Canberra:17,000 players...but it's still not enough!
Capital Football's season launch is on today. 17,000 registered players.
A fantastic achievement, make no mistake. Well done to all at Capital Football.
But I want more, and now!
I want an A-League team, A Women's National League team, A Youth team and a Futsal team.
With such existing community involvement and support in Canberra and its surrounds how can my desires, your desires, not come to fruition. Imagine trying to start such a franchise with 3,000 players! This City has what it takes, but something, somewhere is missing.
Let's not blames others, we need to take the initiative, and fast.
4 comments:
We've got the community base here without doubt and I'd say that if the non-players involved in the game are included, then that number pushes 20,000.
The first step toward get an A-League side in Canberra, is for this community to demonstrate its desire by getting 10,000 people to attend a football match.
We should get another opportunity during the pre-season cup in July, with the A-League bringing a game here. That's our chance to literally stand up and be counted.
I'd say if the non-players in each family, relationship, were added plus non-players interested in the game, we'd be nearer to 50,000.
A kid plus a couple of parents means 12,000 juniors can be closer to 36,000...admittedly they ain't all devotees, but if they are playing there is some interest in football even if it's only through their kids.
And Socceroos interest...well who isn't interested at some level.
Getting 5 or 6,000 to a pre-season game between two non-Canberra teams in winter is pretty encouraging to me. Imagine if it was a Canberra team, th eopening game, 10,000 would be a disappointing crowd.
But you are right Tomy, the pre-season game,it is one of the few ways we have of demonstrating we want a team.
I think we also hold the record for biggest pre-season crowd outside of a major A-League city, or at least second.
'Encouraging' is probably the right word, but 5735 it doesn't make anyone sit up and listen.
Breaking that 10,000 mark gets us a seat at the table and properly answers the criticism of crowd numbers. It shows everywhere else that even for two non-Canberra teams, we're mad for football (note a Canberra AL side would be expected to break 10K every week).
An impressive crowd like that also opens the door for a bid to have the Socceroos play at Canberra Stadium again. Proving we'll turn out in numbers for A-League, convinces others that we could fill the stadium for the national team - imagine the momentum that would build!
Canberra supporters are a fickle bunch in any code, so attendances will continue to dog any bid. Proving that to be a myth is a big step forward.
On another note - Canb Times gave a fair write up of the season launch and player numbers today as some positive publicity (even if they just can't embrace calling it 'football').
agreed getting 10,000 to a pre-season game would make waves....
thing is how can we do it?
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