Tinkler already has, and Charlesworth is obviously open to the idea

There was a caveat

Geelong is closer to Melbourne than Woolongong to Sydney by about 12km, but Sydney/Woolongong has about 20% more people.

But, sort of seems that way.

But given the response by Wollongong supports, they did themselves no harm in making it known that there is a market there.

Canberra is a captive audience. They only have the Canberra Raiders and get a couple of AFL games and cricket matches there each year.

Edited by hotrod: 2/9/2014 04:37:26 PM

Doesn't matter, if Tinkler got a buyer, he won't (and probably can't) stipulate that the new owner stays in Newcastle, same for CCM

Neither owner will quit CoffeeClub Style as the Licenses have some value these days.

And you've already said the FFA will OK It

Brisbane can have the Strikers

I said the FFA might have to consider their options if there were no buyers - not that they would okay a move if there was a new buyer.

And of course it matters if Tinkler got a buyer. While the FFA might not be keen to go anywhere without population bases in the millions the fact is there has been 10 years and many millions poured into the two areas. You don't walk away from that unless there is a certainty that you will do better in a short period of time elsewhere.

Simply put - there are no more Western Sydney's left.

Tinkler may be forced out but Charlesworth is simply after investors to help him through the next couple of years. The last TV deal meant that losses at CCM are minimised. The next TV deal plus the final stages of the COE will ensure a sustainable Mariners.


Edited by patjennings: 2/9/2014 06:24:15 PM

Simply put - there are no more Western Sydney's left.

Oh yes there is its called Logan.

A new partnership between Logan City Council and Football Queensland will see the governing body of football in Queensland relocate its headquarters to Logan.

In an exciting development for sports in the city, the partnership presents the opportunity for Football Queensland to implement its vision to develop Meakin Park as the central hub of football in Queensland.

Sport and Community Services Chair, Councillor Phil Pidgeon (Division 9), said the relocation would not only promote the activation of the Meakin Park precinct but would bring a number of other benefits to Logan as well.

"The relocation of a major state sporting organisation such as Football Queensland will enhance the profile of sport in the city and potentially attract more regional, interstate and international visitors to Logan City," he said.

Football Queensland CEO, Geoff Foster said relocation discussions had been happening for several years and it was great to see them come to fruition.

"The development of Meakin Park was the vision of Clem Jones and we are extremely grateful for Logan City Council's enthusiastic support of our vision for Logan to be the home of football in Queensland," he said.

"Logan's strategic location with easy access in a major growth area make it the ideal position for our facility – we are looking forward to building on the excitement of the recent World Cup and upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2015."

Councillor Steve Swenson (Division 3) said he was pleased about Football Queensland's relocation and couldn't think of a better place than Logan.

"Football is known across the globe as the world game, and, as one of the most multicultural cities in Australia, it is only fitting for Logan to become the centre of that in Queensland," he said.

"The potential long-term development of Meakin Park into a state-of-the-art football facility is very exciting."

The Brisbane Strikers and Logan City Kings will continue to enjoy access to the Meakin Park facility.

<- Back to: News

A-league expansion on hold until 2017

A-League chief Damien de Bohun says expansion of the competition is on the agenda but won’t be until the next TV broadcast deal.

The A-League's growth over the last few years has re-ignited talk of expanding the competition beyond the current 10 teams.

With the current broadcast contract running until 2017, de Bohun said any change is unlikely before then but cities like Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth are contenders for second teams.

"There's a genuine consideration we are working on the background for the next broadcast rights deal,” de Bohun told The Adelaide Advertiser.

“In that context the two things I will say is this. We’ve said openly that’s its proven (two A-League teams in one city).

“Western Sydney is a good example of this, and markets where there’s millions of people is conducive to a really strong fan reaction to the team.

“We’ve seen that Manchester City’s purchase of Melbourne Heart to create Melbourne City and we’ve got two strong teams in Melbourne and Sydney.

"Markets like Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide you’d have to contemplate. It’s certainly on the agenda."

