The key point is that a booming A League is in their interests. 

So  the  league  that  the  FFA  built  from  scratch  in  just 15 years,  even  after  Covid,  is still  by my  calculations   valued  in  the   vicinity  of half  a  Billion  dollars ? (based on   this  sale)

Wow. 

Very happy with the cash injection but suspect there won't be much (if any) useful money for the clubs.

Certainly a bit for the APL and I really do hope a lot is spent on building that media capacity for generating content. Despite the lowliness of our league (by world standards) my understanding is that it is broadcast in some 70 - 80 countries, or at least it was. Maybe that's where Silver Lake see the growth potential?

It won't build a stadium for the Mariners though... or even help negotiate a lease with CC Council.

Well, in truth, the only thing that really matters is that they find a buyer wishing to pay more than they did for their stake.
That might coincide with a booming A-League.
Then again, the $130 million they've paid is at the very bottom end of their usual array of investments.
It may or may not matter to them a whole  lot.

The NZ rights generate bugger all, and they actually have a team in the comp!
Hard to imagine anyone anywhere paying more than that (pretty sure the return is about as close to zero as you can possibly get).

The key is investing in long term assets not for paying ongoing bills over the next couple of years...

You should lol at the dopes that will spend their hard earned wages gambling on the results of matches in this league big fella. As far as I know the results of matches between Alibaba vs Skype don't get bet on online.....  Its ok if they come right out and say its "sportertainment" like wrestling, but while they are still pretending its a football competition its a bit suss that the lines of "ownership" are so blurred wouldn't you say? 

I see why you call yourself mono...

I actually find your repartee insightful and amusing most of the time but it must be exhausting trying to convince yourself the A-League isn't football.

Which is why i think Marquees will be a part of their strategy to grow the league. No one overseas gives a toss about watching Australian players develop. They do however care about big name players. When we had ADP our Italian viewership went up for example. It dropped as soon as he left which is why you need to have them consistently. MLS grew their international audience through Zlatan, Gerrard, Rooney, Beckham, Lampard, etc

Personal insults aside, are YOU not concerned that the opportunities for match fixing are now doubled if not tripled?
What would you call a so called "sporting competition" were franchises own a stake in each other, where one "club" effectively is financially in bed with a consortium that now owns 30% of the league??? I must be naïve but that, to me, is alarming. "MLS lite" is not the "golden standard" that will make our sport grow, make our playing pool better and create an environment where all Australians can enjoy and appreciate this glorious, beautiful game we all love. Even the yanks are starting to see the light and the grumbling from fans and clubs below the money tiers is growing ever louder over there... why must we look to one failing example instead of following the 200+ other , better examples of leagues around the world?

A-League or APL or Aleagues Men's, Women's and Children's or Isuzu Trucks event series or whatever they are now calling themselves may very well play the sport of football, however this is now, clearly, incidental as their goal (self declared by the way - just have look back at all of Lederer and Townsend's decelerations over the last few months) is to generate "content" for public consumption. A-League Franchises currently may very well PLAY football (currently) but they are NOT Football mate.

In truth, this is actually a great thing for real football in this country. It marks the "line in the sand" moment where the A-leagues competitions cease to be the financial burden on the other 700+ clubs in the country and we can focus on creating what we have never had in this country, a true football pyramid from amateur to National NPL, all interconnected.... 

Well said.
It's very hard to put your finger on it, but it's pretty clear that we are now as far away from a real football comp as you can get.
And the fact that people keep mentioning the MLS as the gold standard for us to follow tells you a lot.
For example, this deal pretty much spells the end of ever having P&R, although it's hard to express in words why I think that is the case, but it just is.
All I can say is that things are set up for the investors, and more than likely, that means decisions which are not about football, or at least, do not have football as a priority.
People are hoping it means that a better football comp develops because  that will help the investors, but in truth, it's just as easy to mount the opposite argument (a la MLS).
In other words, investors trading in franchises and equity for the sole purpose of making money is NOT the same thing as creating a quality football comp.

Exactly right.
If my some miracle of miracles I am wrong and Silver Lake's $130 million investment goes towards building training grounds and stadiums for (even the Alegaue franchises) football this would be a great and glorious day for all of football indeed but as it stands.... Its no different than investing in bitcoin or shares or real-estate ... the product doesn't matter, just how much of a buck they can make from it... That, to me, is NOT a good result for the sport in this or any country. 

Frankly, that'd be due to them being an American consortium and therefore not culturally-inclined to make pro/rel a reality.

I don't ever remember the 10% for $30m.  Last reports was that they were selling max 25%.

Now, Silverlake, CFG and 3 others will have a majority.

I'd imagine there'd be all sorts of assurances given to the owners of the clubs and this mob to 'protect' their investment in both directions.

I can't believe we sit here in 2021 still talking about, maybe, possibly, you never know P & R.

