New league ‘not ready’ for spring kick-off

FFA chairman Chris Nikou has admitted there is still some way to go before there can be an independent A-League.

FFA Chairman Chris Nikou. Picture: AAP

Football Federation Australia chairman Chris Nikou has said there is still some way to go before the game’s stakeholders can deliver an independent A-League.

As revealed in The Australian yesterday, the sport has also been given a dire warning by broadcast partner Fox Sports Australia to fix the A-League or risk a much smaller TV deal when the current contract ends in three years.

Nikou was responding after the governing body released the New League Working Group document yesterday following its leaking to the media 24 hours earlier. The document has been distributed to stakeholders for final consideration, but concerns have been raised that the reformed national competition may not be up and running by the proposed start of the new season in October.

If approved, “the recommendations would underpin a proposed final phase of the process, which all stakeholders aim to finalise by June 30”, FFA said.

However, there are fears the June 30 deadline will leave little time to get the independent A-League up and running in time for kick-off. It has been suggested it could be put back a year.

With several of the 15 recommendations in the report still subject to negotiations, Nikau says the FFA is committed to delivering the best result for the game.

“There is a great deal more work to be done and the FFA board remains committed to engaging with all its members and stakeholders in good faith to arrive at the best possible outcome for the whole of the game,” Nikou said in a statement. “Extensive discussion has occurred, all with the intent of setting up the leagues to continue to grow, and to contribute to the success of Australian football more broadly, in the years to come.”

The sticking points include the share from the $346 million TV revenue from Fox Sports, commercial rights, ownership of the intellectual property and structure of the new competition.

The A-League clubs want to retain 90 per cent of the TV revenue, leaving FFA with 10 per cent. However, the head body is demanding as much as 18.5 per cent and has the support of a number of member federations, who are reliant on financial support from FFA.

The report, which had to be concluded by March 31, must now be ratified by the FFA board before it is presented for approval to a meeting of the nine member federations and three Women’s Football Council members elected by the federations.

The key principles of the NLWG report include:

● That a new and separate professional leagues entity must have regard to the best interests of Australian football as a whole;

● The new leagues entity would be responsible for the professional football leagues including, but not limited to, the A-League, W-League and Y-League;

● The new entity would be autonomous and separate from Football Federation Australia;

● The leagues entity would offer the clubs greater responsibility and encouragement to invest in order to commercialise and to grow the professional game as a part of, and for the benefit of, Australian football;

● The new leagues entity should foster the development of the leagues and, through the leagues, football in Australia by providing the pathway for Australian footballers to an elite level and, ultimately, Australian national teams.

The NLWG was formed this year in the wake of changes to FFA’s congress. It comprised representatives from each member federation, A-League clubs, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), the Women’s Football Council and the FFA board. Judith Griggs led the NLWG.