June is going to be a hectic month for Socceroos fans and their supporters with four matches crucial to hopes of South Africa 2010.

Buckley knows this is a golden period to get sport-lovers, not just football-lovers, hooked on the game and to hopefully keep them on board.

There is a fierce market to grab sports' fans attentions in Australia and in many areas football is battling with AFL, the NRL and Super 14 action.

The FFA believes June is a terrific chance to make further gains.

Tickets for the World Cup qualifier against Iraq in Brisbane went on general sale yesterday with fans also busy snapping up tickets for the Sydney friendly with Ghana on May 23.

June ends with the potentially crucial clash with China at ANZ Stadium and Buckley hopes that won’t signal the end of sports’ fans attendance at football matches.

There is already a healthy interest in the A-League with average attendances up on last season. Buckley hopes the Socceroo effect will see even more bums on seats in the domestic game next year.

He told au.fourfourtwo.com: “The beauty of these sorts of events and matches are that they reach out to all Australians regardless of what sport they follow.

“Hopefully from that we can convert more and more people interested in sport to follow the Socceroos and convert them to supporting an A-League club on a week in week out basis.

“That’s part of the overall strategy. Major events touch a public consciousness on a much wider level than just a domestic professional league.

“It puts us up in the spotlight and that’s important to continue to build the profile of the game.”

Tickets for the China match on June 22 go on sale to the general public at 9am on Wednesday May 7.