There have been calls to implement a second-division competition – or B-League – likes competitions around the world which have promotion and relegation.

But de Bohun says that option is not currently on the radar and not a priority.

"The AFC’s (Asian Football Confederation) concerns for an Australian second division they’re no longer real concerns,’’ he said.

"We’ve gone back to three Champions League spots in a very short period and that relationship [with AFC] is really on track. We’re committed to the 10 teams for the duration of the broadcast rights deal.

"There’s no doubt that stability and continuity have been a really important part of the success of the league of the last couple of years. It’s the first time we’ve had the same 10 teams for three seasons in a row so that’s positive.

"We’ll be going back to the table for broadcast rights before 2017 and part of that work is whether 10 teams is the right number or 12 teams is the right number or even more."

Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/league-expansion-hold-until-2017#hcxYaJQPiFgPGObF.99

Wolves hope FFA Cup can help them join A-League pack


Wollongong wasn’t far off sending a team to compete with Real Madrid and Boca Juniors. Now they’re looking for national respect

For the vast majority of the country’s state league and premier league clubs the FFA Cup is an exciting opportunity to step out onto a big stage and, with polished boots, pressed kits and hair cajoled into place with spit-licked fingers, introduce themselves to the wider football public. Others, such as Sydney Olympic, Melbourne Knights, Hakoah Sydney City and Adelaide City, see it as welcome chance to remind a new generation of football fans that history has a heartbeat. For a select few clubs, however, the FFA Cup offers all this and more.

On Wednesday night the South Coast Wolves (née Wollongong Wolves) will take on the A-League’s Central Coast Mariners at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium in the FFA Cup’s round of 32. As much as the game is an opportunity for the former two-time NSL champions, now NSW Premier League side, to claim a big scalp and progress to the round of 16, it’s more significant than that. It’s an occasion for the Wolves to underline their —or, perhaps more accurately, their region’s— aspirations for top-flight football, be that in the A-league, W-League, National Youth League or all of the above.

According to the Football South Coast CEO, Ann-Marie Balliana, the Wolves clash against the Mariners – as with the recent All-Stars game against the Young Socceroos, which attracted 7,000 non-paying fans to WIN Stadium on a Tuesday night, and the coming Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets A-League match in Januar – has the potential to “showcase the region and our love of football, and help position ourselves so that we have a chance of being involved in elite competitions.”

“The key thing for us is that there’s a pathway for our kids,” says Balliana. “Lots of players from the region travel to Sydney and we’d love for them to have the capacity to play in the elite competitions in their own backyard.”

In the region’s favour, she says, is a population base of more than 400,000, some 18,000 registered players in the Illawarra, and established pathways from grassroots football to the South Coast’s senior NSW Premier League teams; the Wolves (men) and the Illawarra Stingrays (women). We’ve heard [FFA CEO] David Gallop say football needs to fish where the fish are, well the fish are here.”

While Wollongong/South Coast teams in the W-League and National Youth League are more immediate possibilities, an A-League side in the region is one that’s particularly sought after, not just because of the A-League’s growing attraction but also because of the Wolves’ history in the old NSL and the region’s record of producing elite players, such as Socceroos Scott Chipperfield, Mile Sterjovski and Luke Wilkshire.

There’s also the fact – which, admittedly, will only hold weight with aging romantics with an ear for the kitsch – that the Wolves have a memorable theme song ready to be dusted off should they get the nod. Old timers will recall the lyrics “A-oooooooooo, we’re the Wolves of Wollongong,” sung to the tune of Warren Zevon’s Werewolves of London, reverberating around the old Wollongong Showground, back in the days when it was ringed by a greyhound-track.

If A-League places were awarded for sheer stubbornness to survive, and at times thrive, the Wolves would be shoe-ins for an A-League licence. After joining the NSL in 1981 – a year before the Illawarra Steelers joined the then NSW Rugby League premiership – the Wolves established themselves as battlers. Never a glamour club it was as if they were coated in coal dust and crusted with sea spray; they were also at the whim of economic downturns in the steel-making region. If one eye was on the football pitch the other was on crowd figures and the books.

