Mark Planamente
NormBeckham To Square Up Against Sydney
July 3rd 2007 13:44
The A-League and Football Federation Australia secured a major endorsement of how quickly the reputation of the domestic league has developed, as it was announced today that American MLS squad, the LA Galaxy, will play a match against Sydney FC at Telstra Stadium in November, including recent signing David Beckham.
Beckham, who is one of the biggest names in the sport, will line up against Sydney in front of what is already prospected to be a sell-out crowd of 80,000 on 27 November in Sydney.
The deal has been organised after the Galaxy’s original plan to tour Asia was cancelled, and the FFA, State Government and Telstra Stadium have spent millions of dollars and weeks in negotiations to finalise the deal. The entire tour rest on the contingency that Beckham will indeed line up in the match.
FFA Ceo Ben Buckley has claimed that whilst the match will indeed a major boost for the Australian side and domestic league, it is also proof that the newly re-created league has gotten the attention of many sides across the world.
Channel Ten has been announced that they will be covering the match in a three hour extravaganza, and the match will coincide with another major soccer event in Sydney, the Asian Football Confederation Conference Annual Awards Night which is being held from the 27-29 November.
This deal has a major impact for the domestic league. Not only will it give many soccer fans in Sydney, and indeed around the country the chance to see one of the biggest names the code has ever provided, but it will also bolster the popularity of the sport once again.
There is no doubt that the rejuvenated domestic soccer league, the A-League, has gone from strength to strength since it was created in 2004. Replacing the defunct, and unpopular NSL, the A-League has been blessed with the perfect timing any sporting code has seen in Australia.
First of the league started a mere few months before the Socceroos earned entry into the World Cup finals. As the excitement of the new league was wearing down at the time, their success in the now infamous penalty shoot-out saw an unbelievable interest occur in the A-League for the rest of the season. The Socceroos’ unparalleled success in Germany also saw a rise in attendence and national interest in the season following.
Now it seems the FFA have struck gold once again with the Galaxy fixture. With the A-League now in its third year, there is no doubt that the newest football code league is on the way to rival the big dogs around Australia, but unlike AFL, NRL and to an extent the Super 12’s, it has off-season interest to continually earn supporters.
As we speak the Socceroos are preparing for the Asia Cup, which will take place in the next month. Their already predicted success will guarantee that soccer will be one of the main focal points for sports fans, during a time where most eyes are already focusing on the final in the AFL and NRL. Whilst the start of the A-League’s 07/08 season will start just as most sports fans are looking at the oval ball codes in anticipation for the finals, the announcement of this match with the Galaxy will ensure that soccer will be at the forefront of many sporting minds until November.
CEO for the FFA, and former AFL administrator, Buckley has given the A-League the opportunity to flourish in a environment which is incredibly hard in cemented solid support. Their marketing and promotion of the game has indeed breathed in new life in a code that many considered dead and buried in this country. The announcement that Sydney will be hosting on of the biggest players the sport has seen for decades in November will be just another feather in the cap in what is looking like being one of the biggest football codes in the near future.
If the A-League and FFA can ensure matches such as the Galaxy fixture in later seasons, there is no question in how much this new franchise can soar. The only question that seems to remain, is that in November will we see the classic brilliance we have seen from Beks in the past, or will he just be here to smile for the cameras?
Until next time, sports minds.
Beckham, who is one of the biggest names in the sport, will line up against Sydney in front of what is already prospected to be a sell-out crowd of 80,000 on 27 November in Sydney.
The deal has been organised after the Galaxy’s original plan to tour Asia was cancelled, and the FFA, State Government and Telstra Stadium have spent millions of dollars and weeks in negotiations to finalise the deal. The entire tour rest on the contingency that Beckham will indeed line up in the match.
FFA Ceo Ben Buckley has claimed that whilst the match will indeed a major boost for the Australian side and domestic league, it is also proof that the newly re-created league has gotten the attention of many sides across the world.
Channel Ten has been announced that they will be covering the match in a three hour extravaganza, and the match will coincide with another major soccer event in Sydney, the Asian Football Confederation Conference Annual Awards Night which is being held from the 27-29 November.
This deal has a major impact for the domestic league. Not only will it give many soccer fans in Sydney, and indeed around the country the chance to see one of the biggest names the code has ever provided, but it will also bolster the popularity of the sport once again.
There is no doubt that the rejuvenated domestic soccer league, the A-League, has gone from strength to strength since it was created in 2004. Replacing the defunct, and unpopular NSL, the A-League has been blessed with the perfect timing any sporting code has seen in Australia.
First of the league started a mere few months before the Socceroos earned entry into the World Cup finals. As the excitement of the new league was wearing down at the time, their success in the now infamous penalty shoot-out saw an unbelievable interest occur in the A-League for the rest of the season. The Socceroos’ unparalleled success in Germany also saw a rise in attendence and national interest in the season following.
Now it seems the FFA have struck gold once again with the Galaxy fixture. With the A-League now in its third year, there is no doubt that the newest football code league is on the way to rival the big dogs around Australia, but unlike AFL, NRL and to an extent the Super 12’s, it has off-season interest to continually earn supporters.
As we speak the Socceroos are preparing for the Asia Cup, which will take place in the next month. Their already predicted success will guarantee that soccer will be one of the main focal points for sports fans, during a time where most eyes are already focusing on the final in the AFL and NRL. Whilst the start of the A-League’s 07/08 season will start just as most sports fans are looking at the oval ball codes in anticipation for the finals, the announcement of this match with the Galaxy will ensure that soccer will be at the forefront of many sporting minds until November.
CEO for the FFA, and former AFL administrator, Buckley has given the A-League the opportunity to flourish in a environment which is incredibly hard in cemented solid support. Their marketing and promotion of the game has indeed breathed in new life in a code that many considered dead and buried in this country. The announcement that Sydney will be hosting on of the biggest players the sport has seen for decades in November will be just another feather in the cap in what is looking like being one of the biggest football codes in the near future.
If the A-League and FFA can ensure matches such as the Galaxy fixture in later seasons, there is no question in how much this new franchise can soar. The only question that seems to remain, is that in November will we see the classic brilliance we have seen from Beks in the past, or will he just be here to smile for the cameras?
Until next time, sports minds.
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