Football Media Discussion

[NickNova]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/western-sydney-wanderers-play-their-final-regular-season-home-match-at-pirtek-stadium-on-friday/news-story/6f735544c55cda57d1c500511e422341

A NOISE no one will ever forget.

The first time you hear the Red and Black Bloc chant, it takes your breath away.

Or the first time you see the passionate march; or the explosion of colour and movement that has made Western Sydney games become something that has attracted the attention of Australia’s greater sporting public in recent seasons.

It’s a legacy all Western Sydney fans can truly be proud of.

The first ever Sydney derby. Pirtek Stadium. The first march. That was the first time I saw it.

It was extraordinary then. Just as it is still one of the A-League’s great sights now, a couple of years in.

The Wanderers were still winless, an unknown quantity. It was Alessandro Del Piero and Shinji Ono’s first derbies and there was great anticipation of the A-League finally having a clash between east and west in Australia’s big city. You could hardly get a seat then. Good luck getting one now.

Then the noise arrived. The thunder. The banging of the drums. The chanting.

The sea of red and black that descended with a headline for the first time on the A-League.

Back then, no one knew there would be two grand finals, an unprecedented fairy tale Premiership run and an Asian Champions League miracle.

But, build it, and they’ll come. They did.

Fans were engaged, given something to believe in, to cherish and to be proud of.

And boy, have they come since.

Fans have flocked in their droves, to the point that a seat at Wanderland is the hottest ticket in town.

Other fans have had to raise their game.

The side has been roused and driven across the line thanks to the noise.

It has also forced a change in the conversation outside of football. Wanderland captured the imagination and brought attention to the code. Some observers might like to ruffle feathers, but mostly, the wider sporting public just watches on in envy at the cauldron that Wanderland has become.

At times, rather than being the sideshow in the terraces, the electricity at Pirtek Stadium, the vista, has been the talking point as well, or the subject of its own news packages or feature stories.

I know, because there were times when we’d have video producers tasked with the sole responsibility of re-creating the magic created as best as possible to convey to the other fans at home, who couldn’t be there to experience it themselves.

Football fans create a unique atmosphere, that’s well known. You can’t go to the NRL or AFL and experience the same hairs on the back of the neck.

Thanks to Wanderland, football has been able to really put that notion front and centre and walk the walk.

And the voice hasn’t just been limited to the noise at the game, with the supporters’ voice off the field, around the sport, also growing and making a difference.

As wonderful as Pirtek Stadium has looked when at capacity, in full voice and with heaving noise as the Wanderers have grown, a successful Western Sydney was always going to outgrow its intimate surrounds.

Memories will persist and heroes created. From Shinji’s wonder goals, to Covic and Topor-Stanley’s defensive heroics, to Bridge’s goals and new heroes, like Nichols, Castelen and Santalab.

A few intrepid seasons beckon, but look at the positives. Word can be spread to those who might not have attended games yet.

Then, imagine the possibilities.

Derbies at ANZ Stadium. Rugby league gets one grand final and one Origin.

We’ll get three grand final type stages every single regular season. (And imagine if it was ever to be a season decider!)

Then there’s the new $300 million, 30,000 seat stadium. More fans, another phase of membership opportunities for the club. Greater facilities for players and supporters. A modern, state of the art venue.

It’s the natural next step in the evolution for the Wanderers, and what supporters in this sporting hotbed truly deserve.

It might be the end of Wanderland as we know it, but it’s the dawn of another exciting chapter, and opportunity for the sport.

[ColdRock]

Foxtel posted an image of Boris with his shirt off and the black shirt brigade going ape, with the caption "unrivaled passion" 

 

Wait does Foxtel like these images or condemn them? Getting hard to keep up with their mood swings #sh1tmarriage

Edited April 1, 2016 by ColdRock

[wendybr]

Shameless plug for an article I just wrote. It's about how football is being used to help improve the lives of people with Dementia

https://twitter.com/ftsaus/status/715789839476658176

Brilliant article Alexander!

