The players score the goals, the coaches make the calls and the pundits give their verdict. But there would be no show without the heart and soul of the Hyundai A-League – our Club Members.
The players score the goals, the coaches make the calls and the pundits give their verdict. But there would be no show without the heart and soul of the Hyundai A-League – our Club Members.
You live the dream, you keep the faith and you wear the colours. We see you and we hear you at every match. Without you, the A-League would not be what it is today.
As we enter the Hyundai A-league Finals Series after a thrilling end to the regular season, I want to share some fantastic news.
If you-re a member, you-re one of 96,641 people who have set a record this Season 9. That number is an all-time high for club membership and a massive 32% increase on Season 8.
Congratulations and thank you to each and every member. We value your investment of time, emotional energy and hard-earned dollars into your club. You are the most important signings ever made by a football club.
Members embody the culture and spirit of a club like no other stakeholder. The nature of sport means players, coaches and officials can experience a transient lifestyle and represent several clubs in a career, but members have a loyalty that-s like super-glue.
On behalf of the 10 A-League clubs, I formally invite you to join the mission for Season 10. We have set ourselves the ambitious target of reaching 120,000 members.
This is important. Members not only provide a club with a reason for being, they provide lifeblood of crucial support.
The noise and colour on an A-League match day creates the best atmosphere in sport. The way that support lifts team performance is obvious to all. Away from the stadium, you bring the club to life with everything from the replica strip you wear to those passionate comments on social media.
The funding provided by membership ranks alongside sponsorship as the biggest source of income for most A-League clubs. That allows clubs to invest in assets that ultimately benefit team performance, like expert personnel and training facilities.
It-s very satisfying that the membership growth has occurred across the competition. The A-League is played in eight cities across five time zones, but the buzz is reaching far and wide. The percentage growth figures for individual clubs speak for themselves – Wanderers up 141%, Mariners up 68%, Roar up 52%.
Meanwhile, Victory added 19% to their member ranks to have over 22,000 paid-up and proud supporters, the biggest membership in the competition.
Sydney FC cracked the 10,000-mark for the first time by lifting membership by 28% and Adelaide United jumped by 23% while the Jets continue to have over 10,000 proud Novocastrians signed up on their membership roster.
Clear growth as well for Heart, Glory and Phoenix has helped Season 9 to be the most successful and vibrant season yet for club membership.
This is the best indication that the membership culture is alive and well and importantly spreading through your club and your competition.
As we enter the Hyundai A-League Finals Series it-s time for greatness. Only one team and its members will enjoy the euphoria that comes with a Grand Final triumph.
But every member in every club can feel satisfied that they did their bit in Season 9. Buying a membership makes you the heart and soul of our competition.
Click here if you’re interested in becoming a member for the 2014/15 Hyundai A-League season.
