Two failed Qld expansion clubs.
Neither Perth nor Adelaide clubs support bursting at the seams.

Not sure what convincing, viable business case there is or has been put for elsewhere...

All True

theres probably quicker routes by buses if you are an expert, but from the city, its a 15-20 min ferry ride and then another 15 minute bus ride so its an absolute mission to get to

http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/12/24/where-to-expand-next-for-the-a-league/

Was that article about where to expand the A-League or where not to expand the A-League? :-k

Who knows it's the Roar.

Why did I waste time reading that article. The most accurate comment the writer made was "I really have no idea on this one". Clearly he is correct in his summation of his understanding of the topic. ;)

:lol:

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1993224/poll-football-south-coast-pushes-wollongong-a-league-dream/?cs=300

Have to agree. South Coast seems like the next logical expansion if they can get their act together.

If you're taking the Manly ferry to get to Brookvale Oval, you're going to have a bad time. :lol:

Go to Wynyard in the City and jump on a L90. Express to Warringah Mall, and then it's only a short walk from there.

Seriously, this
“and three teams is out of the question for one city”

Then followed a little bit further down by this
“what about North Sydney? This is probably the best of all options. They have a large population and the Northern Spirit did quite well in the NSL compared to the other teams.”
](*,)
Also this
“The recent world cup qualifiers have struggled to get 10k whereas Wellington got 30k for a dead rubber against Mexico.”

Seriously comparing an Oceania group qualification game against the Solomon Islands to a playoff qualifier versus Mexico (that would decide the All Whites World Cup fate) that had sold out before it was a dead rubber (before we lost 5-1) is not an accurate comparison and the only reason they played in Wellington and not at the larger Eden Park was that it gave us a better chance of qualifying with many of the NZ players being used to playing at Westpac Stadium, Eden Park would have easily sold out (as would have any venue in the country for that match).

At least spend 10 minutes checking and researching what you write! (whoever Rooke is).

To me the best candidates for expansion are (in no particular order) 3rd Melbourne (probably South Melbourne), 3rd Sydney (South Sydney), Gold Coast, Canberra, Auckland and Christchurch and that the A-League should be about 14-16 teams by 2020.

I would like to see the A-League be much more proactive and have a team of 8 or so full time staff focused on expansion who would identify the most likely expansion teams (taking in population, corporate, TV rights potential etc.) then hold events in those areas inviting the local football community, business leaders (millionaires and potential investors), local and large businesses (potential sponsors), local council members, local media (newspapers, radio, TV) etc. taking along David Gallop and a few high profile players like ADP, Ono etc. with a detailed presentation on the minimum requirements of the expansion club (15,000 minimum year 1 attendance, $10million in the bank, suitable stadium etc.) the event is designed to get the football community, local business leaders, media etc. together talking seriously about the possibility of an expansion club while the A-League expansion team would keep in contact and manage developments. This could be done in the 6 cities I have named above and the event and the response over the following months would give the A-League a much more accurate sense of where expansion would work taking into account the they would have already identified the city as a potential expansion team. This to me is a much more effective way forward than waiting for football communities, businesses and councils etc. to come together and then looking at proposals.

Both Melbourne and Sydney have the population etc. to sustain long term 3 teams (with each club having at least a million within its area) and both strategically (because AFL and NRL) are the most important areas to the future of the league. I would however rebrand/re-launch the Melbourne Heart (it seems cursed).

Queensland needs a second team and although Gold Coast failed miserably (for a variety of reasons) for me it is the best long term viable option (large population, close to Brisbane thus good for Derby, sponsorship potential) with the right backers, similar colours to the Suns (red and yellow), address the stadiums public transport issues etc. and timed to enter the competition in 2018/19 just after the Commonwealth Games as events like this bring cities together (like Brisbane back in the 80’s and Sydney in 2000) so the city would be riding high that also gives them 5-6years of planning and preparation.

It is likely that Canberra will get a new football (rectangular codes) stadium around 2020 and this would be the best time strategically for a team to launch in Canberra as a new stadium always helps with attendance.

Christchurch is a similar size to Canberra (400,000) but also has a total catchment area of 1 million (the South Island with a couple of games each year in Dunedin and Nelson), they are also very sporty and support their teams well. Although there was the earthquake which greatly affected the CBD it is being rebuilt and is New Zealand’s second most important city (economically) so will rebound they are also building a 35,000 rectangular stadium right in the CBD around 2018 so a team around 2019/20 when the new stadium opens and much of the new CBD timing wise would be perfect.

Looking at Auckland, contrary to what many believe Auckland is and has always been the powerhouse of New Zealand football with far greater playing numbers and far greater amount of football supporters than any other area this however for various reasons has not been reflected at a professional club level (Kingz and Knights). It has far greater TV rights, sponsorship, corporate and attendance potential than pretty much any possible expansion area (I say potential).
Auckland’s current population is 1.56million (December 2013) will be 1.7million in 2018 and 1.85million in 2023. Since the New Zealand Knights entered in 2005 the city has grown by 260,000 (1.3 to 1.56million), spent billions on public transport and related infrastructure (though still crap but getting better), all the councils within the metro area merged into one super- city council (largest in Australasia) that are putting huge emphasis on attracting events to the city in fact Auckland was voted 3rd in the Global Sport City Awards for the second year in a row (behind London and Dubai) at the 2013 International Sports Event Management (ISEM) Awards, also UK-based Sport Business Group’s global report named Auckland ‘the most ambitious city in the Asia Pacific region’, crediting the city with hosting the widest variety of events. Just illustrating that Auckland in the last 5 years has been aggressively going after every event it possibly can which is a marked change from a decade or so ago. It also invested $9million (over 5years) into the Auckland NRL Nines event and the Auckland owns most of or all of the 3 Auckland stadiums (Eden Park, Mt Smart and North Harbour stadium) so would possibly put in $2-5million to an Auckland A-League team to help generate revenue (as all 3 stadiums are struggling and looking for more revenue).

