West Adelaide the sole SA club set to bid for a place in soccer’s proposed national second division
A lone SA soccer club is leading the charge for a place in a proposed national second division as the state’s other top flight sides baulk at prohibitive costs and tight time frames.
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A lone SA soccer club is leading the charge for a place in a proposed national second division as the state’s other top flight sides baulk at prohibitive costs and tight time frames.
Former National Soccer League champion West Adelaide welcomed Football Federation Australia’s white paper on a potential second tier, earmarked to kick-off in 2021/22.
West was confident of raising $2 million to fund an initial operating budget and would apply for a berth in the new competition when expressions of interest opened next year.
The remaining National Premier Leagues SA clubs surveyed largely backed the concept, but said the lack of a sustainable financial model made the venture an unrealistic target.
Several believed a start-up franchise, backed by a consortium of local sides, was SA’s best chance of featuring.
West chairman Alex Alexandrou said additional sponsorship revenue and a traditionally large supporter base made the NSL founding member a strong candidate for inclusion.
He said the new $6 million Kilburn Sportsplex, due to open next year, gave the club an advantage over other applicants, despite it sitting in the NPL SA relegation zone.
“I know we’d definitely be putting up our hand and we’ll be more than ready for it,” said Alexandrou, of the proposed second division.
“It’s fantastic that it has progressed and it needs to progress further.
“We need a system that’s open to everyone.
“The philosophy in football is that every club should aspire to play as high as they can and this second division is a vehicle for that.
“We probably crossed a similar path back in 1976 when the founding members of the NSL got together and there were some doubters.
“But our club was at the forefront of kicking that off as well and we want to do the same here.”
Calls for a second tier to sit below the A-League had grown louder since the formation of the Association of Australian Football Clubs in 2017.
The body, which represented 119 state league sides, had campaigned for the new competition to connect the various levels of the sport and create more professional pathways for players.
AAFC research found participating clubs would require an annual operating budget of about $2.5 million, including a $150,000 licence fee and a $1 million player salary cap.
Three-time NSL champion Adelaide City had previously flagged interest in a return to the national stage, but would not submit an application.
Chairman Fred Lenzi said FFA’s failure to financially subsidise entrants and the proposed 5000-capacity minimum stadium size ruled out the Oakden-based outfit.
“As a club, we believe that the second division is something that’s got to be inevitable within the game,” Lenzi said.
“We’d love to be part of it, but without a big investor ... I don’t think any club in South Australia will be in a financial position to enter it.
“We will never go into a competition unless we can be sustainable.”
The plan suggested an initial five-year “incubation” period for clubs to establish themselves in the second tier, before promotion to the A-League and relegation to the NPL were introduced.
Adelaide Olympic president Stavros Parissos said the delay would hinder progress.
“What interest is there going to be in a second division in five years time if there’s no promotion and relegation?” said Parissos, whose club won the FFA Cup SA this campaign.
“The criteria (for inclusion) is quite excessive and therefore five years later you’re going to see most clubs say ‘it ain’t worth it’ and the A-League will remain a closed competition.”
A minimum number of under-23 players and a cap on foreigners in starting XIs, as well as the debate over a summer or winter season, were also raised in the paper.
Don Leombruno, chairman of reigning state and NPL champion Campbelltown City, was one of several club chiefs to suggest a composite entrant backed by a group of local sides.
“I have always had this thing in my mind that clubs should come together to form a consortium,” Leombruno said.
“All those clubs ... can still run their separate club in the NPL and they run another club in this (second division) league.
“For the betterment of the game, certainly there needs to be something done in Australian soccer in terms of a second division.
“But the reality is you need to have financial stability and financial sustainability.”
Many SA clubs believed former NSL sides in Victoria and NSW would be in stronger positions to feature in the second tier.
Adelaide Blue Eagles secretary Paul Giordano said the Marden outfit was unlikely to apply for a place, despite its Marden Sports Complex meeting the ground requirements.
Giordano said most local clubs operated on annual budgets of $500,000-$1 million, well short of the expected start-up capital needed.
Adelaide Comets, Croydon Kings and Raiders supported the plan, but said excessive flight, accommodation and player wage costs put it out of their reach.
Para Hills, South Adelaide and MetroStars said staying afloat at NPL level, without bidding for a national league berth, was challenging enough.
“I won’t be putting my club forward until I see a financial model that could sustain it and no one has produced one yet,” MetroStars president Rob Rende said.
“It’s proving more difficult for all clubs concerned just to strive to make ends meet.
“We’re all in the same boat.”
The plan recommended the establishment of a steering committee made up of FFA chairman Chris Nikou, along with representatives of the AAFC, two state federations, Professional Footballers Australia and an A-League club.
It would report back to FFA in November with a blueprint for the second tier’s financial sustainability, broadcast and commercial targets.