West-Gone United

With the TV deal payout going down to a shadow of its former self, there is much less enthusiasm (fewer potential applicants) for new clubs starting, as it needs more money than before. Auckland FC was an outlier to get off the ground due to an owner with big pockets, leveraging off other interests (other sports / other countries).  This bought A-FC some security, and also success.

Christchurch has bugger all in terms of European immigration (per capita) which provided the grassroots footballing heritage in Australia.   And money is really tight in NZ right now.  I also hope the OFC team will be a useful litmus test for local interest, assuming we will get to see the team playing here rather than just in North Island.

What they could do is 14 teams - play each other home & away. 26 League games each. Then, ONLY, the top four could play semi finals - 2 legs, home & away before a grand final. No more minor premiership. Just a straight winner takes all. For the semis, 1 V 3 & 2 V 4. All semi final & grand final games divide the gate takings. 33% of each game take to each club and 34% to the APL.

1 v 3 and 2 v 4 is a bit odd.

Finishing first should be rewarded with both a minor premiership trophy, and easiest on paper playoff draw

People get too hung up on how European (esp UK) football comps operate. This is Australasia and all the sporting codes have end of season finals.

Broadcasters and sponsors expect a finals series and pay for them. The A League might as well just be a semi pro comp without the extra revenue the playoffs bring in

coochiee

Buffon II

Doloras

Surely the serious thing to do would be to bring the Snakes back at the same time as introducing another expansion team (Canberra? Woollongong? Gold Coast?) to create a 14 team two-home-and-away-rounds comp

And no finals.

The finals bring badly needed dosh to a cash strapped league. They are never going away.


Canberra have had 2-3 years now to get the $20M+ entrance fee together, and still seem no closer. Their women's team needed a ACT Govt bail out.

Haven't heard any local Gong or Gold Coast groups pushing themselves as alternatives. Need the TV rights deal to improve big time, so the annual club disbursements can get back up closer to where they were before. Macarthur are try to take legal action against the APL, due to financial promises not being met, ie the annual disbursements dropping away to basically nothing.

If WU returns the ALM maybe stuck at 13 teams for awhile, even if the APL want further expansion.

A South Island (popn catchment 1.25M, over 2x bigger than Canberra) team based out of shiny Te Kaha, maybe the best bet to be the 14th team. Having new OFC League club is a start. 

Total catchment is a bit misleading there. Christchurch metro is about 557k and that's probably most of what you're getting, which seems to be only slightly bigger than Canberra.

Dunedin only adds 133k and that would probably only be for a match or two per season. So say 700k max, with 20% being from a second city. Would love to see it, but based it's not really a clearly better option aside than some of the Aussie cities

coochiee

1 v 3 and 2 v 4 is a bit odd.

Finishing first should be rewarded with both a minor premiership trophy, and easiest on paper playoff draw

People get too hung up on how European (esp UK) football comps operate. This is Australasia and all the sporting codes have end of season finals.

Broadcasters and sponsors expect a finals series and pay for them. The A League might as well just be a semi pro comp without the extra revenue the playoffs bring in

1 v 4 and 2 v 3, with 1 and 2 having home advantage is the usual format.
But you're right, the reason we (Aleague) have a top six is purely for the broadcast market and removing "dead rubber" games at the end of the season.

Southernix

coochiee

Buffon II

Doloras

Surely the serious thing to do would be to bring the Snakes back at the same time as introducing another expansion team (Canberra? Woollongong? Gold Coast?) to create a 14 team two-home-and-away-rounds comp

And no finals.

The finals bring badly needed dosh to a cash strapped league. They are never going away.


Canberra have had 2-3 years now to get the $20M+ entrance fee together, and still seem no closer. Their women's team needed a ACT Govt bail out.

Haven't heard any local Gong or Gold Coast groups pushing themselves as alternatives. Need the TV rights deal to improve big time, so the annual club disbursements can get back up closer to where they were before. Macarthur are try to take legal action against the APL, due to financial promises not being met, ie the annual disbursements dropping away to basically nothing.

If WU returns the ALM maybe stuck at 13 teams for awhile, even if the APL want further expansion.

A South Island (popn catchment 1.25M, over 2x bigger than Canberra) team based out of shiny Te Kaha, maybe the best bet to be the 14th team. Having new OFC League club is a start. 

Total catchment is a bit misleading there. Christchurch metro is about 557k and that's probably most of what you're getting, which seems to be only slightly bigger than Canberra.

