They Only Come Out At Night

The Pre-season Night Series competition used to be a big event in Western Australian football. It is sad to see where the tournament is today from where it used to be..

No longer are all of the teams that play on a Saturday competing in the one competition, it has been split into two seperate competitions. The NPL sides playing each other and the State League sides in the two divisions below competing against each other. Which means that there is no longer a barometer for the teams in the State League to be able to judge where they are in terms of ability against the top sides in the state.

This only comes in the FFA Cup which has replaced the State League Cup, because the two finalists in what is still aimed the State League Cup win a place in the FFA’s national Cup competition. An achievement that should be a reward, but one that has ultimately cost some clubs a great deal of money.

The problem with the format that has been in place for the past few years is that there are more games on any given evening spread out over a number of venues. While it is good to see more clubs being given the opportunity to host games, the crowds are diluted with matches clashing.

One issue that the Nigh Series still throws up is one that has been around for a long time. However it is time that this was addressed. That is the fact that players can play in the Night Series for one club, and then move to another before the start of the season.

The Night Series is a legitimate competition. Therefore all players who represent a club in that competition should be registered with that club and should not be able to leave that club until the next transfer window.

The current system rewards those coaches who have not done their homework, or who are time-poor. Instead of scouting players to bring to their club they wait until the Nigh Series to see which players stand out and are worth approaching. Those clubs where the coaches have gone out and watched players, and taken the time to plan properly for the coming season are often then punished for their good work, seeing a player leave them after the Night Series. It may well be the chance to play with a bigger club or to play in a higher division, or it may be for a few dollars more. Whatever the reason loyalty is an outdated word these days. Which is the reason why such a rule needs to be introduced. No longer does a handshake mean what it used to, a contract an agreement a bond.

Most clubs will never stand in the way of a player looking to improve themselves and play at the highest level. However losing a key player so late in your pre-season planning when another club comes to poach them is frustrating and can also have a huge impact on how a team starts the season. Which could impact their push for promotion.

With a reduced talent pool in the Saturday competition, many feel that the time has come where Football West has to protect the interests of those clubs who have recruited well, and no longer allow players to change clubs after the Night Series until the next transfer window. Of course some players will be up in arms as they see the Night Series as a shop window. Also those clubs whose coaches or technical directors have failed to scout players in the past season and use the Night Series as their hunting ground will also be upset, but if we are looking to make the operations and the game more professional, surely this would be a good move for the majority?

While it has been admirable to move the fixtures around the metropolitan area, one wonders if that is a wise decision when it comes to the final of the competition.

This year in the NPL Final, we see Inglewood United meeting Perth SC. In the play off for third place ECU Joondalup will meet Armadale. Logic would say that the most sensible venues for these games would be at grounds close to the city; which would mean an even journey for both the teams in the bronze medal match. That is not the case. The games will be played at Dalmatinac Park in Spearwood on Sunday kicking off at 5pm and 7pm. Will that affect the numbers attending the game? Would the crowd have been bigger if it was played in a more central location? There is no doubt it would be bigger if it was not played on a Sunday night!

There may be some method to this madness, as this may well be a great test to see how the football public feel and whether they are prepared to travel for such game. As when the new State Football Centre is erected at Queens Park these finals will be hosted there. If people will not head to Spearwood for a final will they head to Queens Park in the future?

If the numbers on Sunday are disappointing Football West will know that when the new centre is built that they will have to come up with a strategy to pull the fans in.