The Western United Thread

[RIMB]

Of course, what you say is true and I, for one, want that to continue but the league is, as it stands, is financially unsustainable. That is what it needs to come to terms with.

Isn't that the case with most professional leagues though?

Other than a very few exceptions clubs don't make money - they have owners who spend more than they ever get back. No top flight league is financially sustainable as far as I am aware.

The bigger leagues just have more people who want the glory or prestige of owning a top level club over common-sense and financial responsibility.

 

[libelous]

Says who it is unsustainable ? Clubs will cut their cloth to suit, like they have been doing since Covid. This is what you need to come to terms with, instead of acting like some high-end CEO.

Tell me, are you interested in football in this country or only in the ‘top league’.?
Your answer will tell me everything I need to know.

 

[RIMB]

I would add, there is no doom and gloom from me only a desire to see football reach its full potential.
Football is much more than just the A League.

I read the doom and gloom across many threads. That part was not aimed at anyone in particular.

And agreed about football being way beyond the aleagues.

 

[libelous]

Isn't that the case with most professional leagues though?

Other than a very few exceptions clubs don't make money - they have owners who spend more than they ever get back. No top flight league is financially sustainable as far as I am aware.

The bigger leagues just have more people who want the glory or prestige of owning a top level club over common-sense and financial responsibility.

Then why are clubs folding?

 

[Sutherlandbear]

Then why are clubs folding?

Why do you say that in the plural, when potentially only one club is folding.

 

[Beretta]

I have no skin in a yugo game. Just happy to see you putting you differences aside for your comrades

The only difference is the traditional clubs and a franchise that couldnt last 7 years.

 

[RIMB]

Then why are clubs folding?

The owners grow tired of losing money would be my guess.

Whether that is due to pressure of shareholders, markets or whatever I have no idea.

My club is not in financial strife - because the owner has enough money. It is getting them to spend it in a timely fashion that is the struggle - and they seem to be spending more appropriately under our current management.

 

[libelous]

The owners grow tired of losing money would be my guess.

Whether that is due to pressure of shareholders, markets or whatever I have no idea.

My club is not in financial strife - because the owner has enough money. It is getting them to spend it in a timely fashion that is the struggle - and they seem to be spending more appropriately under our current management.

My argument goes beyond what individual clubs are or aren’t capable of. It’s about how the game itself can achieve much more by looking beyond individualism. Let’s open it up and see how it can be if we take off the blinkers.

 

[CentreHalf]

What credibility do you still maintain it has??

Good point. However clubs like Sydney FC and WSW seem to have things sorted.

 

[Sutherlandbear]

My argument goes beyond what individual clubs are or aren’t capable of. It’s about how the game itself can achieve much more by looking beyond individualism. Let’s open it up and see how it can be if we take off the blinkers.

So all you are really saying is, let the clubs that previously failed, back into the top league. Then we go back to sub standard grounds and teams with no money to compete as full time professionals.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

The obsession in this country of shutting down leagues is pathetic. Football around the world has being going for over 100 years and apart from the NSL and the NASL , all the leagues have survived with all sorts of ups and downs, some way worse than the current A league. The Scottish league has as many problems as we do, but no one ever calls for it to be shut down.

The only ones that I hear in Australia calling for shut downs are the ex NSL susupporters.

Except wasnt your league started on the back of that very call? By calling for and shutting down the then existing that you now argue against being shut down? Why the double standard suddenly?

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

Love your passion for Football, however IMO your logic pertaining to what's happens to Australian professional Football if the A-L dies is wrong.

Noted as i do most ppl's passion (incl yours) in this forum, but i do disagree here.. the league dying wasnt the end of football before nor would it be if it happened again.. if we can utilise that death to get to where we need to be that is!

We need all levels of Football to grow and hand on heart not the other thing despite all the many issues and a mega long "To Do List " the A-L is by a long way the most successful competition we have ever had.

I agree, butnits inly partially successful for every actual succesful franshise there is a defunct one or one in strife! The balance doesnt show success as it didnt in the NSL.

IMO the two single biggest issues for Football in Australia are, getting respect for Australian professional Football by those who support Football, and second to end the endless civil wars and present a united front.

100% but to do this and maintain exclusion is not possible!

