LOWY CONFIRMS BIGGER A-LEAGUE IMMINENT
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2014/10/10/...
As the A-League kicks off its 10th season amid a groundswell of optimism and goodwill, Lowy said that after surviving its first decade, the 10-team competition can look forward to expansion and serious growth.
"It is difficult to say what would be the ideal size of the league," Lowy said.
"However the league should increase by two teams in the next expansion phase.
"There are markets that could absorb new teams and prosper.
"I would not like to name them because we still have a bit of work to do on this.
"The expansion will happen but won't take place before the new broadcasting agreement in 2016."
Lowy, who will relinquish his post next year, also discussed a range of topics in an exclusive interview.
You said you had doubts in 2005 about the long-term viability of the A-League. Do you still have them?
"The A-League is on its way and we are just hitting our stride.
"I honestly believe that in the next 10 years we will double our attendances, we will have 12 teams and the game will be firmly entrenched as a mainstream sport."
Has the A-League finally overcome its battle to be accepted and respected by mainstream Australia?
"We've overcome this a long time ago. We are already mainstream but we still have a long way to go."
Which was the league's best moment?
"At the completion of the first year we saw signs that the A-League was here to stay.
"Following that we had a few problems when we hit a road hump but we resolved them. There is no undertaking that can go without some hitch and the A-League has had it."
And the worst?
"The issues we had with Townsville and when we had to cancel the licence of Gold Coast United were difficult times. The league was not in any danger of collapsing but they were difficult issues to solve."
Did you ever dream that Western Sydney Wanderers would be so successful so soon?
"You don't count on these things when you start an enterprise.
"The Wanderers had six months to field a team and make a drive for players and members. The choice of coach (Tony Popovic) of course was pivotal. We knew that Sydney's western suburbs should have a team.
"Other people have tried but did not succeed. The Wanderers took the bull by the horn and have been rewarded with a spectacular success."
If the Wanderers achieved so much in such a short time, why are other clubs struggling?
"It is not for me to dwell on this. Some clubs have been very successful on and off the field while others have not.
"In any sport you will always have leaders and followers."
The NRL grand final showed that rugby league is very much a people's game. Will FFA always look after the fans?
"You have to do that because if the fans don't come you do not have a game. Look, the players come first then the fans, then the rest."
FFA has been accused of ruling with an iron fist in a 'my way or the highway' style. Is this criticism fair?
"I don't know if it is fair or not but nobody is 100 per cent successful at anything. Don't take that as a base.
"I think we've done a good job despite some very difficult periods. We have overcome them and established the game. We are not perfect and nobody will be perfect.
"Nobody likes being criticised because there is no perfect solution to a range of issues. Any organisation needs strong and fair leadership."
Is there anything you could have done differently?
"Some people have different ways of doing things to others. My successor, whoever it might be, will do things differently. And he should be successful, I think."
You spent a lifetime in football and business. What advice would you give to the incoming chairman?
"It's simple. He will need to be strong and he will need to lead. He must know and understand the game, which is the best football game in the world. There is no 100 per cent popularity, it does not exist."
The first decade has been all about survival: what's the key word for the next decade?
"Growth. In the next 10 years we've got to double our popularity."