While there were periods of relative stability, and even heady success – such as in 1988 when the Wolves played out of Brandon Park and, with a team featuring Charlie Yankos, John Filan and guest players Alan Brazil, Trevor Francis and Paul Mariner, won the minor premiership – it wasn’t until 1999-2000 that the club won its first title. And what a way to do it, upsetting home team Perth Glory in an epic grand final after coming back from 3-0 down at half-time to level at 3-3 and finally win 7-6 on penalties. A year later the Wolves, featuring favourite son Matt Horsley, Sasho Petrovski, Paul Reid and Englishman Stuart Young, beat South Melbourne 2-1 in the grand final at Parramatta Stadium and life for the Wolves was as rosy as it’s ever been.

And it could have improved. Just a month later the Wolves were to take part in the 2001 Fifa Club World Championships in Spain alongside the likes of Real Madrid, Boca Juniors, Palmeiras and Deportivo La Coruna. But the tournament was cancelled at the last minute and the Wolves missed out on an estimated $4.5m windfall. From touching distance to financial security the Wolves were soon on the skids. In 2002 they were muscled out of Brandon Park when the University of Wollongong needed a location for its Innovation Campus and in 2004 it was clear the new A-League was a bridge too far for the struggling club.

The Wolves have been poor itinerants ever since losing Brandon Park but this year they’ve been playing home games at WIN Stadium, sharing it with the St George Illawarra Dragons. Wolves chairman Bobby Mazevski says the $5,500 game day fee is a big ask but adds attendances have tripled this year, with an average crowd of 800. Still, the move to WIN Stadium is just a year-by-year proposition and the Wolves, who train at Wollongong University, still don’t have a permanent training venue and clubhouse.

But they do have dreams. And one of those dreams is a return to the big table. “I feel quietly confident,” says Mazevski, “in something [elite football] happening here. But all I can control is the destiny of the Wolves at the moment: to rebuild the club, to re-engage the community, to bring back the crowds and make the games as enjoyable as possible to watch. Moving to WIN Stadium is all part of the broader picture.”

Of course the FFA hasn’t yet green-lit any expansion from its 10-team A-League just yet. That’s on the agenda when it begins to negotiate a new broadcasting deal ahead of the 2017-18 A-League season. Though the FFA is mindful of the fallen (North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United), it is encouraged by the success of the Western Sydney Wanderers, and A-League head Damien de Bohun told the Guardian that a geographical region like the Illawarra, which flanks the wider South Coast and Southern Highlands, is seen as one with the potential to sustain an A-League team.

But the FFA is also open – and, reading between the lines, perhaps more inclined – to a southern Sydney A-League franchise, one that would encompass not just Illawarra and the South Coast but Sydney’s southern suburbs and the broad swathe of the Sutherland Shire. De Bohun believes the successful community-consultative model used to create the Western Sydney Wanderers has provided a framework for possible expansion and he sees no reason why the success of the Wanderers can’t be replicated elsewhere. “If we use western Sydney as a reference, it’s not a specific point on a map but the reality is all the people of western Sydney, as a collective, have embraced the Wanderers in a way few could have imagined. So there’s no reason why [a new A-League franchise] couldn’t be based around a broader geographic area.”

You’d wonder, however, whether the physical barrier provided by the Illawarra escarpment and the Royal National Park would end up doubling as an impediment when it comes to the willingness of the people of southern Sydney and the South Coast to invest emotionally in a team with potentially three home grounds (Kogarah, Cronulla and Wollongong) as much as 65km apart. Despite the proximity of Wollongong to Sydney’s southern suburbs, these are two very distinct regions with their own identity. The FFA will need to decide if they will come together to share ownership of a football team in a way the people of western Sydney have done with the Wanderers.