[GunnerWanderer]

 

 

I'm so glad Optus bought EPL rights

No more watching aleague quality football by players paid 200 times what the players are paid here

 

Now get to watch quality continental teams

 

Thanks Optus have you **** English plastic league

Your views intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Special deal for 24 hours only 19.99 per month

[Prydzopolis]

Shameless plug for an article I just wrote. It's about how football is being used to help improve the lives of people with Dementia

https://twitter.com/ftsaus/status/715789839476658176

Fantastic article Alexander

 

My Nonno has dementia and it is a terrible disease. He is well into the late stages so this sort of therapy wouldn't be that helpful to him but good to know with the sort of family history I have it will be useful for me It was actually quite sad because he loved football all his life & the in the early stages of dementia there was a shift away from football, poor thing

[marron]

Interesting stuff Alexander.

 

Two of my grandparents had/have it. A lot of my family struggle to deal with it, even in terms of visiting and having conversation. I don't but I wish I'd read or thought about this before my grandfather died. I guess with sport, the context is immediately obvious. You can see or hear the score and read the play without having to access longterm memory, so I'd imagine a patient can feel more alive and normal and in the moment wwithout that confusion and disorientation.

[Prydzopolis]

 

Fantastic article Alexander

My Nonno has dementia and it is a terrible disease. He is well into the late stages so this sort of therapy wouldn't be that helpful to him but good to know with the sort of family history I have it will be useful for me It was actually quite sad because he loved football all his life & the in the early stages of dementia there was a shift away from football, poor thing

Cheers mate.

Sorry to hear about your Nonno. Also a shame that he's not so into football now. Although I know with dementia that apathy and depression are very common in the early stages. It could just be that his interest decreased because he had a general decreased interest in his hobbies? If he's still lucid, it might be worth giving him some exposure to football. Be it a conversation, a match on tv, or even playing radio audio to him (the program in Spain are now using radio broadcasts of matches from decades ago)

Yeh, definite interest drop across all his hobbies & he had quite a few physical problems that never helped. I might try it with him, even though he has his lucid moments unfortunately the majority of the time the dementia makes it too difficult to have much of a conversation. He generally gets fixated on things in his surrounding but can't really follow television or radio. His latest is if he sees any clothes on the line, he'll then ask every 5 minutes if the washing is dry until my nonna takes it down. He drives my Nonna crazy but unfortunately all you can do is laugh

 

It is interesting how Dementia strikes in different ways, my nonina (great grandmother but translates to little nonna) used to think she was a child back in Italy & often got quite aggressive. With my Nonno, he is in the present moment, doesn't recall too many details from his past but is so happy and generally very nice. It is a cruel cruel disease that seems to be occurring younger & younger these days but at least it happened to them quite late on in life (80's).

[Guest Melvin]

An article I'll never forget

[Prydzopolis]

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-03/fact-check-does-womens-big-bash-league-outrate-the-a-league/7253846

 

ABC fact check looks at the ratings of the aleague vs ratings of WBBL

[marron]

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-03/fact-check-does-womens-big-bash-league-outrate-the-a-league/7253846

 

ABC fact check looks at the ratings of the aleague vs ratings of WBBL

And doesn't discuss the issues with oztams data collection. The wbbl is a case in point; how the **** does a sport NOBODY actually goes to watch rate so well? Because it's on a commercial station. That's it. The Matildas kicked those ratings to kingdom come on commercial TV themselves.

 

Oztam want data on commercial TV watchers they can sell to advertisers. That's who's houses they put the boxes in.

[Jukes75]

They also don't mention the amount of cross promotion that was taking place between the BBL and WBBL. This comment is a case in point:

 

"The new format will replace the previous state-based women’s T20 competition. Eight WBBL matches, including the competition final will be broadcast live and free on Network Ten’s digital channel ONE. The televised matches will precede men’s BBL matches."

[eggs]

Put one in my house, I never watch FTA. It's either fox sports or streaming something.

 

I suppose streaming doesn't even rate does it? That in itself shows how antiquated the system is.

[luisenrique]

Great article Alex.

 

I pity future esfc fans with Alzheimers who are made to remember the glory days of Arnie.

[TheDugong]

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-03/fact-check-does-womens-big-bash-league-outrate-the-a-league/7253846

 

ABC fact check looks at the ratings of the aleague vs ratings of WBBL

 

To put things in perspective average attendance at double header WBBL matches was 5,000 (that's with the mens match following) and the final had 13,000 at the end of it when it proceeded the mens final.  Standalone matches had as little as 1500 in attendance.  

 

Average HAL attendance this year is a bit over 12,000 with the grand final last year getting almost 30,000 through the gates.

