Richmond is not only the classic casualty of promotion and relegation.
But is also a casualty the failed and ill designed NPL Ecoysytem of Buckley Berger and Highwood.

Another article regarding Adelaide City and their intent to join the national second division. 

Adelaide City targeting a professional second tier operating with a club budget of 3.5 million.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/adelaide-city-officials-are-confident-of-raising-35-million-needed-for-a-national-second-tier-soccer-league/news-story/fd1fbeb40883f623c1548c9437076475

Get in.

Don't believe the crap Raciti writes on his clubs FB page. He wrote they pulled in 4,000 crowd for their last NPL game? You would struggle to fit more than 1,500 people in the ground. Their grand stand in 4 rows of seats, simple maths, 1 person every half metre tells u its 800 ppl in there, and it wasn't full. 

Facts are, Final played at Leichhardt Oval, might as well have been a home game for the APIA Leichhardt Tigers. The other fact, just over 3,000 people there, in the words of FNSW staff in the VIP function, the worst attended Final in the last 6-7 years. By comparison, 2013 Bonnyrigg v Rockdale at Penrith Stadium was a figure around 6,000. Enough said...

I don't... the facts are on FB. I don't even know who...or for that matter what you are talking about.

Forgive me for being long winded, I'm somewhat thinking out loud here and asking for other peoples thoughts.

With the AAFC apparently not far from releasing their plans for a 'B-League' it has me asking the question whether anybody here has any information or rumours they have heard in the winds, in regards to this topic?

I'm curious about this due to the fact that of recent times there have been several mentionings in regards to a 'B-League' and applications for, firstly in the article regarding the plans for Fairfield Showgrounds with SD Raiders and Macarthur Rams putting in a joint application for a 'B-League' side based out of  the ground. More so though are two posts on the APIA facebook page which goes into detail in regards to the make up of a proposed 'B-League'.

Below is a snippet I've copy/pasted from the first post(might even be posted earlier in this thread) - I've highlighted the parts of interest to me brings about my curiosity.

"As you are all aware, the Club has a very strong and burning ambition to attain, B-League status.

The reality is that the B-League will be a reality, and will happen very very soon.

The Club's Board of Management 18 months ago, resolved unanimously to submit a significant and professional application, to be one of the mooted and proposed member of a, 14 Club B-League.

We are proud of the fact that throughout NPL1 Clubs and Football circles in Australia, that our Club is perceived as the Number 1 B-League applicant in NSW, and the top 2 in Australia.

Our Historic Club and famous Football brand, is deserving and warrants such esteemed recognition, and deservedly so.

Apia Leichhardt Tigers Football Club has had the most Socceroos and National Team players, of any other Football Club in Australia.

This is a fact .

For a B-League application to be successful the Club would require the magnificent Leichhardt Oval, as our B-League home ground, in a National Competition.

Lambert Park, our superb boutique football complex, would remain as the Club's administrative headquarters and the home of our NPL 1 PS4 Senior Mens Competition."

And then the second most recent facebook post in full...

"A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT. Regards Leichhardt Oval.

As you all may or not be aware there has been media reports circulating in the past 24 hours, that Sydney FC may be temporarily re-locating to Leichhardt Oval in 2019. Our Club has kept under wraps our massive desire to play all our matches for our senior NPL 1 PS4 for the 2019 season, at Leichhardt Oval.

The announcement, which has had and will have widespread media coverage, has shaken our Club to the very core. We have the utmost respect for Sydney FC and as all our members, supporters and sponsors are fully aware, both Clubs have enjoyed a fabulous working relationship regards Lambert Park and the use of our world class facilities.

But APIA Leichhardt Tigers has exploded over the past 4 years, and we are positioned for B-League status. Today we were shocked with this announcement. Leichhardt is the Club's heartland, and has been since 1954. The Club has expended significant funds towards the joint upgrade, in conjunction with the NSW State Government, of Lambert Park.The expenditure of these Club funds, has at times past and present, placed a significant financial burden on our Club. But we are the home and local Club, we are called APIA Leichhardt Tigers and Leichhardt Tigers Junior Soccer Club. We will not sit back and accept this breaking news, which our Club was not aware of. Our Club is the people's Club of the Inner West, we need and require Leichhardt Oval for our expansion plans.

Lambert is exploding at the seams, only yesterday our Board approved the expenditure of a shipping container on the warm up area of Lambert Park, as we had run out of space. Further news and a media release, will be issued, by the Club before lunch today. We are not happy and we will fight tooth and nail to be shown the respect that we richly deserve and have earnt since 1954."