If we do this P n R will happen as we grow, to demand it happen will loose more fans than it will attract

But why will it lose fans? Fans have gone in reverse in the AL have they not season after season now reaching a point of only true fans reamining for most clubs? New franchises have failed to gain crowds at all, the mainstream dream is dead as it was envisioned bc ppl from other codes dont care to move over... wouldnt bridging the divide bring back football fans that now dont interact with the AL and that be a positive?

 

[Sutherlandbear]

Except wasnt your league started on the back of that very call? By calling for and shutting down the then existing that you now argue against being shut down? Why the double standard suddenly?

I never called for any league to be shut down, as I don’t see it as “ normal “ in the football world. What happened,happened, as I have said to Mono, you guys should have tried harder to stop it being shut down. That their never any signs of protests is on yourselves.

 

[Sutherlandbear]

Noted as i do most ppl's passion (incl yours) in this forum, but i do disagree here.. the league dying wasnt the end of football before nor would it be if it happened again.. if we can utilise that death to get to where we need to be that is!

I agree, butnits inly partially successful for every actual succesful franshise there is a defunct one or one in strife! The balance doesnt show success as it didnt in the NSL.

100% but to do this and maintain exclusion is not possible!

But why will it lose fans? Fans have gone in reverse in the AL have they not season after season now reaching a point of only true fans reamining for most clubs? New franchises have failed to gain crowds at all, the mainstream dream is dead as it was envisioned bc ppl from other codes dont care to move over... wouldnt bridging the divide bring back football fans that now dont interact with the AL and that be a positive?

Like we seen tonight, a lot of your clubs don’t have many fans, even your own club are getting less than 800 to league games.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

Good point. However clubs like Sydney FC and WSW seem to have things sorted.

No doubt but 5 or 6 successful clubs in a failing environement is a carbon copy of the NSL at best...despite some ppl telling us it isnt.

 

[Sutherlandbear]

No doubt but 5 or 6 successful clubs in a failing environement is a carbon copy of the NSL at best...despite some ppl telling us it isnt.

11 of the 12 clubs left averaged over 6000 per week, which compares favourably in national league history. Only MacArthur had shite support of 4674 per week. Hardly a carbon copy of the former closed league model.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

I never called for any league to be shut down, as I don’t see it as “ normal “ in the football world. What happened,happened, as I have said to Mono, you guys should have tried harder to stop it being shut down. That their never any signs of protests is on yourselves.

Not you but many that played key roles in your franchises, did though, is the point.. whatever shortcomings we had we have more than succesfulyy applied numerous times to join and for very obvious and noted reason were denied.

There was never a lack of protest historically and that protest is still visible today from my club infact!

How much harder could any club try?

 

[Sutherlandbear]

Not you but many that played key roles in your franchises, did though, is the point.. whatever shortcomings we had we have more than succesfulyy applied numerous times to join and for very obvious and noted reason were denied.

There was never a lack of protest historically and that protest is still visible today from my club infact!

How much harder could any club try?

There should have been marches of all Victorian clubs on the government and football Victoria demanding action , it has been done before in this country.

 

[Sutherlandbear]

Not you but many that played key roles in your franchises, did though, is the point.. whatever shortcomings we had we have more than succesfulyy applied numerous times to join and for very obvious and noted reason were denied.

There was never a lack of protest historically and that protest is still visible today from my club infact!

How much harder could any club try?

I agree that you should have been admitted or a least highly considered before WUFC & MBFC. That was on Gallop and Fox sports.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

Like we seen tonight, a lot of your clubs don’t have many fans, even your own club are getting less than 800 to league games.

Weve had this argument before lets not rehash it bc its gotten tiresome for most, you and me included id think!

What was wrong with tonights crowd exactly? Playing against foreign opposition with zero support of their own you had a very decent turnout and some superb football? Is it not similar to what we see in other cup competitions aroudn the globe? I was there tonight and the atmosphere was fantastic, even some MV ppl next to us couldnt deny it!

I think our perception of football is perhaps different, football for me means these types of games, these types of stadiums that should require inly some modernisation, with history and passion... correct me if im wrong for you it means an afl nrl style specticle.. very different to the eay you feel about Rangers i assume( again correct me if im wrong)