Football Federation Australia warns A-League expansion bids to stop publicly attacking each other

FFA chief executive David Gallop has written to all six ­remaining rivals vying for two new A-League licences to keep it clean as the claws come out in the countdown to next week’s ­expansion D-Day.

FOOTBALL Federation Australia has told A-League hopefuls to quit the public sniping, warning it won’t work in their favour at next week’s ­expansion D-Day.

A-LEAGUE EXPANSION: DON’T GET IT WRONG SAYS SLATER

As the new board’s crucial first meeting creeps ever ­closer, the claws have come out between some of the six ­remaining rivals vying for two new licences.

It didn’t go unnoticed by governing body management, which is set to recommend ­preferred bids to incoming chairman Chris Nikou and his new directors on December 12.

Chris Redman (left) and Gino Marra of the United For Macarthur and South West Sydney FC A-League bid. Picture: AAP

FFA chief executive David Gallop wrote to all six hopefuls on Friday to “remind” them of their “obligation not to make any negative or disparaging comments in the media about other bids or the bid process”.

In the letter seen by The Daily Telegraph, Gallop expressly drew attention to the expansion terms and conditions, which state that bidders must not use any media, including print, TV, radio or social, to disparage another.

FFA chief executive David Gallop has called for calm between the teams vying for the two new A-League licences.

“We encourage all bidders to focus on the merits of their own bids rather than commenting on other bids,” Gallop wrote.

“Negative media comments, including in relation to other bids, will not be viewed favourably by FFA.”

Temperatures have been rising between the six parties, which are all pushing ahead with plans to join a 12-team competition next season until they hear otherwise.

The Team 11 consortium would see its games played at Casey Fields at Cranbourne if successful in its A-League bid to be the new Victorian team.

Dandenong-based Team 11 leads the race in Victoria, where Western Melbourne and South Melbourne are also competing for a place.

In NSW, Macarthur South West United is a frontrunner, while the turf war between Southern Expansion and Sydney FC continues to rage and Canberra’s campaign continues unabated.

While bidders were given a broad range of criteria to meet, it’s believed money remains a central sticking point.

Some say they’ve been asked to increase their up-front offers by consultants Deloitte, though FFA has made clear each must be financially self-sustaining.

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Originally published as Football Federation Australia warns A-League expansion bids to stop publicly attacking each other