Socceroos fans have been quick to jump off the bandwagon with the domestic A-League enduring its worst ever attendance rate after a World Cup over the weekend.
While more than 1.7 million Aussies tuned in to watch the Socceroos’ Round of 16 match against Argentina and thousands flocked to metro city centres to show their support, the flags and scarves were quickly put back in mothballs once the Socceroos were eliminated.
The average crowd in the return round of the A-League was just 5,998 – which was heavily inflated by almost 15,000 turning out to watch Sydney FC versus Melbourne City at Allianz Stadium.
Thomas Aldred of the Roar entertains the fans after the A-League Men’s match between the Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United at KAYO Stadium
Take that match out of the equation and the average plummets to 4,208.
After the 2018 World Cup the average crowd at A-League games was 16,952, while it soared to an average of 18,003 in 2014.
Even in 2010, when the Socceroos were pumped 4-0 by Germany and beaten 2-1 by Serbia to crash out at the group stage, 10,809 people turned out to A-League games across the country.
There are many reasons punters blame for the shockingly low attendance rates.
A member of the crowd in fancy dress watches on during the round seven A-League Men’s match between Wellington Phoenix and Western Sydney Wanderers at WIN Stadium
The first and most obvious is the quality of the A-League remains in question and people are not willing to pay good money for second-rate football.
However, a major anomaly this time around is the fact the World Cup was played in the northern hemisphere’s winter.
That means the A-League played its seventh round of the 2022/23 season when it would usually be round one after a World Cup.
The A-League has also been slammed for poor scheduling that contributed to the low crowds.
There was not a single match played in Melbourne and the Wellington Phoenix and Western Sydney Wanderers match was moved to Wollongong, where just 2,502 people showed up.
The Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets were forced to play each other in the middle of the day in summer in front of 7,078 supporters.
Meanwhile, Craig Goodwin’s Adelaide United were forced to play on the road against the Brisbane Roar. squandering an opportunity to let a strong Adelaide crowd celebrate their World Cup hero.
Australia’s midfielder #23 Craig Goodwin applauds supporters after his team lost the Qatar 2022 World Cup round of 16 football match between Argentina and Australia
Adelaide regularly pulls crowds of more than 12,000 while the battling Roar are lucky to draw 5000 fans to Kayo Stadium at Redcliffe.
‘Doubt whoever organised the fixtures ever thought about a way to utilise WC Buzz,’ one fan posted.
‘The game is dying here … going backwards faster then any other sport here pretty much …whether it’s generally first game of the season after the WC or not it’s indicative of the poor state of the game currently,’ said another.
‘The average punter gets on the Socceroos bandwagon but doesn’t care about the 3rd rate domestic league,’ added another.
‘Do not get carried away with interest in the WC. It does not translate to anything. Just like the Olympics when we are all experts for 2 weeks it does not mean there is a rise in Hurdles signing up,’ said another.
Andrew Redmayne, Jamie Maclaren, Mathew Leckie and Marco Tilio of the Socceroos are acknowledged during the round seven A-League Men’s match between Sydney FC and Melbourne City at Allianz Stadium
Many other fans also slammed the A-League for failing to tap into World Cup fever with minimal promotion of the return of the domestic competition.
‘I don’t really follow the AL but there isn’t much promotion around it. Could also be I’m in Brisbane and we are more of a rugby league city,’ one fan posted.
‘Zero promotion (that I noticed) to say that the league was recommencing,’ said another.
‘No adverts for the game during the WC coverage? They are hardly promoting it. My mates are watching the games but not going to games ,’ added another.
The A-League will be hoping for better results this weekend with the derby between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City certain to get the turnstiles turning over.
However, Adelaide remain on the road along with Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers.