tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post555563104374948969..comments2024-03-16T09:26:42.761+11:00Comments on South of the Border - a South Melbourne Hellas blog: Not that any of that mattersPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07844708719537648292noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-31864568717293514252018-12-18T10:47:21.792+11:002018-12-18T10:47:21.792+11:00After exiting administration, I guess survival was...After exiting administration, I guess survival was the main point. This article from November 2004 is really interesting.<br /><br />https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/push-for-dual-code-venue-at-albert-park-20041114-gdyznz.html<br /><br />Basically, George Donikian hoped to leverage a redevelopment of Lakeside Stadium as the launchpad for a ground-sharing/revenue-making enterprise which would set South up as the logical next choice for the next A-League Melbourne licence, whenever that was going to happen.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-38914296456919424552018-12-18T10:42:02.903+11:002018-12-18T10:42:02.903+11:00If we go by news reports and such from the last se...If we go by news reports and such from the last season of the NSL, it seems as if the club and then president Peter Mitrakas went from being cautiously optimistic that the club could make the grade in the proposed new competition, to realising that making the grade according to Lowy's standards was going to be very difficult for the club, to eventually coming to believe that the club was no chance of winning the sole inaugural Melbourne A-League licence. Not being accepted into the VPL in 2004 compounded feasibility issue.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-11918724803838385542018-12-18T10:30:17.398+11:002018-12-18T10:30:17.398+11:00I would surmise that the stench around the NSL and...I would surmise that the stench around the NSL and 'ethnics' was so profound that our club would've been too embarrassed to put in a bid, even if we were in a better position overall. A bit of Stockholm Syndrome, perhaps.Savvas Tzionishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18401504876863188801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-63774297370560601522018-12-18T10:27:00.158+11:002018-12-18T10:27:00.158+11:00The lack of income coming into the club because of...The lack of income coming into the club because of that forced break was a big problem, but we owed a ton of money to the tax office, which seems like the kind of problem that wasn't going to go away even if we had a league to play in during the 2004 winter season. Others that were much closer to that situation however will be able to tell the whole story a lot better than I ever could, provided they could get the legal clearances. It's not really my area of expertise. <br /><br />The broader point however is that when Frank Lowy and John O'Neill deviated from the recommended 10 team league (with two teams each in Sydney and Melbourne) for the 8 team model with one city, one team approach, everyone just assumed we wouldn't be the team picked for Melbourne. But we didn't even apply, I assume in large part because we were incapacitated; yet the story persists among some quarters that we were formally rejected by FFA, when I don't think was the case. Certainly I can't recall us putting in a bid alongside the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne United bids. I stand to be corrected.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-5408445075322372992018-12-18T10:13:03.995+11:002018-12-18T10:13:03.995+11:00I always assumed that South's financially parl...I always assumed that South's financially parlous situation in 2004 was primarily to do with the NSL's generally bankrupt state plus not being able to field a team for 18(?) months. Are you saying that even if the NSL was to survive another year (for instance), then South would have been in the same (or somewhat reduced) trouble?Savvas Tzionishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18401504876863188801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-37847441514466634682018-12-18T09:59:49.966+11:002018-12-18T09:59:49.966+11:00I think SMFCMike may have coined the concept a few...I think SMFCMike may have coined the concept a few years ago; he certainly made use of it back on the old days of smfcboard. I forget it's exact nature, something about an initial burst of interest in 'broadbased' clubs, sustained by hype and free tickets, before the bottom quickly fell out of the whole thing.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-8027464833798134352018-12-18T09:54:47.365+11:002018-12-18T09:54:47.365+11:00Whilst true (I too shook my head at the 3 years st...Whilst true (I too shook my head at the 3 years statement), there really should now be a '10 years rule'. Perth Glory's plateauing (reduced?) crowds occurred around the 10 year mark. So did the A League in general.<br /><br />What is the 'Northern Spirit rule'? I have a personal interest as I was there for their first (and only decent) year.Savvas Tzionishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18401504876863188801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-55778316485420589072018-12-17T20:25:15.969+11:002018-12-17T20:25:15.969+11:00Let's not forget the so-called 'Northern S...Let's not forget the so-called 'Northern Spirit rule'.