A-League 2006-07
Encyclopedia
The 2006–07 A-League season was the second season of the Australia
n football (soccer) competition, the A-League
. Football Federation Australia
hoped to build on the success of the first season
and on the interest generated by the Socceroos
competing in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. Fox Sports
had signed a A$
120 million deal over 7 years for the exclusive broadcast rights of the A-League, AFC Champions League
, and national team matches (excluding matches played in the World Cup finals
).
The television advertisement campaign used for the 2006–07 season was the same as the previous season, with different music. Scribe
's song "Not Many" was replaced with Manuel Neztic's "Kickin Down". The second season was marketed as "A-League: Version 2".
This does not preclude teams from other regions from joining, however no new teams were added to the competition for the 2006–07 season.
This competition was held in July and August in the lead up to the start of the A-League season. The opening round was 15 July 2006. The competition featured a group stage, with three regular rounds and a bonus round, followed by a two week finals playoff. The bonus group round matched up teams against opponents from the other group, and also offered the incentive of "bonus points" based on goals scored (1 point for 2 goals, 2 points for 3 goals, 3 points for 4 or more goals).
The Pre-Season Cup was used to enhance the A-League's profiles by playing pre-season games in regional centres including the Gold Coast
, Sunshine Coast
, Toowoomba
, Launceston
, Canberra
, Wollongong
, Port Macquarie
, Orange
and Tamworth
.
The pre-season cup was won by at the final on 19 August 2006.
announced on 21 November 2006 that and would represent Australia in the 2007 AFC Champions League
. Despite an appeal by the Football Federation Australia
, it was determined that the A-League 2005-06
premiers and champions would qualify and not those from the current season.
The AFC also indicated that the qualification arrangements would not be reviewed prior to 2009. The FFA have indicated that the premiers and champions of A-League 2006–07 will qualify for the 2008 AFC Champions League
– establishing a precedent of maintaining a one year lag between qualification and participation.
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n football (soccer) competition, the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
. Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
hoped to build on the success of the first season
A-League 2005-06
The 2005-06 season was the first season of the A-League, a domestic club competition for football in Australia. After over 12 months without a national professional club competition, the first match in the A-League was played on 26 August 2005...
and on the interest generated by the Socceroos
Australia national football (soccer) team
The Australia national association football team represents Australia in international association football competitions. Its official nickname is the "Socceroos"...
competing in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)
Fox Sports is an Australia group of sports channels. They are owned by the Premier Media Group, which is in turn owned by News Corporation, and Consolidated Media Holdings. Its main competitors are ESPN, which has little local content and the free-to-air digital channel One HD...
had signed a A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
120 million deal over 7 years for the exclusive broadcast rights of the A-League, AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
, and national team matches (excluding matches played in the World Cup finals
2006 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the knockout stage was the second and final stage of the World Cup, following the group stage. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament...
).
The television advertisement campaign used for the 2006–07 season was the same as the previous season, with different music. Scribe
Scribe (rapper)
Malo Luafutu better known by his stage name Scribe, is a New Zealand hip hop rapper and recording artist of Samoan descent...
's song "Not Many" was replaced with Manuel Neztic's "Kickin Down". The second season was marketed as "A-League: Version 2".
Clubs
Football Federation Australia have stated that the current franchises have a 5 year exclusivity clause in their licenses that prevents any new franchise from being established in the same city or town.This does not preclude teams from other regions from joining, however no new teams were added to the competition for the 2006–07 season.
| Club | Location | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... |
Hindmarsh Stadium Hindmarsh Stadium Hindmarsh Stadium is a rectangular stadium located in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Australian A-League team, Adelaide United.... (17,000) |
|
| Gosford Gosford, New South Wales Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district... |
Bluetongue Stadium (20,119) | |
| Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... |
Olympic Park Stadium Olympic Park Stadium Olympic Park Stadium was a multi-purpose outdoor stadium located on Olympic Boulevard in inner Melbourne. The stadium was built as an athletics training venue for the 1956 Olympics, a short distance from the MCG, which served as the Olympic Stadium... (18,500) Telstra Dome (56,347) |
|
| Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... |
Energy Australia Stadium (26,164) | |
| Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
North Harbour Stadium North Harbour Stadium North Harbour Stadium is a stadium, situated in Albany, in North Shore City, in New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, football and rugby League are the only sports played on the main ground, as it is rectangular in shape.... (25,000) |
|
| Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... |
Members Equity Stadium (18,156) | |
| Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... |
Suncorp Stadium (52,500) | |
| Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... |
Aussie Stadium (42,500) |
Pre-Season Challenge Cup
The Pre-Season Cup was used to enhance the A-League's profiles by playing pre-season games in regional centres including the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...
, Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
, Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
, Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Port Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....
, Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
and Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
.
The pre-season cup was won by at the final on 19 August 2006.
Home and away season
The league season took a triple round-robin format, and took place over 21 rounds between 25 August 2006 and 21 January 2007.League table
- Sydney FCSydney FCSydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...
were penalised three competition points following round 18 due to salary cap breaches which occurred during the 2005–06A-League 2005-06The 2005-06 season was the first season of the A-League, a domestic club competition for football in Australia. After over 12 months without a national professional club competition, the first match in the A-League was played on 26 August 2005...
season. (For more information see Sydney FC Season 2006-07#Salary cap breaches)
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 19
Round 20
Round 21
Finals series
The Asian Football ConfederationAsian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
announced on 21 November 2006 that and would represent Australia in the 2007 AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
. Despite an appeal by the Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
, it was determined that the A-League 2005-06
A-League 2005-06
The 2005-06 season was the first season of the A-League, a domestic club competition for football in Australia. After over 12 months without a national professional club competition, the first match in the A-League was played on 26 August 2005...
premiers and champions would qualify and not those from the current season.
The AFC also indicated that the qualification arrangements would not be reviewed prior to 2009. The FFA have indicated that the premiers and champions of A-League 2006–07 will qualify for the 2008 AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
– establishing a precedent of maintaining a one year lag between qualification and participation.
Leading goalscorers
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Allsopp Daniel Allsopp Daniel Lee "Danny" Allsopp is an Australian professional football player.He is a full international for the Australia national football team, and is Melbourne Victory's second highest, and the A-League's third highest all-time goalscorer, behind teammate Archie Thompson and Shane Smeltz.-Club... |
11 | |
| Archie Thompson Archie Thompson Archibald Gerald Thompson is a New Zealand-born Australian professional football player, currently playing for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League, where he holds the League all time scoring record... |
10 | |
| Damian Mori Damian Mori Damian Mori is an Australian football player who is the top scorer for the Socceroos... |
(6), (2) | 8 |
| Mark Bridge Mark Bridge Mark Bridge is an Australian football player. He currently plays as a striker for Australian A-League club Sydney FC.-Newcastle United Jets FC:... |
8 | |
| Adam Kwasnik Adam Kwasnik Adam Kwasnik is an Australian football player. He currently plays as a striker for the Australian A-League club the Central Coast Mariners.-Club career:... |
7 | |
| Jamie Harnwell Jamie Harnwell Jamie Richard Harnwell is an Australian football player. He last played as a centre half for Sorrento FC.-Perth Glory:... |
7 |
Most Goal Assists
| Player | Team | Goal Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva, commonly known as Fred is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for A-League club Melbourne Heart, and is also the team captain.-Brazil:... |
9 | |
| Leo Bertos Leo Bertos Leonida Christos "Leo" Bertos is a New Zealand association football player who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for New Zealand-based A-League team Wellington Phoenix and has represented the New Zealand national football team.-Early life:Bertos was born in Wellington, to a Greek... |
9 | |
| Jason Spagnuolo Jason Spagnuolo Jason Spagnuolo is an Australian football right midfielder who currently plays for Adelaide City in the South Australian Super League.-Club career:... |
7 | |
| Matt Thompson | 6 | |
| Nick Carle Nick Carle Nicholas Alberto "Nick" Carle is an Australian football player who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Sydney FC.- Club career :... |
6 | |
| Archie Thompson Archie Thompson Archibald Gerald Thompson is a New Zealand-born Australian professional football player, currently playing for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League, where he holds the League all time scoring record... |
