rewrite this title A-Leagues scrap controversial grand final decision in favour of Unite Round

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have reversed a controversial decision to host the A-League men’s and women’s grand finals in Sydney, instead introducing their own version of the Magic Round for the next two seasons.

Unite Round will take place between Friday January 12 and Sunday January 14 and will see all ALM and ALW matches played at three stadiums across Sydney, becoming the first national sport to host both men’s and women’s competitions in one. city ​​at the same time.

The APL will also help coordinate a series of grassroots competitions and activities for children and youth footballers in the area, while a live venue will be created at Moore Park to allow fans to watch both the A-Leagues and the Socceroos Asian Cup. against India on Saturday January 13.

The move follows continued criticism over the PLA’s decision to sell the grand final hosting rights to Destination NSW, which culminated in a series of fan protests and a pitch invasion at the end of the tournament. ‘last year.

Now entering the second year of the partnership between the APL and DNSW, hosting rights will return to their original structure of being awarded to the highest-ranked qualifier from this season’s semi-finals.

Although the consequences of this decision were serious, it prompted the APL to create a fan advisory body so that fans could be consulted on particular decisions.

Danny Townsend is the current chief executive of the Australian professional leagues.(ABC News: Marcus Stimson)

“We have worked closely with our clubs and supporters to ensure there are appropriate constructive mechanisms for supporters’ voices to be heard,” said APL CEO Danny Townsend.

“Many of the resulting conversations have included hosting the Grand Final and the strong feelings that come with it, and we thank DNSW and Premier (Chris) Minns for their partnership in creating a truly inclusive experience for our game.

“The Unite Round is a brand new experience that brings together all A-Leagues clubs, supporters and players in Sydney for the first time ever in an unprecedented celebration of football.

“With the women’s national attendance record having already been broken twice on the opening day of this season, we look forward to welcoming A-Leagues fans old and new to experience our leagues.”

For the ALM competition, Unite Round will be an additional round, extending the season to 27 regular matches before the finals, while the new round will replace the existing round 12 fixtures in the 22-match ALW season.

Matches will take place between Sydney Football Stadium, Parramatta Stadium and Leichhardt Oval, while tournaments and grassroots events will take place at other Sydney venues.

“We saw record crowds at the men’s and women’s finals last season, and we saw the appetite for professional football in New South Wales again at the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” said Stephen Conroy, the new president of the APL.

“Having all our teams playing at the same venue, over one weekend, is a fantastic way to serve the best of the A-League to our fans.

“We are one of the only leagues in the world where almost every club has men’s and women’s teams, so we are uniquely placed to create an event like this.

“We thank Premier Minns and the NSW Government for this fundamentally important partnership and for their continued support of the development of football in Australia.”