By David Gold
March 26 – Australian football has received a timely boost with the Hyundai A-League recording its largest seasonal aggregate attendance since its launch in 2005 – with just over 1.4 million fans watching matches.
With 135 games being played during the 2011-2012 term, rather than the 165 in the previous campaign, the figure is more impressive than it first appears.
The current season has also seen the average attendance exceed the 10,000 mark for the first time since the expansion of the league from eight to 10 teams in 2009, Football Federation Australia (FFA) confirmed.
Hyundai A-League chief Lyall Gorman (pictured left) added that television audiences had increased significantly this year, by 46 per cent over the previous season.
“This has been a fantastic season with our goals per game average in line with some of the biggest leagues in the world,” Gorman enthused.
“The on-field action has been watched by more people – proving that football has a growing footprint in this country.”
He continued: “This season has witnessed the Hyundai A-League gain hugely significant boosts in ratings, memberships and attendances.
“The fact that more people have attended matches this season, with 30 fewer matches being played, is testament to the league’s potential and the work taking place in clubs, communities and regions.”
The figures are a timely boost for the league in the wake of a public spat between the FFA and Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer, who is having his licence to field the team in the A-League withdrawn from next season.
The FFA has ruled that Palmer (pictured) flouted its rules when his team took to the field in jerseys sporting the phrase ‘freedom of speech’ in place of the club’s sponsor, Hyatt.
Palmer has since set up a rival football federation as he seeks to attract those disaffected with the organisation of the game down under.
However, the A-League stated that club membership has increased by 23 per cent over the previous term, indicating that the league is coping well despite the end-of-season controversy surrounding Gold Coast United.
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