 

Based on that it's a bit hard to draw the conclusion that the WBBL is more popular than the A League.

[Posthoc]

Data I read at afr.com said the ratings for the matildas in the 3 olympic qualifiers that had bene played (when the article went to press) were

 

168,000

159,000

194,000

 

So that is with little promotion, played in another country and around 9.30pm hardly primetime

 

I don't see the dude from cricket australia mentioning those FACTS

Edited April 3, 2016 by Posthoc

[beatsurrender]

Data I read at afr.com said the ratings for the matildas in the 3 olympic qualifiers that had bene played (when the article went to press) were

 

168,000

159,000

194,000

 

So that is with little promotion, played in another country and around 9.30pm hardly primetime

 

I don't see the dude from cricket australia mentioning those FACTS

To be fair the comments about the WBBL were made to simply talk up her own game. You can't blame her for that, I don't think it was a dig at football. It was hardly in depth stuff. It doesn't stack up anyway as you're not comparing apples with apples. The WBBL was leading into the mens game and was on a FTA station. The standalone attendances are way behind the HAL.

Comparing us with other sports is unhelpful anyway. The coverage and cross promotion football gets compared to AFL, NRL & cricket is zero. They are all culturally ingrained sports live and heavily promoted constantly on FTA TV and mainstream media. We just need to grow organically. As long as we can show year on year growth then that's what we should be happy with. All this #1 sport in 20 years stuff is frankly unhelpful and unreachable.

Edited April 3, 2016 by beatsurrender

[btron3000]

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-03/fact-check-does-womens-big-bash-league-outrate-the-a-league/7253846

 

ABC fact check looks at the ratings of the aleague vs ratings of WBBL

 

"OzTAM, a company owned by the largest commercial television broadcasters (the Seven Network, Nine Network and Network Ten)"

 

That's all we needed to know. It's amazing that this stuff is used as data. It's like the lock-out law proponents using data from companies who get their cash from anti-alcohol groups and/or companies that own the casinos. Or politicians taking cash from large organisations. That people believe anything these people say anymore is amazing.

[dodson]

My family had these OZTAM boxes in our house in the early 2000s. You had to get a set top box for each television in your house. Every time you would turn on the television you would have to use the remote for the box they gave you to input the age and sex of the people watching. It was a real hassle and you didn't really get anything in return. They would occasionally phone your house if you forgot to input the data of the people watching and we even had someone sent to our house to check each box to see if it was working properly because of this. It wasn't really accurate because I would input that there was 20 people watching something when in fact it was just myself.

 

On top of that, the box would emit a loud buzzing noise that would reverberate in the room whether or not if their box was on or not. It lasted a couple of months in our house until my parents had enough and got rid of it.

[beatsurrender]

There is currently 1 million Netflix subscribers in Australia. That's just one of many streaming platforms that are currently available domestically. 

 

Any ratings estimation system that does not record the ratings for streaming is severely flawed

Yep, but Ch 7, 9 and 10 have no interest in including this as they cling to the archaic Oz-Tam system, which as stated above is in their best interests to keep. We just need advertising companies to start saying they don't accept Oz-tam anymore and there's a need to find a way to include streaming etc.

It will come.

On a separate note the NRL ratings on CH9 are over 10% down this year and more people are switching to FOX. Also a healthy 76K last night for Perth/City.

[Burztur]

Advertisers are already hammering the commercial stations over their pricing. It's gonna get worse. The Oztam bias is probably hiding the extent of the problem.

[beatsurrender]

Stadium concerns loom for A-League finals

 

Monday, April 04, 2016 - 3:44 PM

Source: AAP

Author: By Ben McKay

 

The surface at AAMI Park is likely to be far from ideal come A-League finals time

 

Melbourne City are paying the price for a tough 3-2 loss to Perth Glory, which could see the A-League high-flyers cede home ground advantage for the finals series.

 

Until Sunday afternoon, City were in the box seat for the premiership but their hopes now lie with Brisbane and Western Sydney messing up their final-round assignments.

 

Should City finish third - a likely scenario if they beat Adelaide on Friday night - they could be sent to Etihad Stadium for a derby elimination final the following Friday.

 

Football Federation Australia, who decide the dates and venues for the finals, would pick the 50,000-seater stadium rather than lock 20,000 fans out for an AAMI Park clash in a similar scene to last year's grand final.