In the meantime the FFA will continue to keep a close eye on the Wolves and the public’s response to elite matches hosted in the area; a response measurable in the clicks of a turnstile. It won’t just be the quality of football the FFA will be keeping an eye on this Wednesday night.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/aug/20/south-coast-wolves-ffa-cup-wollongong

South Coast: A-League ripe for expansion

South Coast Wolves say Football Federation Australia shouldn’t wait another three years to expand the A-League, following the club’s debut in the FFA Cup.

More than 6000 people turned up last week to see the Wolves take on Central Coast Mariners, with the A-League outfit edging past the NSW National Premier League club by a solitary goal.

The FFA has stated recently that it won’t add any new A-League clubs to the competition before 2017.

South Coast chairman Bobby Mazevski believes that is too long.

“I am sure they have learned some lessons from some of the failed franchises and will be keen to avoid those,” Mazevski said.

“I think FFA wants to ensure the right model is there for any new franchise before issuing a licence. (But) it only took Western Sydney Wanderers less than a year to form and look at them.

“I think the league needs to be expanded sooner rather than later, particular given we have just had a World Cup year and the Asian Cup (is coming up) in January.

“With the A-League doing great and recent big clubs visiting our shores, football in this country is starting to get more headlines.”

Mazevski was delighted with the attendance the FFA Cup match attracted at WIN Stadium, while more than 7000 fans also turned up recently at the same ground to see the All Stars play the Young Socceroos.

“It was difficult to predict just what the attendance was going to be particularly given the wild weather leading up to game day,” Mazevski said of the Cup tie.

“The atmosphere was electric and you'd be forgiven if you thought there were a lot more people there.

“Had this game been on a weekend, I think it would have attracted a few more thousand. I am grateful to the Wollongong community for coming out and supporting the game.

“Both sets of fans created a party atmosphere and despite the scoreline, many people went home satisfied.”

Mazevski said he was immensely proud of the Wolves in their Cup clash with the Mariners - a goal to Glen Trifiro the only thing separating the two clubs.

“They battled hard and really pushed the Mariners all the way,” he said.

“With a bit more luck, we may have got something out of it. Both teams were able to play an expansive brand of football on a quality surface.

“I thought we were the better team in the second half and as the game wore on, we started to get a bit more desperate which made the game edge of the seat stuff.

“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed as I think we had a fair chance at progressing.

“A 1-0 loss to a side that finished third in the A-League last year is an honourable result. I would have loved to see the Wolves score, as I think this would have created quite a buzz, but overall I’m happy. The Mariners were tough to break down.”

Mazevski said the NSW South Coast region already has a suitable facility for an A-League club.
“We have a great facility in WIN Stadium,” he said.

Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/south-coast-league-ripe-expansion#gD7fVEoulVCcg3z1.99

Canberra's A-League tilt still the dream

AFC Asian Cup ambassador and TWG reporter Lucy Zelic was reminded recently of Canberra's failed A-League bid, close to her heart as a native of the nation's capital. But is it any better placed now to field a team in Australia's premier football competition?

By
Lucy Zelic


2 Sep 2014 - 3:14 PM UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

At the recent announcement of the AFC Asian Cup domestic media ambassadors, I sat around a table of highly-regarded football pundits in Australian media. In each of us, AFC CEO Michael Brown said he recognised a passion and a commitment to the game not expressed in other codes.

With less than 135 days to go until Australia faces Kuwait in the opener, we spoke about how we could help raise the profile of the Asian Cup and which locations needed further encouragement to get on board.

Canberra and Newcastle were implicated, to which several people said we should get down to the home of the roundabout to spread the message about the tournament. It was also suggested that the nation’s capital should consider getting behind the Asian Cup more strongly if it wanted to prove that it was worthy of an A-League team.

It struck a sensitive chord with me. Along with being born and raised in Canberra – I lived there for 26 years – I was also very much aware of the pain and heartache that Canberrans experienced when they received word their bid wasn’t successful in 2009.

