A-League and Australia Cup 2023/24

[GNU_Linux]

Are Melbourne City some sort of Man City tribute act? 
They look horrible. 

Owned by the same group. Melbourne City were formed as Melbourne Heart in 2009 but 're-branded' in 2014 after purchase. Also changed club badge plus their colours from red & white stripes to the current blue.

As a side note there's a team called Melbourne City (formed 1991) playing in the lower tiers of the Victorian State Leagues who were making moves to register trademarks & possibly legal action during the takeover. Also spoke with the City Group directly but action never came to anything in the end. The original city are still around under the same name.

[Girth]

6 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Owned by the same group. Melbourne City were formed as Melbourne Heart in 2009 but 're-branded' in 2014 after purchase. Also changed club badge plus their colours from red & white stripes to the current blue.

As a side note there's a team called Melbourne City (formed 1991) playing in the lower tiers of the Victorian State Leagues who were making moves to register trademarks & possibly legal action during the takeover. Also spoke with the City Group directly but action never came to anything in the end. The original city are still around under the same name.

Both sound unforgivable. 

[GNU_Linux]

Football Australia adds national second tier in calendar restructure

The introduction of a national second tier has taken a significant step forward with Football Australia inserting a placeholder for the competition into the nation's domestic football calendar for 2021-22.

The new schedule will be unveiled on Friday and will see an aligned Australian football pyramid played year-round through 2021-22, beginning with the A-League season on Oct. 29 and concluding with the FFA Cup final on Oct. 28, 2022.

Football Australia will also introduce other reforms for the international breaks and to the National Premier Leagues (NPL).

The women's season will commence with the 2021-22 W-League, before ending on Sept. 25, 2022 with a newly nationally aligned conclusion to the country's state-based National Premier League Women's (NPLW) seasons.

The men's equivalent of those games will occur on Sept. 11; the new "finals days" ensuring that NPL's season across the country will align to conclude on a uniform date -- part of Football Australia's push to greater connect the game across the country, raise the competitions' profile and, it hopes, increase their prestige and value over time.

Envisioned as running largely in parallel with these NPL competitions, the placeholder dates for the second-tier competition -- previously mooted to be called the Championship -- have been pencilled in to commence in January 2022 and conclude in May.

However, with a final model still to be settled and more consultation needed, this timeframe may shift when the federation seeks to commence a formal competition in the following years.

"The placeholder is an important first step towards the creation of [a national second tier]," said FA CEO James Johnson. "[It allows] for its ongoing development and, subject to finalisation of the model, can be adjusted within the [domestic football calendar] framework."

A Football Australia spokesperson confirmed to ESPN that the competition remained a priority to the federation, while its chairman Chris Nikou declared in May that he was "expecting [an NSD model] to come to the Football Australia board in the second half of this year, and I'd love to see a second division up for the 2023 season."

After the absence of several stars called away for international duty cast a shadow over the 2020-21 finals, the coming A-League and W-League seasons will also, for the first time, observe both men's and women's FIFA international windows and AFC tournaments -- with one small caveat.

The A- and W-Leagues will be given a special dispensation to organise games during the Jan. 24-Feb. 1 international window created by FIFA to make up for games lost due to coronavirus pandemic -- although clubs are still required to release selected players in this window.

"The [new calendar] is the framework for the whole pyramid of football," Australian Professional Leagues managing director and Sydney FC CEO Danny Townsend said.

"This announcement is demonstrative of the determination of Football Australia, APL and all other football stakeholders to achieve outcomes that serve the whole game.

"By reducing the amount of club versus country clashes next season we can build a brighter future for Australian football, with an all-around better football experience for players and for fans."

Further alignment of the tiers is set to occur through the introduction of uniform transfer windows. The men's transfer windows is set to run from July 26 to Oct. 18, 2021 and Jan. 14 to Feb. 10, 2022, and the women's windows running from Aug. 3 to Oct. 25, 2021 and March 15 to April 12, 2022.

Football Australia did note, however, that the calendar may be subject to change due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, as well as "further opportunities and enhancements are identified ... in consultation and collaboration with stakeholders."

[Eednud]

On Saturday night in the South Australian NPL Adelaide Croatia Raiders were 4 - 1 ahead of 10 men South Adelaide Panthers after 90 minutes. During the 7 minutes added on South Adelaide scored 3 times with their goalie scoring the equaliser.

