FFA Cup: Sydney United looking to create waves with an upset win over Western Sydney Wanderers

Zelic, Arnold, Cahill, Slater .... Sydney United used to be a Socceroo production line. But while they’ve been a long time out of the limelight, talk of a national second division gives hope for the future.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold playing for Sydney Croatia in 1987. Picture: Wally Zytnik.

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Tim Cahill cut his teeth there, and before him the likes of Ned Zelic, Graham Arnold and Tony Popovic earned moves overseas thanks to their performances in the red shirts.

But for more than a decade the production line at Sydney United has shifted into a siding, thanks to the economics of playing semi-pro football in front of crowds just a fraction of what they were 30 years ago.

Since the demise of the old NSL, clubs such as United have watched the gulf with the A-League clubs widen, a chasm shown starkly on Wednesday night in an FFA Cup derby against Western Sydney Wanderers — though not at Edensor Park, United’s long-time spiritual home.

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Socceroos boss Graham Arnold playing for Sydney Croatia in 1985.

Weather damage to the artificial surface the club spent $1m on installing five years ago mean the tie couldn’t be staged there, and was moved 25km to Campbelltown Stadium — a necessity that rather spoils the selling point of the FFA Cup and its grassroots v high rollers storylines

The bigger clubs in the A-League operate on turnover of around $12m-$20m. By comparison, the bigger NPL clubs are working on football budgets of not even 10 per cent of that in many cases — though clubs like Sydney United and Marconi have significant extra revenue streams from owning and utilising their own stadiums.

The lack of transfer fees, once a staple of NSL club budgets, has hit hard, with NPL clubs getting meagre “training compensation” instead. With no central grant or significant broadcast revenue, clubs such as United live off gate receipts, merchandise sales and sponsorship, plus the social club at Edensor Park.

Nor is there a salary cap, meaning market forces dictate player salaries — but even the biggest spenders have a player wage bill well under 20 per cent of the A-League’s $3.2m salary cap.

Ned Zelic in Sydney Croatia colours. Picture: Angelo Soulas.

Beyond Wednesday night’s hopes of an FFA Cup upset, though, times are changing. Football Federation Australia this week established the expert panel to come up with a way to create a viable national second division, ideally from 2021.

Getting a place on that stage could be a gamechanger, according to United director Sam Krslovic.

“The club and the supporters have aspirations to be part of that second division, and we’re well placed to go there, especially with our own ground and social club,” he said.

“Of course it will cost more but if you play on a bigger stage, you get bigger revenues. You can attract more sponsorship, more crowds, and the personal wealth of the directors would easily meet that challenge.”

Sydney United have impressed in the FFA Cup this year.

United have achieved significant success at their current level, winning the national NPL title twice in 2013 and 2016. But if they are to renew the supply of talent that the club unearthed in previous generations, Krslovic says one key factor has to change.

“That’s one thing that’s been missed in all the talk (of an independent A-League) - transfer fees,” he said.

“The A-League clubs basically ripped the heart out of development and put nothing back.

“In the NSL we’d get tens of thousands of dollars for a player, equivalent to more now, and pour it back into development.”

Originally published as FFA Cup: Sydney United looking to create waves with an upset win over Western Sydney Wanderers