Furious soccer fans slam A-League for ‘farce’ decision to hold Sydney grand finals for three years

The A-League is facing backlash from fans and industry figures alike after striking a deal to play the next three men’s and women’s grand finals in Sydney.

In a break from A-League tradition, the highest-ranked team will no longer earn the right to host the season decider.

The NSW government has reportedly forked out an eight-figure sum to secure hosting rights from 2023.

In a statement on Monday, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) said the move is ‘designed to develop an engaging grand final experience’ for fans.

‘Football fans now get the best of both worlds,’ APL chief executive Danny Townsend said in the statement.

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Western United celebrate winning last season’s grand final, which was held at AAMI Park in Melbourne. Fans have asked how the new arrangement will go if two non-Sydney teams feature in the year’s biggest game

Last season Melbourne Victory took out the A-League Women’s title by beating Sydney FC at Jubilee Stadium (pictured). Fans have blasted the decision to upend the sport’s finals system 

‘They can now look forward to a showpiece grand final event in a set location, as well as watching A-Leagues and national team stars week-in, week-out at their local A-Leagues team.

‘This is a unique opportunity to build a tradition for football fans.

‘When you think about a cup final in England, you think about the trip to Wembley, and we want fans in Australia to look forward to the A-Leagues finals in the same way.’

But criticism of the decision has come thick and fast.

Melbourne Victory forward Maja Markovski called the move a ‘Big L (loss)’ on Instagram, before the club released a statement confirming its preference remained ‘to play any Grand Final (that we earn the right to host) in front of our fans’ at AAMI Park.

Some supporters were dismayed that the news would rob the sport of its chance to capitalise on the groundswell in support owing to Australia’s amazing run at the World Cup

Fans weren’t the only ones blasting the move to Sydney (pictured), with Socceroos player Craig Goodwin also admitting he doesn’t like the switch

Socceroos forward Craig Goodwin appeared in a video promoting the announcement that the grand finals would be moved but on Instagram said he ‘never said anything about liking it being in Sydney’.

He also tweeted: ‘I wanted to clear things up publicly. I may be in the video for the @aleaguemen choice to host Grand Finals in Sydney, but I do not support it. I am a player, but I am also a fan.’ 

Fans shared their outrage at the switch on social media immediately following the announcement.

‘What a way to kill all the momentum gathered by a great WC [World Cup]. Any new fans to the A-League will be coming in alone because this decision will have hurt so many current fans. There is so many reasons why this is a terrible decision and yet I can’t think of one good reason. Farce,’ wrote Gerald Lynch.

‘The A-League grand final is an event that already struggles to stand on its own two feet without the involvement of Melbourne Victory, Western Sydney Wanderers or Sydney FC. This is such a bad outcome for the event. How would Melbourne City v Western United have gone at Allianz?!’ asked Rudi Esdall, referring to Allianz Stadium, the most likely venue for the six deciders.

‘Pretty sure “immediately p*** off football fans all over the country” isn’t what people had in mind when they said the A-League needs to take advantage of the Socceroos $FIFAWorldCup success,’ Mark Gottlieb added. 

Soccer supporters are worried about rows of empty seats at the grand finals if no Sydney teams are participating (pictured, the crowd at last Saturday’s clash between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix)

No ALW grand final has ever been moved outside of the home city of the team that won hosting rights but since the inaugural ALM grand final, the decider has been held away from the host team’s regular home stadium on three occasions.

In the first of those instances, Central Coast and Newcastle played before the lowest grand final crowd of the competition’s first nine seasons at Sydney Football Stadium.

The Mariners and Western Sydney drew a respectable crowd of 42,102 to the same ground when they faced off in 2013.

On the most recent occasion, Sydney FC only attracted 7051 fans to CommBank Stadium after a COVID-ravaged 2020 season.

Next year’s ALW grand final is set for April 30, with the ALM decider on June 3.