A-League: Last-minute attempt to merge expansion bids

The race for A-League expansion takes another twist, with a last-minute attempt to create a superpower club.

An artist's impression of a redeveloped Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

The race for A-League expansion has taken another twist with revelations of a last-minute attempt to merge Southern Expansion and the Macarthur South West United bids into a superpower club.

The Australian has learned that Football Federation Australia was privy to the proposed deal, which was put forward by Southern Expansion chief executive Chris Gardiner to MSWU co-chairman Gino Marra last Friday afternoon.

Marra confirmed yesterday that the amalgamation offer had been made but was “politely declined”.

“I received a call from Chris Gardiner on Friday suggesting an amalgamation. But we declined. We stand by our community and everything it stands for,” Marra said.

Under the proposal, Southern would move away from playing their games at Jubilee Stadium in Kogarah, Shark Park in Cronulla and WIN Stadium in Wollongong with the merged entity instead playing out of Campbelltown Stadium, which is the intended home base for MSWU.

Southern confirmed to The Australian that an “informal discussion” had taken place.

“Acting on advice from Football Federation Australia, and after an approach from the Macarthur South West bid, an informal discussion was held on a potential collaboration if the licence decision was in favour of the South West bid.

“But, no common ground could be found and we are sticking to our original submission,” a spokesman said.

However, contacted later, Marra denied his consortium had made an approach to Southern.

“We believe in the integrity of our bid, we are confident in our bid so why would we make such an approach?” he said.

MSWU has already been the subject of a previous merger between South West Sydney Football Club and United for Macarthur. Both were among the 10 initial nominations short-listed by FFA in June before they got together to form one, super bid.

Southern have the backing of a number of heavyweights including former NSW Premier Morris Iemma and former Socceroo Craig Foster. They are financially supported by Chinese conglomerate JiaYuan Group.

Billionaire Lang Walker, executive chairman of Walker Corporation and co-chairman of MSWU, has thrown his financial weight behind the south-west Sydney bid.

“Sydney’s south-west is growing rapidly and has the facilities in place, with the centrepiece being Campbelltown Sports Stadium, to quickly become a force in the A-League,” Walker said back in June.

The latest development would suggest that Southern are out of contention to be one of two bids included in a revamped 12-team A-League next season.

FFA’s board will meet on Wednesday to decide which of six bids — Canberra, MSWS, Southern Expansion and Victoria’s Western Melbourne Group, Team 11 and South Melbourne — will win the right to be included in the national competition.

It now appears as though MSWU is the strong favourite though there are suggestions the Canberra bid is making a strong push. Whatever happens, it would seem they will both earn a spot, with one coming in next season (2019-2020) and the other the season after (2020-2021).

The other spot appears down to Team 11 or the Western Melbourne Group. They are believed to be neck and neck.

Team 11 will take in Melbourne’s South East corridor and are proposing a new stadium be built in Dandenong. However, it will need the support of the Victorian Government with $150 million needed to see the project go through.

FFA have been in discussions with the government concerning their commitment to the project.

WMG, which would be based in Melbourne’s west, have said they will privately fund a football purpose built stadium.