Tradition.
From the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London, to the Coupe de France decider at the Stade de France; year in and year out, supporters know they’ll be making the pilgrimage to one of those venues to watch their beloved side vie for glory.
From 2023, A-Leagues fans will be no different, as Sydney becomes the home of the Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League Grand Finals for the next three seasons.
“This is a unique opportunity to build a tradition for football fans. When you think about a cup final in England, you think about the trip to Wembley, and we want fans in Australia to look forward to the A-Leagues finals in the same way,” Australian Professional Leagues (APL) CEO Danny Townsend said in a statement.
KEEPUP explains some of the benefits of the move to Sydney.
Time to plan
Every season, the location of the Grand Final is uncertain right up until the very last moment.
Lets look back at three of the past four A-League Men campaigns, for example.
In the 2020-21 semi-finals, Sydney FC faced Adelaide United while Melbourne City met Macarthur FC. It meant on seven-days notice the Grand Final could have been staged in either Sydney, Adelaide or Melbourne.
AAMI Park was the scene of City’s breakthrough Championship at the expense of Sydney in 2021.
The season prior in 2019-20, the Sky Blues matched up against Perth Glory as City and Western United went head-to-head in the other semi-final. So, on less than four-days notice, the showpiece event could have been held in either Sydney or Melbourne.
CommBank Stadium was the location as Sydney edged City in the 2020 decider.
In the 2018-19 semis, Melbourne Victory clashed with rivals Sydney as Perth tackled Adelaide… meaning on a week’s notice, Sydney, Perth or Adelaide could have hosted the big dance.
More than 56,000 fans watched Sydney top the Glory in Perth in the 2019 Grand Final.
In 2022-23, supporters won’t have to wait until the last moment to plan.
They can organise flights and accommodation well in advance, knowing Sydney will be the destination for the next three years.
“We are working with transport and accommodation providers to develop special packages for travelling fans, including our Official Hotel Partner IHG, who have committed to offer a special discounted rate to travelling fans,” Townsend said.
“Because we have certainty about which city will be hosting the final from a long way out, we are able to build a ‘Festival of Football’ around these major events.”
‘A week-long extravaganza’
Wherever you look, there will be football on your doorstep in Sydney.
After the A-League Women Grand Final in April, attention will turn to the A-League Men showpiece on June 3, with the E-League decider on May 27 and the A-Leagues’ night of nights – the Dolan Warren Awards – on June 1.
It is set to be a smorgasbord of football, with the marquee fixtures set to be supported by a range of other football-related events and activities, to be announced in early 2023.
“Sydney is renowned for hosting world-class sporting events and we are going to create a new tradition for Australian football fans, making the A-Leagues Grand Finals a week-long extravaganza that showcases football and the best of the Harbour City,” said Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin.
Minister for Sport Alister Henskens added: “NSW is home to the most clubs in the A-Leagues competition, with the greatest supporter base, most passionate fans, the highest level of football participation and the best football venues, including Australia’s largest rectangular football stadium.
This new week-long football event will provide football and sports fans with an experience unique to all other codes and cement the A-League Grand Finals amongst the very best sporting events on our national sporting calendar.
Did someone say record?
It’s a hugely exciting time in the A-League Women, with next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
We have already seen one record smashed this season – Wellington Phoenix setting a new A-League Women record for the largest crowd at a standalone regular-season game when they hosted Melbourne City in Round 1.
And with Sydney locked in for the foreseeable future, the A-Leagues is eyeing history.
“We have already broken the previous record for attendance this season in the Liberty A-League Women and have a clear objective to make history again with Grand Final attendance in the year that we host the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” Townsend said.
