A- League Development - the 12th franchis

Hi Michael

Who is going to support the Heart? And surely it won't be enough?

The blind, the halt, the lame and the dispossesed..sorry, no, kidding.
I think the Heart will only need to pull an average of around 10,000 in its first season to be judged a success and I think there are enough football fans around to achieve that.
I think there will be some overflow of supporters, football fans rather than dyed in the wool Victory devotees, who will want to watch both clubs.
I feel there are some supporters who haven't taken to the Victory _ for whatever reason _ but now feel excluded from the A-League and will want to be a part of it.
And I think there could be some new fans drawn to the sport. Much will depend on how well the Heart markets itself, creates a different image and positions itself in a crowded marketplace.
I think if the Govenment sold Stadium Passes/Memberships, which enabled the holder to watch both Melbourne A-League clubs, the Storm and the Super 15 team a lot of supporters would climb on board.

SYDNEY FC have told Football Federation Australia to delay its push to admit a 12th A-League team, in western Sydney, until the governing body can prove a sustainable financial model exists.

The Sky Blues have fought a continuing battle to win the hearts and minds of the city's sports fans since they arrived in 2005, though the momentum created by their stunning arrival - yielding a championship and record-breaking crowds - has not been sustained in subsequent years.

Despite this, the FFA remains committed to expanding into western Sydney as soon as possible, embedding the club before the AFL can plant a team in the region.

The FFA's board met on Monday night with the intention of awarding a licence to one of the three competing western Sydney bids but could not reach a satisfactory conclusion, instead holding over a decision until next month.

Sydney FC chief executive Stefan Kamasz applauded the decision, telling the Herald the introduction of a second team into the Sydney market could cause considerable problems if done at an inappropriate time.

''Down the track we believe it is beneficial for the game but what we've said to the FFA is that until the club can be feasible in all forms, we're not sure this is the right time,'' Kamasz said. ''As everyone knows, none of the clubs are making profits year in, year out. Central Coast and Melbourne might have made a small profit the year before last, but now everybody's losing money. That means the business isn't right yet.

''What we're saying is that once the business model is right, then it doesn't matter about [the negatives of] a second team, because there are lots of benefits. We're just concerned that if a team were to come in next year, it'd be too early.''

Sydney FC have tried to position themselves as a club for the entire Sydney region but the game's governing body would like to see the Sky Blues begin concentrating their efforts on aligning themselves with the southern, eastern and northern portions of the city. While the club remains committed to representing the whole of Sydney for now, they accept a second team would cause a natural shift in their marketing focus.

''We know it's an option and one we've already considered, but for now, because we're the the only team, we've chosen to continue spreading our tentacles right across Sydney,'' Kamasz said. ''We haven't condensed our community work and just concentrated on the north shore and the eastern suburbs and the southern districts. We need to continue to go out to the community because we know where our members come from and they're spread right over Sydney.''

Asked if he was worried about losing supporters to the new franchise, Kamasz said it was a legitimate concern. ''I'm quite sure there are people who have supported us in the past that may well become western Sydney supporters but that is why it's important for us to make sure we continue our community work across the city,'' he said.

''There may be some existing Sydney fans who choose to travel and watch the new team, whether they be based at Homebush or Parramatta or Penrith. But whether they continue to follow us, I'm not sure. We'll only know in time.''

However, Kamasz is convinced that a major benefit of having second team in the area would be the resulting derby matches. ''The three games between the two Sydney teams will be blockbusters, I've got absolutely no doubt about that in my mind,'' he said. ''There's no doubt the cross-city rivalry will be terrific for the code when it does happen.''