A-League Club Owners' Conference

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/a-league/buckley-backs-club-owners-to-stick-solid-with-aleague/2009/11/19/1258219925390.html
Buckley backs club owners to stick solid with A-League

Michael Cockerill
November 20, 2009

FOOTBALL FEDERATION Australia chief executive Ben Buckley is confident the owners of the seven founding A-League clubs will commit to new licences by the end of the season despite speculation some are unhappy with several conditions in the agreements.

Buckley met the 10 club owners in Sydney on Wednesday, and described the discussions as ''fruitful''. The two new clubs, Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury, plus Wellington Phoenix - who replaced the defunct New Zealand Knights in 2007 - are operating under different time frames to the seven founding A-League members.

''There were good discussions on a range of issues, including fixturing, marketing and a number of commercial arrangements,'' he said.

''Yes, there are challenges for all the clubs, but I sense a strong commitment to the future. They're passionate about the game, and they all want the A-League to succeed.

''The original licences were for five years, and they're all lined up to expire by the end of June. We're in the process of reviewing them, and we'll be doing that on a case-by-case basis. We'll be getting around to the clubs over the next few months to finalise any outstanding issues.''

It is believed issues surrounding television revenue, marketing budgets and ground signage have all caused some angst among the owners, some of whom are facing their toughest year since since the competition kicked off in 2005. The FFA is investing in four clubs - Central Coast Mariners, North Queensland Fury, Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United - but remains hopeful of divesting its stake in the latter before Christmas.

One owner, who did not want to be named, described the meeting with the FFA as ''positive'', adding: ''The good thing is they're listening. They understand how tough it is, and they're trying to help.''

Buckley, meanwhile, believes the chances of Wellington Phoenix staying in the A-League beyond 2011 should be boosted by New Zealand's epic World Cup qualification.

At this stage, Wellington's licence expires at the end of next season, and Asian Football Confederation boss Mohamed Bin Hammam has made it clear he's uncomfortable with a team from Oceania continuing to play in an AFC competition beyond that. Asked whether the All Whites' success could save the Phoenix, Buckley replied: ''Let's put it this way, they've now got a great chance to capitalise on the goodwill. It signals that the game in New Zealand is healthy, and strong. They got a full house, so that proves the spectator base is there ï¿½ They best thing they can do now is convert those fans into regular, consistent, supporters of the A-League.''

Meanwhile, Newcastle Jets owner Con Constantine still refuses to budge on releasing star striker Joel Griffiths for another season on loan with Beijing Guoan, saying the newly crowned Chinese champions will have to produce a $1 million transfer fee or ''it's no deal''.

Griffiths finished the Chinese season as Beijing's joint top scorer with younger brother Ryan, and is due to resume his 2ï¿½-year contract with Newcastle in January. But Griffiths has made it clear he would like to return to China next year - the sticking point being Beijing's reluctance to buy him outright.

''I've met the boy and his wife last weekend, and I made it very clear to him I want him back,'' Constantine said. ''They reckon they only want to pay another $300,000 for a loan, but I'm not interested in that. Where am I going to get a player of Joel's quality for that? I've told them they have to come back with the million bucks, or it's no deal.

''They have until the end of this month to make an offer in writing. Joel belongs in Newcastle. The fans love him, I love him. We need him because (a) he'll help hold the team together and (b) he'll score goals.''

diego's son2009-11-20 11:13:54

A-League Club Owners&#039; Conference