Dunedin only adds 133k and that would probably only be for a match or two per season. So say 700k max, with 20% being from a second city. Would love to see it, but based it's not really a clearly better option aside than some of the Aussie cities

and with cities like Nelson being closer to Wellington than Christchurch its far from certain that a Christchurch team would catch all of the south island

What does he mean by "question whether NPLV 2026 is possible"? Was there some thought of loaning WU players out to NPL clubs to keep them busy until a possible return to A-League?

They had no fans anyway.

Simon B

What does he mean by "question whether NPLV 2026 is possible"? Was there some thought of loaning WU players out to NPL clubs to keep them busy until a possible return to A-League?

I think it's in reference to their reserve team that plays in NPL Victoria - I think they were supposed to still take part in the next season unaffected by the A-League team hibernating. But I guess they are now unsure whether they will be able to participate

Western Melbourne Group faces new wind up threat in new court documents
https://archive.md/J0MEa

The company behind struggling A-Leagues club Western United is facing a new bid to plunge it into liquidation over alleged unpaid debts, court documents reveal. Dominance Enterprises has lodged wind-up action this week in the Federal Court against public company WMG Football Club Ltd, the entity behind professional soccer outfit Western United that had its A-League license withdrawn last year due to financial issues. 

No idea if there is any truth to it but seen people suggesting that SMFC are trying to take over the Western license.

If true, I don't know what they can afford. I'd like this to happen, but they ought get another few people in to help own an A League setup,  to be realistic.

They've been overdue for the league in my opinion. Historically the best Aus club before Sydney, best currently, just won the Aus championship and just made the GF of the OPL, a professional league. They've shown they can handle professional football so let them in, I'd argue they bring more to the table than Western United. I know there's some concerns about their ethnic roots and some of the conflict that has brought, but honestly from what I've heard they're pretty well behaved compared to clubs like SU58 and Preston. 

Two almost conflicting rumours about South Melbourne going around. Haven't really seen great sources on either yet. One being they haven't been paying players and have sacked Cohadzic, the other they're trying to join the A-League.

I think they are probably an upgrade over Western Utd (unless Western can get that stadium built) as Western have no real personality to speak of.

BUT honestly, I don't think we needed a third Melbourne team (or third Sydney) and if the league is replacing Western I'd rather somewhere new: Wollongong, Gold Coast, Christchurch, Sunshine Coast, maybe Geelong if you want to keep the license in Victoria.

None of this would be complicated if licences weren't so god damn expensive. Quick google search says the Auckland licence was roughly 21mil-27mil (Though I've heard the actual price was less than that) which is overselling themselves by a wild margin. Goodluck getting teams in some of the smaller cities with those kinds of prices

Receivers have taken control of the parent company of A-League soccer club Western United, whose co-director is Jason Sourasis, the controversial ex-manager of Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury.

The 7000-member club has been in hibernation this season due to financial issues facing its owner-operator WMG Holdings and key investors.

Football Australia two weeks ago rejected its licence application for next season – a decision the club was planning to appeal – and Western United received a wind-up action in April, lodged by security company Dominance Enterprises, with a hearing scheduled for mid-June.

In the latest twist in the saga of the embattled club, WMG Holdings went into receivership this week under the control of firm Alvarez and Marsal, on behalf of project partner Johnson Controls.

The company is also behind plans for an ambitious sporting, entertainment, health and retail precinct in Tarneit, which would have housed Western United.

Former AFL player manager and financial advisor Jason Sourasis has been a key figure behind both the club and the development project.

Another company he oversees, Sayers Road Investment Co – which was also involved in funding the precinct – was last month ordered into liquidation at the request of an investor.

Sourasis has himself been battling legal claims from former clients, including Pendlebury, that he mismanaged their investments. Sourasis denies the allegations and is defending the claims.
From our partners

Sources close to the club, speaking on condition of anonymity to share details of private conversations, said by taking control out of Sourasis’ hands, the receivership could ultimately help save the club and precinct project, which already has $80 million committed by financial backers. It would also allow new governance structures to be implemented to address delivery issues.

Wyndham City Council is due to vote on whether to approve the development this month. If approved, it would pave the way for the expansion of Ironbark Stadium, on which Western United’s future depends.

A source close to the situation said potential suitors had approached WMG Holdings to take ownership of the club.

Sourasis has been contacted for comment.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/control-of-a-league-club-stripped-from-businessman-alleged-to-have-stolen-millions-from-scott-pendlebury-20260602-p6031m.html