Tremendous bump, Jeff.
What a blast from the past this article is. And where have all these user accounts gone?

The most sense a bot has ever written.

The FIFA delegation.

Uh oh. Too many ethnics involved...

Well, they've been meeting for 4 hours now .... I wonder if they had prawns for lunch??

and some bloke named Ravi Kumar

It's interesting that people are proposing what is fair is to have a percentage of revenue derived from the HAL as a fee payable to FFA.Of course this is very reasonable.It reinforces how unfair it is that Owners of HAL clubs currently get no fixed percentage of revenue their clubs generate.They get what FFA deems they deserve.

Well you'd think with City involved if the a-league does go independent maybe Etihad can negotiate a main sponsorship of the hal and provide air travel to a league and second div as part of the contract ? Who knows where things could stand sponsorship wise once all the shackles are loose and there's a chance for real investment and ownership

The compromise:-

The Independent A-League body is to run and fund the proposed 2nd division and the W-League and to provide lease payments to the FFA for the right to run these leagues.  (Lease payments is what the DFL pays to the DFB for the right to run Bundesliga and Bundesliga.2.)

The Independent A-League body is to pay a percentage of broadcast rights for all leagues to the FFA.  (As per Germany)

The Independent A-League body is to pay a percentage of gate takings from all leagues to the FFA.  (As per Germany)

The Independent A-League body is to pay a percentage of gate takings from all leagues to each State FA pro rata for attendances at games in that state.  (As per Germany)

The Independent A-League has to pay for all services provided for it by the FFA.  e.g. drug testing and match officials which are not allowed to be delegated by the FFA.

The Independent A-League body pays all travel/transport equalisation payments.
Discuss.

It would be no different ftom AFC allowing ISL to be 1st division along side I-League.

We will have 9 divisions 2s (8 NPL and 1 national NPL)

@ Bug Scott

You'd hope that's what they'd get, ideally with some financial support from the ffa but without the handcuffs the HAL gets.

That is important.

I also think it is important AAFC get a seat. And thus be able to set up a sanctioned 2nd division, instead of going down the rebel route which would fuck the cup. 

@ GyFox

Fifa won't be forcing anything on anyone, that's not his this will work. They are here to mediate and facilitate a compromise. When the A league, PFA and FFA have a deal Fifa will go home again. The Owners price for compromise will be an independent HAL, Lowy's price for an independent A league will be his survival and money. There's a deal on the table already I'm betting lol

@ Bug Scott

We're in a position now where the two parties with the most to lose, the FFA and HAL owners, will do a deal with each other that will pacify Fifa. The HAL owners don't want to control football they'll leave that to Lowy, Lowy doesn't want to control the HAL he just wants the money - there's the basis of a deal; HAL owners gain independence but get to subsidise Lowy and keep him in power for 6 more years. It'll look something like $4m now plus finals football revenue and keep anything new they get to raise.

If the HAL owners force lowy out they've no idea who they'll be dealing with next, and if Lowy pushes too hard he will be out and it will be humiliating.... that's the compromise.

I'd be surprised if FIFA forced an independent A-League on the FFA seeing their Standard Statutes that we have to comply with gives the example of both the championship and the cup being competitions that the MA might run.  

Article 75  Competitions

X organises and coordinates the following official competitions... [to be completed by the Association,  e.g. championship, cup]

The Executive Committee may delegate to X's subordinate Leagues the authority to organise competitions...

The Executive Committee may issue special regulations to this end.


It would be a bit two faced of them to insist on it here when they don't require it anywhere else.

There are now 2 top leagues in India. It is different. 

I-League winner goes to ACL. ISL goes to AFC Cup, the secondary comp.

So Indian top tier football still has pro rel 

Why would the AFC make p/r an issue to involve themselves in here when they told the AIFF that it was not an issue for them in India with regards to making the ISL their official top league.?

So the fate will be decided by a Georgian...

It may come from AFC.

It may also come from FFA who as they walk out the door of controlling the A-League throw in a grenade that is promotion and relegation. 

Either way, the earliest it would happen is in 6 years.

@ Bug Scott

What I'm saying is p/r won't be in the agenda this trip nor if we move to a normalising committee. After all it's not like it's an easy question to address.

So FIFA will twist arms and force compromise - the most likely one being an independent HAL and extended congress. p/r then goes on the "to do"list

I guess we are both agreed. 

Fuck the Lowys. 

