Thanks for this mate as well as the kind words.

Cant believe i missed this banger of an article. A lot of this has begun being reported by the FNR station. According to AAFC, APFCA, PFA, FSA theyre was an understanding after the meeting that the metrics havent been good enough. The Aleague will become independent and i can see a second division down the path. Sooner rather than later.

"Sadly, Sydney’s mainstream football media hasn’t quite kept pace with the shifting interest. While there has been some reporting across the FFA Cup scene, it’s often been the work of the Football NSW media team to deliver video highlights of every NPL1 game and an NPL2 game of the round, a weekly preview show and comprehensive match reports, and a few of us regulars across social media, particularly Eric Subijano, who have kept fans updated on the progress of the competition."

Cockerill was a big loss. 

National second division is kicking off with or without FFA

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You're making me a tad emotional. I remember having a chat with Mike at Bentleigh v Vuck FFA Cup game. He was very passionate about this and i loved how he spoke. He got the fire in my belly started and i refuse to let his good work go to waste.

As a journo he got it wrong often, but there's no denying the passion he had for the game. 

I would say he challenged people's thinking. Asking far out questions at times but nonetheless bringing alternative issues and thinking into the mainstream media.

MarkFromCroydon

I understand your posting pertaining to player payments.

Tony Tannous IMO is the best Football writing journalist in the country and has been for many years. 

If you have been around long enough he use to write the 'round ball analyst" pre Hal...

His contacts combined for his passion for the game and his unbelievable honesty  have in my mind made him a person to watch and respect.

Just above I posted one of his recent articles about the NPL.

I will cut and pace a little from the article and I think this is how it may work for the second division.



Player will train three nights a week and build a career outside Football and the best will move on.... to me that sounds great ... see if you are good enough and build a career outside Football if your not.

Not perfect but I think it goes a long way to answering your question in one they are being paid certainly enough for 3 nights a week and a weekend game. Remember this is from one of the most trusted Football journalist in Australia ... 

Having life after football is great...

The pathway encourages more to give football a go as a career and if things don't work out then it can be the other.

Hope you right... I hope Hal is independent within months nay weeks ... as for a second division and P & R l would rather wait an extra couple of year and get it right rather than rush in and fuck it up...

Rabieh Krayem head of the AAFC recently wrote an article on the Roar http://www.theroar.com.au/2018/02/26/aafc-what-we-want-and-why/

He posted in part the following re timing ... 

"""All of us at AAFC would like to see promotion and relegation.

We have a target of 2024 but if that’s not feasible, it’s not feasible. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have it as an aspiration. And it certainly doesn’t mean Australian football shouldn’t aim to comply with FIFA Statutes on this, and other, issues.""

It seems a reasonable target. It would coincide with the end of the current & start of new tv/media deal.

Like in several countries the top 2 divisions should be sold together. Then have the appropriate split of revenues eg 80-20.
Saves lol administration costs and hiring 2 consulting firms.

Currently the HAL purportedly brings in $80m a year Assume 2 new teams in 2019/2020, a 3 year plan to go to 14 teams and P & R from 2024/2025.  Second division could start at 16 teams. An expanded league and second division you would think would bring in more than currently. However, if an independent HAL received all their purported income even, at $80m you could give each of the Division 1 teams $5m and each of second division teams $1m to go towards extra travel and accommodation costs and still have $4m to run the independent HAL. We had a national semi=pro league in 1977 - why not now.

I believe we need to be bullish. If Gallop had been the first CEO I doubt we would have had the first season of the HAL yet. At that time the first TV deal was I believe $750,000. It didn't stop the people 'investing' in teams. Incrementalism, if you can even call it that, is killing the HAL. Now is the time for the powers that be to grow same balls. They should be talking the future up, not by some 'where bigger than you' rhetoric with the other codes, but by showing a vision where each reasonably sized region or areas of a city can have a team to call their own. Two divisions if the start - but a proper pyramid where players and supporters can see that their team has the opportunity to become the best in the nation., 

There are some big international players wanting to invest in the HAL, whether that is in existing teams, expansion teams or a second division. Now is the time to make the next quantum leap.

Sure it's good for them but when a second division comes in it will need to be fully professional, meaning players play and train full time.

This part time nature is part of the reason NPL players aren't ready to step up. Ideally kids are coming through the youth ranks training at a high level and then becoming fully professional in the first or second division. They then have options all over the world including increasingly in SE Asia.