 

Given Melbourne Victory are unbeaten in 12 matches at Etihad Stadium, and City haven't won there since 2012, City coach John van `t Schip would be within his rights to feel aggrieved.

 

But the vast range of possibilities for City's finals campaign includes everything from a week off with the Premiers Plate won, down to the nightmare scenario: a return to Perth in week one of the finals.

 

Unfortunately for them, there are no perfect situations, even if they claim a top-two place.

 

Finishing in the top two brings hosting rights in the second week of the finals; third or fourth place assigns a home final in week one.

 

But on both of those weekends, Super Rugby outfit Melbourne Rebels are scheduled to play at AAMI Park on Friday night, meaning FFA's choice for City's home finals is between a chopped-up AAMI Park already struggling with a grass disease and a move to Etihad Stadium.

 

Given the flood of complaints from footballers over AAMI Park's turf over the last month, it's hardly ideal.

 

Pitch ratings compiled by the players' association have shown a marked decline at AAMI Park in recent weeks.

 

AAMI Park general manager Shane Mates said ground staff found root system issues and would re-lay key areas, particularly around the south goal, in preparation for this weekend's matches.

 

"February and March is the busiest time of the year with four teams across three codes playing," he said.

 

"The quality of our pitch is a huge source of pride, and we will continue to take all necessary actions to ensure AAMI Park delivers a high quality playing surface."

 

City have expressed a preference to keep any home finals at AAMI Park which is unsurprising given they're unbeaten in 10 matches there, winning eight.

 

FFA too is understood to be concerned at the "optics" of playing at a mainly-empty Etihad Stadium against an interstate side.

 

It means they'll schedule a City home final at the smaller ground against anyone but Victory, and hope rugby's Rebels tread and scrum lightly.

 

http://www.sportsfan.com.au/stadium-concerns-loom-for-a-league-finals/tabid/91/newsid/194111/default.aspx

[Hughesy]

Having played football all my life on fields with odd dog shiit, potholes, wonky line markings and a general lack of grass, I really don't buy into this crap about poor pitch surfaces. If you're playing in a stadium, you're playing on a good pitch (even if it doesn't look like carpet).

 

I've always wanted to watch a professional match take place on some of the fields us plebs deal with weekly, that'd really tell you who the skilful players are lol

[Prydzopolis]

Disagree Hughsey, two problems: AAMI park is definitely having some grass issues (South end is struggling) & when comparing pitches in summer to winter, quality makes a big difference! Unfortunately, only those that have played at a professional level will only know the difference.

[Johnno]

Stadium concerns loom for A-League finals

 

Monday, April 04, 2016 - 3:44 PM

Source: AAP

Author: By Ben McKay

 

The surface at AAMI Park is likely to be far from ideal come A-League finals time

 

Melbourne City are paying the price for a tough 3-2 loss to Perth Glory, which could see the A-League high-flyers cede home ground advantage for the finals series.

 

Until Sunday afternoon, City were in the box seat for the premiership but their hopes now lie with Brisbane and Western Sydney messing up their final-round assignments.

 

Should City finish third - a likely scenario if they beat Adelaide on Friday night - they could be sent to Etihad Stadium for a derby elimination final the following Friday.

 

Football Federation Australia, who decide the dates and venues for the finals, would pick the 50,000-seater stadium rather than lock 20,000 fans out for an AAMI Park clash in a similar scene to last year's grand final.

 

Given Melbourne Victory are unbeaten in 12 matches at Etihad Stadium, and City haven't won there since 2012, City coach John van `t Schip would be within his rights to feel aggrieved.

 

But the vast range of possibilities for City's finals campaign includes everything from a week off with the Premiers Plate won, down to the nightmare scenario: a return to Perth in week one of the finals.

 

Unfortunately for them, there are no perfect situations, even if they claim a top-two place.

 

Finishing in the top two brings hosting rights in the second week of the finals; third or fourth place assigns a home final in week one.

 

But on both of those weekends, Super Rugby outfit Melbourne Rebels are scheduled to play at AAMI Park on Friday night, meaning FFA's choice for City's home finals is between a chopped-up AAMI Park already struggling with a grass disease and a move to Etihad Stadium.

