they can...I've asked the supplier)

Imagine if all the clubs in Canberra bought their 10,000 balls per year from this central body, and they got MORE money back then they get now from their suppliers.

Imagine if we offered the same service to Southern New South Wales.

Imagine if after the ball success this business arm of the local organisation started selling, socks, shirts, shorts and EVERY FOOTBALL BOOT in Canberra.

Imagine if this organisation employed a Commercial Manager on $30,000 a year....and said in year 1 whatever sponsorships you get....providing the total is more than what we get now you can keep 50%. Did you think they'd work hard...or not?

When we will have the vision to garner the business resources of the football community, to grab our share of the community pie.

Will we always have to wait for handouts from the ACT Goverment?

We should match every $ the Goverment gives us and then some. We should have a plan to make money, to build stadiums, grounds, shops with a business model that enables us to make money, and improve the football facilities for our children and their children.

With our client base, it's long-term profile, how can we fail?

If you think we can't make money you simply employ someone who can show you how to do it.

What is the value of the spend of football in this community?

Registrations, Boots, Gear, Balls, food, you name it we buy it..it would be over $30 million.

Now if we get an A-League team, a commercial body, will be doing everything in it's power to grab ALL of this money and share it between the A-League Club and our junior players/clubs.

Can't be too hard can it?

Oh and I mean the A-League business model will want ALL of it. And why not, because no-one else wants it.

Tuesday, 21 April 2009

Ben Buckley: Expansion still on...in Canberra?

"But if you look at the game overall, participation is still growing, hopefully we're going to take that next step and qualify for the World Cup, so there's some real momentum there....

"So we're not worried for the long term. We think the game generally is in good shape.

On expansion, Buckley added: "We're committed to expansion. Our business plan accommodates expansion. We have to make sure we select the right partners, with the right amount of capital....But we're very close to signing an agreement with the consortium in Melbourne, and we've got a number of other proposals for the 12th licence. Nothing at this stage will slow it [expansion] down."

From the SMH today. Clearly if Canberra has sufficient funds they will push their way in.

Monday, 20 April 2009

Imagine if Canberra were in the A-League Season 5.

If Canberra were in the league we'd have:
Jason Culina, leading Gold Coast United to play at the Canberra Stadium. A Socceroo. Still only 29 would we ever have a fitter, younger, better credentialed Australian playing football in Canberra at his peak?

Robbie Fowler would be in Canberra to play for Townsville. All the Liverpool TV watchers would surely stumble up to Canberra Stadium for that one.

Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC would bring large travelling support, but they'd go home defeated

Nikolai Topor-Stanley would be welcomed back...maybe..with Newcastle.
We'd thrash the Mariners with our brand of football and maybe Kaz Patafta showing the way..wouldn't that be fantastic for our brand, Canberra and Kaz.

Adelaide United Runners-Up in Asia would also be runners-up in Canberra.
And Perth Glory..Denilson or not, Canberra would just be a little easier for Perth to get home from after another away defeat...in fact compared to playing Wellington..this would be a Perth home game..sort of.

So bring on Season 6 and a sold-out first home game.

Thursday, 26 March 2009

Canberra A-League bid drives Wikimania:)

Canberra A-League Bid on Wikirank

Will Canberra be the 12th team in 2010; or left to wait for the 13th spot?
Time waits for no man...or football club unless perhaps Western Sydney!

Sunday, 22 March 2009

Seattle show Canberra the way...

Seattle opened their first MLS season with a 3-0 win...not to mention a self-imposed season ticket cap of 22,000 sold and a sell-out crowd of 32,000. More season tickets than their baseball team apparently..although they have 81 games!

Still in the USA another sign of the growth of the game...must be lessons there for Australia and any Canberra franchise...we can do it:)

Tuesday, 17 March 2009

How many Season Tickets will Canberra A-League sell?

Before kicking a ball, the team (Seattle) has sold 20,000 season tickets at Qwest Field

Yes that's for an American "soccer" team. So why not Australia and of course Canberra?

Well I reckon we can sell 20,000 season tickets in Canberra for an A-League side. Stop laughing I hear you already those of you who have already howled down even the idea of a team in Canberra...never mind having the nerve to go for gold, 20,000 season tickets.

You are only limited by your dreams, your marketing ability, and opportunity to engage the community. We have all three covered in Canberra.

In Canberra an A-League team long-term is a gold mine. You have a different view? You must be a worn-out Cosmos fan still living in the past or just anti-Aussie football.

and feel free to disagree..just don't bother telling me!