There will always be a step up.

The important thing is providing an environment for that second division to grow professional. Its not happening in its current state because the financial opportunities are restricted. Limited junior numbers, no coverage and no transfer fees.

Yep don't forget the players still studying uni, etc.

One thing the NRL did with their National Youth comp was all players had to be doing some form of work based training or study whilst playing. Which isn't a bad idea either.

https://www.centralwestunitedfc.com

Another budding bid for entry into lower leagues.

Not dissimilar to Central Coast in population and players.

What a goal.

Lol looking at the pictures, of course Wade Park is in Orange because it looks like the worst stadium.

Flop of a franchise inbound. If youre looking at nothing other than player registration and population youre in trouble.

They haven't done their research (or a grammar check). The proposed championship is only open to clubs that have played in an NPL competition for 2 seasons prior.

Only a passport stopped Niko Udjur from trialing overseas

Manly coach Warren Grieve and Sydney FC player Niko Udjur.
Manly coach Warren Grieve and Sydney FC player Niko Udjur. Photo: submitted
Canberra high performance coach Andy Bernal just sent one of his proteges to Celtic FC and the former Socceroo says it was only a passport that stopped him from sending a second.

Niko Udjur worked his way through the ACT representative teams before joining the Sydney FC in the National Premier League 12 months ago.

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Bernal sent Belconnen United's Leo Mazis to trial at Celtic and the 17-year-old signed with the Scottish powerhouse in January.

Udjur, 19, played for the Sky Blues under-20 side last season and made his NPL first-grade debut in a trial against reigning NSW champions Manly last Sunday.

The teenager impressed and will likely become a regular in first grade this season and Bernal said the midfielder could be playing overseas had his paperwork been different.

"This kid is the real deal and if he had a European passport I would have sent him to trial over there," Bernal said.

"He went up to Sydney to join the best club in Australia and play with their under-20 team and I think he'll go really again this year."

Udjur has played in Europe before when he spent time training with the Barcelona under-12 while on a family holiday in 2010.

The highly touted No. 6 wants to make his mark in first-grade this season and said the ultimate goal is to play in Europe one day.

"I went on holiday and my dad had surprised me and organised for me to train with the Barcelona under-12 team," Udjur said.

"I spent a few weeks there and played one game for them and got some really good feedback with coaches, the set up they had was amazing.

"The level over there was crazy compared to Australia, it's just a different world, they follow the same training models through all the age groups and you can really see why the first team is so successful."

Udjur overcame a broken collarbone last season that required 10 screws and a plate. He now wants to cement his spot in first-grade and chip away at his goal of playing A-League.

"There's always a few boys going up to train with the A-League team and they've signed a few guys from the NPL side, so there's opportunities if you're proving yourself," Udjur said.

Manly coach Warren Grieve spent fives years in Canberra as a technical director at Capital Football and backed Udjur as a player to watch.

"I coached Niko in high the performance programs in Canberra and he's a young lad that has progressed quickly," Grieve said.

"There's a long way to go but featuring in NYL and NPL for Sydney is a great feat, he's done very well."

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/act-sport/canberra-teenager-niko-udjur-makes-npl-firstgrade-debut-for-sydney-fc-20180303-h0wy3j.html

The proposed championship? Proposed by who? .Certainly not by the FFA and they are currently the ones (purportedly) running football.

The second and eventually the third tier of a national competition will involve both NPL teams and regional teams. The South Eastern Melbourne bid is not an NPL team. Victoria Patriots is not an NPL team. The AAFC, the people that are supposedly championing better access for everyone basically wants to cut out access for everyone that is not currently based in a major city. This region btw has around 4 times the number of registered players that Geelong has. 

The revenue claimed to be generated by the A-League seems to go up every time I see it mentioned.
If you use the 2017 Review figures:-
 $105m - FFA Revenue.
 