To set the record straight, the bid committee, spearheaded by Ivan Slavich, the 100-odd who actively engaged in the process and the wider football community in Canberra tried their best. Media and communications manager at Capital Football, Russell Gibbs, still recalls the moment he was told the feedback from the Football Federation Australia “was as good as any bid they’d received”. At the time, they were hopeful and based on what they were told, they had every right to be.

Bolstered by more than 2000 foundation members who each pledged $200, the $2.5 million grant from the ACT government, Canberra Stadium locked in as the venue, the Australian Institute of Sport providing training facilities, the pre-sale of 10 corporate boxes, private investors and a five-year business plan from Price Waterhouse Coopers, all that was left was to prove Canberra had community support.

Told by FFA that if Canberra managed to secure more than 20,000 fans to an Australia v Kuwait friendly, it would prove there was a large enough fanbase to sustain an A-League team in the capital.

And so 20,032 fans turned up to that match, including myself. It was the biggest football crowd Canberra had ever seen. But financially, the bid fell short – raising only five, of the six-million-dollar capital FFA had asked for. People were willing to invest, they just needed something tangible. But without the guarantee of a team, investors protected their pockets.

Still, they put together their 38-page submission, which included a commitment from the ACT government that it would contribute $1 million from an existing fund for every season the Canberra team was alive and the confidence they would achieve up to 10,000 fans for each game based on research they had conducted. Throughout the entire process, the bidding team was led to believe it was in with a real chance, but perhaps it never was.

Five years on and recalling the failure, I spoke to Ivan Slavich, who said: “We were extremely disappointed that Canberra didn’t get up. We kept getting told that we were the next cab off the rank but we’re still waiting.”

Instead, North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United were given the nod. The sheer disaster that we all saw unfold as the two sides crumbled left many of us either saying “we told you so” or “who didn’t see that one coming”? Everyone but the decision makers.

On the back of the FFA Cup fixture between South Coast Wolves and Central Coast Mariners, 5238 fans made their way to WIN Stadium to witness it. In the post-match press conference, Mariners coach Phil Moss said: “I would like to say that any bid for an A-League club from this area should be fully supported because it’s a fantastic football area.”

Formerly Wollongong Wolves, it, along with Canberra Cosmos, recorded less than impressive crowd figures during the National Soccer League. The Cosmos capitulated in 2001 after financial hardship and a struggling supporter-base, while the Wolves dissolved along with the NSL in 2004.

This marked an end to its top level football presence across Australia, leaving fans asking for more in the current A-League climate, or at the very least, a second chance to prove they were worthy.

Times have indeed changed, and we have moved into a new era of football in Australia. For as quickly as the excited chatter surrounding expansion in the A-League has reignited, it has been doused just as swiftly by claims from FFA that it has no intention of looking into it until the broadcast deals are up for renewal in 2017.

It is all well and good to say “we’re the capital of the country and we deserve a team”, but the proof needs to be in the pudding – a dessert that would sour quickly if their promises to do justice to an A-League team in Canberra failed.

Taking into consideration the collapse of two teams already, it serves as a stark reminder that football is a money-rendering business after all, and whoever FFA awards the next team to needs to do both the walking and the talking.


http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/blog/2014/09/02/canberras-league-tilt-still-dream

Expanding the A-League: The time is ripe

With the A-League entering its 10th season, there are three years remaining on the current television deal that Football Federation Australia negotiated in November 2012.

With a new deal to be put in place for the beginning of the 2017-18 season, the FFA need to have a look at expansion possibilities to increase their bargaining power.

It was a minor miracle that Western Sydney Wanderers managed to put together a competitive outfit within just six months, and a similar coup is unlikely to occur again.

Two new sides would make the A-League a much more attractive commodity. Given it would be ideal for them to have played a year of football before the TV deal is due, the time is ripe to kick-start plans.

Expansion should never be rushed, but it also needs to be pushed for the continuing growth of football in Australia. Taking 12 teams to the negotiating table could bring an unprecedented financial windfall.

First the FFA must work on consolidating the current 10 teams in the league, namely the Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners, and then they should begin evaluating which regions are ready for an A-League franchise.

