Australian Politics Forum - 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia

miketrees

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 6488
Gender: male

101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia
May 24^th, 2018 at 3:04pm

They insist on calling the game football , while most Aussies still call it Soccer.
We have the Socceroos, not the Footeroos.
If they want to fit in with Australians, they should have kept the Australian name.

As a sport it is not as egalitarian as Cricket or AFL
Bruce Reid and Greg Shipperd can both play in the same side and both bring skills.
Similarly AFL has Sandilands and Ballantyne in the same team.

Soccer is low scoring, punctuated with long spells of boring play.

Low scoring, makes Soccer easier to corrupt by gambling.
It only takes one dodgy play to result in a goal and that can be the decider.
So only one referee or player needs to be corrupted.

Soccer has long spells of boring play.

While no doubt Soccer players are skilled, the range of skills are quite narrow.

Soccer can and has rewarded cheating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_v_England_(1986_FIFA_World_Cup)

Once again because of the low scoring nature of the game one cheating instance will determine the match.
This is very unfair and against Australian values.
soccer in Australia most likely lost a lot of supporters after the Italians cheated Australia out of the world cup

I only got to 7 reasons,,, still working

Back to top

IP Logged

Prime Minister for Canyons

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 26906
Canberra
Gender: male

Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia
Reply #1 - May 24^th, 2018 at 3:15pm

miketrees wrote on May 24^th, 2018 at 3:04pm:

They insist on calling the game football , while most Aussies still call it Soccer.
We have the Socceroos, not the Footeroos.
If they want to fit in with Australians, they should have kept the Australian name.

As a sport it is not as egalitarian as Cricket or AFL
Bruce Reid and Greg Shipperd can both play in the same side and both bring skills.
Similarly AFL has Sandilands and Ballantyne in the same team.

Soccer is low scoring, punctuated with long spells of boring play.

Low scoring, makes Soccer easier to corrupt by gambling.
It only takes one dodgy play to result in a goal and that can be the decider.
So only one referee or player needs to be corrupted.

Soccer has long spells of boring play.

While no doubt Soccer players are skilled, the range of skills are quite narrow.

Soccer can and has rewarded cheating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_v_England_(1986_FIFA_World_Cup)

Once again because of the low scoring nature of the game one cheating instance will determine the match.
This is very unfair and against Australian values.
soccer in Australia most likely lost a lot of supporters after the Italians cheated Australia out of the world cup

I only got to 7 reasons,,, still working

And yet its one of the most popular junior sports in the country.

Back to top

In a time of universal deceit — telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

No evidence whatsoever it can be attributed to George Orwell or Eric Arthur Blair (in fact the same guy)

IP Logged

miketrees Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6488 Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #2 - May 24^th, 2018 at 4:29pm And yet its one of the most popular junior sports in the country. How long has that been the case? If its been like that for a while there must be a reason kids drop out. These are questions Australian soccer should be asking itself if it wants to start getting better crowds to watch.
Back to top	IP Logged

philperth2010 Moderator Online Australian Politics Posts: 19629 Perth Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #3 - May 24^th, 2018 at 6:25pm I don't mind watching soccer occasionally....Success helps promote interest....Australia needs to win something worthwhile and inspire the nation???
Back to top	If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them. Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) IP Logged

miketrees Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6488 Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #4 - May 24^th, 2018 at 7:29pm Success helps promote interest Do you think the 2006 exit from the world cup kicked soccer in the guts in Australia?
Back to top	IP Logged

Dnarever

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 57162
Here
Gender: male

Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia
Reply #5 - May 24^th, 2018 at 8:06pm

miketrees wrote on May 24^th, 2018 at 7:29pm:

Success helps promote interest

Do you think the 2006 exit from the world cup kicked soccer in the guts in Australia?

Different people different result.

For some yes but for others seeing Australia absolutely giving it to the worlds heavyweights was an eye opener.

The difference since has been simple to identify - The Coaches. We went to one world cup with a world class coach and made the final 16 where they were beaten by the eventual winner in a lucky penalty based decision in a game where the best team clearly didn't win.

The Italians had to take a dive to win 1-0.

I don't mind watching the occasional game of soccer but would much rather the footy.

Back to top

IP Logged

Mr Hammer

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 25212
Gender: male

Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia
Reply #6 - May 24^th, 2018 at 8:22pm

What held soccer back in the past was that you had Croat clubs, Serb clubs, Italian clubs etc from the youth league right through to the state teams. And unless you were the right ethnicity for that club it was hard to get a start. They've broken that down but there is still some residual from this arrangement. In time soccer will become more mainstream with more avenues for aspiring players. Then it will get big and we'll become a world player. When kids are playing it in such numbers it will only get stronger.

