A-Leagues reverse controversial grand final deal with Destination NSW

The A-Leagues will scrap the controversial grand final sale to Sydney, with chief executive Danny Townsend saying it has listened to the “strong sentiments” of fans.

As reported by this masthead last month, the Australian Professional Leagues and the NSW government have been in talks to reverse the remainder of the $12 million, three-year deal which guaranteed Sydney would host the men’s and women’s grand finals through to 2025.

The APL confirmed this to be the case on Wednesday morning when announcing a new, full mid-season round of fixtures to be played in Sydney as part of the “updated partnership”.

“The ‘Unite Round’ is being introduced for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, as the APL’s partnership with Destination NSW enters its second year,” an APL media release said.

“As part of the updated partnership, the hosting rights for the grand finals will revert to the traditional format with hosting rights awarded to the highest-placed qualifier from the semi-finals, starting from season 2023-24.”

The decision to sell the grand finals to Sydney was announced late last year, in the days after Australia’s remarkable run to the Qatar World Cup’s round of 16, erasing the good feelings around the Socceroos and sending the domestic game into instant tumult.

The Central Coast Mariners thrashed Melbourne City 6-1 in the men’s A-League grand final in SydneyCredit: Getty Images

Players and clubs spoke out against the APL, former Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro stepped down from the APL board, and active fan groups announcing a boycott of matches.

Some Melbourne Victory supporters were so incensed they invaded the AAMI Park pitch in December’s derby against Melbourne City, with the man who threw a bucket of sand at goalkeeper Tom Glover jailed for three months.

The APL, which was motivated primarily by financial considerations in selling the grand final to Sydney, was taken aback by the ferocity of the backlash from all corners of the football community, with fans broadly rejecting the premise that the deal was the start of a “new tradition” for the game in Australia.

Last season’s A-League Men grand final was held at CommBank Stadium, where the Central Coast Mariners thumped City 6-1. The women’s fixture, in which Western United lost 4-0 to Sydney FC, was played at the same venue. Both defeated teams would have earned hosting rights under the old mode, and neither match sold out, although the women’s clash attracted a record crowd of 9519.

Fans show their disappointment with the APL’s decision.Credit: Getty

“We have worked closely with our clubs and fans to ensure that there are suitable constructive mechanisms for the voices of fans to be heard,” said Townsend. “Many of the resulting conversations have included the hosting of the grand finals, and the strong sentiments around that, and we thank DNSW and Premier [Chris] Minns for their partnership in creating a truly inclusive experience for our game.”

Football Supporters Association Australia said it was delighted with the decision to alter the agreement “for the good of the game, the league and the millions that support it”.

“From the outset, it was very clear that a large portion of A-League members and supporters were against the initial decision to go against the long-held tradition of awarding the A-League grand final hosting rights on merit,” the organisation said in a statement.

In the ‘Unite Round’, which will be staged January 12-14, double-header matches will be hosted at Allianz Stadium, CommBank Stadium and Leichhardt Oval, and grassroots tournaments for junior boys and girls will take place at venues across Sydney.

On Saturday, January 13, a live site at Moore Park will also feature a fan park and viewing party for the Socceroos’ Asian Cup match in Qatar against India.

“The Unite Round is a brand new experience which brings together all A-Leagues clubs, fans and grassroots players together for the very first time in Sydney in an unprecedented celebration of football,” Townsend said.

“With the women’s domestic attendance record already broken twice on the first day of this season, we are looking forward to welcoming A-Leagues fans, old and new, to experience our leagues.”

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