Update from Adelaide United CEO Nathan Cosmina.

With only a few days left until the official start of our 2024/25 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign, 117 days have passed since pre-season training began on 1 July.

While our 23/24 pre-season campaign saw significant changes due to highly publicized player movements, the nearly four months of preparation leading up to our 24/25 campaign were the most consistent of my time at the club. We maintained consistency in training, provided valuable minutes to the entire team and recorded some strong performances against both local and A-League opponents.

The main priority of the men’s team coaching staff before the start of the season is to maximize the number of “competitive” matches played. This can only be achieved by extending the Australian Cup or regular A-League matches. Although we did not reach the Cup final, which was our pre-season KPI, we reached the semi-finals for the first time since 2019. Combined with positive results against the Football SA All-Stars (20 September), Brisbane Roar (5 October) and Melbourne City (12 October), confidence is high in the playing group as we head to our first match against the Central Coast Mariners.

In addition to the improvements in the men’s program, our women’s program has made significant strides following a disappointing 23/24 campaign. For the 24/25 season, we increased our investment in the playing group and began pre-season training three weeks ahead of the league’s established 35-week window. This extra time is vital to improve fitness, especially as the six-week pre-season training for A-League women’s teams is too short to adequately prepare for a 22-round home and away season. We’ve already seen the benefits of this investment with a 2-0 win over Western United on our pre-season trip to Mildura and some strong results against local opposition including the Football SA All-Star Game on September 15th. We are excited to kick off our Ninja A-League campaign with the Original Rivalry against Melbourne Victory next Saturday, November 2 at ServiceFM Stadium, kicking off at 4:30pm.

Thank you to the local South Australian football community including Cove FC, Adelaide Blue Eagles, Cumberland United FC, West Adelaide Soccer Club, Adelaide Croatia Raiders Soccer Club and Football South Australia for helping with our pre-season preparations. In particular, we look forward to continuing the exciting NPL All-Stars initiative in the future.

From a business perspective, the Club continues to grow despite the challenges associated with a significant reduction in our centralized revenues. Our sponsorship earnings have already exceeded our total for the entirety of last season, which is a remarkable achievement given that we have yet to achieve any success this season. This commercial growth underlines that football’s fundamentals remain strong despite consistent growth in broadcasting and attendance over three seasons. I believe the league will continue to gain momentum this season, now that the furor caused by the controversial investment in the league is behind us and we can focus on football again.

Membership numbers, particularly in our reserved seating sections, have tracked compared to last season and are currently up 9% on last year. This is a testament to the support of the South Australian football community, especially at a time when cost of living issues are real for everyone. I want to thank all of our members for their continued commitment, and we will do everything we can to repay your faith as we strive to make significant improvements 24/25.

The combination of positive attendance growth and strong ticket sales means we are on track to have a big crowd for our first home game, with over 10,000 expected at Coopers Stadium on Saturday.

Two additional member-focused initiatives we have been working on over the past few months are the People Loyalty Program and our Member Representative Group (MRG).

The People’s Loyalty Program has been a priority for the Club for a number of years and we recognized the need to better recognize and reward members who consistently invest their time and money into the Club. Last season we celebrated our Members’ 20th anniversary and this year we are expanding the program to more regularly reward Members for attending our men’s and women’s matches. We’re planning a much broader rollout in future seasons, but we’re excited to launch it 24/7 and will continue to talk about its benefits and incentives throughout the season. More information about the People’s Loyalty Program can be found here.

Last season we formed the MRG in line with the APL’s national initiative. Much of Season 23/24 was spent collecting feedback and building relationships with the group. Now, on a 24/25 basis, we are well positioned to better use MRG as a member engagement channel, providing feedback that will help us improve the Adelaide United experience for everyone attending matches. More information about MRG can be found here.

I would like to thank MRG Chairman Joe Aylward and the entire group for their hard work and commitment over the last 12 months. We encourage all members to use the group to provide feedback throughout the season.

In early September, the final phase of the Coopers Stadium upgrade, originally scheduled for 2019, was completed with the installation of a new field, irrigation and drainage system. It has been over 30 years since the course was last refurbished and this new surface is not only more environmentally sustainable, but also allows for increased usage, including more doubleheaders, which is a long-term priority for the Club.

Thanks to numerous LED screen upgrades, Coopers Stadium has become a truly modern stadium without losing any of the suburban features that make it the best football stadium in the country. To me, it is South Australia’s most important football asset and I am proud that my children can enjoy attending matches here, just as my father and grandfather did for the last 60-plus years of its existence.

I would like to express my gratitude to Adelaide Venue Management (AVM) for their ongoing support and investment in Coopers Stadium. AVM is fully committed to the development of football and we will be working together on several fan-focused initiatives this season to further enhance the matchday experience.

Returning to football, at this time of year there is constant discussion about the club’s ambitions for the coming season, and more often than not we are not predicted to reach the final. As well as the fact that 23/24 was undoubtedly a bad season, we have continually proven the pundits wrong over the last decade by being one of the most consistent clubs in the A-League.

This consistency is based on our loyalty to South Australia and we remain committed to giving young South Australians the opportunity to achieve their football dreams. This philosophy is part of our Club’s DNA and part of how we were founded in 2003. This is not just a cost-saving measure or a strategy to increase transfer income. We have also invested in high-impact initiatives in pre-season to better support the development of local players, including our partnership with PSV and increased investment in technology capacity at our Playford training base. These off-field investments will continue to be our focus in future seasons.

Over the past three months, under the leadership of head coaches Karl Werth and Adrian Stenta, together with newly appointed technical director Ernest Faber, we have begun to document the football culture, values ​​and methodology that will underpin our investment priorities and future performance on the pitch. Creating a stronger football identity for the Club is important to our players, coaches, members, stakeholders and the South Australian football community and will continue to be worked on throughout the season.

Taking all this into account, the baseline expectation is 24/25 final football for both men’s and women’s teams, with a top 4 finish as our goal and path to trophies. We will see whether we achieve this or not, but we are confident that with clearer priorities and increased investment, the foundations for success this season will be in place.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone associated with the Club – our players, coaches, staff and partners – for their hard work and dedication during pre-season. We look forward to repeating this commitment on the field in the coming season as we strive for success.

Thank you for your continued support. Let’s make this season a memorable one.

Nathan Kosmina
Director of the company
Adelaide United Football Club