2016-11-15 - FFA is “finalising a framework” for expansion, with the criteria to be announced in early 2017.
2017-02-28 - FFA delay expansion, failing to honour the previous timeline for announcing expansion criteria - instead “begin[ning] the detailed work … to develop a new ownership and operating model for [the league] … [where] expansion of the leagues under a new model will be further developed as part of the process”.
2018-10-17 - The last meeting of the outgoing FFA board decides to postpone the expansion decision, scheduled for October 31. Instead they eliminate Wollongong and Ipswich for some reason, and leave it for the FFA management to “undertake due dilligence” for the remaining six bids, leaving the final decision to be made by an incoming board elected in November.
2018-10-31 - Announcements. New date TBD pending new board.
2018-11-19 - FFA Annual General Meeting to elect a new board.
SW Sydney have all the institutional support that the FFA want and Team 11 also seem well placed and represent an outer suburb market which neither of the Melbourne teams currently actively tap into.
Canberra are one of the few bids ready to go and with government support already committed. If there is any intention to keep to the timetable and have the teams enter next season Canberra is a no brainer.
This is the biggest knock on Team 11: it’s all great in theory and in 5-10 years could be a really good club with a great stadium but what will they do in the meantime?
Canberra has just under half the amount of participants of Victoria’s football. While that suggests they are deserved of a team, their attendance of professional football isn’t bad. They got 19,000 to Asian CUp Iraq vs Iran and their last Socceroos match (2015, Australia vs Kyrgyzstan) got almost 20,000 people. If the FFA make the wrong decision with the next four expansion teams starting with the next two, we could quickly see a repeat of the later NSL days.
Where’s does the Govt support start and end though? If the club starts struggling and are visibly propped up by Govt funds it won’t be long before it’d get shitcanned.
Another big story while SFCU was down was that South Melbourne were accused of wage theft. I genuinely think that’s the sort of amateurish looking stuff which might impact on their bid getting up.
I mean, can you imagine having an A-League club which doesn’t pay wages?
I don’t understand the FFA’s logic with adding more Sydney teams. A-league crowds in Sydney have been dwindling for years now, I’m not sure the city could even support a 3rd team. Wollongong and Canberra seemed the best choices surely? With the hate for the FFA growing by the day, surely adding more Sydney and Melbourne teams is not going to improve their relationship with current clubs and fans.
if they truly want to expand the A-league & grow football Canberra & Capital Region has to have a big leg up as it is the only area out of the 6 bids with no representation in the A-League already. money & backing etc has to come into the consideration too of course but I hope they get up & will make a great away trip for us too.
Melbourne and Sydney have a combined 10 million population, which is the majority of the addressable population when you consider that ~5 million Australians live in rural areas and towns too small to ever really host a team.
I really don’t think that it can reasonably be argued that 4 teams is enough from Melbourne and Sydney, so if they are the strongest bids, and particularly if they’re going to boost the broadcast and sponsorship metrics that will fund the league’s future growth, then there’s no reason to overlook them.
Difference is that there is already a waning interest in the a-league from Melbourne and Sydney. One of the biggest issues is the repetitiveness of the competition. I can see another Sydney team fading into obscurity. The rivalry between SFC and WSW is strong and can see both teams and supporters simply not giving a crap about a new team.
You also face the hurdle of dealing with some of the most supported sports in the country, AFL and NRL. The competition is strong despite the fact that we play at a different time and you also deal with the general wog ball concept that many aussies still view football as.
If the FFA were smart, they would introduce 4 teams at the same time, one Melbourne, one Sydney and two from outside, I.e. Canberra and Wollongong. Do a huge unveil, advertise it as one of the biggest expansions in Australian sport, do a big hoo-ha and get people’s interest back into the the a-league, rather than doing the same shit over and over again.
Going straight to 14 and you get the feeling that will be the end of that. One problem with the last significant expansion - going with 3 new ones at once - was that you’ve spent your bullets. What’s next then? It was never publicised, it was just a “let’s add lots now.”
I’d do 2 now, keep then bring in 2 more 2 years after but announce them at the same time the first 2 or soon after. Also keep one of those 3rd and 4th sides on notice for the Nix Death Watch, and a #5 for this purpose if the Nix can survive more than 3-4 years.
I think having a plan which covers the coming 3-4 years where you know that in 3 years’ time or whatever there will be further change is a good thing and keeps the interest in a more ongoing basis. It also gives TV, the league and other clubs good time to ramp up and plan, if they are affected.
I don’t think any region handed a 3-4 year notice that they’ll have a team would suffer from such a lead-in time.
true that as well. My thoughts are more based around bringing in a Sydney and Melbourne team. Rivalries have already been established, forming new ones will just make it seem forced rather than natural, one of the main draw cards of the derbies is the rivalry that exists between teams. Bringing in 4 teams will give an extra push and the focus would be less on Sydney and Melbourne, but more on the a-league in general.
We also don’t need to stop at 14 teams. Brisbane could probably do another team, as can Townsville (if properly run), Tasmania. There will be a point no matter what happens, in which expansion is no longer feasible. Hopefully the league by then will be self-sufficient and can start looking into promotion/relegation.
Difference is that there is already a waning interest in the a-league from Melbourne and Sydney.
Not really any more than in Gosford or in Wellington or in Adelaide or Perth.
In fact, the one thing that I think has waned the most (at least in Sydney)…
The rivalry between SFC and WSW is strong and can see both teams and supporters simply not giving a crap about a new team.
… is that we’re clearly post-peak derby.
You also face the hurdle of dealing with some of the most supported sports in the country, AFL and NRL. The competition is strong despite the fact that we play at a different time
Raiders played 12 games in Canberra. Tigers played 3 games in Campbelltown.
and you also deal with the general wog ball concept that many aussies still view football as.
… which would be far stronger in regional Australia.
4 new clubs in at the same time would be brilliant. Ok the standard of play might suffer but the excitement, buzz and 2 more games on the telly every weekend would be awesome!