Items that have nothing to do with the A-League are:-
$5.2m - Host Government payments for the rights to host Socceroos/Matildas games,
$8.4m - Grants from ASC, FIFA, AFC for specific purposes and away WC Qualifiers,
$2.2m - Prize money for participation in the Confederations Cup,
$9.7m - Registration and Affiliation payments collected by the State Federations for the FFA,
$0.4m - FFA Cup Gate receipts,
$4.1m - Socceroos Gate Receipts.
$30m - Total

Minor revenue that is partially A-League generated:-
$2.2m - Merchandise revenue for A-League clubs and the Socceroos/Matlidas,
$4.2m - Other, including recoveries from player insurance, match fees for international club matches and match fees for away friendlies.
$6.4m - Total - Assume $2m for FFA

Major revenue that is partially A-League generated:-
$39.4m - Broadcast Rights.  APFC claim 90% of viewing is A-League so say $4m is Rights to FFA events.
$26.2m - Sponsorship. With Caltex sponsoring the Socceroos, Hyundai extending their sponsorship to the international teams etc, say $6m to FFA.
$65.6m - Total - Assume $10m for FFA.

Using those figures, out of the $105m the amount that is A-League generated is $63m so even if that understates the situation a claim of $80m seems quite excessive.

When looking at what could be distributed to clubs from that figure you have to subtract the operating costs of the A-League.  Those costs include match officials payments, travel for teams/match officials, marketing and media, finals hosting, administration, professional services, commissions on merchandise, betting control, doping control, club licensing etc.

Another factor that needs to be considered is that contra ($5m) on the broadcast rights and in-kind services from sponsors ($3m) are included in the revenue figures and have to be deducted when looking for available cash.  Of that $8m say $5m might be attributed to the A-League and as such the cash available for distribution to the clubs is another $5m less.

For the sake of calculations assuming the cash available for distribution is $60m then if the 16 2nd Division clubs were given $1m then the 14 A-League clubs would get $400k less than they are getting this season.  If increased sponsorship etc brought the available cash up to $80m then the A-League clubs would get $4.5m each.

Great article by Tony Tannous as always. He also writes great articles on theroar.com.au website.

I’ve always said this, yes we can have a national 2nd Division up and running. With a solid plan, it could be up running within 18 months or so, 2 yeas at the most.
The funding is the biggest issue. Clubs like South Melbourne and other big clubs can come out and beat their chest and tell everybody how well funded they are, and that’s great, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the new competition will be well funded.

In my opinion, and I’ve said this since the whole idea of a 2nd Div was floated yonks ago, that it can happen and it can work, but it needs to be semi professional, at least for the first 3-5 years or maybe more (maybe ongoing) till they get some serious funding across the board, so that costs stay down and clubs suddenly don’t have to find $3m-$4m per year.

Clubs can run similarly to like they do now, perhaps with a couple of paid functions each, a GM, an Operations person, a President perhaps, office staff, their players can still train 3-4 nights a week, and play on the weekends. Players will then have a choice of being able to work around football for extra income, run a small business or study. I’d say currently the average wage in the NSW or ViC NPL is probably $400-$500 a week in the seniors. The better players get $1000 and some get more.

Currently NPL games charge $10-$15 at the gate to get in most of the time, that’s probably as high as it can be, you can’t increase that, otherwise nobody will turn up. So not much extra money can be made front the gate, except of course for growing the gate and getting more people along to games. Things like memberships and a little bit of merchandise will also help, plus food and drink at suburban venues where these clubs can actually make some money from.

Greater exposure, a greater league with greater importance, all these things should add up to more revenue from sponsors and the like, so that’s another big potential revenue stream.

But the biggest thing will be to get a large competition sponsor or sponsors, which will go a long way to pay the 3 things that cost the most, and they are travel and accommodation for clubs and the league administration, as this need to be separate from the FFA, as does the A-league one.

But none of the will happen, till the A-league becomes independent, which I think will be soon, possibly before the next season starts, or not long after. So A-league independence and a change of the financial model for the top tier clubs I think will happen soon, and needs to happen first, and that’ll pave the way for the next pressing issue, which is a 2nd Division in my opinion.

For me, regardless if we get a 2nd Division started in the next 6 months (which I highly doubt) promotion and relegation is still some way off, at least 5 years or so, perhaps more, but that’s ok. Because if all these other things start happening, the fans will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that’s all we want at the end of the day, football progress.

The problem is he writes about the misconception that gate makes up a significant portion of revenue. The modern game relies on tv dollars and the sponsorship that comes from it (shirt, corporate deals, advertising hoardings etc). Gate wont get you much in a second div as you said. 10 bucks per person will net you 10s of thousands but tv deals can net a couple million.