 

[A-Mac]

Actually looking forward to this season after the shambles we were in 2020/21, I think Poppa has assembled a strong squad to compete.

[Eednud]

4 hours ago, A-Mac said:

Actually looking forward to this season after the shambles we were in 2020/21, I think Poppa has assembled a strong squad to compete.

First game scheduled for October 29 so hopefully Dan and Glad have lifted their lockdowns by then and that twat in WA allows A-League teams to travel to Perth. Think the FFA Cup might be in doubt though.

[GNU_Linux]

Simon Hill back is sound.

[A-Mac]

Great to  have Simon Hill back.

[Eednud]

First game of the FFA Cup Round of 32 tomorrow night with Peninsula Power (2) at home to Brisbane Roar although game neing played at Roar’s home ground, Moreton Daily Stadium (aka Dolphin Stadium), Redcliffe. Kick-off 19:30 LT (10:30 BST). Another tie scheduled for Wednesday at same time with Edge Hill United (5) v Gold Coast Knights (2) at Barlow Park, Cairns. Edge Hill are the lowest ranked club in the cup and play in the Far North Queensland Premier League. Former Australian international and coach, Frank Farina, played for them at youth level. There will be another game in QLD next week plus games in WA on 26th and 29th.

3-0 Roar 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by Eednud

[Eednud]

Another FFA Cup tie tonight (10:30 BST) with Lions FC (played in old NSL as Brisbane Lions) at home to Casuarina from Darwin. Pity it wasn’t in Darwin as Casuarina’s home ground is listed as the Portuguese and Timorese Club Oval and looks like they play in shirts similar to Boavista. Both are level 2 sides but NT level 2 is well below that.

[Eednud]

New season now scheduled to start on 17 Nov. This has a link to fixtures for Rounds 1-6. https://www.a-league.com.au/news/new-era-australian-club-football-a-league-and-w-league-return

Western Ushited list Lakeside Stadium for home games but Hellas it’s South Melbourne’s home ground and they haven’t wasted anytime telling them politely to f**k off.  https://www.smfc.com.au/south-melbourne-rejects-the-plans-of-western-united-fc-to-use-lakeside-stadium/

[Eednud]

New season will also see 2 Saturday night games kicking off at the same time. 

https://www.a-league.com.au/news/network-10-and-paramount-deliver-double-football-action-saturday-nights

[Eednud]

Cup holders Adelaide United needed extra time to defeat Floreat Athena 3-1 in Perth.

 

[GNU_Linux]

Perth Glory sign Daniel Sturridge

Perth Glory is delighted to confirm that former Liverpool and England forward Daniel Sturridge has signed with the club for the A-League 2021/22 Season.

The 32-year-old is a two-time UEFA Champions League and FA Cup winner who scored 68 goals during a six-year spell at Liverpool and also won a Premier League title with Chelsea.

At international level, he was part of England’s squad at both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 UEFA European Championships and featured for Team GB at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Sturridge is now relishing the prospect of beginning a new chapter in his illustrious career with Glory.

"It’s a fantastic opportunity to try a new challenge," he said.

"When the opportunity came about, it felt like the right thing to do, to take my talent somewhere where I can enjoy my football in a competitive league and try and help the team be as successful as they possibly can be.

"I’m going to put my best foot forward, work hard and try and help the team win each game that comes by and then we’ll see where we end up when the season finishes.

"I can’t wait to play at HBF Park and hopefully put a smile on a lot of faces."

Glory Head Coach Richard Garcia is understandably thrilled to have a player of Sturridge’s pedigree on board.

"Daniel’s quality on the park speaks for itself," he said, "and it is fantastic for the club and the league that a player of Daniel’s calibre is joining us.

"His motivation and drive aligns with the values and ambitions of the team and the club as a whole."

Glory Chairman and Owner Tony Sage, meanwhile, believes that Sturridge’s signing represents a huge statement of intent upon Glory’s behalf.

"Daniel is undoubtedly one of the biggest signings not only in Glory’s history, but in the history of the A-League," he said.

"His arrival signals in no uncertain terms how determined we are to bring sustained success to the club and the lengths we will go to in order to achieve that goal.

"We know the elite-level quality Daniel will bring to the side and are hugely excited to see him wearing the famous purple this season."

