A-League Men 2022/23

[EdDog]

The sad thing with decisions like this (with the way the APL is structured) is that it is probably only the beginning of the league being sold and sanitised to the highest bidder.

What's going to be next?

[EdDog]

Some worrying articles coming out in relation to the financial stability of the league.

Part of me thinks it's just the APL trying to make us sympathise with their decision to sell the GF, the other part of me genuinely worries our league is dying.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/ ... btis=&s=08

https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/a-league-d ... t_autopost

[sevengoals]

It's the same story every time EdDog, it looks like poor decisions were made and now someone else has to pay.

It's like they have no idea of what they are supposed to manage.

Unite the code.

[sevengoals]

Nothing against the other sports but how can that be?

The 2021-22 Australian Sports Commission annual report showed how far funding for football lags behind other sports, with athletics, basketball, cycling, hockey, sailing and swimming all receiving greater financial support.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... sh-reality

Wogball still getting shafted down there.

[Interloper]

The goal of the ASC funding model is basically to produce an olympic gold medal factory. It favours sports that are already succesful

[Old Gregg]

Some worrying articles coming out in relation to the financial stability of the league.

Part of me thinks it's just the APL trying to make us sympathise with their decision to sell the GF, the other part of me genuinely worries our league is dying.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/ ... btis=&s=08

https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/a-league-d ... t_autopost

It's the same story every time EdDog, it looks like poor decisions were made and now someone else has to pay.

It's like they have no idea of what they are supposed to manage.

Unite the code.

100% right, but my attitude to this is: it's the game and my club that I support, not the league. If the A-League dies and United only has a presence in the NPL over the next little while, it will hurt, but I'll be there.
If the A-League dies I think the most likely scenario is that the AAPL will get a national league up, and any existing A-League club with any life left in them will try to become a part of that.

The worst outcome for me is if this sellout continues & the league keeps spluttering along, the committed fans will just lose interest. We'll just walk away, cos there's no point. Most of us I'm sure had bought into the implied promise that the league will gradually get more open, that the fans' voices will become more important, and so on, and now it's just obvious that that is never going to happen: the hierarchy will never relinquish any control. Which is why the time is now to actually protest and make voices heard.

What the APL doesn't realise is that the fact that this issue is so emotive is actually a positive: it proves that people ACTUALLY care, we're actually emotionally invested and not just passive customers. Get football supporters united and we'll walk through walls in support of our sport. But the litany of terrible, anti-supporter decisions that have been made over the years are coming home to roost. The APL have fucked around and now they're finding out.

I could not give a shit if the league is broke. What I care about is integrity.

[EdDog]

Very well said ^

Your point about how much we care, you can see it in the fans from across the league uniting against the common enemy in the APL.

Literal opposing fan bases working together.

How often do you see that..

[otto62]

I agree the APL have made some atrocious decisions. All those who called for Lowy to go should hold your heads in shame,
I can’t be bothered digging up the old threads where I warned about the danger of putting the club owners in charge.

Melbourne Victory scum just disgusting. Now … for all I care hold the next three GFs in Sydney.
I hope the cops arrest 50 Victory scum, Ban them from the stadium for life, Deduct 12 points from Victory this season. And make Victory play their next three homes games with no fans.

[otto62]

I withdraw my support for any protests.

[otto62]

I hope all the supporter groups (including Victory) come out and condemn that pitch invasion.

[EdDog]

I still back peaceful protests.

Tonight what we saw was a disgrace and shame on Australian football but it was a reaction from a small section of idiots (who should be banned and charged with assualt) and not their entire supporter base.

There is no way this was a planned protest against APL but an overreaction to Glover throwing a flare deep into the crowd.

I'm basing this on fan accounts from the game that Glover returned a second flare "about 10 rows back".

I'm not excusing the reaction of the fans, I'm merely providing what I understand to be context. The pitch invasion and assault is inexcusable.

Long way back from here. Might be the death of the comp.

[otto62]

I still back peaceful protests.

Tonight what we saw was a disgrace and shame on Australian football but it was a reaction from a small section of idiots (who should be banned and charged with assualt) and not their entire supporter base.

There is no way this was a planned protest against APL but an overreaction to Glover throwing a flare deep into the crowd.

I'm basing this on fan accounts from the game that Glover returned a second flare "about 10 rows back".

I'm not excusing the reaction of the fans, I'm merely providing what I understand to be context. The pitch invasion and assault is inexcusable.

Long way back from here. Might be the death of the comp.

Hopefully not the end of the league.
The a-league has been a massive step forward for football in almost every way.

Did the fan accounts mention which row the two flares were thrown at Glover from?

[Interloper]

Incredible that Victory fans can somehow fuck up "Walking out of the stadium"

[otto62]

Incredible that Victory fans can somehow fuck up "Walking out of the stadium"

That caught me by surprise. Still chuckling.

[EdDog]

I still back peaceful protests.

Tonight what we saw was a disgrace and shame on Australian football but it was a reaction from a small section of idiots (who should be banned and charged with assualt) and not their entire supporter base.

There is no way this was a planned protest against APL but an overreaction to Glover throwing a flare deep into the crowd.

I'm basing this on fan accounts from the game that Glover returned a second flare "about 10 rows back".

I'm not excusing the reaction of the fans, I'm merely providing what I understand to be context. The pitch invasion and assault is inexcusable.

Long way back from here. Might be the death of the comp.

Hopefully not the end of the league.
The a-league has been a massive step forward for football in almost every way.

Did the fan accounts mention which row the two flares were thrown at Glover from?

Not trying to defend it.

I've now seen plenty of footage.

Chain of events:
2 flares thrown onto pitch at Glover
He returns second one into crowd
Thugs storm pitch and assault him and ref

Reportedly some of the thugs on camera already have life bans from the sport. How are they getting in?

Now we need them to face criminal charges.

The stereotypes we've been trying to get away from for years are now reinforced for another generation.