Crucial time for FFA as A-League expansion call nears
We are poised for one of the most important decisions in A-League history as the FFA prepares to choose its two new expansion clubs. Each bidder states their case:
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We are poised for one of the most crucial decisions in A-League history.
Whatever is decided at Football Federation Australia’s board meeting next Wednesday, or at another date in the near future, the flow-on effect will continue for years down the track.
Expansion to 12 teams — and later up to 16— is the foundation for a national second division and eventually promotion and relegation. They are all long-term steps to broadening the talent pathways bottlenecked for so long.
It’s what makes the choice of which two bids get the nod so pertinent.
A perfect storm like the Western Sydney Wanderers could set the smouldering league alight and provide the shot in the arm it so desperately requires.
Conversely, another swift downfall, such as those that befell both Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury, would set the entire process back considerably.
Fiscal sustainability is paramount, as much as FFA’s closed-shop process has irked some bids and fans alike, particularly around the veritable blind auction for a licence.
Because even Robbie Fowler couldn’t keep a community club like Fury alive on his own.
And Clive Palmer’s blustery handling of Gold Coast was a harsh way to learn that even the projects of billionaires can fold if they lack a general understanding of football culture.
It’s a delicate balance some of the current bids have struck nicely.
SEE BELOW FOR A RUNDOWN ON EACH BIDDER
None are perfect, and the FFA board will undertake the unenviable task of weighing up which risks are worth the punt for a possible game-changing franchise.
Of course, FFA and Fox Sports favour the metropolitan areas — clear in the way Sydney and Melbourne bids make up five of the remaining six contenders, with Canberra rounding out the shortlist.
Do new FFA chairman Chris Nikou and his fellow directors hold faith that, if they pick the promising Team 11, the Victorian government will indeed come to the table and fund a $150 million stadium in Dandenong?
Whichever way they go they face relative uncertainty where certainty is demanded.
Less definite still is trying to predict a new club’s identity, that somewhat intangible quality that made the Wanderers an instant sensation despite their scant beginnings.
They must also navigate the turf wars that have erupted in both cities, with Sydney FC staunchly opposed to Southern Expansion and Western Sydney to Macarthur South West United.
In Victoria the battle between Melbourne’s three bids has descended into a slanging match so devoid of subtlety FFA chief executive David Gallop was forced to issue a letter reminding all parties of their responsibility not to publicly disparage rivals.
Whichever two bids are chosen, the minutiae to wade through will be extensive.
And it must happen quickly. While it’s highly unlikely they’ll be included in the next FFA Cup, the turnaround before next season is just a few months.
Assembling squads - including marquee drawcards - is just the beginning.
Infrastructure and forward planning for new stadiums, a feature of many bids, is central to success.
If, in fact, expansion does go ahead in time for the 2019-20 season.
If not, the risk is a slowing of momentum, a further slide in crowds and ratings, and a deeper hole to climb out of.
On the positive side, the sheer number of investors ready to pour their money into the A-League throughout this process proves the appetite for football isn’t going anywhere.
WHO’S WHO: THE A-LEAGUE BIDDERS
CANBERRA
The pitch: “We are the best bid for the game as a whole: a new geography, backed by a united and passionate community that is ready to go.”
Home ground: GIO Stadium, with prospect of building new stadium in Canberra CBD
Pros: The only bid that would ‘expand’ outside Sydney and Melbourne. Blankets the entire capital area, has a rich football history and would be fan-owned.
Cons: Does not fall in FFA and Fox’s desired metropolitan target spots.
Verdict: In with a shot
MACARTHUR SOUTH WEST UNITED
The pitch: “An FFA-approved stadium, the fastest-growing region in Australia with more than one million people expected to double in 10 years, 20,000 registered players and about 4000 NPL players. We have the lowest average age population wise of all the bidders and expansion teams.”
Home ground: Campbelltown Stadium, with plan to upgrade.
Pros: The merger of the two southwest Sydney bids has pushed this into pole position. The cash comes courtesy of billionaire property mogul Lang Walker and the fast-growing region is full of football fans. They are targeting former Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak as their marquee player.
Cons: Western Sydney Wanderers see it as an intrusion on their territory.
Verdict: NSW favourites
SOUTH MELBOURNE
The pitch: “South Melbourne wants to be in the A League, but more so the A-League needs South Melbourne as it is the only club that can bring immediate sell-out derbies, passion, and history to the game. South Melbourne is the FIFA Oceania Club of the Century which also has the best juniors and women’s teams in the country. It’s the complete package with the ready-made stadium.”
Home ground: Lakeside Stadium
Pros: The former NSL powerhouse can lay sole claim to a ready-made venue in Lakeside Stadium and would provide a strong link between ‘old soccer’ and ‘new football’
Cons: Financially could struggle to match the other bids.
Verdict: Outsiders
SOUTHERN EXPANSION
The pitch: “We top FFA’s own metrics, have the support of grassroots associations, have strong financial backing, and we’re committed to investing in local training infrastructure and stadia, growing the game in the southern region.”
Home ground: Southern Cross Group Stadium (Cronulla), Jubilee Oval (Kogarah) and WIN
Stadium (Wollongong) temporarily, plus council approval to build a 30,000-seat stadium in Loftus.
Pros: Strong financial backing by Chinese property giant JiaYuan Group.
Cons: Splitting a fan base geographically has never proven popular and their designs on moving into southern Sydney has Sydney FC seething.
Verdict: Outsiders
TEAM 11
The pitch: “Team 11 will be tribal – representing 1.7m people in Victoria’s south-east that are inexplicably unrepresented by a professional football team of any code – and true to its grassroots base, by working hand in hand with the more than 100 clubs and 22,000 registered players in our region for the good of the sport at all levels.”
Home ground: Casey Fields temporarily, plus plans for stadium in Dandenong.
Pros: Rapidly growing region replete with players and fans and no existing professional side.
Cons: Relies on signed-and-sealed commitment from Victorian government to fund a $150 million stadium in Dandenong, but all signals point to them getting on board if successful.
Verdict: Victoria favourites
WESTERN MELBOURNE
The pitch: “An A-League team in the west is not just a game-changer for the people who live here, our unique funding model that uses genuine value capture to generate the dollars required to build our own stadium rather than asking State or Federal Government to pay for it - will change the way everyone in Australia thinks about building infrastructure.”
Home ground: Kardinia Park temporarily, then plans for 15,000-seat stadium.
Pros: Has Wyndham City Council support to set up in an area poised to boom in coming years.
Cons: The region is about an hour outside Melbourne’s CBD and potentially lacks a population already big enough to bring a fan base.
Verdict: In with a shot
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Originally published as Crucial time for FFA as A-League expansion call nears
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