[size=8]COMMENT: Victorian Premier League future in crisis18.11.10 | Andrew Slevison[/size]

The future of the Victorian top flight competition is in doubt after existing clubs found out about plans by Football Federation Victoria to dismantle the Victorian Premier League in the format that has operated for over 20 years.

These plans could spell the end of great clubs such as Melbourne Knights, South Melbourne, Green Gully and Oakleigh Cannons to name but a few.

The plans involve dropping all existing clubs back into the lower State League competition and then replace the VPL with a new elite competition and a whole set of new clubs.

These new clubs will start with a clean slate and no history. They will be sought out by a new tender process and it is believed the current VPL clubs are holding crisis meetings to counter FFV plans.

If this occurs, it will put a dampener on the plans to hold a nation-wide ‘FA Cup’, which tribalfootball.com commented on earlier this week.

We wanted to know what would be the best name to give the competition but this news indicates the Cup may now not even go ahead if these touted plans come through, or if it does, established outfits as mentioned above may not be a part of it.

The major support of clubs such as the Knights, South Melbourne, Oakleigh and Sunshine threatens to be derailed which will affect the mooted national cup competition and deny fans of these VPL clubs any A-League interaction.

Melbourne Knights and South Melbourne didn’t make the cut when the A-League was formed in 2005 and may now be completely disregarded if this sensation comes to fruition.

Will Victorian clubs rich in history accept this? I doubt it.
Clubs who have nurtured the development of players who are now running around on Australian pitches week in-week out in the A-League and who have gone on to represent the national team will feel aggrieved if they are to be so easily disposed of.

What FFV should do is try and copy the model of football (soccer) in the United States and Canada. It starts with MLS (Major League Soccer) at the top end with USL (United Soccer Leagues) sitting below. Clubs have to apply to get in, rather than promotion and relegation, representing regions rather than communities.

To completely erase a current competition would be an absolute farce and FFV must reconsider what they are about to do.

It will be a sad day for football in this country if the VPL is shut down and Football Federation Australia must step in to disallow this potentially damaging event.