Auckland is hosting 9 games of the 2015 FIFA under 20 World Cup including the final so launching a team for the 15/16 season would be perfect timing for Auckland (probably with one other team to make 12). Combine this with a few rich millionaire/billionaire backers, support of the Auckland Council, local business and the football community and a strong Auckland brand club (blue uniforms not black and named NZ), Marquee Player, strong squad with an attractive attacking style along with the changes Auckland has gone through over the past decade since the beginning of the A-League (with the NZ Knights) and also that New Zealand Football are now looking to join Asia and the 2015/16 season would easily be the best time for an Auckland A-League team.

The potential issue of the current TV rights is not fatal as could be renegotiated where all parties are happy (FFA, Fox Sports, SBS, Sky TV). Oh and have the Fox Sports commentators commentate NZ matches (with the four main commentators rotating every 4 weeks on the NZ home matches) as we may have good rugby commentators but no good football commentators and the coverage does not fit with the rest of the league.

^Anyone that doesn't think Wollongong are the go-to spot for one of the next two clubs, I have no time for their opinion.


Edited by 4wanderer4: 27/12/2013 04:47:39 PM

So you will only listen to about 5% of opinions then. Wollongong in like 10-15 years when the league is stronger and its population is about 400,000 especially when the are 'better' (potentially) options from a corporate, sponsorship, TV rights etc. perspective.

:roll:

From what I've heard through rumours recently the only way Wollongong will get in is if it combines with the Sutherland Shire as well to be included as the third (South) Sydney team so that it can get the numbers (population, players, money, etc.) that the FFA require.

Why is Newcastle exempt from this type of thing? Very similar area of appeal to Wollongong.

IMO a sharing arrangement of games half in Cronulla half in Wollongong will not work. Moreover it will eat into SFC, Wollongong stand-alone wouldn't.

Ontop of this I doubt both parties would be happy with sharing a team. I know people down here don't like sharing the Dragons with St George now that more games are moving to the larger city stadiums.

I think its logical to include Sutherland into a Wollongong bid. You only have to look at the Sutherland's teams to see that it is a major pathway to the elite for players in Wollongong. Even if a Wollongong bid didn't immediately include Sutherland as a base for players and supporters I'm fairly sure it would pretty quickly.

I don't think there would be any risk of a team team including the shire of needing to be moved to a larger stadium. As someone from the shire, I would prefer a majority of games to be in Wollongong. Shark Park is awful.

would never work, and also to the people who think that people in south-west sydney (liverpool, campbelltown) would support a wollongong team are also kidding themselves.

When David Gallop talks about putting teams where millions of people are it doesn't necessarily exclude Wollongong in the same way it excludes Tasmania.

If a Wollongong team and a Canberra team were added and we went to 33 rounds then each NSW/ACT team would have 15 games against NSW/ACT opposition with 7 or 8 of those as home games.

In a similar way I think a Geelong team (still close to Melbourne) could help in Victoria and a second Brisbane team would help in Queensland

Just make it a Gold Coast team - by the time we're ready for a second SEQ team the foul stench of GCU should hopefully have dissipated.

SouthCoast Sharks?

Gold Coast is the most populated non-A-League city, so it seems logical to me. Plus it attracts a lot of tourists in summer.

however they have a stadium with a capacity which exceeds their crowd potential many times over and we have seen from the crowds of the other sport teams in the region, the locals much rather be at the beach than support their team. plus they add nothing to the league other a 2,000 increase in crowd against the roar at home thanks to away support.

the return of the Strikers is more likely than GC

Good thing people don't care ;)

-PB

Gold Coast struggles to support sports teams because it lacks identity in that most of the population are not from the Gold Coast (other parts of Australia, NZ, UK etc.) unlike Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane which each has a deep rich sporting history.
Much of the population would probably already support other teams (AFL, NRL) rather than a Gold Coast team. I reckon the best time to launch a GC team would be 2018/19 just after the Commonwealth Games when the event will help pull the city together (like Brisbane in 82). Its population would have grown by 70,000 in the net 5 years (100,000 since the end of GC United) and would have matured more as a city and with sport with the Commonwealth Games.

A lot of people here are bagging the GC, but I think Gold Coast United COULD have been a great success HAD the owner not been such a fuckwit.

I can't help but think if Palmer was a football person that GCU would have been still around and averaging 8-10k a week...on a par with CC and NJ

People forget that before he went ape shit and capped the crowds that the club was initially pulling in 6-7k crowds....a great starting base on which to build the club.

It's a shame he wasn't a football person, was a greedy fucker and has the concentration span of 4 year old boy. The GCU was destroyed by Palmer being Palmer, not because the GC was not interested in football.

If a team ever sets up shop there again, then a much fairer stadium deal needs to be established. It boggles the mind that stadium management would rather have the stadium sit idle in summer rather than meet a franchise halfway with costs.