The upcoming Asian Cup in 2015, and the introduction of the FFA Cup this season, are perfect opportunities to cash in on the interest that is dripping down from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The current four-year $160 million broadcast rights deal will end on June 30, 2017.

Negotiations will begin well before that, and most likely finalised during the start of the 2016-17 season. FFA chief executive David Gallop needs more ammunition than a successful Western Sydney side and a lucrative Melbourne City team to maximise the value of the new TV deal.

Therefore it would be ideal to have two new clubs established and competing in the season where negotiations will be coming to an end.

Successful franchises should be given about a year in order to recruit players, backroom staff and develop a solid membership base with the promise of regular football.

That means an ideal time to announce the new clubs would be around August 2015. That gives the FFA little more than a year to put the feelers out and decided where the next two teams should come from.

It seems like a very short timeframe, but it’s not impossible and would be in the best interests of the game. And there are already clubs out there willing and ready to take the next step to becoming part of the A-League. The FFA could also use the money they made from the Wanderers sale to help the two clubs get started.

If they can be announced at the start of the 2015-16 season, then that gives them enough time to ready themselves for competitive football in 2016-17.

So which clubs should be considered for the next two spots on the A-League roster? There are three areas that are particularly strong contenders, while the rest are either too fanciful, not necessary or not ready.

Re-born franchises

For supporters of North Queensland and the Gold Coast, this expansion project will come too soon. There’s no doubt both should be revisited in the future, especially North Queensland, but the dust hasn’t settled sufficiently for either to make a successful comeback yet.

Overseas

A Singapore side has been mentioned in various circles, but again it’s too soon to look at expanding the competition outside Australia. While such a venture would promise a massive market, great publicity and plentiful opportunities for owners and sponsors, it doesn’t make sense.

Given the FFA Cup has finally been given a green light, expanding to Singapore would put question marks over NPL sides with ambitions for gaining national recognition.

The A-League, ideally, should eventually move to a relegation and promotion system. It’s a long way off, and may be fanciful, but introducing a Singapore side would kill such dreams.

A third Sydney or Melbourne side

Barring a relocation of the Central Coast Mariners to north shore Sydney, which I’ll reiterate is not my suggestion or wish, the A-League should not be looking to expand in the country’s two most populous cities.

There have been suggestions that Sydney’s south is David Gallop’s next target, with certain areas feeling left out of other footy codes. But there are brighter prospects elsewhere for the next expansion plan.

While the populations alone make the cities appealing, Sydney FC has its own on-field problems to sort out without dealing with more competition, and Melbourne City needs a chance to establish a solid fan-base. Once those clubs have sorted everything out, then Sydney and Melbourne can flirt with ideas of a third club.

A rival for Brisbane

A second Brisbane team is a must, or a side that represents the southern part of the city and the encompassing areas such as Ipswich, Logan and even Toowoomba.

The western corridor was labeled as the “next big thing” by Gallop during his tenure as NRL chief executive. It would result in another derby, giving the Brisbane Roar a new rival without taking away its supporters.

The area from Logan to Toowoomba has strong roots in the game, and Logan in particular is a traditional football city. Could the South Brisbane Strikers be a viable candidate, perhaps playing out of the old ANZ Stadium? It’s definitely not ideal to stage games in a multi-purpose, but it’s the next best solution behind constructing a purpose-built stadium.

How the second Brisbane team would be established, including its catchment area, stadium and home base, would be a tough call. But it’s an area the FFA should strongly consider.

Entering football heartland

Wollongong can feel aggrieved to have been left out of the FFA’s expansion plans so far. They have a strong history in football, had a successful side playing in the old National Soccer League, and were never in financial strife until the breakup of the competition.

They have been constantly overlooked, and now is the time to get them on board. The support base would be there, the passion would be there and the infrastructure would also satisfy A-League requirements.

A big crowd at the South Coast Wolves’ FFA Cup round of 32 clash against the Central Coast Mariners on August 20 is a perfect chance for the Wollongong population to show their intent in getting A-League football to the region.