Instead put your energy to better use tell me what we need to do to enable us to get to that golden 20,000 season tickets. Dare to dream.

Full article from the New York Times below.

New York Times wrote:
March 16, 2009, 7:04 pm
Carey Waits for the Other Boot to Drop in Seattle
By Andrew Keh
As host of “The Price Is Right,” Drew Carey knows a bit about the fickleness of good fortune, and as he prepares for his first season as an owner in Major League Soccer, the comedian can’t help but be a little fatalistic.

“It’s like being at a hot dice table,” said Carey, a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders. “Everything has gone so right. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Carey is a recent convert to soccer, but he has embraced the sport quickly and wholeheartedly since attending his first M.L.S. match in 2003 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Four years after that game, he owned a piece of his own franchise. Now, as the Sounders prepare for their inaugural season, which begins at home Thursday against the Red Bulls, Carey appears to have every reason to be bubbling with optimism.

The Sounders have been warmly embraced in Seattle, a city still reeling after the Supersonics of the N.B.A. left for Oklahoma City. Much of the buzz around the Sounders can be traced back to Carey, who in the past months has brought a fan’s enthusiasm to the owner’s box.

Before kicking a ball, the team has sold 20,000 season tickets at Qwest Field — more than the average attendance for most M.L.S. clubs — and they recently raised the limit on subscriptions to keep up with the demand. These fans, Carey explained, are effectively purchasing a “say-so” in the club. Season ticket holders will automatically become part of the Seattle FC Alliance, the club’s official supporter’s group, and have the right to vote on various club matters, most significantly the hiring and firing of the team’s general manager.

“You vote for presidents, you vote for mayor, I don’t see why you don’t do it for the general manager of your local sports team,” Carey said Monday during a visit to M.L.S headquarters in New York. Similar systems are employed overseas at clubs like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid of Spain. “We have to bring in a guy the fans like.”

To facilitate the community-oriented aspects of the operation, the club plans to open up a members-only forum on the Internet where fans can share stories, gripes, and multimedia content and make direct complaints and requests to the club. The Sounders will also have quarterly meetings with two fan representatives, an unusual practice for American professional sports.

“Not only are we letting them burn down the castle, we’re giving them the pitchforks and torches to do it,” Carey said.

The fans, for their part, are quick to light the match. When the franchise held an online vote last year to determine the club’s new moniker, the name “Sounders” — which has been closely associated with soccer in the city since the days of the N.A.S.L. — was not even an option on the ballot.

“While we should celebrate the past, we believe the M.L.S. Seattle team should be about where they are headed tomorrow and help position the club globally,” league commissioner Don Garber said at the time.

But a write-in campaign forced the name “Sounders” ahead of the other choices, an outcome with which Carey is now very pleased.

One meeting this summer between the club and its two fan representatives, meanwhile, produced a plan to have the team’s marching band (another Carey idea) escort fans from Seattle’s Pioneer Square, home to several of the city’s bars, to Qwest Field in what Carey called a “drunken march to the stadium” before each game.

Carey also said he wants to distribute team scarves and flash drives containing all of the club’s chants to fans at home games this season. Such subtle details — culled by Carey during his numerous soccer-viewing trips overseas — could help Seattle, as an expansion city, become one of the league’s premier destinations, just as Toronto did in 2007.

“I don’t think this could have happened in Cleveland,” Carey said of his hometown. People in Seattle, he said, are “a little more international. Soccer is not some weird sport to them.”

There are probably few cities, in fact, where the process of expansion could go as well as it has for the Sounders, with the groundswell of support and excitement they have engendered, and for Carey, it has all seemed almost too good to be true. He said that he has begun to tell himself and his co-owners, “Something’s got to happen bad.”

But then he paused to think.

“Maybe it could be one of those magic seasons where everything goes alright.”

Tuesday, 10 March 2009

Central Coast beat Canberra to Asia

The Brumbies have always showcased our city to South Africa, the Raiders to Balmain or Cronulla only football can take us to Asia....

And the Central Coast, the dear old Central Coast, have stolen a march on our Capital...

Powers combine to showcase the Central Coast to the world

The Central Coast Mariners’ maiden AFC Champions League campaign, which kicks off at Central Coast Stadium on Wednesday night, today received an exceptional off-field boost thanks to contributions from the NSW State Government, Gosford City Council and Wyong Shire Council.

