I think its fbeen fairly clear over time that the AFC have been against NZ participation in the HAL, which was especially evident with Bahrain's failure to beat NZ to qualify for the 2010 WC. It wasn't viewed in a positive light towards Australia by our Asian confederation partners.

The other sign of evidence is the lack of a license extension past 2016. The other 9 Australian based clubs have had their licences extended, leaving WP waiting to hear of an outcome on theirs.

I don't blame WP for limiting spots in the ACL, as honestly it would be a joke to get too many spots for a 10 team comp anyway.

I can only see Wollongong coming in if its tied into a Southern Sydney club somehow. It may not be a popular call, but its one that aligns with the FFA's comments of late.

As has been said, Gallop wants teams in their millions, not hundreds of thousands, for which Wollongong on its own really falls into the latter.

By linking into a Southern Sydney club gives it the potential to play home matches in Sydney and in Wollongong, broadens corporate support opportunities and allows the club to tap into a far larger catchment. This is also why CCM is working so hard to chase playing games in Northern Sydney, and the FFA would be very mindful of that situation now also.

I always hear people say this but what's your evidence this is true other than WP isn't allowed in acl?

I know when people on here blamed WP when we only got 1.5 spots in acl but gallop or Buckley (whoever was CEO at the time) came out and said that wasn't the reason.

As great as a AKL side would be, it really is a non-starter in the current environment (ie. AFC opposition to NZ participation in the HAL).

The other question really is.. How does this help drive Australian Football? It does certainly help NZ football if it works out, including a derby and more professional pathways for its players, but it can be seen as more investment by the FFA outside Australia that will be required. Whether the FFA will see that investment as worthwhile will be interesting to see if the option presents itself, and the AFC softens its stance, or Oceania joins the AFC at some point.

The downsides are that Australia itself offers very little in the way of expansion opportunities. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane really hold the key to expansion over the coming decade. This is especially clear considering that the FFA has said it is only really looking at markets in the millions, not the hundreds of thousands, which tends to rule out markets like Townsville, Canberra, Geelong, Tasmania or even Wollongong on its own.

Edited by heart_fan: 6/7/2014 03:54:11 PM

Auckland City eye A-League spot

By Michael Brown

2:38 PM Friday Mar 14, 2014

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Auckland's Emiliano Tade kicks for goal. Waitakere United vs Auckland City FC, ASB Premiership semi-final first leg, Fred Taylor Park, Whenuapai, Auckland. Photo / Jason Dorday. Auckland's Emiliano Tade kicks for goal. Waitakere United vs Auckland City FC, ASB Premiership semi-final first leg, Fred Taylor Park, Whenuapai, Auckland. Photo / Jason Dorday.

Auckland City are talking to a handful of potential investors with the aim of getting a second New Zealand team in the A-League, with Wellington Phoenix owner Gareth Morgan at the top of the list.

Morgan is keen to see another New Zealand team in the Australian competition, and has held preliminary discussions with Auckland City chairman Ivan Vuksich, but doesn't want to drive the project.

The Football Federation Australia have outlined plans to expand the 10-team competition, with sides from Wollongong, Canberra, Tasmania and even Asia touted as possibilities. New Zealand represents an attractive market commercially, with opportunities around sponsorship and broadcasting.

Auckland City offers some potential because they already have a fanbase of about 2000 and have achieved good success, having won four national titles and played at five Club World Cups. They also go into Sunday's ASB Premiership final against Team Wellington at Kiwitea St as firm favourites.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11219695


But Auckland has an inglorious history with Australia's top professional competition, with both the Football Kingz and New Zealand Knights dismal failures. What has given rise to some hope is the fact decent crowds have attended Phoenix games at Eden Park - 18,056 watched last month's 2-1 win over Adelaide United and more than 20,000 attended 12 months previously - although it's more difficult to sustain that over time.

"I think it would be great to have a second team from New Zealand in the A-League and the obvious place for it is Auckland,'' Morgan said. ``If Auckland, and probably Auckland City, were to get on the way to achieving that I would be more than willing to participate. But Auckland has to have its heart in because I don't want to drive it.

"If Auckland got off its butt, I would be there. I just think it would be good for the game.

"The conversations I have had with the FFA in Australia is that they are supportive of the idea.''

Morgan views his ownership of the Phoenix as ``social work'' because individuals don't go into football to make money. The 10 clubs in the league have annual turnovers between $6-$14 million.

Morgan will talk to new New Zealand Football chief executive Andy Martin about the proposal this month and Vuksich has already met with a number of potential investors.

"It's very early days but if there's a possibility of another A-League team in Auckland we would definitely be keen to be involved,'' Vuksich said. "I have people working for me trying to find investors and the signs are reasonably encouraging. There are plenty of people in Auckland who could do it, perhaps half a dozen, but it's whether we can get them interested.

"If it's promoted the right way, I think it's possible to get 10,000-12,000 fans at games. But Auckland is a difficult market and even the Blues [Super Rugby side] are struggling to get 15,000 fans to games.''