5 |
Most Yellow Cards
| Player | Team | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|
| Adrian Leijer Adrian Leijer Adrian Leijer is an Australian football player who currently plays as a centre back for A-League team Melbourne Victory and is also the Captain of the side.-Early years:... |
7 | |
| Nick Carle Nick Carle Nicholas Alberto "Nick" Carle is an Australian football player who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Sydney FC.- Club career :... |
6 | |
| Andrew Durante Andrew Durante Andrew Durante is an Australian football player. He currently plays as a central defender and Captain for the New Zealand based A-League club Wellington Phoenix.- Newcastle Jets :... |
6 | |
| Kevin Muscat Kevin Muscat Kevin Muscat is an Australian football player who currently plays for Victorian State League Division 1 side Sunshine George Cross and is assistant coach of Melbourne Victory... |
5 | |
| Terry McFlynn Terry McFlynn Terence Martin "Terry" McFlynn is a football player from Swatragh, Northern Ireland. He plays as a central midfielder for the Australian A-League team Sydney FC. He is the current captain.-Club career:... |
5 | |
| Simon Colosimo Simon Colosimo Simon Colosimo is an Australian football player who plays as a central defender for Melbourne Heart. He has represented the Australia national team on over twenty-five occasions.-Club career:... |
5 |
Attendances
These are the attendance records of each of the teams at the end of the home and away season. The table does not include finals series attendances.Highest attendances
- 55,436: vs , 18 February 2007 (Grand Final)
- 50,333: vs , 8 December 2006 (Round 16)
- 47,413: vs , 4 February 2007 (Finals Week 2)
- 39,730: vs , 2 September 2006 (Round 2)
- 32,371: vs , 20 January 2007 (Round 21)
Awards
The 2007 A-League Awards ceremony was held on 27 February 2007 at the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
.
- Johnny Warren MedalJohnny Warren MedalThe Johnny Warren Medal is the award for best player in the Australian national football club competition. It was first awarded in the National Soccer League in 1990, and upon the NSL's demise in November 2004, was carried forward into the A-League, the competition in Australia...
(Player of the Year): Nick CarleNick CarleNicholas Alberto "Nick" Carle is an Australian football player who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Sydney FC.- Club career :...
- Rising Star (Young Player of the Year): Adrian LeijerAdrian LeijerAdrian Leijer is an Australian football player who currently plays as a centre back for A-League team Melbourne Victory and is also the Captain of the side.-Early years:...
- Coach of the Year: Ernie MerrickErnie MerrickErnest 'Ernie' Merrick is the Scottish former head coach for the Australian A-League football team, Melbourne Victory.-Melbourne Victory:...
- Golden Boot Award (Most Goals in Season): Danny Allsopp (v – 11 goals)
- Fair Play Award:
- Referee of the Year: Mark ShieldMark ShieldMark Shield is a former Australian Football referee. He most recently refereed in Australia's A-League. He first played soccer for the Innisfail Tigers at the age of six. Not showing much promise as a player, he began refereeing at age 12, and by 16 was officiating adult matches in Townsville...
See also
- Adelaide United season 2006-07
- Central Coast Mariners season 2006-07
- Melbourne Victory season 2006-07Melbourne Victory Season 2006-07The Melbourne Victory A-League 2006-07 season was their most successful A-League season. They defeated Adelaide United 6-0 in their first Grand Final, winning the Championship, Premiership and qualifying for the AFC Champions League 2008.-First team squad:...
- Newcastle United Jets season 2006-07
- New Zealand Knights season 2006-07
- Perth Glory season 2006-07Perth Glory season 2006-07The Perth Glory finished 7th in the 2006-07 A-League competition making them the lowest-ranked Australian team in the A-League. The pre-season expectaions of the club was to achieve a higher ladder finish than their 5th place finish in the first A-League season under Steve McMahon.-Under FFA...
- Queensland Roar season 2006-07Queensland Roar season 2006-07Queensland Roar took part in the 2006-07 A-League competition, hoping to improve on their performance in the previous domestic season, which saw them finish in sixth position at the end of the A-League competition.-In:-Out:-Squad:...
- Sydney FC season 2006-07Sydney FC Season 2006-07The 2006–07 season is Sydney FCs second season of football in Australia. Sydney FC contested in the 2006–07 A-League, and after winning the inaugural A-League Championship in 2005–06, competed in the 2007 AFC Champions League as one of Australia's two representatives.-Pre-Season:After winning the...