Each of the aforementioned organisations have contributed $200,000 – totaling $600,000 – to assist the Mariners with their debut continental quest and Hyundai A-League 2009/10 season, which will see the web address thecoast.cc displayed on the front of the Mariners’ AFC Champions League playing strips.

thecoast.cc, which will be officially launched on the morning of the Mariners’ highly anticipated showdown with Korean FA Cup winners Pohang Steelers at Central Coast Stadium, will contain information for businesses and tourists that are interested in the vast opportunities that exist from a professional, sporting and lifestyle perspective on the Central Coast.

The Mariners’ AFC Champions League campaign will showcase the Mariners club and the Central Coast region to massive television audiences throughout Asia and the world, with future visits to Tianjin in China, Kawasaki in Japan and Pohang in Korea potentially exposing the Mariners to a cumulative local television audience of nearly two-billion people.

"The AFC Champions League represents a chance for regions and clubs to be showcased to Asia and the world that simply does not exist in any other competition of any other code in this country," said Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman.

"To that end, we are simply delighted that the NSW State Government, Gosford City Council and Wyong Shire Council have identified with the possibilities that exist through avenues such as business and tourism that only the Mariners and the AFC Champions League can offer.

"A commitment to showcasing the Central Coast region to Asia and to the world has been a core belief of our club since our inception and on Wednesday we’ll first have the opportunity to witness the spectacle of an elite Asian sporting event in our own backyard.

"Further to this, we will be taking thecoast.cc with us to each of our visits abroad, with Tianjin in China alone home to over 11,000,000 people."

Sunday, 8 March 2009

Socceroos impact on Canberra

Thanks to Michael West for the photo.

So we cracked the 20,000 mark for football in Canberra. And as many naysayers reminded me before the game this was "only the A-League Socceroos," a reference perhaps to why they wouldn't go or why we wouldn't get a crowd.

The FFA were delighted and surprised by the size of the crowd and indeed the passion from the crowd.

Does the game and size of the crowd have any implications for Canberra football, for our A-League bid?

I think it does.

Some have already said the teams performance put our bid back. Others have said what does the crowd for a Socceroos game have to do with an A-League team in Canberra.

Well it's another major step for those involved in the bid. The FFA clearly lean towards a second Melbourne and Sydney team but now with this display from Canberra and of course the strength of our bid they are faced with some serious questions.

Can they afford not to grow the game in Australia and in the Capital when the momentum is clearly there? Can they afford to turn away in their words, the best prepared bid they've ever seen?

Time will tell, we can do little more.

However what crowd do you think we will get for our very first Canberra A-League home game?
What crowd do you think we will get if we are in the A-League final series for the first time?
What crowd will we draw against Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory?

The naysayers continue to be loud and proud but mostly they are older men, pained from the memories of the dear old Cosmos.

Thursday showed it's a different time, I've been repeating it to anyone who wanted to hear.

And consider this:

The eight year old boy who had his birthday on the night. The venue was changed and they all went to the Socceroos for the party.

Or the six year old boy walking into the stadium caught up in the excitement. "How Can I be a Socceroo Mum?"

No Canberra 8 year old has ever had an opportunity to watch the Socceroos. To connect with the game they play.

And that for me is the long-term success of the Canberra A-League team. When we have six or more Canberrans running out to play against Robbie Fowler, Sydney FC or Asian Champions League Runners-Up Adelaide United there will be a great feel for the fans and we'll have our own stories.

Thursday meant it's easier to sell the dream, to the media, to the sponsors, to the whole community.

"You'll never get a crowd for football, remember the Cosmos." Well we did, we have made the jump, the rest is easier to sell I believe.

Now we just need the FFA to say, "the winner is Canberra."

And for the ever decreasing minority who choose to knock, I say, embrace the opportunity and work with us to make something happen.

The people of Canberra have spoken of their love for the game.

Did you know there were so many Socceroos tops and scarves etc in Canberra? They have been well hidden.

And the audience, men, women, children young and old for football. Just as it should be.

Another step forward for football in the region.

Thursday, 12 February 2009

Volunteers desperately needed for ANU O-Week

Ben Sakker-Kelly our a-league4canberra volunteers co-ordinator has been called away first to the Queensland floods and now to the Victorian bushfires. Need less to say he's had to drop all a-league duties. We wish him well.

We consequently have no confirmed volunteer pledge getters for O-Week at ANU.

Could you please encourage anyone at ANU in any capacity to contact me. Even if they can only do one hour, we can usually get around 50 signatures and hour and we are targeting 1,000 pledges across ANU in O-Week

Can you help or know someone who can? Contact me on flanagan.eamonn@gmail.com

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