Morgan and Vuksich have also had very preliminary discussions about establishing a more formal relationship between the two clubs. A number of Auckland City players have gone on to the Phoenix, including Ben Sigmund, Jason Hicks, Matthew Ridenton and Albert Riera, and Wellington coach Ernie Merrick has his eye on a couple of promising youngsters.

Morgan would like to take it further and have formal relationships with all the ASB Premiership franchises but there are difficulties around players crossing over from amateur and professional leagues, not to mention the A-League is recognised as an Asian competition.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11219695

Agree that expansion needs to be in pairs.

Not sure about another NZ team though. Question is, where else? Brisbane or Canberra?

Who knows maybe one of the reasons expansion was put off even longer (aside from television rights period) is that they are waiting to see what the AFC say and then they will go in and install an Auckland team. My mail is they already have support and financial backing tentatively worked out for an Auckland team and the backing of football NZ.

Does seem like a no brainer. Maybe the main issue holding it back is a backer? Theres always Bruce Gordan who owns WIN and is worth around a billion, however i have no idea if he's interested in owning a football club. Its been rumoured that he was going to be the main backer before, but who knows. In saying that they got the cash together in 2009, so you'd think they'd be able to do it now with the salary cap now covered. Eddy De Gabriele is the bid leader and the rest of the South Coast board look like they could come up with the cash between them maybe, 5 million is no drop in the ocean though. I really hope they are included in the next expansion though, and Canberra. If they want 2nd and 3rd teams for major cities id hold off as long as they can to allow the other clubs to establish more, 10 years seems like a bit of time, but its not really in a sporting club sense.

i do hope the ffa groom another region to go into the a-league with wollongong as 11th and 12th clubs.

i would be surprised if gallop has any intention of dropping wellington considering how new zealand warriors is an important part of the nrl.

For me the Gong is the obvious choice.

- Nice sized stadium
- strong footballing history
- NSW derbies a minimum of 4 a season.
- State League links
- strong local league
- Parochial population
- lack of competition in the market.

They are certainly testing the water in Wollongong. They took a Matilda's game to Wollongong in November 2013 and got an ok crowd. South Coast Wolves have been getting 1000 people or more to some games. If they get a good crowd for the Wolves FFA Cup game and the Sydney FC game, the calls will get louder.

I agree with people who say Wollongong would only work as a stand alone club, not a hybrid club like the Dragons NRL club.

Wollongong people are a parochial lot, with a similar population to Newcastle (and the Central Coast) yet it doesn't have a regular sporting team in any code. They only get a handful of Dragons games at WIN stadium every year, and already struggle enough to support them. Whereas Central Coast get 13 A-league games, and Newcastle have both the Knights and Jets.

It's just a shame that it's not a region of a million people, because it would be a no- brainer if it was.

If not the gong then surely they have a backup plan in place. If the contract is up for renewal in 2016 does this mean Phoenix have at least 2 more seasons, or one? Will be interesting to see how the AFC see it this time, they seem to be clamping down on a bunch of other things.



Expansion will happen in pairs, don't think we will be seeing an odd number of teams unless something cataclysmic happens. Totally fucks with scheduling.

or for the 11th licence.

Are the FFA grooming the gong to replace wellington if AFC does not approve the extension on the license? sure looks that way

i would have to agree. the pull of the wanderers out towards liverpool is not as strong as towards fairfield

^^^ I wouldn't hold on to that too hard. Three years ago it was Sydney FC territory, now it is Wanderers. With Pirtek too small to take all the potential fans in the west even with the upgrade and with the region growing from its current 2.1m by 50k a year for the next 25 years at least there will be another team somewhere out in the west sooner rather than later.

This***

Very true, they can have no foreign ethnic names and badges, but are more than welcome to have something depicting their location's geography, symbolism and/or history.

Yeah baby!

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2392242/a-league-all-stars-in-wollongong-camp/?cs=302

Could they change it so the A-league clubs play in the A-league over summer and there national premier league over winter like they do in Brazil then the players would be playing all year round. And teams that should come in are a NT team it would help the game up there some thing the AFL don't have

or parramatta eels

If we want a Pacific Islander team so badly, why don't we just promote the Granville Rage?

has to be Singapore FC in order to comply with the sydney fc competitiveness act where no club can better the colours or name of their team.

"Island Place in the Pacific With No Particular Relationship With the Ethnic Groups Living on Said Island FC".

So the Singapore Noodles wouldn't be OK?

Please note that all these Fiji, PNG, Singapore clubs etc must comply with the new FFA naming and logo conventions.

Of course in Campbelltown, that's where the growth is forecast. It will pull some WSW fans away of course, just like Wollongong would pull some SFC fans away. Only natural.

But it's good for football.

Dilli and Port Moresby for 2016!
If we are willing to throw NZ a bone, why not some of our other neighbors?

Get on it FFA

FTFY