Bring football to the capital

Canberra is another potential candidate to fill one of the two expansion spots. While they already have rugby league, cricket, union and basketball in a region that has a population of 400,000, the A-League has one massive advantage over the other football codes.

They have the Australian summer all to themselves.

There is no reason why a population the size of Canberra cannot support a trio of football codes. They also have an established W-League side, the only one not affiliated with an A-League representative. Moving into Canberra would help grow the game at a grassroots level and assist the women’s game.

Out of the three most viable options – Canberra, Wollongong and South/West Brisbane – it’s hard to pick two winners. Each candidate has its own reasons to be one of the next teams to join the A-League, and it’s not an easy decision.

But it is almost irrelevant which teams do eventually get earmarked by the FFA, as long as they are set up to succeed in the same way as Western Sydney, and as long as they are chosen with enough time to get them on the field for the 2016/17 season.

Expansion is necessary for the A-League to grow, especially at a time when football is gaining momentum after the 2014 World Cup and the upcoming 2015 Asian Cup. The time is right, FFA must put the gears in motion.

the two biggest crowds so far in the ffa cup, wollongong and canberra both supporting their local club, even further credit to canberra given that tuggeranong is a decent trip from canberra cbd and isnt the official one and only club in canberra

Would it be worth setting up an A2 league on a one season trial basis?

8 teams from NPL, 14 game season to be run concurrently with the A-League. It would let us test new markets without significant investment. Clubs will compete with existing infrastructure and licences can be restricted to areas of interest that minimise travel costs (sorry Perth and Darwin).

Just think for example...

-South Coast Wolves
-Northern Fury
-Palm Beach
-South Melbourne
-Adelaide City
-Canberra area club
-South Sydney area club
-Geelong area club

Simply let them return to the state league at completion. If it works great! If it doesn't at least we know.

Would it be worth setting up an A2 league on a one season trial basis?

8 teams from NPL, 14 game season to be run concurrently with the A-League. It would let us test new markets without significant investment. Clubs will compete with existing infrastructure and licences can be restricted to areas of interest that minimise travel costs (sorry Perth and Darwin).

Just think for example...

-South Coast Wolves
-Northern Fury
-Palm Beach
-South Melbourne
-Adelaide City
-Canberra area club
-South Sydney area club
-Geelong area club

Simply let them return to the state league at completion. If it works great! If it doesn't at least we know.

THE biggest gun in Australian soccer management blew into Hobart yesterday and shot down the state’s hopes of joining the A-League any time in the near future.

FFA chief executive David Gallop said having a Tasmanian team in top-flight domestic football was not part of the ­association’s plans.

Gallop said several areas had to be considered in Tasmania before expansion.

“We wouldn’t discount it [expansion] down the track and looking at Tasmania at the time but it’s not in our short- term plan,” he said.

But while Gallop conceded that expanding the A-League is not on the agenda, Melbourne Victory chief executive Ian Robson hinted at an October practice match in Hobart as part of the Victory’s regular Tasmanian pre-season camp.

Canberra backed as A-League venue after FFA Cup success

DateSeptember 17, 2014 - 6:36PM
Read later



David Polkinghorne

Canberra has shown it should be home to the next A-League team and if there were no plans for expansion then one-off games should be played in the nation's capital, says Socceroos midfielder Carl Valeri✓.

The born-and-bred Canberran said he was not alone with those views, with his Melbourne Victory teammates expressing similar sentiments following their 6-0 FFA Cup win over Tuggeranong United on Tuesday night.

Glowing praise also came from Victory striker Archie Thompson and former Socceroos captain Ned Zelic after 5150 fans packed into Viking Pack.

Former National Soccer League striker Andy Harper, who commentated the game for Fox Sports, said it was a positive night for Canberra, but added an A-League team was dependent on having the money to finance it.

Advertisement

Valeri said it was a strange feeling to play against Tuggeranong, his junior club, on the national stage and he praised their efforts both on and off the pitch.