Those sentiments were echoed by Glory CEO Tony Pignata.

"It’s great that we have managed to put this deal together in such a short amount of time and we welcome Daniel to Perth Glory FC," he said.

"I would urge anyone who hasn’t already become a Glory Member for 2021/22 to sign up as soon as possible and be a part of what is shaping up to be a thrilling year of football."

Born in Birmingham, Sturridge played his youth football with Aston Villa, Coventry City and Manchester City, making his senior debut for the latter in 2007.

Two years later, he signed a four-year deal with Chelsea for a fee which would eventually rise to $15m and during his spell at Stamford Bridge, the 1.88m frontman played nearly 100 games and scored 24 goals.

Another big-money move followed in 2013, this time to Liverpool, with Sturridge being named in the PFA Team of the Year at the end of his first full season in red after bagging 24 goals in all competitions.

He added another Champions League winner’s medal to his collection in 2019 and eventually took his Premier League goal tally to 77.

Most recently, Glory’s new recruit had a spell in the Turkish top flight with Trabzonspor for whom he found the net seven times in 16 appearances.

Sturridge comes from a family steeped in football, with his father Michael and uncles Dean and Simon all having played professionally in the UK.

[GNU_Linux]

A-League & W-League unify branding

 

Quote

 

Australian football has revealed its new identity, with the men’s, women’s and youth leagues brought together under a unified “A-Leagues” banner.

Recasting the men’s and women’s elite competitions as partners at the top of the game, the A-Leagues will use football’s position as the country’s most inclusive sport to grow the game for everyone.

As part of the change, the A-Leagues will move to a unified social media channel for men’s and women’s football on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok in the coming months and will re-launch a new A-Leagues website, creating a single destination for fans of professional football in Australia and significantly increasing the profile and reach of women’s football.

The reveal of the new brand is the latest in a series of announcements since the A-Leagues took over the running of the professional game in December 2020, including: the expansion of the women’s league by three teams in two years; the launch of a new Club Championship to bring the men’s and women’s leagues closer together; and an historic Collective Bargaining Agreement to drive up standards and bring genuine equity to the game.

In the coming months, the A-Leagues will reveal a ground-breaking, world-class digital football platform to become the home of football in Australia, bringing fans closer to the world’s game.

The A-Leagues will continue to showcase the best in emerging Australian talent, from leagues featuring unparalleled numbers of emerging stars - several of whom have already played central roles at the Olympics after making headlines on the domestic stage last season.

Danny Townsend, Managing Director, said the new A-Leagues brand has a simple idea at its core.

“It’s not men’s football, or women’s football, it’s just football,” he said. “We’re committed to growing the game in Australia - for everyone. That means delivering a world-class experience on and off the pitch and inspiring the next-generation of A-Leagues superstars to fulfil their highest potential. This is just the beginning of our ambitious, long-term vision for the growth of football in Australia.”

Ant Hearne, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We know our fans live and breathe football so we want to create the best possible experience in the stadium, at home, on the move, through gaming or fashion or food - however fans want to connect with football, we will deliver.”

The new A-Leagues 2021-22 season will kick off on November 19 for A-League Men and December 3 for A-League Women.

 

 

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by GNU_Linux

[Eednud]

3 hours ago, GNU_Linux said:

A-League & W-League unify branding

 

 

 

 

The new logo is similar to one used by an Adelaide construction company but looks like any potential legal action will be avoided. A-League confirm Western Unitwits will not play at Lakeside. 

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/aleague-avoids-legal-stoush-with-building-company-over-new-logo/news-story/3e214fb183fd6688d135d4545075b98e

https://www.a-league.com.au/news/western-united-fixtures-moved

[Eednud]

The FFA Cup continues today with a Round of 16 Adelaide derby. Adelaide Olympic, finished 7th in NPL SA at home to Adelaide United, kick-off 15:00 LT (05:30 BST). Next Sunday another Round of 16 tie with Brisbane Lions at home to Brisbane Roar. Round of 32 ties involving NSW, ACT, Victorian and Tasmanian sides are pencilled in for various dates in November. The Preliminary Round tie between Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory has still to be rescheduled.

[GNU_Linux]

Adelaide United's Josh Cavallo has come out as gay

A-League midfielder Josh Cavallo says he knows there are other players “living in silence” after becoming the only known current male top-flight professional footballer in the world to come out as gay.

