Not looking good sunshine. Looking like a disaster for the FFA.
Sky Blues fans reluctant to travel for derby
September 15, 201610:40pm
SYDNEY FC fans have been warned not to miss out on “making history” after it was revealed they have so far bought fewer than 5000 tickets for the round-one derby at ANZ Stadium.
With predictions of a crowd of at least 60,000 for the first derby at the Olympic stadium — a figure that would smash the record for a competitive Australian club football match - Western Sydney Wanderers have laid down the gauntlet to their cross-city rivals to match them at the turnstiles.
The 13th derby has been deliberately scheduled for the opening round of the season to give the campaign maximum exposure, coming just days after the AFL and NRL grand finals, and A-League officials are confident it will set a new benchmark for attendances.
But more than 10,000 tickets earmarked for away fans remain unsold, plus more in general seating areas, though it’s expected that publicity in the days leading into the game will drive more sales on both sides.
“This match is not just for football fans, it is for all sports fans in the region at the biggest venue in NSW,” said a Wanderers spokesperson.
“At this stage Wanderers members and fans are outnumbering Sydney FC fans eight to one. This is a fixture that will put not only both clubs, but the entire A-League into focus, it will make history and we are urging all football fans to be a part of it.”
Western Sydney’s membership, previously capped around 16,000 because of capacity constraints at Parramatta Stadium, has surged past 18,000 already with the club switching to Spotless and ANZ Stadiums for the next two seasons, while Sydney FC have just over 10,000 members.
“We want as many of our fans there as possible, supporting us and backing the team,” said Sydney FC CEO Tony Pignata.
“It would be great to have as much Sky Blue in the stadium as possible, and we’d love to be part of a record-breaking crowd.”
The Sky Blues have hosted far bigger crowds in the 12 derbies so far thanks to a capacity of more than 40,000 at Allianz Stadium. But a substantial minority of those have been Wanderers followers, while Sydney FC have been limited to between 1200 and 1500 tickets for derbies at Parramatta Stadium.
The previous records for Australian competitive club games are 55,346 for a finals game, when Melbourne Victory beat Adelaide in the 2007 grand final, and the 50,333 for a regular league game when Victory hosted Sydney in 2006.
Football Federation Australia have long pushed for a derby to be played at ANZ, but have had to wait for the demolition of Parramatta Stadium for it to happen.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/football/a ... 18f80c632c
