Rest of A-League Transfer (Now with 99% RR - Love your work)

 Tony sage confirms that the Wanderers get an extra import slot for their first 2 seasons.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/football/wanderers-special-deal-to-avoid-gws-like-thumpings/story-fn63e0vj-1226480586830

Fucking average,

That irritates the crap out of me.

I do question the timing of it. If they were to be allowed another import slot, why are we only finding out about it now? Does have the impression of a back room deal to help Wanderers because ADP stole their thunder.

I have issues with preferential rules for any side, but particularly one owned and funded by the governing body.

We got no breaks, had less time to put a team together and had to find our own money.  

How do you have a level playing field when the FFA can look at paying a million dollars a year for a player at one club, their club?  Likewise if the rumours are true of Fox and Hyundai chipping in on the ADP salary.

If this league is to survive it needs to be kept balanced and having financial support for some clubs over others is a sure fire way of unbalancing that.  As soon as you do that other owners (and in Sage and Tinkler we have two prone to tantrums) look to quit and clubs fold.

Either balance it, or offer the same breaks to every club.

total BS for me. agree 100% with news on this one.

We never got an extra spot - and the argument is that the market is a bit thinner because they are adding a new team into an existing market but they seem to forget that there was a gold coast side that was destroyed last year who had a 23 man squad and youth team.

Heart never got an extra import spot. 

Neither did GCU or NQF.

And im almost certain that if this league ever survives long enough to expand again, that team wont get an extra spot...

The numbers thing is even more bollocks when you consider that we had a season with 11 sides only two seasons ago and now there aren't enough players for 10 sides?

Also just them saying that they dont want to see another team get thumped just rubs me the wrong way. 

It's complete bollocks.  In their quest for expansion (which has clearly been happening too soon than it should have been) the they've managed to piss of just about everyone connected to the A-league and football in this part of the world in general, and create another potential financial drain hole which could end up costing everyone big time.

There was really nothing wrong with heading into the season with 9 clubs, and giving Western Sydney or whoever more time to get their act together and get into the league with some sound backing. 

Surely there must be something in it for us to allow this? What are the FFA paying the other clubs to make them allow this?

 I don't know that we did allow it.  The new 'owners committee' did and that doesn't have a representative of every club on it, only Sage and a couple of others.  I get the impression some owners are not pleased they 'agreed' to it*.

*I have no evidence where the Nix nine stand.

You think that the A-league is a fairly "clean" league, free from backroom deals and secret payments... and then you read this. Is there any part of the world where football is free from corruption?

Joel Porter is training with Adelaide. Possible van Dijk replacement?

Was he the one that formed a lethal partnership with Maceo?

 Rumour bouncing around of a guest stint for Drogba at Victory.  Seems VERY far-fetched to me.

Better than a Harry...

 Drogba is making mega bucks at the moment would be weird for him to come down here all of a sudden

Talk about a ridiculous bias, seems way out of line that the League-funded club gets to have extra slots. Unbelievable, they should've just decided to extend it to everyone if they needed players for the Wanderers. Ridiculous.

 Not just the extra slots but who is paying?

Wtf, is it now 2 imports?

Fuck me.

What a joke this league is.

Who is this "Joint A-League Strategic Committee"? This is turning into more and more of a farce every day.

 Tony Sage from Glory and some others I can't be arsed looking up.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/from-nags-to-riches/2008/05/10/1210131335083.html?s_cid=rss_news

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/soccer/truce-between-a-league-owners-and-ffa-under-threat/story-e6frfg8x-1226447167650

http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/12/19/perth-glory-owner-tony-sage-to-quit-a-league/

Glad they are in charge of relations with the FFA, and ensuring an even playing field for all.

I have a bit of sympathy with the FFA.  So long as they are not spending A-League money for other clubs, I'm ok with bending the rules to sign Ono on the basis that a good West Sydney team is good for the league, TV deal etc which ultimately is good for the league.  I can just get my head around this.

However, 2 extra, foreign marquee players?  What a complete joke.  And if the fans money is going into funding wages for a player for West Sydney I'd be going absolutely mental

Would the 250k Sydney get, be for image rights to use ADP to promote the A-League & it's sponsors?

 From Micheal Lynch in the Age, sums it up well

"There is probably nothing terribly wrong with FFA underwriting star names into the sport if they are a) of sufficient star quality to make a genuine difference and b) the opportunity is open to all to avail themselves of a top-up fund.

Personally, I'm not a great fan of the process. I believe that a sporting competition is just that, not a beauty contest, and the best marquee player of all is in fact not one individual but a marquee team that wins matches, even if that team is made up of relative no-names.

But I am also au fait with the contemporary view that marketing and image trumps almost all, so can at least pay lip service to the idea that bankrolling big names, to a degree, is defensible.

But please, FFA, can we have a little more transparency and explanation.

Apparently Sydney FC is receiving around $250,000 to help pay for Alessandro Del Piero, while Newcastle is said to be getting some assistance to pay for Emile Heskey.

Sydney also received a cash injection to assist with wages for Brett Emerton last year, it is understood, and perhaps also this year.

Of course, the FFA controlled and financed West Sydney is being given extra capacity to bring in foreign players over and above the five-man maximum that clubs must abide by.

I would have no problem with that. As a developing franchise it is entitled to some extra assistance, although I don't remember the same privilege being extended to Melbourne Heart, Gold Coast United or North Queensland Fury.

What I do have problems with is the way FFA has not advertised its exceptions.

At worst it makes the game's governing body look like it is picking and playing favourites, at best as if it is making policy on the hoof.

Now I am reliably informed that the extra provision for West Sydney was revealed to the joint A-League steering committee members some weeks ago. Good. But why wasn't it made public. Can you imagine the AFL granting extra concessions to Gold Coast or GWS and not thoroughly explaining the rationale behind it to the game's supporters?

Ditto for the extra payments made - out of the game's economy - to already well-paid players.

Fine if it is a strategic initiative. Do it.

But make it public, make it open to all, and let the world know you are doing it.

In today's saturated media environment we are all going to find out anyway. Better to be upfront"

 Ono officially signed on Friday:

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/wswanderersfc/news-display/Shinji-Ono-to-Join-the-Wanderers/49460

Heart already have a decent midfield, not sure where Grella would fit into the middle.

FFA funded again i imagine.

Level playing field my arse.

Incidentally.  Just what the league needs, another Jacob Burns.  He's a cheating clogging thug. 

Best get into him hard when he comes here.  Never forget the MCG.

Totally. Glad we have Boxall as back-up for Siggy, and Lia for Muscat, cause one of them will be sent off if they play him for sure.

didn't even get a red for that IIRC?

 I'd like to see Leo get him back in the closing minutes.

The Leo tacle was a digrace but there were some others in that game from him and others that shouldn't be forgotten as well.