Not my figures - just those mentioned by owners - but it doesn't really matter. Using your figures doesn't change the argument. A grant of $4.5 million would mean turn a number of HAL clubs from economic drains on their owners to at least a break even figure. Then when you consider the effect of negating the staleness factor and the increased youth development opportunities making a quantum leap makes a lot more sense than limping along as we are.

I have seen lots of figures claimed by owners including Sage sending a tweet claiming 90% of FFA revenues, Di Pietro giving a speech saying 70% and Griffin in a quote in an article claiming the $32.5m offered to the clubs was "less than 50% of "direct revenue" which puts the figure above $65m.  Which is correct?  We don't know but I suspect Di Pietro and Griffin are closer to the mark.  In reality all the figures claimed are not net of expenses, contra and in-kind contributions from sponsors so the total distribution available is some $12m-$20m less than whatever figure is right.

The argument is that the money isn't there to pay the A-League clubs $4.5m and 2nd Division clubs $1m unless revenue is raised significantly and by significantly I mean $20m+ and thats without discussing whether the $8m distribution to the State Feds should be retained.

I'd love it if football could be resourced properly so we don't need to keep limping along but it will take more revenue than we have and it will require all parts of the game to work together to chart a course and keep heading there.  Unfortunately in the 60 years I have followed the game here that has rarely happened.

Byrd spreads wings with move to Sydney FC Youth Academy

AT SYDNEY FC: Emmanuel Byrd is with their youth academy.
AT SYDNEY FC: Emmanuel Byrd is with their youth academy. Warren Lynam
FOOTBALL: Emmanuel Byrd has been busy making a name for himself since relocating to Sydney after earning a contract with football powerhouse Sydney FC's Youth Academy.

Better known by his nickname "Manny”, the Sunshine Coast product is described by his father Dan as an extremely confident young man who is driven to achieve his goals.

Joining the academy at Sydney FC was a crowning achievement for the 15-year-old but sacrifices had to be made along the way.

"The move to Sydney is a big change but an exciting change, too,” Manny said.

"My family will be there (in Sydney) along with family friends, so that's really good for me.”

Byrd senior said Manny wasn't making the move alone, with his parents taking turns at commuting between Bokarina and Sydney to best provide support.

"He (Emmanuel) is very independent but we feel he needs close family support during this big transition,” Byrd senior said.

"One parent will be with him most of the time.

"We also have several family friends helping out as well.”

Byrd senior said that while Manny missed his friends back home in Queensland, the young star had previously attended training camps at Sydney FC which ultimately helped calm his nerves before joining the academy full-time.

And Manny agrees.

"I'm not nervous at all,” he said.

"I have been training on and off with the boys for a while now.”

A naturally gifted athlete, Manny was quick to praise his former school and club for the roles they had played in his development as a person and player.

"Kawana Waters State College and Redlands United FC club challenged me,” he said.

"They helped me to progress as an athlete.”

Manny's former high school football mentor Adam Walker coached the young attacking midfielder for two years at Kawana's School of Excellence for Soccer and said he was "extremely proud” of the man Manny was turning out to be.

"This opportunity is a massive achievement for Emmanuel,” he said.

"He is polite, well-mannered and respectful.

"He is driven and you know he is really striving to make a career out of football.”

Manny is one of a select group from Kawana Waters State College to earn a contract with different youth academies in the past couple of years but he is the first athlete to move interstate.

"To be selected from Queensland into a NSW team shows that he has shown something special,” Walker said.

Walker and Byrd's father agree that if the rising star continues to excel at his current rate while staying focused, a professional contract is a definite possibility in the future.

"If Emmanuel continues as he is going and is exposed to the elite side of football at Sydney FC, I can definitely see him playing professionally in the future,” Walker said.

Byrd senior said his son had already settled in well at Sydney FC and was making the most of his opportunity since leaving the Coast.

"They are treating him very well,” he said.

"It's a very professional environment down here (Sydney FC).

"The training facilities at Valentine Sports Complex are second to none in Australia.”

Last year was a big year for Manny, who was fortunate enough to train at the Liverpool FC Academy and Tottenham Hot Spurs.

He was named Outstanding Player of the Year for the Kawana Waters State College School of Excellence program.

