SM Hellas will not exert themselves to maximize and capture broad base fans. I'm sure they will be just happy with their mono cultural community fan base to achieve 1500. Suggest we give them the franchise now.

NikousGreekcartel is coming...run for cover!

WSW have got a licence and are dishing up shit and just expect everyone to support them. A bit of competition for WSW might be good.

I tend to think there’s enough of a differentiation between Parramatta and Campbelltown for it not to be a big issue.

The mess of a bid that is Southern Sydney though I don’t think adds up. It needs to be far more targeted in its focus, with specific metrics to those areas, instead of trying to spread its catchment zone hundreds of Kilometers to get it to stand out more.

Leave Wollongong for the 2nd division, where they could have their own team.

Its 31km from Parramatta to Campbelltown Stadium and 23km from Parramatta to Allianz Stadium.  Campbelltown is plenty far enough away as you say.

Interestingly Campbelltown Stadium is the same distance from Wollongong Stadium as is the proposed stadium in Lotus.  No one would think of covering the Illawarra from Campbelltown yet for some reason these people do from Southern Sydney.

I agree that it is best to leave Wollongong for the 2nd division and possible promotion at some stage in the future.

Well I expect your full fledged support for SMFC from now on.  If a licence for them to enter the A League is a guaranteed way to destroy them utterly, why wouldn't you get on their bandwagon? 

You can get a discounted supporters T shirt right now!

https://www.redbubble.com/people/cindyn/works/273409-south-melbourne-fc?body_color=white&p=t-shirt&print_location=front&size=medium&style=mens&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=g.pla+notset&country_code=AU&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn5e8v9yP3wIVjoaPCh06XQTLEAkYASABEgJwiPD_BwE

Lots of good Chrissy presents at that site btw.  Especially if you are just buying them for yourself.

Lederer would have to invest more in his club if he wants to challenge, which i cant see that happening. Sydney FC will and continue be the dominant club for a while i reckon

What sort of idiot would splash out on a squad during the 3 years the club doesn't have a home ground?

Ray Gatt tweeting today that Southern Expansion approached MacArthur South West on Friday about a possible merger, but were declined.

If that were true, that would indicate FFA have already tapped them on the shoulder with bad news

He’s run a story in the Australian but it’s behind the paywall.

But yeah, I’d say that’s the case

So no SEX for A-League? Reminds me of my teenage years 😢

yep, pretty clear that the SEX bid is out of the running, that means that if four clubs are coming in, more than likely Canberra has taken their spot

SEX can put their money where their mouths are.
Create the side via the NPL and be the pioneer club for a second div & pro/rel.

Interesting news about SEX. Hope it’s true and they’re out.

If they were genuine, focus on ONE region and build a club there. I don’t think we would settle at 12 or 14 clubs. 16 is the sweet spot so they may as well get in place now...

That reminds me of the PFA map of Sydney in their national competition plan at the turn of the century that had southern and south western Sydney as the area for the third Sydney premier league club.  Was totally wrong then and would be totally wrong now.

Apart from South Melbourne, which has already been doing it, none of these bidders are interested in starting a club at the bottom.  They are paying big dollars to get into the top tier, and clearly, they'll have a guarantee of staying there for at least a decade

The SMH article on the Southern approach to join forces with Macarthur indicates that it was at FFA's suggestion.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/ffa-encourages-sydney-a-league-expansion-bids-to-join-forces-20181209-p50l60.html

Based on that if the ffa have suggested it that means SEX have no chance, btw what nonsense this is, the federation trying to merge 2 entities that don’t even exist lol.

The Board wanting to make their decision easier.  The idiotic thing is that SEX's main claim is that they're going to build their own stadium, all of a sudden, FFA wants them to join with South-West and play out of Campbelltown, sort of sounds like the board has little faith in SEX building its own stadium.

If the FFA did encourage the joining of the bids they might be a bit uncertain about the financial side of the Macarthur South West bid.

fundamentally the whole concept of SEX is a coming together of sorts

Yet thats what Australia is about, those big events and big crowds, to make the A-League attractive for investors and fans

its to also paint over the cracks too

I could see the ffa trying to merge south and team11 if the government is still playing hardball. Though i think they have come to agreement.

@Gyfox

FFA don’t have confidence in Walker Corp? Half of Parramatta is being built by them.

Maybe they just want money from SEX.

I think SEX are screwed.

It seems a century ago that the cornerstone of their bid was a 250 million dollar stadium. In the last year we've heard absolutely nothing about it. Instead, they've pitched the club as the travelling circus around southern Sydney and Wollongong. If FFA have tried to merge them and move them to Campbelltown, then it shows FFA weren't at all interested in their stadium proposal (or saw right through it). With that element of the bid sidelined, SEX is nothing more than a franchise thinking they can make a better go of it in much the same area as Sydney FC.

The only thing that I can think of is that Walker might have put a limit on his financial involvement into the bid documents.  AFR rate Lang Walker as the 17th richest Australian at a net worth of $3.47b so if he is all in then there wouldn't be any concerns.

I've read a few times that it was really just about a land grab

Hard to believe anyone ever thought anything different

I think Foz's involvement may have tricked some football fans into believing it was a real bid