Marquee Signings Helping A-League Reach Record Attendance Numbers

Average attendances for the A-League this season are now "higher than for the top division in the world's most famous football nation," according to Sebastian Hassett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. After four rounds, the A-League has average crowds of 15,460, "well above the average" of matches in the Brasileiro last season, which equated to 14,693. Should the A-League maintain its early-season speed, it "remains on track" to beat attendances in Turkey, Scotland, Russia, Belgium, South Korea and Portugal. Just 12 months ago, the league was "lagging in 24th place." The early-season increase in numbers has been "attributed to the inclusion of three world-famous marquee players." Outgoing FFA CEO Ben Buckley said, "There's no doubt the marquee players Alessandro Del Piero, Emile Heskey and Shinji Ono have ignited massive interest in the A-League. I congratulate the clubs involved for making the investment in these star players'' (SMH, 10/31).