Red Devils pull out of running for B-League
By GAV MCGRATH Aug. 25, 2012, 1:21 a.m.

THE Ballarat Red Devils have officially pulled out of the running to secure a place in a new elite level statewide soccer league that is expected begin in 2014.

The club this week voted not to pursue a licence to compete in what is being touted as a “B-League” competition that will sit under the A-League as part of Football Federation Australia’s national competition review.

The decision opens the door for a consortium, likely to be made up of people from across the Ballarat soccer community and business people, to set up a club virtually from scratch to represent Ballarat in the future competition.

“The board meeting this week has made a formal decision that the Red Devils will not pursue an NCR (national competition review) or B-League licence,” Haymes Red Devils president Andrew Burgess said yesterday.

“The main thrust of our decision was the club would have had to dissolve 40-plus years of history and alienate the community football side of the club, which is the heart of the club.

“It would have meant the Junior Devils and 300 players would no longer be part of the Ballarat Red Devils.

“We would have become an elite club only, rather than the club formed from its community roots.

“That would have been an unacceptable outcome.”

Burgess said the board was unanimous, however, that it would support a licence for the region and saw that as mandatory for soccer in the region moving forward.

He said the Red Devils would not run in competition with any new entity from the region that would apply for the NCR B-Licence.

“The Red Devils board will conduct a review of the club’s structure over the coming weeks, with a decision about its future direction to be made as quickly as possible,” Burgess said.

“The board has reaffirmed its commitment to the existing playing group for 2013 and is pushing full steam ahead for promotion (into Football Federation Victoria state league one).”

First I've heard of it being referred to as the B-League :-k

*other then the usual stuff on forums that is

-PB

:( good to see there will still be a Bellarat club.

Not surprised that Ballarat Devils have not entered. You will find that clubs from FFV State 2 and below will not apply for APL due to costs, resrtucturing requirements, revenue streams and a volunteer base unable to commit and capable of meeting and sustaining criteria.

I personally doubt the Victorian regional areas can sustain this type of club without accomodatiojns being made, by this I mean FFV will lower standards so they fit into criteia.

I doubt that any regional team in Victoria, no matter the structure, would survive on and off the pitch for a three year stretch.

Edited by Arthur: 26/8/2012 09:07:30 AM

This is a big call by the Devils as their stated aspiration for some time has been to be a part of a second tier comp.

Ballarat is showing good sense in rejecting the new Elite competition. I am sure the majority of clubs will do likewise leaving the FFV with no option but to create their own clubs at their expense just like they did with the VCL Summer League.

Edited by atlas: 4/9/2012 06:43:08 PM

Sorry dude.

Sounds like there's an open, transparent and fair criteria set up by the FFA.

Like the A-League: if clubs can't make it then don't enter it. Their choice.

Actually the FFA basic criteria is not at issue, but the FFV's interpretation of the criteria and the FFV's history of poor implemantation is of issue.

One wonders, as per the the Crawford Report, are the Football Federations the correct bodies to administer a professional or semi-professional league and be able to maximise a competitions commercial potential.
At FFA HQ at least there are people at FFA with strong commercial backgrounds that provides some arguement for the FFA to run the A-League. But the FFV is not at that level and it presents concerns when they provide limited commercial data and what is presented is questionable or poorly presented.
While the PPS (Player Point System) has a lot of bugs to iron out especially in regards to player movements, while the restriction on junior players to a club of their choice is also questionable practise.
It is also disapointing that no market research has been sought to develop stratergies that would make the League commercially viable. Again an FFV issue.

The Elite Club Licencing program as presented by the FFV has weaknesses that are not being addressed for example;
An Elite Club is required to have a strong Senior Mens, Senior Womens and Junior Boys and Junior Girls programs.

Currently only one Club could provide all four components, that would be Bulleen. Most Clubs do one or two of the four very well and the other components poorly or not at all. So for instance my Club Nunawading is recognised as having one of the best Junior boys programs in the State yet will not apply because there is no scope to apply for one particular component.
One of the reasons for this is due to the PPS system were players are assigned points at Senior level, having a junior boys only component would mean these boys on graduation would be worth more points as compared to a club having juniors and seniors.

Another example would be Box Hill that has the premier womens team and junior girls club in the state. It will probably not make the Elite Club Licence program because of an average mens team.

The FFV has paid lip service to clubs banding together to form an elite club but has failed to provide mechanisisms to assist with this.

Of course the FFV has placed a barrier that requires a maximum two teams per metropolitan zone to be part of the APL. Let me put it this way in four zones only one club would have the infrastructure and resources to be part of the new comp. In two zones about four clubs could it and in the other two zones two clubs. Thats of course if these clubs deem it in their interests to participate.

By doing this the FFV is effectively Jerry Mandering the game. And by this I mean in the Eastern Suburbs a hot bed of AFL and a region that has particapatory soccer clubs two clubs are required. Only one fits the criteria and it is not really in the Eastern Zone which is a long storey in itself as it is in the South Eastern Suburbs.
Yet in the West Zone a hotbed of soccer in the state with plenty of clubs only two teams go through.
Again it one of those issue of meritocracy versus reverse discrimination. I would have thought its best to play to your strengths.

Of course in the regional areas (Now six) we will have other problems as they lack the finacial support, the administrative volunteers, the player capital and corporate backing to play at the (and survive)highest level. Geelong may be the exception but it is largely dependant on North Geelong putting its wait behind the League.

For example, and I think Ballarat fits into this catergory or at least I understand their stratergy at this point in time, Bulleen would be a perfect candidate to be an elite club. But they have a huge choice to make as they can only have 2 senior mens teams. 2 senior womens teams, six boys teams and three girls teams that's about 260 players. They currently have 800 juniors and about 80 seniors. The juniors are paying $1,000 in fees a year and the canteen would generate about $500 per player per year that's a turnover of $1,2Million a year. They will have to shed 620 junior players.

I don't disagree with the criteria in fact I support this part, I'm just pointing out what kind of decisions a club has to make. Ballarat having obviously made theirs and they don't want to strip their junior ranks.
Oakleigh is a Club that definiteley will apply and will shed their junior ranks from the 600 plus players they have.


While its quite funny that the FFA has just realised that in Victoria we do not have sufficently qualified coaches to meet the coaching criteria by 2016, and has instructed the FFV to triple its output of AFC C Licence courses. (Sorry have to say so much for the planning)

Some how NSW's entry into the NCR seems quite smooth and one wonders if the Sydneycentric FFA has developed an APL with NSW in mind at the cost of every other state after seeing the problems with Qld's APL program.

Any way at least the FFA has provided a summary of the requirements just waiting on how Victoria will implement it and that is the problem that is arising.

I give credit to the FFV though for not implementing this program till 2014 at least there exists some oppurtunity to iron out some of the bugs.

PS
Paulc everything isn't black or white there are shades of Grey (Inser 50 shades of Grey Joke here)the Elite Club Licence system is a move in the right direction it just needs a serious look at some areas, one of which is to remove a cookie cutter approach of the FFV.

Edited by Arthur: 5/9/2012 02:01:23 PM

Edited by Arthur: 5/9/2012 02:11:24 PM