Bluemagic wrote:
Smithy wrote:
Okay, can't believe I'm going to do this, but let's try it one step at a time.
bluemagic wrote:
If NZ didn't have a team in the A League (costing I guess a couple of million dollars a year) and instead half that outlay was sunk into the domestic national league each season, half as subsidy to make it a more level playing field and half as prizemoney for achievement on the field - would NZ football overall be better off in the long run?
Alright. Point one. Delete the Nix, and replace with better funded ASB Premiership.
My questions:
1. What gives you confidence that the money the WelNix currently invest into the Wellington Phoenix would be redirected into the ASBP?
2. Where do you get your numbers from? I believe the Nix lost a moderate six figure sum of money last season. Do you know something I don't? Don't forget the A League has revenues as well as costs.
3. Setting aside question 2, what gives you confidence that two million dollars spread around 8 franchises would make a big difference? That's $12.5k per player in a squad of 20 assuming overheads are covered by other revenues. Not heaps is it?
Answer to those, and we can move on to the next cluster of factual randomness.
At least you're trying Smithy. I agree, I know it's a big ask but if everything was focused on the NL, including NZF attention, then I believe it would be possible raise in excess of $1 million and the O League brings in another $800,000 or so. Given that is actually costs about $45,000 per franchise in travel costs (NZF pockets about $20,000 of the $65,000 entry fee for alleged "promotion") the basic cost of having a NL is about $350,000. A budget of say $1.8 million (with O League money) would leave close to $1.5 million spread amongst eight franchises, aside from gate money etc. If it did turn out to be $12k per player I believe that would be enough to make it semi-pro.
As for what's spent on the Phoenix, I don't know the actual figures, do you? I've been told it's loss last season was about $1 million based on the fact that average crowds in Wellington were well below break even. If that's true is it a case that Welnix are trying to keep their loss down rather than investing heavily to build the crowd up? I like Merrick and appreciate he inherited a jaded club, but is his budget enough for him to really compete with the big boys? If not, then what are the prospects and for how long will Welnix endure these losses? Frankly, the Nix have to make the top four for the Wellington crowds to break 10,000 - do you think that's going to happen after two seasons of not doing it? If so then lets throw everything behind the Nix and try and make them truly competitive - and that means removing FFA's bullshit ban on them qualifying for the lucrative ACL or being able to participate in the youth league.
Lets be honest, the ASBP is in pretty bad shape outside of ACFC, CU and HBU. Even TW are down to playing in front of a handful of spectators at Dave Farrington Park. Southern United are hardly competitive and watched by few, WaiBop don't even have a home and Waitakere are a shadow of their former self. You'll be lucky to get 100 to watch them at Fred Taylor Paddock this season, which is a real shame because the Auckland derbies used to have atmosphere and bite. NZF has so little interest it's just using the ASBP, which ACFC is keeping alive, as a training ground for the Nix reserves and Under 20 fringe players. It's not even in reasonable shape frankly.
So as I say - neither is working properly. We're muddling through each season. Something has to give.
Number of questions asked: 0.
Number of questions answered: 0.5.
The 5% is that you firmly believe that $12.5k per player is enough to make a substantial difference to the quality of the league. I totally disagree.
Dale has hit the nail on the head in an earlier posting. There is no market in New Zealand for a spectator-supported semi-professional league. There just isn't the quality of player, or the quantity of spectators.
The only way we can realistically expect to deliver for the small number of talented players we have is by providing focused initiatives that offer football at a higher level. For young players that's going to be small, targeted academy products. For youth it's going to be specific off-shore opportunities. For senior players the best realistic alternative available is the A-League. We desperately need it.