A-League
The A-League is founded in 2004 and has been held since the 2005/ 06 season top flight in the Australian Football. Represented in the league are clubs from nine Australian and a New Zealand city. According to the current sponsor it is also known as the Hyundai A-League.
- 2.2 Play-offs
- 3.1 attendances
- 3.2 All time standings
- 5.1 salary cap
- 5.2 Youth League
- 6.1 Eternal scorers list ( league and Finals )
- 7.1 Johnny Warren Medal
- 7.2 Joe Marston Medal
- 7.3 Rising Star Award
- 7.4 Golden Boot
- 7.5 Goalkeeper of the Year
- 7.6 Coach of the Year
- 7.7 Foreign Player of the Year
- 7.8 Fair Play Award
- 7.9 Referee of the Year
History
Detachment of the NSL and establishing the A-League
Even before the founding of the A-League was a professional league; the National Soccer League was founded in 1977 as the first Australian professional league existed previously only regional amateur leagues. There, however, came at the beginning of the 21st century, some clubs in financial difficulties, which tried to solve this by profitable player sales conditions Europe. The poor organization of the League proved to be a criterion of death of the NSL, a TV contract was concluded, by which it disappeared almost entirely from Australian screens. In October 2003, plans for a follow-up format began, ironically led by Frank Lowy, who was already an NSL pioneer. Compared to the NSL, the number of first division was reduced from 13 to 8 teams last, the start of the league has been set at August 2005. By July 2004 12 concrete applications were received for these places one, including three from Melbourne, although each city only one league place was awarded. In November of the same year, the eight successful candidates were announced, including five teams from the NSL. The clubs came from the following cities: Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Newcastle, Gosford and Auckland ( New Zealand). The eight founding clubs received 5-year exclusive contracts for their cities, but the New Zealand team has already been replaced. At the same time with the participants and the sponsoring agreement with Hyundai and the TV contracts with Foxsports.
Development of the League
To publicize the league, AU $ 3,000,000 was approved heavy marketing package after the founding, the slogan was " Football, but not as you know it" ( "Football, but not as you know him " in Australia with Football Australian Football mainly refers to the common name for football is soccer). The campaign focused mainly on appropriate sports theme channels.
But above all, attractive players established the new format soon. Thus, some returned Legionaries, as Archie Thompson or Steve Corica, back and some internationally renowned players were signed, especially Dwight Yorke. The audience of over 1 million in the debut season exceeded expectations at all. Through the good appearance of the national team at the 2006 World Cup started a boom in Australia, where football so far rather ekes out an existence as a fringe sport. Because of this and in order to have a stable future, soon emerged calls for an increase in the league. The expansion plans called for an increase to ten teams, however, the task was difficult, for the 2008/09 season, it ultimately failed.
For the 2009/10 season the expansion with the team North Queensland Fury ( Townsville ) and Gold Coast United ( Gold Coast ) has been implemented, which should give the declining audience figures with stars such as Jason Culina and Robbie Fowler new impetus. The season is extended by the accession of the two clubs from 21 to 27 match days. For the season 2010/ 11, another team was recorded with Melbourne Heart.
After Queensland game operation stopped again before the season 2011/ 12 North after only two seasons led shortly before the end of the season a primarily on a personal level between the Association President, the shopping center billionaire Frank Lowy, and club owner, the mountain mining billionaire Clive Palmer, discharged dispute to withdrawal the license of the Gold Coast team. After completion of the league phase of the championship, the property owned by billionaire Nathan Tinkler half of the Newcastle Jets, 2008 or champions announced that they no longer want to participate in the championship in the next season; Here, sustainable mudslinging suggests between the Association of probably wants to insist on " contract" and participation by 2020 and Tinkler, who sees himself fraudulently deceived by the Association.