 

Given the flood of complaints from footballers over AAMI Park's turf over the last month, it's hardly ideal.

 

Pitch ratings compiled by the players' association have shown a marked decline at AAMI Park in recent weeks.

 

AAMI Park general manager Shane Mates said ground staff found root system issues and would re-lay key areas, particularly around the south goal, in preparation for this weekend's matches.

 

"February and March is the busiest time of the year with four teams across three codes playing," he said.

 

"The quality of our pitch is a huge source of pride, and we will continue to take all necessary actions to ensure AAMI Park delivers a high quality playing surface."

 

City have expressed a preference to keep any home finals at AAMI Park which is unsurprising given they're unbeaten in 10 matches there, winning eight.

 

FFA too is understood to be concerned at the "optics" of playing at a mainly-empty Etihad Stadium against an interstate side.

 

It means they'll schedule a City home final at the smaller ground against anyone but Victory, and hope rugby's Rebels tread and scrum lightly.

 

http://www.sportsfan.com.au/stadium-concerns-loom-for-a-league-finals/tabid/91/newsid/194111/default.aspx

 

 

Am in Melbourne the first weekend of the round robin, ultimate scenario for me is us getting the plate (thank you mr obvious) with Brisbane having a draw and city coming third to play victory on Friday night. Will be a great game to attend as a neutral. 

[wanderersfanatic]

So glad De-baboon is leaving..

 

http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/aleague-chief-damien-de-bohun-says-structure-of-final-round-is-right-in-australia/news-story/2a9293e0408c826daa12206fd1aef58e

[Hughesy]

TV ratings would be diabolical if you played all games at once, no way fox would allow it.

[Stokz]

Case for finals: "Australian tradition"
Case against simultaneous kick offs: "it's not about tradition"

 

#debohun

[Jukes75]

Disagree Hughsey, two problems: AAMI park is definitely having some grass issues (South end is struggling) & when comparing pitches in summer to winter, quality makes a big difference! Unfortunately, only those that have played at a professional level will only know the difference.

How crap has the surface at the SFS and Suncorp been as well?

 

The only disease I see ruining the grass are rugby league and union.

 

Before the rugby league and union seasons started, the grounds seemed quite good.

[Prydzopolis]

 

Disagree Hughsey, two problems: AAMI park is definitely having some grass issues (South end is struggling) & when comparing pitches in summer to winter, quality makes a big difference! Unfortunately, only those that have played at a professional level will only know the difference.

How crap has the surface at the SFS and Suncorp been as well?

The only disease I see ruining the grass are rugby league and union.

Before the rugby league and union seasons started, the grounds seemed quite good.

Yeh, last night the surface was horrible at the SFS but didn't think AAMI park was too bad. 100% that league/Union are completely tearing up the field, especially union with the scrums.

Case for finals: "Australian tradition"

Case against simultaneous kick offs: "it's not about tradition"

 

#debohun

Thank god he is leaving

 

Ridiculous thing is that it isn't just the premier league. It is across the entire footballing world, he just has no idea. He just has zero idea

 

Hughesy is right, even though Deebs won't admit it, it's all about making sure Foxsports are getting maximum live content across the prime time viewing on Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

[marron]

 

 

Disagree Hughsey, two problems: AAMI park is definitely having some grass issues (South end is struggling) & when comparing pitches in summer to winter, quality makes a big difference! Unfortunately, only those that have played at a professional level will only know the difference.

How crap has the surface at the SFS and Suncorp been as well?

The only disease I see ruining the grass are rugby league and union.

Before the rugby league and union seasons started, the grounds seemed quite good.

Yeh, last night the surface was horrible at the SFS but didn't think AAMI park was too bad. 100% that league/Union are completely tearing up the field, especially union with the scrums.

Case for finals: "Australian tradition"

Case against simultaneous kick offs: "it's not about tradition"

 

#debohun

Thank god he is leaving

 

Ridiculous thing is that it isn't just the premier league. It is across the entire footballing world, he just has no idea. He just has zero idea

 

Hughesy is right, even though Deebs won't admit it, it's all about making sure Foxsports are getting maximum live content across the prime time viewing on Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

 

 

To be fair... (urrrrrgggghhh), he did kind of say that - that's what he means by the "shop window" stuff, he talks about tv commitments as well doesn't he.

Edited April 6, 2016 by marron