Cavallo on Wednesday became a rarity in men’s professional sport, announcing on social media he was “ready to speak about something personal that I’m finally comfortable to talk about in my life”. The Twitter post and emotive personal video, shared by his club Adelaide United, has since made international headlines and elicited support from all corners of the game.

 

“It’s been a journey to get to this point in my life, but I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come out,” he wrote. “I have been fighting my sexuality for over six years now, and I’m glad I can put that to rest.

“For the people that know me personally, you’ll know I’m a private person. Growing up, I always felt the need to hide myself because I was ashamed. Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay. Hiding who I truly am, to pursue a dream I always wished for as a kid, to play football and be treated equally never felt like a reality.

“Being a gay closeted footballer, I’ve had to learn to mask my feelings in order to fit the mould of a professional footballer. Growing up being gay and playing football were just two worlds that hadn’t crossed paths before. I’ve lived my life assuming that this was a topic never to be spoken about.”

The 21-year-old Victorian is still in the infancy of his career, having come through the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City youth team set-ups before making his A-League debut for Western United in the 2019-20 season. His off-season move to Adelaide preceded a breakout campaign with the Reds, for whom he made 19 appearances including 15 starts.

In June, having just been named the club’s rising star, he returned home from the awards night feeling “numb”.

“I had no emotions,” he said. “My life was great, but it wasn’t a life where I got to be my authentic self. Instead of celebrating, I sat in my bed crying that night. Having to constantly lie to the people I cared about wasn’t the way I wanted to live the rest of my life. My double life started to have a huge influence on my mental health.”

The public reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. At home, teammates, clubs and fans of all ages and orientations have praised Cavallo, with some relaying their own experiences in coming to terms with their sexuality. They were joined by Australian women’s national team captain and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr, along with several other Matildas. Labor senate leader and openly gay woman, Penny Wong, tweeted: “Any young person who is struggling with their identity, or feeling excluded or judged, can look today to Josh Cavallo.”

Abroad, Antoine Griezmann, Gerard Piqué and Gary Lineker were among the male footballers past and present to voice support and joined a throng of major Premier League and European clubs. “I don’t have the pleasure to know you personally but I want to thank you for this step that you take,” Piqué tweeted. “The world of football is far behind and you are helping us move forward.”

Globally there are only a handful of openly gay male footballers, none of whom are playing in the top flight. Thomas Hitzlsperger, the German former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton player is among the most high profile but waited until the year after he retired in 2013 before coming out publicly.

American former Leeds player Robbie Rogers also announced he was gay on retiring in 2013, before returning to the field with LA Galaxy and winning the MLS Cup to become the first openly gay male athlete to win a major professional team sports title in the United States.

In 2019, former Newcastle Jets player Andy Brennan became Australia’s first professional male footballer to come out while still playing the game.

Cavallo said he had been worried that coming out may negatively impact his career, adding that he knew there were other players “living in silence”.

“I want to help change this, to show that everyone is welcome in the game of football, and deserves the right to be their authentic self,” he wrote. “It is astonishing to know that there are currently no gay professional footballers who are out and actively playing, not only in Australia, but around the world. Hopefully this will change in the near future.

“I hope that in sharing who I am, I can show others who identify as LGBTQ+ that they are welcome in the football community. As the game of football keeps expanding, I want to help evolve the game even further, and let other players in my situation feel that they’re not alone.”

Cavallo broke the news publicly with the full support of his family, friends and club. Reds chief executive Nathan Kosmina and coach Carl Veart both expressed pride in their player and teammate Ben Halloran, praised the “great courage” needed to make this announcement. “It’s sadly still very rare in the sporting world for men to come out,” Halloran said.

Assistant coach, Ross Aloisi, said: “Before Josh spoke with me, it was clear he was living with an incredible burden and unimaginable pain. To see Josh today, with that weight lifted off his shoulders, it makes me proud of how brave a man he is.

“Josh’s mental health and wellbeing is the most important thing to us as his coaches and teammates. Josh will always be Josh to us.”

 

 

[GNU_Linux]

 

[Arabdownunder]

Well done Josh. Hopefully fans around the country will treat him with respect. 

Abusing him for being from Adelaide continues to be OK obviously.