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-32191209394407542862018-12-17T18:38:05.958+11:002018-12-17T18:38:05.958+11:00I always shook my head at the "three years to...I always shook my head at the "three years tops" thing. It was pretty clear that like the big banks the A-League was clearly marked too big to fail, and if necessary Socceroos revenue, or more levies and taxes on juniors and "member federation clubs" would have been drawn upon.Mark Borichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770336959193320692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-70811323096111383082018-12-17T16:15:45.628+11:002018-12-17T16:15:45.628+11:00Probably won't be alone in one way, as it seem...Probably won't be alone in one way, as it seems to be a lot of emphasis in the little press put out by the club on the younger players we used the seniors in 2018.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-26598675601788574452018-12-17T16:12:06.243+11:002018-12-17T16:12:06.243+11:00I guess we will all enjoy watching Messerounis kid...I guess we will all enjoy watching Messerounis kid light up lakeside next season Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-9122464172779148482018-12-17T10:25:55.212+11:002018-12-17T10:25:55.212+11:00To the point on the bid's value in information...To the point on the bid's value in information gathering and reflection, I hope the club can see operational change as a result as early as this season - on your point on the social club, one of the things the bid pushed was a 365 lakeside experience. There is no reason we can't get the social club pumping.<br /><br />MannyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-34603248697838010072018-12-16T19:34:56.836+11:002018-12-16T19:34:56.836+11:00I dread it also. I dread it also. Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-26634121076510552492018-12-16T18:59:13.604+11:002018-12-16T18:59:13.604+11:00I appreciate your write up, Paul.
Hasn't been...I appreciate your write up, Paul.<br /><br />Hasn't been pleasant, and it sucks that I'm dreading another year at Lakeside where folk are at each other's throats for what has now passed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-53253467861269760882018-12-16T18:53:37.726+11:002018-12-16T18:53:37.726+11:00Thanks Nick. It'll be interesting to see how t...Thanks Nick. It'll be interesting to see how the property acquisition and development aspect of this WMG thing works. This isn't just for the various business and political deals that will be involved with making it a reality, but also how a stadium that will in that bid's own words 'be only for football' will remain a viable financial concern based on 15 usage days a year.<br /><br />But I would never write anyone off in the A-League. Players go round and round, teams somehow keep afloat, and the league keeps getting tv deals.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-68841035373656166112018-12-16T18:48:53.273+11:002018-12-16T18:48:53.273+11:00It can be dispiriting. Chatting with a Melbourne K...It can be dispiriting. Chatting with a Melbourne Knights supporting acquaintance of mine yesterday, one conclusion or aspiration we seemed to agree with was that even if it was unrealistic that South or Knights would ever rejoin a topflight competition, that our potential is nevertheless not being realised by being in this state based competition. Well, now that this phase of A-League expansion bidding is behind us, one assumes South will redirect its efforts towards the AAFC's second tier plans, especially since we have two former board members involved with that anyway.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206486881622385464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-30665648231549294882018-12-16T16:31:26.434+11:002018-12-16T16:31:26.434+11:00Paul, such a well written piece. Excellent. Unfort...Paul, such a well written piece. Excellent. Unfortunately the last paragraph left me in a cold sweat — I guess that's reality for you. Last Wednesday night, I took a walk around an empty Lakeside with my son, checking out certain vantage points along the way and wondering if we'll ever see a decent crowd at a South Melbourne match ever again. One day. Well, here's to another season. Cheers.Kostasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7503414687298565438.post-32940917586038061302018-12-16T16:29:20.072+11:002018-12-16T16:29:20.072+11:00Good write up as usual Paul. The FFA have shown th...Good write up as usual Paul. The FFA have shown their contempt for us and what we represent. Giving a license to the WMG whose main motivation will be making money out of a parcel of land more or less swindled from Wyndham council on the 'promise' of building a purpose built football stadium in the middle of fucking nowhere. Great in theory but it's simply not that easy. These things take years to finalise and work something the game cannot afford at the minute. The football franchise component will be the 'side dish' for this group. The FFA should be concerning itself with football matters not the grandiose plans of Sticca and his 'mysterious' property speculator mates. It'll be a disaster and we'll be left scratching our heads how South have been screwed over by the 2 dud Melbourne franchisers chosen ahead of us. But hey a few individuals have made some good cash along the way so its all cool. Some serious thinking ahead for South. A proper functioning social club must be the priority as it has the capability to attract people to the club.NickRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716475325230797877noreply@blogger.com