Battle intensifies for 12th A-League spot

Battle intensifies for 12th A-League spot

Who would have tho pre Hal this was possible..

6  bids for one spot... add Darwin & a couple of others when the league expands to 14 teams..

At least five bidders are going to miss out including state government backed bids...

Meaning IMO NZ Football needs to lift its game... While Frank Lowy is in charge the Nix do not have a problem... but heaps of pressure will come on the leadership group of FFA from unsuccessful bidders asking why is NZ in and we are out... Why do I say NZ Football needs to lift its game... if we compare the growth in sponsorship / media / government support in Australia and then measure how far Football has come in NZ ... questions can be asked ... making the WC would silence them a sell out for the home leg would as well.

 http://www.theworldgame.com.au/a-league/battle-intensifies-for-12th-a-league-spot-211607

Battle intensifies for 12th A-League spot

In what has been one of the most vigorously contested expansion processes in the history of Australian professional sport, Football Federation Australia is due to grant the 12th licence for a new A-League team in the next fortnight.

The introduction of Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury for version five of the competition has created a huge buzz among the football community while a second Melbourne franchise has already been handed a provisional 11th licence for the 2010/11 season.

In deciding which consortium will score the latest licence up for grabs, the governing body has number of issues to consider.

Such as:

:: whether they will seek to establish a �foothold� in Western Sydney before the cashed-up AFL and ARU establish teams in the region

:: the possibility that Wellington Phoenix will not be part of the A-League after season 2009/10

:: whether Canberra, the South Coast and Tasmania have the capacity in terms of support and commercial strength to support a national franchise in the long-term.

TWG understands that the FFA set Friday 24 July as the deadline for all bidders to submit their bid documents.

Here is an overview of the bidders, which include three from Western Sydney and one each from Canberra, the South Coast of NSW and Tasmania.

Canberra Bid

Backed by ACT Government and developed by local businessman Ivan Slavich.

Home ground: Canberra Stadium

Team name: Believed to be �Canberra United� like existing W-League team

Focus point: Strong relationship with Football Canberra and ACT Government with a heavy focus on football within the ACT community.

Strengths: Strong football region, home of AIS and excellent stadium.

Drawbacks: Inability to attract and retain players, coaches and executives to the ACT, poor commercial strength and the failure of three previous national football clubs and struggling NRL and Super 14 teams.

South Coast Bid

Backed by local South Coast community and developed by local businessman Eddy De Gabriele.

Home ground: WIN Stadium and ANZ Stadium

Team name: Working title �South Coast Football�, to be decided by the public

Focus point: A focus on South Coast community including a radical plan to include Western Sydney within its territory.

Strengths: Strong football region with no dedicated South Coast �only� football team in any code.

Drawbacks: Inability to attract and retain players, coaches and executives to the South Coast. Poor state of WIN Stadium and smallish population base of 900,000 in its catchment area.

Tasmanian Bid

Backed by Tasmanian Government and Football Tasmania and developed by local businessman John McGirr

Home ground: Unknown. Currently no quality football specific stadiums in Tasmania

Team name: Tasmania United FC

Focus point: First Tasmanian-based professional football team in Australia.

Strengths: Energetic bid to host a national professional football team.

Drawbacks: Inability to attract and retain players, coaches and executives to Tasmania. Questionable support for football and relatively small population, of 500,000, and limited commercial strength.

Western Sydney Bid

Backed by Socceroos captain Lucas Neill as founder and developed by his Australian-based agent Paddy Dominguez

Home ground: Parramatta Stadium

Team name: Believed to be developed but not yet released to public

Focus point: Strong business case with a focus on history of football in Sydney�s Greater West and embracement of the 14 regional councils making up the geographical region. Strong focus on accessibility and affordability for fans.

Strengths: Strong football region with a population of 1.8 million people. Sydney�s ability to attract and retain players, coaches and executive, commercial strength of Sydney and focussed on relationship with football community. Stadium regarded as best football surface in Australia by Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek.

Drawbacks: Parramatta Stadium capacity is only 22,000 and will need to consider alternative �larger� venue for certain 'marquee' matches.

Western Sydney Bid

Backed by colourful 1970�s Sydney identity Joe Meissner and developed by ex-Marconi Stallions coach, Berti Mariani

Home ground: ANZ Stadium and Penrith Stadium

Team name: Greater Sydney FC

Focus point: Relationship with football in Sydney�s Greater West, especially with Penrith Nepean District United (NSW Premier League), Blacktown City Demons Soccer Club and Penrith Panthers Leagues Club (NRL).

Strengths: Strong football region with a population of 1.8 million people. World-class stadium with a capacity of over 80,000. Sydney�s ability to attract and retain players, coaches and executive, commercial strength of Sydney and focussed on relationship with football community.

Drawbacks: Use of ANZ Stadium, which is not well considered by Western Sydney football fans and association with Penrith Panthers NRL club could alienate fans. Seemed to have ignored the traditional football community of Parramatta, Fairfield and Liverpool.

Western Sydney Bid

Backed and developed by player agent, Chris Tanner

Home ground: ANZ Stadium

Team name: Premier State FC

Focus point: Business case where junior football clubs in Western Sydney inject capital and then receive distribution of profits from the club.

Strengths: Strong football region with a population of 1.8 million people. World-class stadium with a capacity of over 80,000. Sydney�s ability to attract and retain players, coaches and executive, and commercial strength of Sydney.

Drawbacks: Use of ANZ Stadium, which is not well considered by Western Sydney football fans. That �publicised� radical and contemporary business model to include traditional football clubs in Western Sydney as investors, as most financial backers of A-League clubs have lost money to date.

I hope the Lucas Neill backed Parramatta stadium bid gets it. It sounds like ANZ Stadium would have no atmosphere, and I don't see what is wrong with 22k capacity. If they can get to the situation where it is a regular sellout then that is actually very good for the clubs image, just as long as the dedicated long term fans somehow always get in ahead of the fair weather/occasional fans.

The Western Sydney thing is interesting, it seems like it is a real sporting battleground. AFL are talking about a new franchise there, the ARU have talked about a new team  and obviously the FFA see it as a key market. They were talking about it on the Sunday Roast about how the other codes are willing to throw big big money at the area to try and break the stranglehold League has on the area. Seems like a few people in Football have the same idea.

The more bids there are, the worse it is for the Nix..

Only if there are an odd number of locations.  If it's even they still need the Phoenix to ensure no bye.

Yeah, good point. I saw that Robbie Slater and John Kosmina (two dolts of the highest order) were ragging on us on Fox Sports FC last night. Doesn't exactly help.

I would also suggest that with Queensland financially retarded and Adelaide with the FFA in, they can't afford to dump any side that is financially viable.

Yeah, that is what I was thinking also. We're one of the most stable clubs in the league - how can they justify kicking us out when rabbles like Newcastle, Adelaide and Brisbane are managed so badly? Perth has only just come out of the doldrums management wise too. valeo2009-08-05 14:10:55

Obviously there are a number of bids on the table, but if the FFA (in uncertain financial times) are even considering dropping the Nix and the potential market over here in NZ and in its place putting a Tasmanian team (with the market of not many minus those there that are already A-League fans... I'm not suggesting Tasmania's gonna get a team but crikey, that would be some interesting business sense.