A-League clubs told Tasmanian FIFO games over, homegrown soccer team the priority
Updated
The CEO of Football Federation Tasmania has issued a bold statement to mainland A-League clubs: "We don't want you anymore".
Mike Palmer said his organisation will no longer pursue A-League content for Tasmania, after years of trying.
Instead, it will pour its efforts into supporting a bid for a standalone Tasmanian A-League club.
"We're not looking to go down that path anymore," Mr Palmer said.
"We don't want to be seen as a place that is happy with just a couple of games. We want to be a place with our own team."
"To some extent, spending a bunch of money on getting one of the A-League teams down is counterproductive cash wise, and also in the message it sends."
Previously, Football Federation Tasmania has been in commercial arrangements with the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City A-League clubs.
The Melbourne Victory deal included naming rights sponsorship of the state league, pre-season fixtures and community camps, while the City deal focused on player development.
But, Mr Palmer said deals with fly-in fly-out clubs were no longer the best way forward.
"We've really gone away from the idea of the occasional game. We're not sure it gives us the real long-term value that we are seeking.
"We did from time to time have an A-League game, but now our focus and support is squarely behind getting our own A-League team."
Expansion of the A-League could still be some way off, with FFA still at loggerheads with the A-League and NPL clubs over control of the game.
Mr Palmer said the Tasmanian bid, led by a consortium of Melbourne businessmen including Harry Stamoulis, was still alive and had been discussed with both major Tasmanian political parties ahead of the looming state election.
"It's been opened on a couple of fronts. We've discussed it with the major parties, but the real work is being done by the consortium," Mr Palmer said.
"The consortium that came forward a year or so ago is still very, very strongly in play working behind the scenes to get an A-League license"
A-League clubs told Tasmanian FIFO games over, homegrown soccer team the priority - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)