This is a great concept, hopefully some backers will get behind this.



What do you think about the FourFourTwo article States Prepare For Australian Premier League ?
EXCLUSIVE: Details of a new national second division called the Australian Premier League have been revealed which appears set to bring state league sides into a nationwide competition.

Have your say.

Loving all the positive news lately =)

So not satisfied with rushing new clubs into the game, we're going to rush a whole new division? I'll contain my excitement until we learn more about it.

Excellent!! It sounds like they want it as soon as possible. Should give us some more bucks with a TV deal too I know Id watch it.

That said, pleasing to see such an initiative get off the ground, I just hope it's planned and introduced properly.

All the talk in this article is Qld centric. Are we to assume that Qld premier league is the only state premier league that has commited to the "B-League" concept. Where are the Green Gully's, Marconi's, Sth Melb's? Great concept in theory, and kudos to the FFA for trying to implement a B league. Truth is if the FFA is serious they need commitment from the big VIC and NSW premier league clubs to show strong interest in the cause. Without the participation of the big traditional state clubs(and I include the Brissie Srikers as traditional) the competition will lack serious credibility and talent.

SmellsLikeV: I wouldn't exactly call the Strikers traditional. They were formed after two previous Brisbane based teams dropped out of the NSL. They had no previous tie to any of the traditional football elements within the city (eg Lions, Rovers, City). In some ways, in addition to Glory and Adelaide United, they were somewhat of a model for the non-aligned, no-history franchises that came to form the A-League. They were also ridiculously close to being the city's A-League representative back in 2004 when expressions of interest were sought. Only the large amount of money that Queensland Lions got by selling their old name Brisbane Lions to the newly merged Fitzroy-Bears AFL team got the Lions-backed Roar consortium over the line.

Brilliant idea, but hold off promotion and relegation between this league and the A-League.

If the FFA can do this, massive kudos.

im sure these questions will be answerd in time but will the b.league have salary cap? who will pay for a club for example sydney united to fly 50 people or so(first/youth and staff) interstate? will there be relegation if so how will the determine the promotie? and im sure there are many questions which should be answered soon but im willing to give it a go

Aint gonna happen!!!!

SmellsLikeV - makes a good point but i think this is at least a step in the right direction.

Division between FFA and the state leagues needs to end we all need to come together for the good of the game.

This.

Fury + GCU equivalents are musts surely (pleeeease)! Either that or make the Stars a proper football team instead of a squad that borrows Runaway Bay...

I reckon this will be an ultra-low cost league, proper clubs driven by proper fans without the constraints of FFA licensing regulations.

Another question, summer or winter?

If this actually gets of the ground my jaw will hit the floor.

I agree with everything you say, though they did win a title, thus they have some history in Aussie national football. Was trying to appease the Bris fans before they came attacking. If there was a B-league, the Strikers would seem to be the logical choice for a Qld state entry.

Edited by SmellsLikeV: 3/5/2012 11:26:42 PM

Honestly, I'll be surprised if it even gets close to getting off the ground.

+1. I thought this was just an unsubstantiated rumour, but maybe, just maybe, there's something in this. Would be utterly fantastic if something does happen!

Mr Bozza, the bitters are welcomed back again.
Apparently...

Aren't there major reforms happening to the NSW Premier League too. I'm not 100% sure of what's behind that, but AFAIK, FNSW are moving to push Associations to represent the NSW Premier League, thus pushing the established clubs out. Perhaps this could be a way for them back into a some-what serious competition.

I can only assume this "2nd Division" would be professional, or will it be semi-pro?

And wasn't there a rumour of the FFA or somebody trying to merge the NSW Premier League and the Victorian Premier League, or was that just some bitter ethnics wet dream?

Was wandering the same thing , i think it would be semi pro though?

Mixed feelings about this; Ok we get the B-league but lose the QSL in the process. This just shifts the goal post in creating full promotion-relegation in Aus. So what will be left as the top league for queensland?

Wow, exciting stuff! I guess everyone's next thought is 'relegation/promotion', which would be awesome, but it's clearly years off in Australia just yet.
I don't know much about what happens to a relegated team (having never followed the championship closely), but I assume it's tough... as in very few current A-League sides would survive a drop. So what would need to happen to make this system viable? My guess would be really dedicated supporter bases, and, more importantly, a really strong B-League that stands on its own as a spectacle. Anyone know more about this stuff? I'm only guessing.

Great news. Clive Palmer isn't involved and the name B-League is being mentioned (so presumably the name Australian Premier League isn't definitive).

I'm sure this is the tip of the iceberg and the relevant parties have made sure a lot of provisional and half-baked ideas haven't been leaked. Hope to learn of more good news as details are released in the future.

Ok im up for this to happen but someone answer these questions
Wheres the funding coming from?
What teams the FFA are thinking of putting into this?
Are we going to a league full of old NSL teams?
Are the FFA going to put teams back in Nth Qld, Gold Coast?
And what about these areas who have been bidding for a A-league entry (Canberra, sth coast nsw and tassie)
What crowd to they expect of a game in they play this in summer? (Honestly what crowd would you u get for a Brisbane strikers game when the Roar are playing the same day)

I'm not too fond of the idea but thats only cause I dont really get it.
I thought the FFA were broke. if they're doing this prop up the foxtel deal then I wonder how much thought has really gone into this.

LIke others have said, it seems have QLD centric so far.
is it really worth killing off the state league for one or teams from qld joining this?

Is this a knee jerk reaction against Clive Palmer.

so the point of the b-league is to have a cup competition or even a promotion/relegation system in years to come?

@st_timmi78
I have no idea where the funding is and if its about letting in some old nsl teams to get those hardcore supporters back on their side and you'd think this was a way for areas like canberra and tassie to get their teams up and running but surely they would want a entry way into the a-league instead of being a feeder team.

I think for the time being most would prefer to be a at a brisbane roar game then a strikers game on the same day.

the line "The QSL and JPL licences will be merged and both go up for expressions of interest from clubs able to deliver on both." lends me to believe that the qsl will still remain but those clubs from qld that participate in the APL will have their youth team play in the QSL. The remaining QSL teams will only have to field their first teams.

A-League clubs are struggling now to get more bums on seats, to make a decent B-League competition would surely take fans from the A-League especially if it is cheap or free to go and watch unless it sticks to playing in winter.

Would have to be a winter comp.

there's not enough $ in the state league games to make this happen. not only will the costs of travel & player payments be taken into account, but all the guys from say a qld team will have to fly out to a different state every other week, and there'll be huge implications on lost time at work for many/most people that work as well as play state league football.

in saying all that, i'd love to see a newy state league side in this. i'd imagine broadmeadow magic would be the easiest choice as they have stood out as the best overall club in newy over the past 5-10 years. in saying that, adamstown rosebuds (although now in newcastle 2nd division) used to compete in the national league and it'd be good to have them doing that again.