All this clouded the joy that after three years of decline the average attendance rose slightly again, although he was still almost 30 % below the record of 2008. The Association holds tentatively identified with wanting in the 2012/13 season to establish a new team in the west of Sydney. The Western Sydney Wanderers FC will have to compete with 2012 there established team in the Australian Football League, the Greater Western Sydney Giants and there long-established National Rugby League teams like Wests Tigers and Parramatta Eels to customers. Many experts are of the view that the Football Federation of Australia have to subsidize the new league affiliate for years with eight-digit sums is what could arouse desires in other franchises again. Other problem areas are that Australian League round leather football is still only seen on pay TV channel Fox Sports, and thus synergistic advertising effects as they occur through transfers in the free to air terrestrial television, forthcoming. Another negative effect is given by the essentially without compensation disappearance of the " golden generation " of Australian football players who participated in the last two World Cups. Players such as Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer procured through its international prestige and the national football a wider interest. The failure to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games - after a defeat against low -assessed United Arab Emirates - did not help
Mode
The " Regular Season " will take place in the Australian spring and summer, from August to February. There are 30 game days played, each team meets three times to each other, depending on configuration, twice in the home stadium and once away, or vice versa, but this is compensated by the fact that this ratio is reversed again in the next season - in two seasons so you have three home games and three away games against each opponent. As in Europe applies the three- point rule. The standings at the end of the season is called " A-League Premiership " and the corresponding association may participate in the AFC Champions League next year.
Play-offs
The six top-ranked teams reach called the play-offs, " Final Series ". These are in a football unusual and little-known system in Europe, the Page playoff system discharged. Champion and runner play in the large semi-final return match for direct entry into the finals, the places 3-6 play in the first knock-out system for a place in the small semi-finals. Then the loser of the major semi-finals and the winner of the small semi-finals meet in the " Preliminary Final" and determine the second finalist. The winner of the finals is A- League champions and awarded the second available Champions League place. In the event that the Premiershipsieger are in the final, the other club is automatically in the finals for the second Champions League hopefuls.
Participants in the A-League
Since the 2011/12 season playing ten teams in the A-League, previously were eleven ( 2010/11), ten (2009/ 10) or eight ( 2005/06-2008/09 ) represented teams. In contrast to European professional leagues, there is neither an ascent - descent system nor a national cup competition. Also, a second professional league is non-existent, but the Australian Football Federation has plans to that effect, which shall be implemented only in the next few years.
Attendances
The average number of viewers without games of the Finals or the Pre -Season Cup is to be compared approximately with the number of visitors of the Scottish Premier League.
All time standings
Stand on 25 April 2012
Title holders
Squad
The squad of A- League teams must include at least 20 players. Each team at least three U23 players must be in the squad. The maximum number of foreigners (whether in Australia or New Zealand ) is five.
Salary cap
As in the Australian Football, there is a salary cap, 20 players must have no more than 2.35 million AU $ earn (just under 1.4 million euros ). But since this is vanishingly small compared to European football wages, the salary cap for another player has to ensure the attractiveness of the league suspended. This so-called marquee player may earn an unlimited amount of money. In addition, there since the 2008/ 09 season still a Junior Marquee player. This must be under 23 years old and must earn AU $ 150,000 outside the salary cap. To keep local star players in the league, or to move to return home, another squad Square was created for the 2010/11 season with the Australian marquee player, which is not included in the salary cap.
Youth League
In parallel to the A-League is composed with the National Youth League, a junior game round. Your goal is to give young talent a springboard to a professional career to offer, but also to give replacement players from the A-League match practice; as well as four OB -21 players may participate per game. The league was founded in March 2008 and launched to coincide with the pro season in August of the same year. The league currently consists of eight teams in the A-League clubs - Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Heart are not a team - and a team of the Australian Institute of Sport, AIS shortly.
Player
Eternal scorers list ( league and Finals )
Stand on 25 April 2012
Honors
Johnny Warren Medal
With the Johnny Warren Medal of the best players of the season will be awarded, chosen by the players in the A-League. It is named after the former Australian national player Johnny Warren.
Joe Marston Medal
With the Joe Marston Medal of the best player in the Grand Finals will be awarded.
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award is awarded to the best young player of the season (under 20 ). It states to the winner by an expert jury.
Golden Boot
The Golden Boot, currently named after a sponsor officially Reebok Golden Boot, the award for the top scorer in the regular season.
Goalkeeper of the Year
Coach of the Year
Foreign Player of the Year
Fair Play Award
Award for the winner of the Fair Play rankings.
Referee of the Year
Award for the Referee of the Year, currently after the sponsor Zurich, named. The legatee traditionally leads the Grand Final.