Back to top

IP Logged

miketrees Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6488 Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #7 - May 24^th, 2018 at 8:29pm What held soccer back in the past was that you had Croat clubs, Serb clubs, Italian clubs etc from the youth league right through to the state teams. Reason 8
Back to top	IP Logged

Prime Minister for Canyons Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 26906 Canberra Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #8 - May 24^th, 2018 at 8:36pm miketrees wrote on May 24^th, 2018 at 7:29pm: Success helps promote interest Do you think the 2006 exit from the world cup kicked soccer in the guts in Australia? No, No, we
Back to top	In a time of universal deceit — telling the truth is a revolutionary act. No evidence whatsoever it can be attributed to George Orwell or Eric Arthur Blair (in fact the same guy) IP Logged

UnSubRocky Gold Member Offline Australian Legend Posts: 21740 Rockhampton, Q Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #9 - May 26^th, 2018 at 10:35am I think the 2006 world cup game against Italy was all it took to destroy any chance of soccer becoming a popular sport in Australia. Kick an opponent in the back whilst he is not involved in the play, pretend to trip over, claim that you broke every bone in your body... get awarded a penalty kick.
Back to top	IP Logged

miketrees Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6488 Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #10 - May 26^th, 2018 at 10:05pm claim that you broke every bone in your body... get awarded a penalty kick. Reason 9
Back to top	IP Logged

Prime Minister for Canyons Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 26906 Canberra Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #11 - May 29^th, 2018 at 10:17am miketrees wrote on May 26^th, 2018 at 10:05pm: claim that you broke every bone in your body... get awarded a penalty kick. Reason 9 When did that happen?
Back to top	In a time of universal deceit — telling the truth is a revolutionary act. No evidence whatsoever it can be attributed to George Orwell or Eric Arthur Blair (in fact the same guy) IP Logged

Grendel

Gold Member

Offline

OzPolitic

Posts: 28080
Gender: male

Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia
Reply #12 - May 29^th, 2018 at 11:32am

miketrees wrote on May 24^th, 2018 at 3:04pm:

They insist on calling the game football , while most Aussies still call it Soccer.
We have the Socceroos, not the Footeroos.
If they want to fit in with Australians, they should have kept the Australian name.

Yes I call it Soccer as did my father whose parents came from Scotland... it was called actually Soccer Football, soccer being the shortened version.

The original name for the game was Association Football.

My guess is FOOTBALL as in FIFA etc and as now adopted by SBS etc, is because of global recognition. Oh and of course due to the recognisable fact that you are not allowed to touch the ball with your hands.

Quote:

As a sport it is not as egalitarian as Cricket or AFL
Bruce Reid and Greg Shipperd can both play in the same side and both bring skills.
Similarly AFL has Sandilands and Ballantyne in the same team.

Not sure your point there. There are specialist positions in Soccer... Fullback (Sweeper), Forward (Striker), Goalkeeper. Both male and females play Soccer, and there are long, short and indoor versions of the game.

Quote:

Soccer is low scoring, punctuated with long spells of boring play.

Unlike other forms of Football... in Soccer you only get 1 point for a goal. In the recent Uefa Cup, if it was Rugby the score would have been 18-6...

Quote:

Low scoring, makes Soccer easier to corrupt by gambling.
It only takes one dodgy play to result in a goal and that can be the decider.
So only one referee or player needs to be corrupted.

Ah no... no more vulnerable to gambling than Boxing, Rugby or Horse Racing, for example. Where you can bet on things like first team to score, first player to score etc, etc, etc...

Quote:

Soccer has long spells of boring play.

In your opinion... running up and down a basketball court bores me.. as does a 5 day test match in cricket that ends in a draw... and lets not forget those close Rugby games that end with 4-0 or 6-nil.... how can they be less boring?

Quote:

While no doubt Soccer players are skilled, the range of skills are quite narrow.

Not as narrow as other players in other forms of Football.

Quote:

Soccer can and has rewarded cheating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_v_England_(1986_FIFA_World_Cup)

Yep, poor Referring does that. Happens in every sport.

Quote:

Once again because of the low scoring nature of the game one cheating instance will determine the match.

Same in all sports...

Quote:

This is very unfair and against Australian values.

Cheating and poor Refereeing ruins all sports for all people not just Australians. Drugs, ball tampering, betting, simulation (dives), travelling, hitting below the belt, etc, etc, etc... especially bad in professional sport where IMO if you cheat you are not a professional.

Quote:

soccer in Australia most likely lost a lot of supporters after the Italians cheated Australia out of the world cup

Nah... just made real Australians more against the Italians from then on.

Quote:

I only got to 7 reasons,,, still working

Good luck with that.

The worse things in Soccer today are... FIFA, rule changing and poor Refereeing where the rules are not strictly adhered to.

Back to top

IP Logged

Grendel

Gold Member

Offline

OzPolitic

Posts: 28080
Gender: male

Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia
Reply #13 - May 29^th, 2018 at 11:33am

Mr Hammer wrote on May 24^th, 2018 at 8:22pm:

What held soccer back in the past was that you had Croat clubs, Serb clubs, Italian clubs etc from the youth league right through to the state teams. And unless you were the right ethnicity for that club it was hard to get a start. They've broken that down but there is still some residual from this arrangement. In time soccer will become more mainstream with more avenues for aspiring players. Then it will get big and we'll become a world player. When kids are playing it in such numbers it will only get stronger.

Since the 70s at least Soccer has had more registered players than any other sport in Australia... (except perhaps Netball), the other footballs are waaaaaay behind. Roll Eyes

Back to top

IP Logged

Prime Minister for Canyons Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 26906 Canberra Gender:	Re: 101 reasons Soccer struggles in Australia Reply #14 - May 29^th, 2018 at 11:43am Grendel wrote on May 29^th, 2018 at 11:32am: Good luck with that. The worse things in Soccer today are... FIFA, rule changing and poor Refereeing where the rules are not strictly adhered to. Can I add in the wealth gap in domestic leagues?
Back to top	In a time of universal deceit — telling the truth is a revolutionary act. No evidence whatsoever it can be attributed to George Orwell or Eric Arthur Blair (in fact the same guy) IP Logged