The A League Allstars concept is dead and buried if famous teams from Europe are so cynical as to travel to Australia for several million dollars and then put out their no-name kids to get thrashed by adult professionals.

On the one hand it’s a tribute to the A League that we can assemble a team capable of carving up a top EPL team (even if it’s just their 3rds or even 4ths).

On the other hand it’s an absolute insult to the fans who travelled from all over Australia and New Zealand to see their heroes, and paid top dollar for the privilege.

Seats for the Allstars game ranged from $60 up to $700.

Who on Earth will ever pay that again after such a shambolic performance by a bunch of nobodies?

Even Garang Kuol, headlining the tour on all the posters, looked like he didn’t give a rat’s, and why would he? He was clearly embarrassed by the whole farcical affair and barely got out of a trot. How much he would’ve given to have been playing with the Allstars where his team mates would’ve been motivated to do well and reward his runs. When you never get the ball you stop making the runs.

I actually feel sorry for the Allstars team who would have been excited to be playing such a high level opponent. For some it could’ve been a career highlight to be playing EPL opposition, but then to find out they’re playing the kids must have been gutting.

The Geordies will doubtless be shrugging and wondering why anyone would expect anything else. Their season has just ended and they don’t want to risk injury to their highly paid stars.

So why accept the game in the first place?

What conditions (if any) were put in the match contract to require some level of competition? Is there a class action available to the fans for putting out a team not of merchantable quality?

Did Newcastle really think that team could put on a show? Did they seriously underestimate full time professionals that much?

There are constant debates about the relative merits of the A League with Euro leagues and no-one in their right mind would suggest the A League is within cooee of the upper echelons of the EPL.

But the standard is clearly good enough to be taken seriously.

That didn’t happen tonight and I hope the A League powers that be learn from this experience. No-one will turn up and pay top dollar for this kind of dross so the concept is, if not dead, coughing up blood right now.

As for the life-long Geordies fans who paid to watch that, I can only hope your club apologises and spends some of the three million pounds they made by giving you all free hospitality packages the next time you can make it to Saint James Park.

It’s the very least they can do after charging so much to watch a team of players who, on that performance, are highly unlikely ever to be pulling on a Newcastle shirt in a game that truly matters.

 

Adrian's books can be purchased at any good bookstore or through ebook alchemy. His first sci-fi novel (Asparagus Grass) was published by Hague Publishing in July 2023. The ebook can be purchased here and the paperback can be ordered here or at your local store.