New arrivals create more interest in the A-League

"The area is a rich heartland for football but a previously botched attempt to attract investors for a new club, followed by the hurried establishment of a replacement in April after the demise of Gold Coast, left only a few months for what should be a key club to start from scratch."

Adelaide United a founding member of the A-League was formed in only 6 weeks following the withdrawl of Adelaide City from the NSL, the fore-runner of the A-League. If they could field a team only 6 weeks after being formed surely 6 months is plenty of time to put together a new club in a "rich heartland for football"?

The main problem is converting the junior participation rate into active, regular attendees. When Robbie Fowler was here it pretty well stuck 2000 on the gate at most grounds. Del piero will have a greater effect (Heskey, with all due respect, may add a couple of dozen)
Watching the champions of the last two seasons, Brisbane Roar, play in front of 15,000 people in a 52,000 capacity stadium is a sad reflection of the situation. They have played attractive, fluent football and deserve better.
It's sad that, in all reality, the failure of the national team to reach the next world cup could well spell the end of the A league and the final chance for football to really establish itself "down under"

There are rumours of Michael Ballack coming to the new Western Sydney team which would help. But even with Alessandro it's still going to be heavy going.

So many sports competing for a finite audience and they are fickle with all the football codes, except the fervent Aussie Rules followers in Victoria, and pockets of League obsession elsewhere.