This was released yesterday
To All Clubs & Co-Signatories – Release to FFV, FFA and Media
Invitations have been sent out for Monday's, 26th Aug, NPLV workshop.
There we will consult, discuss and agree on a framework for the 'New NPLV' that works for both community and NPL clubs in Victoria.
At this meeting we will also provide an update of the day's proceedings in court.
We will have as guest the Chairman of the PFA (Professional Footballers Australia), who will outline issues we need to consider in the new model.
This is a historic meeting of the clubs and we would like to commend all of you for taking the difficult but principled decision to stand together and achieve a successful NPLV model.
Have attached some recent articles and releases for all to read over the weekend.
The Age
Michael Lynch, Sat 17 Aug
Clubs take FFV to court
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/c ... 2s2bz.html
The ill feeling between Football Federation Victoria and most of the leading clubs in the state shows little sign of abating, with the clubs having instituted legal proceedings against the FFV on Friday.
The dispute over the creation of the National Premier League Victoria drags on.
The clubs want the FFV to abandon the current, disputed model that, they argue, does not serve the sport's future development, and instead embrace one which allows them to remain community focused while fielding sides in the top flight.
Sandringham Soccer Club
http://www.sandringhamsoccerclub.org.au/home.aspxTo all Members
After undertaking exhaustive due diligence in relation to the National Premier Leagues Victoria (NPLV) – I would like to advise that Sandringham Soccer Club did not submit an expression of interest (EOI) due to the following reasons:
Financial model being unviable and the additional financial risk being borne by the club and its officeholders
Shifting of responsibilities by the FFV on to the clubs in underpinning the operation of the competition
Deviation of the FFV model from that prescribed by the FFA National Competition Review (NCR) recommendations
Poor implementation and consultation process of the FFV
No consideration of the impact on the Women’s game, in light of yet to be released NCR for women and girls
Lack of any forward marketing plan for the NPLV to attract sponsorship and funding to the clubs
Level of participation (40 weeks) and cost to juniors of $1,700 per annum (minimum) is excessive and unmanageable for a large numbers of a families.
The NPLV does not fit with our mission, which is…To strive to create a pathway that improves the skills and team play of all members via structured programs. These programs are designed to teach the technical and tactical aspects of soccer in a community-based environment, which promotes fun, friendship and respect through team sport participation.
From the outset the club has supported the National Competition Review as prescribed by the FFA and any improvements for the betterment of the game and continues to do so but we do not believe the FFV’s approach in this instance is the correct way to proceed.
If you would like any further clarification of our position please do not hesitate to ring me direct on ....... or John Hurley on ......
Yours sincerely
Simon Polinelli – President
The Zonal Problem
http://melbournesoccer.blogspot.com.au/No, not a tactical discussion but a look at one of the major stumbling blocks in the creation of the NPLV.
In the great plan of the FFV for the future of Victorian football, there would be an elite NPLV club in each of the zones it has divided the state into. Each zone then has it's community leagues, with the clubs in it developing players for the elite club.
Nice in theory, but putting it into practice was always going to prove problematic.
Take the Frankston area for example. Frankston Pines, Langwarrin, Peninsula Strikers, Seaford United, Skye United, Baxter and Mornington. Large area, with long established clubs, mostly with British heritage which does not come with the baggage of other ethnic groups.
Have these clubs banded together to make a consortium for an NPLV license? Is there a club that stands out as being the most elite amongst them? No.
Why not? Does the FFV understand why not?
Most club volunteers do what they do because of a long term attachment to their club. They may have played there, coached there, or started attending games because their friends or children did. These bonds being established is the lifeblood of the game.
With people already loyal to their club, most would be uninterested in switching to a new entity simply because it was to be labelled "elite". Under the promotion/relegation set up which has always existed in the Victorian game, their clubs have always had the chance to aspire to be amongst the elite. These clubs have had their highs and lows, and established genuine rivalries. To anoint one as elite and expect the others to fall in line and be subservient to the chosen club would be the utmost folly.
