When Perth Glory beat Melbourne City to progress to their second consecutive FFA Cup Final, talk immediately turned to the hosting rights.
After missing out last year, Western Australian football fans were naturally excited at the possibility of being able to witness the team attempt to lift their first trophy since the 2004 NSL Grand Final.
Their hopes were short lived though, as days later the FFA announced Perth would only host the final if state-league outfit Hume City were able to slay Goliath, otherwise known as reigning A-League champions, Melbourne Victory.
The Glory and their fans were incensed last year when the FFA awarded Adelaide with the final. There was no hint it would come and no opportunity to discuss it. The governing body cited Perth’s time difference as the main detractor; sitting three hours behind the rest of the country would have meant the game would not be played until night time in the Eastern states. Given last year’s showpiece event took place on a Wednesday, a night time kick-off would have left the FFA waving goodbye to a sizable portion of their potential viewers.
In truth, last year was never a viable option for Perth to host – but what about this time around? The FFA wisely moved the final to a Saturday, allowing for a bigger TV audience and to avoid completely disregarding one team when considering the host. Getting to one is tough – making back-to-back finals is an achievement in itself. So should the FFA have given the game to the West this year? As compensation for the previous final and as a reward for making the final two years running, it certainly would have made sense and there are few who could have begrudged the Glory for hosting.
There is also a fair argument that Perth had a tougher route to the final. After accounting for the Newcastle Jets on penalties, they beat Queensland’s Lions FC in extra time, before toppling the Western Sydney Wanderers in another shootout and overcoming Melbourne City 3-1. That is three A-League teams defeated, with just one state outfit played. Compare this to Melbourne Victory, who only played one A-League side (Adelaide United) on their way to the final. Muscat’s men rolled Balmain 6-0, survived a scare from Rockdale City Suns and beat Hume City 3-0 in the Semi-final at AAMI Park. To say the Victory had an easy run to the final would be wrong, however, it is hard to argue they had a tougher one than the Glory. It is not unreasonable to suggest Perth should have earned the right to host the final on this basis.
Of course, the Melbourne outfit has their own arguments, equally as strong. The biggest is the guarantee of larger crowds. The Victory have arguably the best fans in the country, they constantly fill both AAMI Park and Etihad Stadium to its rafters and the atmosphere at any game is electric. Despite just over 6, 000 fans turning up midweek, once can almost guarantee that they will fill AAMI Park for a Cup Final.
That is the thing, perhaps the most important aspect in the FFA’s decision – there is no guarantee Perth will pack nib Stadium. Years of indifferent performances on-and-off the field have turned droves away. Although the FFA Cup may have won back some fans, the salary cap saga still looms large over the club and for many was the least straw. Last year, the Glory averaged just over 9, 500 in a successful year for the club, the Victory, on the other hand, averaged over 27, 000.
A Melbourne final will also bring money and playing on a Saturday night in Melbourne guarantees a prime time audience. Not only will the majority of Victoria’s vast football population watch, a seven o’clock kick-off also means it will be a perfect time slot for the rest of Australia. The difference between Perth and the East means that the final would be at a later spot for the bulk of Australia and ratings would have suffered, but playing the final in Eastern Standard Time means the whole of the country (Perth included) will be able to tune in at a reasonable time. It is likely ratings will be higher for the Melbourne final than a Perth final, as it gives casual fans more of a chance to watch the game and with high ratings comes more revenue from advertisers, who will provide a boost to the FFA’s bank account. The FFA are a business foremost and want to make use of the most profitable option available.
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Is it slightly unfair the Glory will not host the final? Of course. At the end of the day, while they have done a terrific job in reaching the last hurdle two years running, there is no 100% guarantee they will fill their home stadium. The Victory will definitely sell out AAMI Park and Melbourne allows for a wider television audience.
Regardless of who prevails on Saturday the 7th of November, one can hope that Perth enjoys another cup run next year and makes the final once more. Because the fans who have stuck with them this far deserve to witness their team fighting for silverware.
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