My work is eternal brother! :)

Sick bump bro.

-PB

The only way I could see Sepp Blatter sticking his nose in is if this is some tin-foil hat project out of West Asia to get us on pro-rel because they think it'd sink football in this country and get them easy access to the WCQ spot we've nailed down the last eight years.

It just isn't financially possible any time soon. FIFA aren't dummies and neither is David Gallop - he was ruling out promo/relegation as recently as last summer. He knows the dollar sign equation.

That's before we even get to talk about the football - it will take years of FFA cup and other building blocks before the gap between the NPL and the A-league will be filled.

What pressure could FIFA and the AFC realistically put on us anyway? Taking away some ACL spots? They'd be brave to do this when we're having our best season ever.

It really doesn't matter what they say, unless there is something on paper they have no grounds for legal action. That statement is simply a load of crap. Whilst I believe your buddies may have said this to you, I simply don't believe your buddies...

Edited by switters: 19/5/2014 06:18:18 PM

Whilst I don't see any truth to the story, I would argue the bolded point in your response.

First off - the license agreement assures the owner of his place in the A-League. If the new competition is set up as part of the A-League, for example A1 and A2, then the FFA could argue that the relegated franchise IS still in the A-league.

Secondly - the license agreement has numerous KPIs attached, most of the A-league is in breech of at least one of those KPIs, so the FFA have the right to remove them at will. To date the reason they have only exercised this with a couple of franchises is the lack of suitable replacements. It's fair to say that in a promotion/relegation scenario you've already got your replacement lined up.

Third - as has been commented before, if you set the system up correctly you can have a promotion/relegation structure in place that makes promotion/relegation extremely unlikely...

For example, rather than automatic promotion/relegation you have a two legged play-off between champions of second div and wooden spooners of first - but you have already set up the second division with a considerably lower salary cap and tougher visa restrictions, meaning that the top side is going to really struggle to match the playing group of the bottom side in the first division. You can already see the NPL being set up to limit squad potential in the 'second' tier, I've no doubt this will continue when (not if) a promotion/relegation structure is brought in.

Put simply, if your A-League team is so weak that having finished last it is unable to overcome a side from an inferior league, with a far lower budget, over two legs... You don't deserve to own a side in the top division.

:lol: Bullshit man would come in handy on this site

So according to this there's an NPL club with links to Sepp Blatter..?

If money is to be found, the above actually makes sense. A national Div 2 with promo/rel underneath it but with the HAL protected above that.

Again, if it's affordable, I would love to see that.

My personal view is that the best way to achieve that is to combine it with the NYL. So take the 9 HAL NYL sides, add the top 3 from NSW and Vic, top 2 from Qld, SA and WA and top side from ACT and you've got the framework for a viable second tier, run over an east and west conference.

East - SFC, WSW, Mariners, Jets, Brisbane, Top 3 from NSWPL, Top 2 from Qld, top 1 from ACT.

West - Victory, Heart, Adelaide, Glory, Top 3 from VicPL, Top 2 from SA, Top 2 from WA.

Two from each conference go into the semis, or four if you want quarter finals.

There's a bit of grease in the souvlaki...

Again, I thank you for your observations, but do point out that NPL Club Officials (who will remain nameless at this time), and officials from more than one club also, have advised me of this information.

I will leave it at that.

Depends, how much oil money does South Melbourne have?

I'm pretty well connected at a couple of NPL clubs and tend to get the latest 'in the know' information - and I haven't heard anyone I trust/respect saying anything about promotion kicking in anytime soon.



One would assume they would offer full time contracts to the best players, and complete the squad with signings from outside the club. It would be easier to put a squad together starting from an NPL basis than starting from blank.

Lowy has more money than an NPL club. Since when does $epp Blatter go AGAINST money?

Anyone can make these sorts of claims with these sorts of excuses mate. Either this was some poorly spun bullshit or your mates are having a lend of you...

As far as 'taking the aleague to court'. There no legal precedent for this (trust me, I'd know. I've season two whole seasons of Suits). This sort of shit tends to flow from the assholes of our overly letigious society.

I'd expect threads like this out of the SMFC/MACEDONIA crowd.

-PB

Exactly. What a load of shit.

So beacuse of a "nod and a wink" that is grounds for legal action if NPL teams aren't awarded a place in the A-league?? Without witnesses that isn't even a verbal agreement.

And for all the reasons stated thus far it's impossible that this will take place in 2016. Just won't happen. At best 1 or 2 NPL teams may get asked to join the a-league but that's it. No a-league team will be able to get relegated before 2020 because they have binding contracts in place with the club owners.

Stranger things have happened dewd.

If promotion/relegation happens that soon, it will only be between the assorted NPL leagues (probably the east coast ones only) and a national second division with HAL still protected above that.

On what grounds would they have to take the FFA to court?

Could be option B, they're highly credentialed option B though! :)

That's what I'm thinking. It would be like a Conference team getting promoted straight to the EPL.

We need to get to 14 a league teams with newly established clubs. Then focus on creating a somewhat professional national second division. Which will be a number of tv deals away if ever.

Lowy out SMFC in?

Then we could call them bullshit artists?

-PB

Ha Ha...if only I could name names!

Nail. Head.

Because it is complete bullshit lol.

-PB

This is true but contracts could be adjusted to compensate for this. The same this is done in most pro/rel situations. Players often the option to leave. The biggest issue is that A-league clubs will simply die if they get relegated. No one will sponsor WPX if they drop into obscurity. When there is no money, they can't pay players at all. CCM can barely cut a cheque for their uniform invoices playing in the a-league. If they drop to A-league 2? C'mon, this is seriously just all horseshit

A lot of players would earn more from their day jobs too.

This can't work until the 2nd div is fully professional i.e. won't happen