So glad it’s over this season. Yet another chapter in abhorrent decisions made by one governing body or the other.
Perth Glory v Western United
Newcastle Jets v Central Coast
Brisbane Roar v Adelaide United
Wellington v Australia’s Shame
Macarthur v Auckland
Melbourne Oil Sheiks get the bye.
Perth v Western @ 2.30pmWST on Friday afternoon. RIP to the eversuffering Perth fans.
Maybe not? City I think
I think they would take that rather than playing us.
Yeah I fucked that up didnt I. 
Imma put that down as having not eaten all day. 
Gotta say I don’ mind unite round. Good idea, poorly executed for mine
Yes it’s a bit of marketing faff, but our code is well set up for it. Not too many teams in the comp, so can actually play them all without too much overlap. Enough teams in and around Sydney (or Melbourne) to just have a bunch of home games with (relatively) good crowds and still feel like an event. Combine it with a women’s league that actually plays at the same time of year, is a decent standard, and has some level of recognition amongst the public (Matildas players!).
Also, add a meaningful national team game (or good friendly) that doesn’t really cannibalize the local player base. Imagine if it was linked with the wcq closer to the weekend, so people could travel to see their national team and their club team, obviously dependent on AFC scheduling (Ha!). Tillie’s playing friendlies recently too.
Make it in school holidays over summer and it’s even better.
Tldr; idea good, execution bad. Better than fixed grand final. Wanderers and victory losing also good.
I said it last year, I’ll say it again.
If you’re going to do something like this take it to somewhere where there isn’t a game every week.
Option A, play it in Sydney: crowds will be OK, especially when there’s a derby and tickets are free to members, so you may be able to hoodwink Destination NSW into believing they’re getting VFM and keep that gravy train rolling
Option B, take it elsewhere: crowds will be shitter but with larger numbers of travellers, so even though there’d be a larger injection to whatever local economy it will be a harder sell to the folks writing the cheque
Gee that 1430 kickoff really helps get the Perth fans involved.
Doesn’t everyone wear high vis in Perth? Surely knocking off at 2pm on a Friday!
Everyone is flying back from up north.
I wouldn’t be opposed to it being hosted somewhere like Hobart or Darwin, or just move it round geographic alreas each year.
I like how the playoff round of the FFA Cup is in Darwin. The crowds are small, but decent given the situation. The one downside to hosting Unite Round in Darwin, is Darwin itself, before you take it consideration the tropical heat which would make it shit, and virtually unplayable.
My issue with the unite round was how it stemmed from the diabolical clusterfuck that was the grand final decision. People complain about the FFA Cup being plastic and forced, this is worse. Instead of a United/Magic round being played in regional areas, giving the locals some limelight and allowing the concept to grow organically, it was this hastilly constructed kneejerk reaction to a shitty situation
If Unite Round is set to continue, you could do worse than have the APL tender out the competition to regional areas who need to promote their local region.
Whilst I can’t afford too right now, I’d love to do a bit of a lads weekend in some regional Aussie town sinking piss, and watching a bunch of football.
Market it properly, and people will do it. Half the issue is the A-League hasn’t done any half decent marketing in over 10 years.
The problem with this is that the knuckle dragging fuckwits from the usual suspects will turn it into a shitfight at the first opportunity.
This is the way I think they should do it once the current agreement with the NSW Government expires.
You’d think that Canberra, Hobart, Townsville, Gold Coast and even Wollongong would all be likely locations.
So many options in NSW alone.
Thats a few off the top of my head.
Are people suggesting an entire round of matches in both leagues in one small city? I think that would not really work. So we have 12 games at WIN in one weekend? Or is there another stadium?
Would a round where all the matches go to a different country NSW town be an alternative idea?
Also would the league really want a round where a bunch of matches have 3 figure crowds, and even a “marquee” fixture involving your bigger clubs, would maybe pull in 2000 people?
As long as they’re getting paid for it I don’t think the league would really care.
The round is solely about generating an extra source of revenue from the State Government.
People love to complain without actually thinking through their hairbrained alternative solutions.
Free supporters bus from Gosford to Entertainment Quarter Friday afternoon, pre game drinks at Watsons, free member tickets, a derby match, bus back, makes for a pleasant United Round experience.
So all the womens games have been moved to Kogarah, due to poor pitch quality at Leichhardt.
State government would never pay big bucks for it to happen outside of their major city, it’s an accounting exercise to justify whatever white elephant stadium they’ve just built as part of the perpetual pissing contest between states.
Local governments would not pay that kind of money to get us there when they can organise far cheaper events that will bring the same tourist dollars. Wollongong hosts things like crossfit games for far cheaper than Unite Round.
State governments might pay for us to have it regionally, if we can demonstrate non-accounting exercise level of travelling fans will turn up. Which comes back to Jubal’s point about the usual suspects who have ODD.