Proposed expansion of A-League moves a step closer

Football Federation Australia has confirmed the race for two spots in a revamped national competition is now down to six bids.

FFA CEO David Gallop.

The proposed expansion of the A-League has moved a step closer after Football Federation Australia confirmed the race for two spots in a revamped national competition is now down to six bids.

An FFA board meeting on Monday night determined that Western Melbourne Group, Team 11, South Melbourne, Southern Expansion, South Western Sydney and Canberra remain in contention for two spots for inclusion in a 12-team league for the 2019-20 season.

Ipswich Pride and Wollongong Wolves are the two bids eliminated.

The six bids will now sit down with FFA management and lead advisers Deloittes in the next couple of weeks to go through their proposals.

However, a final decision will not be made by the current board. Instead, it will be left to a new board that will be voted in at FFA’s AGM early next month.

The latest development means that expansion is almost certain to be implemented for the 2019-20 season. There had been fears it would be put on hold because of issues surrounding FFA’s Congress.

FFA issued a statement this morning in which they said they all six bids had “positive aspects but require further work in certain areas”.

“ Since receiving the eight bids, we have carefully evaluated information provided and commitments made by the bidding parties. It was clear certain bids were stronger than others,” chief executive David Gallop said in the statement.

“We have six bids that all have positive aspects but require further work in certain areas. We need to continue our consultation with those bid teams to ensure that they adequately address these areas to ensure their future sustainability, which includes securing stadia, catchment area and financial capital.

“It is critical that FFA can be satisfied the successful bidders will be sustainable from day one as well as meet a variety of commitments that will benefit the longer-term growth of the Hyundai A-League.

“It is universally acknowledged that expansion of the Hyundai A-League is an important next step forward. We know it will provide a shot in the arm for our game by providing more opportunities for young Australian footballers, bringing in new fans and engaging new communities. We look forward to continuing to work with these groups, the existing clubs and other stakeholders to make expansion a success for the whole of football.

“FFA will continue to work towards expansion in the next season of the Hyundai A-League should it be satisfied the remaining bids address some of these outstanding issues.

“We appreciate the efforts of the teams from Wollongong and Ipswich, who both put a considerable amount of work towards this process. We were impressed with their professionalism and we encourage them each to continue to work towards further strengthening their credentials as we continue to grow the A-League footprint in coming years.”