Fuck these fucking idiots.



How's the send division shaping up BTW?

Given Silver lake are content drivers... I would have through having a second div and P & R would drive content... 

Maybe its just me, but they are investing in the league not clubs... therefore the bigger the league gets the more their investment will grow...

It is not clear either way... if they are3 anti P & R... 

Tell you what mate, maybe you are correct but I really don't think so.
I read your comments about having an insider in Channel 10 or was it CBS? Why dont you pose the question:
"When do you plan to implement a national second division?
and when they inevitably reply with the same old "no money" line ask:
"Well what else is the 130 million going to be used for?"
I think youll get the answers you seek :)

Dead in the water so far...... Only great news lately, in VIC at least, is the state sporting grants have lead to a dozen or so local clubs getting some much needed funding and updated facilities... 

Hedge funds don't like P&R.  It's never going to happen. Ever. 

Isn't that a question for the FA?

They'll own 30% of the comp, whoevers competing in it.

What if they get to own 30% of 2 divisions that more people are interested in?

Just to confirm, he is not a Ch 10 or CBS employee... he is a sports journalist [mostly written / online] and has a lot of connections across all FTA networks.... like most sports journalist today he has to be across two to three codes ... 

He said he was / is astounded at the effort 10 are putting in and the drive and commitment they have towards making Football work for 10... he went so far as to say 10 have poached a couple of staff from 9 & 7 in certain areas... to help it work..

He gave the impression the effort being put in by 10 is kinda a surprise to many... outside 10...

In fact I agree with pretty much all of that, except the highlighted part.

I want nothing more than for football to be the best it can possibly be in this country and that absolutely requires the fully connected pyramid.

But don't tell a rusted on Mariners supporter, or Victory supporter or any other supporter who goes along to every match and experiences the oscillation of joy and grief that they're not watching (and part of) football.

As I've said before, one of the happiest days in my life will be when South are promoted on merit to the AL. Then we might agree.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe you should ask him the question anyway... It would be good if a journalist asked the questions we all want answers too and not just helping perpetuate the myth that "all is well" with football in this country?

Let's think about from a pure investment vehicle perspective.  Hedge funds buy football clubs for example in order to increase their value over a specified or unspecified period of time. The A League certainly has growth potential ( again, purely from a money pov ) however if the 2nd Division was added & if P&R was added would it offer the same scope for a growth in value?  And let's be honest here, does a 2nd Division offer enough interest from a ratings, fans, sponsorship, clicks & ad revenue point of view to really be able to team it to your primary investment vehicle ( the A League,Socceroos,Matilda's ) to get something out of it?  I'm sceptical however happy to be proven wrong.   

Mate, no beef whatsoever with the supporters of these clubs - especially the ones who have jumped on board with the surge of the sports popularity over the last 15 years... Anyone under the age of 30 or so who is an Aleague supporter, or even the new ones over that age that didnt follow the sport in this country before are well regarded in my books (as for the turncoats who abandoned their old NSL clubs to jump on board a new franchise .... well I think they are the lowest form of bandwagoner to be honest but thats their problem). Ofcourse these clubs have established rusted on support (even the newest abominations will over time I guess?) but that's not the issue here. In fact that is one of the few strength the Aleague brought, a whole bunch of people who engaged with a club and the sport of football who otherwise might not have.... 
The issue is that the APL and their new financial bedfellows are running the sport as a business, even in the darkest days of the NSL soccer was at the core of all issues. Fame and prestige (and political clout I suppose) from having a strong club, promoting their own agendas, being a celebrity in their own circles etc etc whatever the reason the previous Soccer Australia mob did all the ridiculously scandalous things they did it was always soccer at the heart of it.. When I hear the head of APL and the CEO of FA describe the sport I love as "content" I guess that just gets my goat.....

Modern football, modern football.  :laugh::hehe:   For the past 10 years global professional football is essentially a branding exercise that drives the business.  Sad, I know.   

It's important to remember that if/when the 2nd Div is introduced, it will not be owned or operated by the APL in any way shape or form. It will be solely a FA product. That may change at some point in the future, but the current direction is that the FA will own and operate the second division. That means it will essentially be a not-for-profit just like the A-League was prior to it's recent independence. That means that investment into the 2nd div will only really come from sponsorship, government grants and broadcast deals. 

I want to get an "Against Modern Football" T-shirt but dont have a pay pal account..... hahahahahahahahahahahah

Well - I'm one of the turncoats. Lived in the inner west and went to Lambert Park to watch Apia and Leichhardt Oval for Balmain in the NSWRL - member of both at the time. Moved to the Central Coast in the mid eighties. Followed the local rep football sides then. My kids joined Gosford City Dragons, the Mariners were born, their Academy came along, the Central Coast Lightning reformed in the State League as Central Coast United.

My teams are now all Central Coast related but I still retain a soft spot for Apia.