The A-League has today locked in a controversial deal with the NSW government, which will see the next three men’s and women’s grand finals be held in Sydney, rather than the traditional approach of awarding the final to the highest placing team.
But a reported eight-figure contract with the NSW government’s tourism body will do away with that tradition, in order to hold the grand finals in the state’s capital, until at least 2025.
Danny Townsend, the CEO of the A-Leagues, has insisted that this is a win for the sport, both due to the windfall it will receive, and an increased interest from fans, with Townsend comparing it to the English Premier League.
“This is a unique opportunity to build a tradition for football fans,” Townsend said.
“When you think about a cup final in England, you think about the trip to Wembley, and we want fans in Australia to look forward to the A-Leagues finals in the same way.
“We are working with transport and accommodation providers to develop special packages for travelling fans, including our official hotel partner IHG who have committed to offer a special discounted rate to travelling fans.
“Because we have certainty about which city will be hosting the final from a long way out, we are able to build a ‘Festival of Football’ around these major events.”
But Australian football fans have been less than pleased with this announcement, with many accusing the A-Leagues of squandering a lot of the positive sentiment towards football built by the Socceroos in recent weeks, and for taking a cash grab at expense of the integrity of the sport.
Concerns were also raised about the accessibility of the final for fans, especially for finals that could occur between two non-Sydney teams, with current travel prices extremely high and only continuing to rise.
The decision for A-League GFs to only be played in Sydney is a weird one for me. I'd love to hear the full justification for it.
— Tom Williams (@TomWilliamsPol) December 11, 2022
I've always enjoyed the sporting merit of the best performing team being able to host the GF. Struggle to see how it sells out without NSW teams too.
So much talk during and immediately after the end of the Socceroos WC campaign about what we have back home (ALM) being better and more deserving of support than we think.
— Shane Henry (@Hirald0) December 11, 2022
Then I look at things again, see this news and…I’m sorry but this league needs professional (arf) help.
No relegation, a salary cap, an uneven fixture, half the league makes finals, and now a reduction to the rewards for finishing first.
— Joey Lynch (@joeylynchy) December 11, 2022
Mediocrity is less a curse than a viable long-term strategy.
I understand the a-league needs cash to be able to grow into a better product but I am not sure an obvious cash grab at the expense of what literally all fans want is the answer here.
— lavender baj (@lavosaurus) December 11, 2022
I might be prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt if the air travel industry wasn’t completely cooked. But it is, so I can’t. Domestic flight prices are obscene. There are for sure benefits to a fixed location but they don’t outweigh the negatives right now.
— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) December 11, 2022
I'm so flat about this. The A-League is a battler competition that lives due to the the fans building deep connections to their clubs and creating a culture that accepts and even embraces its underdog nature. This feels like it punches a hole in the soul of the league. https://t.co/tAQTuC6rY3
— Rudi Edsall (@RudiEdsall) December 11, 2022
Pretty sure ‘immediately piss off football fans all over the country’ isn’t what people had in mind when they said the A-League needs to take advantage of the Socceroos #FIFAWorldCup success 🤦♂️ #aleague
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) December 11, 2022
While no stadium has been confirmed for either the men’s or women’s final, dates have been locked in for both, with the women’s to be played on April 30, and the men on June 3; Townsend said that the A-Leagues will work in conjunction with the NSW Government to build a week-long festival of football.