So by the Bay, the glamour of the NPLV has not seen a clamour from volunteers/administrators willing to get on board by starting up an elite venture. With no standout elite club that the others would accept getting a license without resentment, the area could go unrepresented.
Now the issue become more difficult when you look at other zones. Ones which have clubs from diverse ethnic backgrounds, some of which may recently have been at war with each other. Zones which have two or three clubs already playing at the highest level. If the FFV expects people to put aside such grudges, they need to get some experts on human nature on their already ample payroll.
Moving from a promotion/relegation system to a closed shop top tier was never going to be easy, and given the backlash even if it comes to fruition it may not prove workable. With clubs already feeling the FFV does not support them, becoming officially designated second class citizens is not likely to see many working too hard to support the elite club of their zone.
It makes you wonder how well those that mapped out the NPLV masterplan knew the landscape.
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http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/coc ... -NPL/73054
Extracts from FFA website, Mick Cockerill's article 19th August 2013
Looking across the list of qualifiers got me thinking. The era of ethnic-backed clubs is not over. Not by a long shot. In fact it's conceivable four of the five inaugural NPL finallists - Sydney United (Croatia), Canberra FC (Croatia), Olympic FC (Greece) and whoever qualifies from South Australia (four of the top five clubs have strong Italian heritage) - will be drawn from ethnic communities.
Those communities are still providing the passion, enthusiasm, finance, support, determination and vision to set the benchmarks for others to follow. Look further afield at the non-aligned NPL states - Western Australia, Victoria and Northern NSW - and it's the same story. The ethnic-backed clubs continue to clean up.
The point here is to make sure nature takes its course. As the NPL revolution gathers momentum, my sense is some state federations are being tempted to airbrush history, and force ethnic clubs out of the equation. They're trying to over-engineer an outcome. Wrong.
By far the best solution for the rebirth of second-tier football is to bring the best of the ethnic clubs along for the ride. Those clubs which are willing to be inclusive, not exclusive. Around the country, I see plenty of them. And those clubs which don't broaden their base? They'll join the long, long, list of ethnic-backed clubs in the mausoleum. That's a dead certainty. The reminders are everywhere. Ringwood Wilhelmina, Yugal Prague, anyone?
I've got no doubt the NPL has the ability to unlock the huge potential of state-based competitions - competitions which will not only underpin the Hyundai A-League, but possibly spawn a national second division. But to get the right outcome requires a delicate process. It needs to be handled with care. First base is to respect those who have made a significant contribution
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The 50 Co-signatory clubs combined constitute over 100,000 football club members / supporters / youth teams / juniors / sub juniors / parents / coaches / administrators.
We call upon the FFV to respect the concerns of its clubs and act as its mandate requires it to do; in the best interests of the game.
Our united position on the NPLV
1. We are all committed to a successful NPLV model rollout in 2014 which works for both community and NPL clubs
2. The NPLV should be financially viable for all clubs, modelling by clubs reflects otherwise.
3. That the NPLV be introduced after proper consultation with the clubs and after taking genuine account of their concerns.
4. To date the FFV has not properly consulted the clubs but rather has merely informed us of how its proposed model will operate. Even the peak Council body that represents all councils, Parks Leisure Australia, in a letter attached to all clubs (29th July) made reference and supported all of these similar concerns about the FFV's approach and failure to properly consult.
5. We are united and determined to work for the good of the game in Victoria. It is unprecedented in Australia that 50 clubs/association have come together in a united way.
6. No one can reasonably argue that the NPLV could proceed viably, let alone succeed, without the participation of the top 30-50 clubs in Victoria at all levels: Men, Women, Junior Boys and Girls.
7. The 50 clubs are all run by volunteers who have no personal financial interest in any of these issues and are working for a viable NPLV model. The contribution and legacy of all these clubs, large, small and everything in between, should be recognised, respected and preserved. That will not happen under the proposed model.
It's disappointing that we need take to task the organisation that we fund.
We will succeed and do so in readiness for a new NPLV model in 2014.
On behalf of the 50 Co-signatory Clubs
Edited by troy5: 25/8/2013 08:35:45 AM