I know this is heading towards the TLDR category but again I'm just curious on the bolded parts, firstly they decided to apply for entry into a 14-club 'B-League'  18months ago, and also their appears to be some form of criteria released for clubs to use in applications, if first they NEED Leichhardt Oval and secondly they've been adjudged the best applicant in NSW and second in Australia. 

Is the AAFC behind the same 'B-League' that APIA is talking about or has someone else been planning something behind the scenes? 
Is AAFC the formal approach to a 'B-League' after 18months of planning?

I was also under the assumption, especially after the AAFC only recently asked the public for their input, that the AAFC would come out with plans and framework for a second division then have an applications process for the aspiring clubs but after reading these it's leading me to believe that they will more than likely come out with the full details right down to the clubs involved.

Link to first post: https://www.facebook.com/ALTFC/posts/10156164100300348
Link to second post: https://www.facebook.com/ALTFC/posts/10156269472130348

Good post Poppa and am eagerly awaiting what comes of it.

Glad to see ambitious clubs fighting the good fight.

Have you messaged the clubs? They give good insights. 

Nah I haven't, but I might give it a try. Wasn't sure how receptive they would be ?

Never encountered any issues personally. 

Watching the MLS decision day be. The stands are pretty bare. Is this what we have to look forward to if we get knocked out?

I Googled Tony Raciti and came across a Facebook page, "Australian Football Show with Tony Raciti". Wouldn't recommend it and I struggled through most of a "show" streamed last Sunday night, 22nd Oct. If you're interested from about 17 mins. on he talks a bit of his take on B-league stuff.
Saying "a day of reckoning coming soon", "running out of time tonight but I'll have a lot more to say next Sunday night " and "I'll bring all my viewers up to date as to what stage the B-league is up to". He also reckons a B-league would start in October 2019 with 14-16 teams.
This is my first post here.

Why do you waste our time paulc?

Anyone know if we'll get something soon?

Feels like some hot air is starting to make its way around

I wish this "b league" idea would die. The A in a league stands for Australia. B league sounds so bad and dumb.

This, 100%.  A2, please.

Put it this way - I'm getting my pop-corn ready for when the news breaks...  Looking forward to the effect it has on certain people.

@redshirt

I emailed AAFC last week and they said they were on track to release info by the end of this month.

@thefans

I agree on the name b-league. I don't like it at all in reference to an Australian second division.

A-LeagueTwo/2/II

Or

NPL First Division/Division One

Or
National Premier League Australia

are my preferences.

Pretty sure there is a B-League of some form elsewhere, Bangladesh maybe, so I'm not sure whether it would actually be allowed to be called B-League.

Any of those names would be totally fine. Just not b-league. So dumb and makes me cringe. 

Wasn't the name "Australian Premier League" bandied around at the time the NPL's were re-named?

Pretty sure there is a lawn bowls league called the Australian Premier League hence why they went with National Premier League.

Don't quote me on that though.

I think bowls (?) has that name protected.

Fair enough - NPL Australia or A2-League it is!

I think it's appropriate that Bangladesh keep the name.

Agreed. 

FFA have the trademark on Beleagured 

I remember reading somewhere that there were 3 names originally selected and one of them was actually the australian premier league, but nothing with premier league in it appealed to the people they did market research on, ultimately A-League was chosen through market research. The NPL name annoys me, because its not the nations premier league, they A-league is. It should be called something like the State Federation Championship or something like that. The A in A-league also does not stand for Australia, it was selected because its the 'A' or first/top league, I asked this question in a FFA twitter Q&A. Hopefully in 10 years or whenever we get a second division that they go with A2, or A-leaue 2 or 2.A-league or one of those iterations.

When the A League name was chosen we weren't part of Asia but its clear it was a strategically chosen name to fall in line with the other Asian leagues. It is generally accepted that the A stands for Australia, regardless of the FFA stance

The irony is since then, there has been a real push away from doing anything that conforms to the way Asia does things. No second tier. A NZ team. A salary cap. Not recognising the nation wide cup winner as the Cup winner even though its Asia's wishes for them to feature in the ACL. We don't even have a 3+1 rule

We should have just kept the NSL name so we can have AFL, NRL, NSL, and not to be confused with the NFL which is the other franchise we are falling in line with

Definitely gotta go with the regional standard. A-League, K-League, J-League. Then  in Japan they have the J2-League so we'd be foolish not to follow that.

Expect to get A-League Premier and A-League1 Challenge or some shit.