Manny said the next step towards earning that professional contract was to learn the systems at Sydney FC's Youth Academy and continue to play "smart and dominant” football.

https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/byrd-spreads-wings-with-move-to-sydney-fc-youth-ac/3353171/

A-LEAGUE

FFA chairman Steven Lowy issues call to arms over game’s future and fires broadside at A-League clubs

Tom Smithies Exclusive, The Daily TelegraphAugust 5, 2017 12:01amSubscriber only

FOOTBALL Federation Australia chairman Steven Lowy is staking his position at the head of Australian football on a call to arms that seeks to persuade FIFA, and many within the sport here, that he is the man to lead the game out of its civil war.IN FULL: Read Lowy’s ‘message to the football community’ hereJust 72 hours before a FIFA delegation arrives to rule on the future structure of the sport, Lowy’s “message to the football community” fires a broadside across the bows of the A-League club owners, and warns the game’s grassroots they would be harmed by funnelling more resources to the A-League.The 2000-word document spells out why he believes an independent A-League cannot be allowed, and accuses the clubs of engineering a “return to the bad old days of self-interest” from which football would “suffer the inevitable results”.Amid a series of claims that will infuriate the A-League clubs, Lowy says the game must decide whether it is “managed on behalf of all of those who participate in and love the game or is controlled by narrow interests”.

He also disputes the level of losses claimed to have been incurred by the club owners, and tells them they are in any case investing in an appreciating asset.After a series of acrimonious verbal and written exchanges over the past few months, Lowy’s missive underlines the entrenched positions of both “sides” in a battle for control that has pitched the clubs against the board of FFA.The FIFA delegation will rule on whether compromise can be reached on the sharing of power in FFA’s Congress — the annual meeting that elects the board. So far FFA has offered only three votes to the A-League clubs, including one for the W-League teams, out of a proposed 13 in total, with the players’ union getting one.FFA has promised that other interest groups, like referees and futsal, would eventually be given a vote in a second stage of reform, but the A-League clubs have demanded at least 25 per cent of the total number of votes.In his statement, Lowy says the A-League “was created by FFA on behalf of the whole football community and is for the benefit of that football community... For much of its short history, the A-League has been subsidised by other revenues such as those generated from Socceroos matches and government grants.”In effect he is warning the clubs that they don’t “own” the league, just a week after their collective body, the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association, explicitly called for an independent A-League.Lowy also claims that the A-League consumes some 60 per cent of FFA’s income, but says the clubs want to take that closer to 80 per cent through a larger central grant — cutting money available for the Socceroos and grassroots by half to $23m. He also notes that half the clubs are foreign owned “with little or no connection to Australian community football or our national teams”.IN FULL: Read Lowy’s ‘message to the football community’ hereAll three parties involved — the clubs, players union and FFA — are likely to come under extreme pressure from FIFA to find a compromise that can be in place by November. Otherwise FIFA will sack the current leadership — FFA’s board — and install a so-called “normalisation committee” to take charge

There is also within Australia a perception of Football that bears little to the truth of what it is..... a couple of flares will result in sometimes months of negativity from lets call them """ Main Stream """ folk.... 

Given we need if we want the revenue to grow both a second division and P & R, we need sponsors, broadcasters and eyes on screens of all kinds..... and  however weird and unfair we need to  change the conversation ..

This is where the collective Football stakeholders have all let us down... tis easy to simply blame FFA ... and even if they are the major voice that others also do little is also IMO a major cancer.

We need our collective leadership groups, and in this I include FFA, A-League clubs and major Football media writers, and lower clubs wanting to be part of a larger family.

We need these groups to explain Football cultural, and fan behaviour and what it means.

Small example, a radio sports broadcaster I was listening too was commenting on the marches by WSW and MV fans and how they all raised their fists in Nazi salutes and were screaming… its scary, its unnecessary and much worst was said.

It was made out as louts running a muck and being totally out of control.

We need to explain to the broader community, they are worried about nothing they are simply singing and its common world over.

The MLS via one of their sponsors have been running a very successful series called """ the movement""" which takes Football cultural and very cleverly does not say it needs toning down but shows the excitement and that there is nothing to be afraid off.

I will post a couple youtubes here as an example  and from these you can watch others as they should appear on links alongside … but this is very very clever.. the first vid could be the RBB and it makes you excited... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4eM0tcMzD4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAp3dFsoHrM&t=179s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwStqSx7XuI&t=86s

Football should focus on clubs. Not leagues. Support your club.