Komit said:
Tickets are cheap, but do not wait to buy them at the door - you will get turned off by the crowd and I don't think they will let people in so for free next time - so get them from ticketek. A-League merchandise can be bought from Rebel or, if you live out west, go to Valentine Park (SoccerNSW headquarters and Sydney FC training grounds) in Glenwood at the Soccer Wearhouse. I live like 10 seconds from Valentine Park but I will not help the A-League or any A-League clubs generate revenue other than from ticket sales. I'll go to the games, support them but I will not help them out as they have forced NSW teams to have to struggle more than they have to.
Do you get out to watch the Premier Youth League finals right now? My brother was playing there last week in the U/16s, but they got knocked out. He is actually in the NSW U/16 team.
THEY (the FFA) haven't forced NSW teams to struggle more than they have to. Despite the new management in place, politics still played a huge part in the organisation of this competition.
Originally, it was supposed to be a "one state - one team" approach. But miraculously, Newcaslte and Central Coast managed to get into the competition... this is after Wollongong made a bid but were rejected. And if it's not sinister that two teams an hour apart from each other and within 90 minutes of Sydney can manage to get their teams into the competition, then 'sinister' has lost all meaning.
Granted, FFA should have been firm enough to tell the Jets and the Mariners to piss off, and it seemed like they either didn't have the balls, or they badly needed the money which obviously came their way.
In any case, I don't think Sydney are going to lose too many supporters to Central Coast or Newcastle. The other two clubs will always be in our shadow from now on, and it has certainly cast a pall over the A-League on the Eastern Seaboard.
In the meantime, though, I reckon we should just enjoy the ride for now.