The stadium row between the Australian Football League and Football Federation Australia, which has "forced the A-League grand final to be played at the unsuitably small AAMI Park, has yet to be resolved -- sparking fears that the same debacle could occur next season," according to Lynch & Wilson of THE AGE. AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and FFA CEO David Gallop "have been in talks for several weeks, along with the state government, to ensure that the same situation does not occur again in future years" should one of the two Melbourne clubs qualify to host football's championship decider. But in the week of '15's "showpiece game there is no signed agreement between the two warring parties" to ensure that Etihad Stadium -- the venue in which FFA wanted to host this weekend's A-League match between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC -- will be available over the next decade. Reports had suggested that a deal "had been hammered out." Football sources said that the state government "thought it had brokered an unconditional deal between the parties" but FFA "could not agree because the AFL had placed a number of caveats before it would verify the arrangement." The AFL, however, said that football is the "stumbling block because it has been unable to provide the Australian rules governing body with a definitive date for its grand final and also wanted concessions it felt it could not deliver" (THE AGE, 5/11). In Sydney, Ray Gatt wrote as much as Gallop and the FFA board "have done some terrific work to steer an excellent course to get the game on to somewhere near a level playing field" with the AFL and National Rugby League, there is "still a long way to go." There is "no better illustration" of that than the "debacle that surrounds" the A-League final. The showcase of the local sport has been "turned into a promotional disaster with the head body forced to play the Big Blue season decider" between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC at Melbourne’s AAMI Park. AAMI Park is a "great little stadium, but only 30,000 will be able to attend the match after FFA failed in an attempt" to have the game played at the 53,300-capacity Etihad Stadium (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/12).
THE BIGGEST LOSERS: In a separate piece, Lynch opined this, truly, is a scenario where "there are no winners as a result of the failure" of FFA, the AFL and the state government to reach agreement to "free up Etihad Stadium for the May 17 Championship decider." The "biggest losers" are the fans of both clubs, especially those who "barrack for the hosts." It will "only be members who get the chance to attend." No casual fans, no supporters who "could not afford a season ticket and very few youngsters." Both clubs "are also losers -- most obviously Victory." Its supporter base would have "crammed the Docklands venue making it a sea of navy blue and creating a hostile environment that would have made a difficult task even harder for Sydney." But the Sky Blues "are also losers." Its players "do not get the chance to perform on the biggest stage on the A-League's biggest day." The state government is a "loser given its failure to broker an agreement between the two football codes" (THE AGE, 5/11).
PAYING UP: In Sydney, Dominic Bossi reported Sydney FC fans wanting to attend the A-League final in Melbourne on Sunday "may have to pay up to five times the face value for tickets," after demand has led to a stream of tickets listed online for auction. Demand for the limited number of tickets has "soared as fans snap at the chance to attend by paying a small fortune." Just hours after going on sale exclusively to members of both Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory, tickets were "listed and sold on auction and trading websites." Some fans have been so "desperate to go to the Sky Blue's first grand final in five years, they have paid for a match ticket at twice the amount of return airfares." Category C tickets for the Sydney FC supporters area cost A$70 ($55) but were listed for as much as $340 ($270) on eBay, while two Category A tickets valued at A$195 ($154) each were sold for A$1,000 ($790) together (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 5/11).