@ RBB

We won't have long to wait at least; my point is/was that FIFA aren't coming to address p/r and anyone with high expectations will be disappointed (I hope I'm wrong mind).

AAFC represent ~130 clubs, that leaves a further 600 or so without a voice, no single organisation represents all the clubs. I think AAFC are going to be disappointed partly because of this and partly because they haven't built necessary alliances. While they're unlikely to agree everything with PFA/HAL that was the Dream ticket - the three organisations aligned could have got anything through. As it is, the HAL will get what they want, Lowy some of what he wants, and the rest will just wait.

Dont underestimate AFCs power in this. 

Australia joined AFC under curtain conditions.... some may even call it a "criteria."

AFC would be the ones to enforce it if anyone. 

You notice AFC have a representative in Australia as well. 

Bang on waz. Everyone needs to calm down. Nothing will get resolved in 3 days and only the governance issues will be resolved by November at the latest.

Waz, No FIFA aren't here to discuss promotion and relegation, but what do you think will happen when FIFA decides what the best governance model is for Australia. It will inevitably lead to the FFA losing control of football and the power will rest with the A-league clubs, the state federations and also the hundreds of NPL clubs across Australia. All FIFA needs to do is open up the congress to allow for a greater representation of football. Football is not representative of just the A-league, although it is an important part. Its not the clubs in the A-league that matter but the process of tiered football. Clubs should be able to come and go to the top tier but the process of getting there should always remain. All the AAFC need to do is state their case to FIFA, they represent more than just 10 clubs.

We don't want the bad old days of self interest to return
We don't want the NPL clubs to have any voting rights

They are aligned with Victoria. PFA should be supporting them as their eventual goal is to be professional. They do no need to support PFA.

PFA want things AAFC cannot complete atm. So they cant align with PFA totally. They are however in discussions and have a relationship. 

It is not in APFCAs interest to align with now. Only really if FFA enforce pro rel or Foxtel tell them to (for a future deal). 

But FIFA aren't coming to discuss promotion and relegation. The only deadlock they're going to break is the one over governance of the game and appropriate representation of stakeholders. That's as far as they will go - they're here for 3 days only.

I'm pretty sure a deal will be struck between FFA and HAL owners/PFA that leads to an independent A league now with a greater revenue share to come in about 5 years. In return the HAL owners will "lend their support to lowy" ensuring FIFAs new democracy doesn't take lowy down.

Allow about 2 years for things to settle down and then a working group will be set up to explore p/r options and timing; that will report back in about 2 years ....

AAFC appear to have NO friggin allies in this and are placing all their bets on FIFA (just study the US model to see what FIFA does, its nothing other than suggest it's a good/democratic principle).

The AAFC needed to get aligned with APFCA and PFA which they have failed to do 😞

FIFA asked FFA for a please explain and to handle the issue internally. Gallop was incensed that a representative of the clubs would go over his head and communicate directly with FIFA and AFC. On 11 March, Gallop emailed Zaitman clarifying that the licence extension for A-League clubs did not lock out any promotion and relegation system. Gallop also revealed a clause within the A-League participation agreement which:

“Expressly provide for the introduction by FFA of a promotion and relegation system for the A-League and furthermore that an A-League club’s continued participation in the A-League is subject to any such promotion and relegation system.”

There would be further correspondence between Zaitman and Gallop. Zaitman sent an email on 22 July demanding a firm commitment on the “time frame” for introduction of promotion and relegation. Gallop responded on 9 September, reinforcing his previous argument that the NPL and FFA Cup were the next stages in developing the second tier to get clubs up to the standard required for professional sport:

“This process is of course essential to enable the introduction of a promotion and relegation system that is sustainable and does not operate to the detriment rather than benefit of participating clubs, the A-League and Australian football generally. The appropriate timing of introduction of a promotion and relegation system will depend upon ensuring this sustainability.”

This correspondence started the battle between the so called “aspirational clubs”, who vie for the opportunity for a regular spot in Australia’s premier competition, and a national federation which is trying to balance the competing interests of club owners – who have effectively bankrolled the A-League – with the demands of AFC to fall in line with its competition guidelines. All of this is being played out while a cash strapped FFA try to grow football in a highly competitive market without sending the sport broke.
The restlessness of the aspirationals – Leopold Method

They cant do anything except to chose not to play in it. 

Say for example FIFA and AFC want second div with full pro/rel... and the clubs don't agree to that. What happens then ?