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A-League: The Inside Story of the Tumultuous First Decade
In November 2004, shopping centre billionaire Frank Lowy walked into a packed media conference and announced the creation of a new professional football league. Armed with $15 million of government funds, Lowy was about to wake the sleeping giant of Australian sport. The A-League kicked off in 2005.
Over the competition’s first decade it has seen more than its fair share of drama, on and off the field. International superstars have come to play, eccentric billionaires have bought and sold franchises, and clubs have folded after haemorrhaging millions of dollars. Yet the football has been passionate and captivating, and attendances and television audiences have grown as Australians have embraced the game as never before.
Relying on unprecedented access to key figures in the code, John Stensholt and Shaun Mooney reveal the true story behind the A-League’s first ten the egos, the power plays and the rows between some of Australia’s richest men as they try to make the world game Australia’s favourite sport.
‘Money, power, ego and ambition. Throw in the odd football match and you have the story of the A-League – from forgotten game to unforgettable glory.’—Francis Leach, ABC
‘Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. A wonderful and riveting insight into the first decade of the A-League.’—Ray Gatt, The Australian
‘There’s enough in this for a 20-year period, such has been the last decade in Australian club football. Entertaining, informative, this covers it all – the good, the bad, the ugly.’—Adam Peacock, Fox Sports
Over the competition’s first decade it has seen more than its fair share of drama, on and off the field. International superstars have come to play, eccentric billionaires have bought and sold franchises, and clubs have folded after haemorrhaging millions of dollars. Yet the football has been passionate and captivating, and attendances and television audiences have grown as Australians have embraced the game as never before.
Relying on unprecedented access to key figures in the code, John Stensholt and Shaun Mooney reveal the true story behind the A-League’s first ten the egos, the power plays and the rows between some of Australia’s richest men as they try to make the world game Australia’s favourite sport.
‘Money, power, ego and ambition. Throw in the odd football match and you have the story of the A-League – from forgotten game to unforgettable glory.’—Francis Leach, ABC
‘Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. A wonderful and riveting insight into the first decade of the A-League.’—Ray Gatt, The Australian
‘There’s enough in this for a 20-year period, such has been the last decade in Australian club football. Entertaining, informative, this covers it all – the good, the bad, the ugly.’—Adam Peacock, Fox Sports
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 23, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 8, 2017
My rating:
8.0 out of 10
Who’s it for?
I’d recommend this to any person interested in the Australian sporting landscape, as it is a compelling story told in a way that any sports fan would enjoy.
My review
I loved this book. I didn’t expect to. I mean, it’s a book about the last 10 years, which is recent and fresh in my mind, so naively I thought I’d know most of what was written. How wrong I was.
My big takeaway was just how touch-and-go the A-League was in the first decade. At any stage it could have all disappeared. And that’s where things get interesting... The bizarre and at times comical stories, the desperate phone calls to investors, the failed World Cup Bid, marque signings and mining magnates.
My other big takeaway was in regards to the people who have been running the game. Rightly or wrongly, the FFA has a negative vibe surrounding it. One that, seems ingrained in most fans of Australian football. When reading this book I’ve had to rethink my position. Like it or not, without the likes of Ben Buckley, John O’Neill and in particular Frank Lowy, we wouldn’t have a national league at the standard it is today. Sure they’ve made mistakes, but bloody hell they’ve gone to bat for football and given so much to the game. Not to mention the club owners who have poured millions of their own dollars into the game, which they won’t get back.
All in all, an entertaining read.
Some interesting tidbits
• Quote by Mark Rudan: “For football to move forward, we need to be honest about our past so that we can collectively make better decision in the future”
• Michael Cockerill’s take on getting Frank Lowy back to football in the early 2000’s: “It was all about getting the messiah. There was nobody else. He was absolutely the only one”.
• Before one of their games, Clive Palmer replaced the main sponsor on Gold Coast United’s jerseys to “Freedom of Speech”.
• The money invested or lost (depending how you look at it) by the club owners: “Extraordinarily, the combined amount of losses over the league’s first ten years is between $150 and $200 million”.
8.0 out of 10
Who’s it for?
I’d recommend this to any person interested in the Australian sporting landscape, as it is a compelling story told in a way that any sports fan would enjoy.
My review
I loved this book. I didn’t expect to. I mean, it’s a book about the last 10 years, which is recent and fresh in my mind, so naively I thought I’d know most of what was written. How wrong I was.
My big takeaway was just how touch-and-go the A-League was in the first decade. At any stage it could have all disappeared. And that’s where things get interesting... The bizarre and at times comical stories, the desperate phone calls to investors, the failed World Cup Bid, marque signings and mining magnates.
My other big takeaway was in regards to the people who have been running the game. Rightly or wrongly, the FFA has a negative vibe surrounding it. One that, seems ingrained in most fans of Australian football. When reading this book I’ve had to rethink my position. Like it or not, without the likes of Ben Buckley, John O’Neill and in particular Frank Lowy, we wouldn’t have a national league at the standard it is today. Sure they’ve made mistakes, but bloody hell they’ve gone to bat for football and given so much to the game. Not to mention the club owners who have poured millions of their own dollars into the game, which they won’t get back.
All in all, an entertaining read.
Some interesting tidbits
• Quote by Mark Rudan: “For football to move forward, we need to be honest about our past so that we can collectively make better decision in the future”
• Michael Cockerill’s take on getting Frank Lowy back to football in the early 2000’s: “It was all about getting the messiah. There was nobody else. He was absolutely the only one”.
• Before one of their games, Clive Palmer replaced the main sponsor on Gold Coast United’s jerseys to “Freedom of Speech”.
• The money invested or lost (depending how you look at it) by the club owners: “Extraordinarily, the combined amount of losses over the league’s first ten years is between $150 and $200 million”.
August 12, 2017
Everything you wanted to know about the A-League which was not in the public eye. A very interesting look behind the scenes which explained why the league is how it is.
Highly recommend for those who are interested in Australian football as this book gives a direct insight into the challenges of running a professional sports league in Australia whilst managing the sports growth.
Highly recommend for those who are interested in Australian football as this book gives a direct insight into the challenges of running a professional sports league in Australia whilst managing the sports growth.
August 13, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up to 5, it is a great balance of football and business in telling this story, having just the sport is not enough for a book and the business side would probably not have the audience, but combining the two worked really well for this. It is interesting reading the final chapter and looking a decade back on what they got right and did not.
December 30, 2018
A nice little history of the first decade of the A-league.
October 15, 2015
A solid document covering the Australian A-League's inception and first decade. It is thorough but it covers a lot of ground and as a result it feels rushed. A great read none the less, especially for football (soccer) fans.
April 22, 2016
This was a fairly good overview of the first 10 years of the A League, covering how it was set up, the club ownership, the TV deals, and also the games (but not too much). Seemed to cover all the relevant issues fairly well. Well done.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews