National second division is kicking off with or without FFA

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• Michael Cockerill

4 hrs ago

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Melbourne Victory smash Glory

A second division is off and running, whether Football Federation Australia likes it or not. Semi-pro clubs from across the country are about to gather in Melbourne to kick-start a process which could well see a nationwide competition established in 2018. Good for them.Tired of waiting for an outstretched arm from the FFA, the more ambitious semi-pro clubs are taking matters into their own hands. It was always going to happen in a vacuum of leadership and strategy. The only question was when. So now the ball's rolling, it's going to be impossible to stop.AdvertisementThe smart move from Whitlam Square would be to allow events to run their course. The worst move would be to try and crush the spirit of adventure. Truth is, the FFA has very little interest in doing the heavy lifting to create a nationwide second tier. It reckons it has got far more important issues on its plate. So why not let others do it for it?There's no shortage of takers. What the arrival of the FFA Cup three years ago has done is revitalise this level of the game. But a knockout competition – by definition – can never really satisfy the desire for opportunity, or status. That comes with a competition which last for months, not 90 minutes. So having tasted the lights, camera, action of the splendid FFA Cup, there's a hunger for much more.

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Last week the first step was taken with the formation of an association to represent every state and territory in the National Premier Leagues system. That's 128 clubs. Only Victorian clubs attended the first meeting. But at the forthcoming gathering, clubs are flying into Melbourne from around the nation.Among those on the interstate roll-call are Sydney United, Edgeworth Eagles, South Hobart, Perth SC, Hobart Zebras, West Adelaide, Canberra FC, Adelaide City, Sunshine Coast Fire, Marconi Stallions, Brisbane Strikers and APIA-Leichhardt. By the time you read this, there could well be plenty more. What's not in doubt is the huge level of enthusiasm to create a competition underneath the A-League. If we're talking about, say, a 14-team competition the hard part won't be finding enough clubs to participate, it will be who gets left out.

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On that score, it's critical the lessons of the NSL are learnt. Why the NSL? Because many of the clubs who are prime movers in the push for a second division are survivors from that era. The NSL foundered not because of its concept, but because of its management. It was never independent of its clubs, so it was never free of vested interests. A second division will only flourish if it is formed, and then run, by an independent administration. That's the key.But flourish it can. The FFA will scoff and patronise those who are pursuing the dream, suggesting if the A-League can't make ends meet, how on earth can a second-tier league sustain itself in the most competitive, and hostile, sporting marketplace on earth. I'll tell you why. Because a second division will unlock the vast capital which underlies the biggest participation sport in the country. Investors will spend if they see a reason to spend. The FFA can't give them that reason, so it doesn't know where the money's hiding. But it's there.In the current mood, a second division is inevitable. There's an acceptance that promotion and relegation with the A-League can wait. But a second tier can't. So 2018 is the target.The NPL clubs want it, the state federations want it, and the players' union, the PFA, is already modelling it. The NPL clubs want it for opportunity. The state federations want it for relevance. The PFA want it for development. They are all reasonable, healthy, objectives. There needs to be a level above the state-based NPL competitions to tap into commercial and broadcasting revenue, and to give players and coaches a crucial step on the pathway.Australia is one of only a handful of countries in the world without a second tier. Football is arguably the only sport in Australia with the capacity to have a professional second tier. Everyone can see it, but the FFA won't do anything about it. So others are taking matters into their own hands. Can you blame them?

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/national-second-division-is-kicking-off-with-or-without-ffa-20170311-guw6lx.html