Ultimate guide to a 'winter' A-League and why it'd work in 2021

About 30 years ago, football in Australia switched from a winter code to a summer one. But in those three decades since that major realignment, the landscape has changed dramatically.

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5: SECOND DIVISION PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

One of the biggest impediments to a second division was the difficultly in aligning the calendar.

If you were promoted from the NPL, technically you were thrust into the league the following month, or you had to wait a year.

Now, if a second division is launched, it runs side by side with the A-League.

A promotion and relegation playoff happens in November and if your club wins that, you have four months to prepare for life at the top table.

Likewise, an NPL to second division promotion-relegation series would run in the same month, just adding to November's excitement.

6: AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The Wanderers’ extraordinary ACL triumph in 2014 was a one-off and may never be repeated.

But what a huge boost it gave the new A-League club and the league in this region.

However, as we've seen, it’s arduous for A-League clubs to negotiate a finals series in May and the latter stages of the ACL group stages during the long off-season.

Then there’s the calendar lag. You win the A-League a year before you start playing in the group stages.

Switching to ‘winter’ allows teams to prepare throughout pre-season for their ACL campaigns and then play in-season during the knockout stages.

Bottom line is, winning the ACL is a huge boost for the winning club and the league, helping to attract bigger names and more money into the code across the region.

7: THE SOCCEROOS

The last Asian Cup in January 2019 was a good example of calendar alignment.

Some A-League clubs lost players for around five weeks in the middle of their season. The Asian Cup 2015 cut into the league, too, with the A-League struggling to regain the momentum after the momentous triumph at Stadium Australia on January 31.

But more importantly, all the national teams requiring A-League players will have players in-season for the World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying calendar played across Asia each year.

8: LONGER SEASON, MORE FOOTBALL

The current season runs October to May, which equals eight months.

This model runs nine months, giving fans an extra month.

The calendar could be extended simply by using FFA Cup weekends in the A-League season, tour games in July for big clubs in the European off-season as well as the addition over time of relegation and promotion weekends at the end of the season.

9: BOUTIQUE STADIA

The multi-use stadium question is key. From a pitch management point of view, a cost-saving perspective, and a fan experience, boutique stadia have gained much traction in the last year or so.

ROBBIE FOWLER BACKS PUSH FOR BOUTIQUE STADIA

Boutique stadia work for the scale of the A-League.

The New Leagues Working Group in 2019 also stated: "Boutique stadiums will provide an atmosphere that only football can create.'

This calendar switch may simply accelerate the process of finding boutique stadia in those cities and for those clubs that would need it the most.

Adelaide United and Perth are great examples of boutique stadia.

Coopers and HGF Park are ideal but for clubs like Brisbane, could the popular choice of Dolphin Stadium be looked at for more long-term occupancy, saving Suncorp for finals football?

Melbourne clubs could still use AAMI Park as it’s a resilient and excellent surface, but may from time to time need to take their games to a boutique venue when the two rugby codes are placing undue strain on the pitch.

Western United could also look at options in the West of Melbourne before their boutique stadium is built.

What are your thoughts on a calendar switch?