The Newcastle Jets are pissed.
They’ve finished the A-League season in excellent fashion, landing a spot in the top two - and guaranteeing a double shot at reaching the Grand Final.
But they won’t get the Grand Final at home, whether they win against the Central Coast Mariners or not. The FFA has decided that neither Central Coast nor Newcastle have a stadium large enough for the Grand Final.
And so the Grand Final will be played in Sydney.
And so the Jets are pissed.
The Mariners are keeping quiet about it all, preferring to focus on the task at hand: reaching the Grand Final.
The FFA is arguing that the Grand Final needs to be played at a larger stadium to ensure that fans for both the home and away teams are able to come out and support their team. Newcastle’s EnergyAustralia Stadium has a maximum capacity of just over 26,000; Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium in Gosford can only handle 20,000.
ANZ Stadium - the stadium formerly known as Stadium Australia - seats 83,500. So the maths is obvious. More people can attend what is to be the season’s biggest game if it’s played in Sydney.
But it’s just not that simple. Sydney FC could reach the Grand Final - improbable, but possible. If they do, they would theoretically be the away team in their home town.
Now how would that go down with Jets or Mariners fans?
Should the Grand Final be played in Sydney?
Vote in the sidebar and leave your comments below!
Loading ...
5 responses so far ↓
1 Campbell // Jan 23, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Well FFA aren’t helping them get an expansion to the stadium when they asked for a bit of help, Government have backed down on their promise for the utmost time…
So really, I think Newcastle have all the reasons in the world to be utterly pissed off.
2 Astri // Jan 24, 2008 at 7:18 am
Agreed. I think the team that earns a home grand final should be rewarded thus. If it means that the grand final will be played in front of 20,000 so be it. They deserve their home advantage. Perhaps the FFA should invest in increasing capacity at some of these stadiums, Hindmarsh in particular. I think with a better stadium, Adelaide’s attendances would be second only to Melbourne.
3 wes // Jan 24, 2008 at 9:55 am
To me it looks like a good decision to have the grand final at a bigger stadium. I think that the grand final is not just about the teams that reach it but for all the football fans who may be interested in the match.
Also the the A-League grand final is not to fixed to a single stadium like it is the for the AFL and NRL which is good.
4 Liam // Jan 24, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Yes. At Homebush/ANZ/Stadium Australia. Always, without exception, every year. With a set of tickets to me. (Disclaimer: Sydneysider, Sydney FC supporter.)
5 Eric // Jan 25, 2008 at 8:24 am
Haha Liam, I would never have picked your bias:)
Personally, I agree that it’s nice to have the Grand Final move around each year, depending on who earns the privilege. To see that come to an end - or to take that away from just a few teams because their stadium is too small - would be a shame.
Leave a Comment