He stayed back in Canberra to spend time with his family, but will be back in Melbourne before Victory's final friendly – against Sydney FC in Tasmania next weekend.

"I think it showed Canberra is able to host these games, which means why not give them an A-League team?" Valeri told The Canberra Times.

"I think the next team, if there is going to be one, should be from Canberra.

"If not that, then maybe have some games here because it was a really fantastic atmosphere and not just from myself, but the players commented on it [as well]."

Thompson took to Twitter to give his thumbs up.

"Great effort tonight from @tufc_tuggies team. Should be very proud of the lads. Not to (sic) long before Canberra have their own a-league team," he said.

There was similar praise from Zelic.

The Canberra FC junior was also impressed with the number of fans that packed out Viking Park on Tuesday night.

"#TUGvMVC a huge mismatch – but 5,150 fans at Viking Park in Canberra for an #FFACup game is just sensational," Zelic tweeted.

Harper felt Canberra had mounted a strong case for future involvement in the A-League but said it would be decided by the almighty dollar.

Canberra mounted an unsuccessful bid to get a team over three years, led by Capital Football director Ivan Slavich, which was dashed when the Western Sydney Wanderers were admitted into the A-League in 2012.

Slavich helped raise commitments for $4 million in investment, as well as $400,000 from foundation memberships.

A meeting between Football Federation Australia bosses two weeks ago ruled out any expansion in the near future as several clubs are experiencing financial struggles.

Harper did not think the idea of one-off games would work because of a lack of investment in the visiting teams.

"I thought last night was a very positive night for the game locally, but in the end Canberra, like any aspiring market, has to convince itself and the powers that be of two things – that they've got the money to underwrite it or they can generate a crowd to find the money to underwrite it," he said.

"That's where it's going to succeed or fail. A lot of the other indicators Canberra has, but in the end it's going to get down to money.

"Do they have people with money who want to fund it? Or is there enough interest to generate crowds to fund it? Or a combination of the two?"


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/canberra-backed-as-aleague-venue-after-ffa-cup-success-20140917-10hziq.html#ixzz3DZNgXklC

However, Gallop rejected the premise that all A-League clubs can reach the same level, effectively defending smaller outfits such as Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix, while reiterating his belief expansion should focus on bigger cities when it eventually occurs.

"We have to accept that not everyone has the market that others have got," he said.

"Certainly, I see expansion as something where you need to fish where the fish are. Go where the biggest opportunities are and the biggest opportunities are where millions of people live, not hundreds of thousands of people live."

"Talent Pool" is an argument for bogan games like AFL where there isn't a world wide market for talent, . There are a ton of players waiting to be found in the NPL and that's ignoring the fact that the whole damn planet plays football. As number of teams increase, allow more foreign players in to make up in the shortfall.

"Talent Pool" is an argument for bogan games like AFL where there isn't a world wide market for talent, . There are a ton of players waiting to be found in the NPL and that's ignoring the fact that the whole damn planet plays football. As number of teams increase, allow more foreign players in to make up in the shortfall.

:lol:
'The whole damn planet' can only contribute 5 players per team... And it should only be heading towards less rather than more. If we bring in two more teams, we need to find 36 more Australians who are up to the task, available and affordable.

"Talent Pool" is an argument for bogan games like AFL where there isn't a world wide market for talent, . There are a ton of players waiting to be found in the NPL and that's ignoring the fact that the whole damn planet plays football. As number of teams increase, allow more foreign players in to make up in the shortfall.

Ask WSW about talent pool. Adelaide City had more than enough to roll them.

I don't like the talent pool argument.

If we are to worry about finding quality players then it would seem the best option would be to contract rather than expand. We can have a 4 team league and remove all the players that don't make the grade. It would definitely increase the standard of play.

Adding 1-2 teams every few years really shouldn't be a massive problem. Of course you will introduce players to the A-league who are below the current standard but professional training + good coaching will see the standard rise, as it has been steadily rising. (And good coaching at an elite level is more than just tactics, it's about improving the abilities of each of the players in the squad)