Soccer: Fledgling league earns 'A' for attendance

SYDNEY - Australia's new elite national competition was hailed as an instant success after the opening round of matches drew larger than expected crowds.

The Football Federation of Australia had been hoping for average crowds of between 15,000 and 20,000 and were delighted the four Hyundai A-League games attracted a combined crowd of about 70,000.

"It really is [a great start], we're really pleased with the response people have shown and we'd love it to continue," federation chief executive John O'Neill said yesterday.

"But we're determined to keep our feet on the ground. We're not getting ahead of ourselves. It's the first round of a new competition. It's been a long time coming, and people have waited a long time for this."

About 20,000 turned up for Queensland's 2-0 win over the New Zealand Knights in Brisbane on Sunday, and more than 25,000 saw former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke score for Sydney in their 1-1 draw with Melbourne.

Stadium officials were caught out by the unexpected turnout at Aussie Stadium in Sydney, forcing them to open the gates for free as the crowd began to swell near kick-off.

The Australian media also praised the success of the new competition, despite most of the sports pages still being devoted to the Ashes cricket series in England and the NRL and Australian Rules competitions.

"Everyone's a winner," proclaimed the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, while the Daily Telegraph ran a gushing double-page spread under the headline: "Thumbs up for new era".

"It was the perfect start for the rebirth of domestic soccer in Australia as fans throughout the country embraced the A-League," the newspaper's chief soccer writer, John Taylor, wrote.

The A-League was developed last year after the federation decided to scrap the National League and replace it with a new, elite competition.

Eight clubs - one each from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Central Coast and Auckland - were invited to join the A-League, although there are plans for further expansion, possibly into Asia.

* The Knights have been handed no favours in their hopes for a big crowd for their opening home game against Sydney at North Harbour Stadium. Yorke, a major draw, will be missing because he has returned home to play for Trinidad and Tobago in a World Cup qualifier.

Like their opponents, the Knights must back up only five days after playing their opener, and the 8pm kick-off - as decreed by league bosses - is hardly conducive to attracting the kind of crowd the club would be looking for.

- REUTERS/ STAFF REPORTER