AFC President message to FFA: no NZ teams by 2011

Ditto!!

And if we are kicked out, FIFA will have to fix Oceania football, as they can't take the Phoenix out and leave Oceania as it is.

What do you mean by "fix" Oceania??  Wave a magic wand?

It could mean the Phoenix get kicked out, FIFA merges Asia and Oceania, the NZFC turns 100% pro, Phoenix get in ACL, beat this guys home team 8-0 in the semis and Sydney 2-1 in the final. Brilliant.Michael2008-11-19 00:36:17

Well they've left Oceania this long..

With a fraction of the profits made from the recent/future world cup on it yes. :)

Yes doubtful though.Michael2008-11-19 00:41:55

[QUOTE=james dean]If it is correctly handled I think it could be a blessing in disguise and force everyone to clarify the situation of the club, potentially putting us in line for the ACL.  If poorly handled I think we are gone.  Extremely depressing.  Thanks for your kind words Stop Out! [/QUOTE

I think that actually is the situation now in the eyes of FIFA, it's just not been expressly confirmed.  Our players are registered in Australia, we play in an Australian competition, we are an Australian club...although that doesn't sound quite right.  But I think that's where we will have to end up.  Not sure it's such a big deal though, it's really an administrative label, it doesn' actually change anything at all, although I suspect NZF would have to cease their involvement.

As an aside go to most true blue ockers who ARN'T football followers and tell them they live in an asian country and they will probably have your head.Its that decision that for me is really strange and shows FIFA really dosnt give a sh*t about  the game here apart from throwing under age world cups our way which they hope will stop us bitching.

So with us, an established club in the A league,  being under attack from the AFC president, what chance has this got??

Quote from the SMH this morning

""In other news, Oceania Football Confederation officials are hoping the exhibition match in Auckland on December 6 will get the ball rolling for a possible A-League bid down the track. The Confederation is preparing a feasibility study on creating a professional franchise after Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy invited an A-League bid from Oceania during a visit to Noumea in June.

More than 15,000 tickets have been sold for the exhibition match at Mt Smart Stadium and officials are confident of a 40,000 sell-out, which would be a record for a club game in New Zealand.

While the Oceania team has guest players, Bosnich and former French international Christian Karembeu, it also includes players from seven of Oceania's 11 member nations. Confederation general secretary Tai Nicholas says the match is an ideal opportunity to allow people see South Pacific talent."""

We bid for the U18 world cup and it was good for us. You can't use having that as ammo against FIFA. They've also publicly said they want us to bid for the 2015 Womens World cup. Which is great for New Zealand.

Probably joining the Asian and Oceania confederations together. Can't see any other way unless they invest a lot of money but that wouldn't really fix anything though.

I think it's time to re-ignite (!) the effigy burning thread!

[Warning: Lazy racial stereotype follows. Those of sensitive disposition turn away]

Being from Qatar I'm sure Mr Bin Hammam appreciates a good effigy burning. So why don't we make our feelings clear on this issue by burning his effigy at the Jets game? I know it seems like a total over-reaction, highly irresponsible and probably illegal but it sure would make me feel better. And it might even get on the telly in Qatar which would be like, totally ironic.

Woo-hoo! Effigy burnings are back! Yippeee!

[This is the point at which Tony P is thinking "oh ffs, how many times do I have have to tell these idiots not to do stupid things like burning effigies of FIFA officials"]

actually burning stuff sounds like fun!

In the future of social and cultural anthropology; we probably be more defined as an asian country by 2025 with all the south east asians, central east asians, polynes-asian and austral-asian people in the population. Oceania will be re-defined as really part of Australasian, which is part of Asia.

So might as well give it a head start. . .

Allwhitebeliever

You could be right about NZ becoming an Asian nation it has some advantages and of course disadvantages. ........ But ......

Predictions are  25 years from now, the middle class in Asian will be about 2 billion .... consider North America & Europe  have about 550 million now...... the forecast growth in Asia is enormous that's why so much money is coming to football ....... its the Asian connection ....... make no mistake how importation Australia sees it's future as an Asian nation and tho football a common interest can be found as we share little history / language / religion / or cultural ......football is why Clive Palmer brought the Gold Coast , why ACT & Tassie governments are prepared to back a football club ....

Also  Aussie bragging (unusual you will agree)  about being the best in Asian is not greeted warmly by some in Asia ...... and many did not want the whites in the ACL ..... so who knows the politics behind all this ..... but a well connected mate told me in his opinion we are being put in our place and shown who is the boss big time. Where it will end only God knows at this stage. Midfielder2008-11-20 01:35:18

Just watched an SBS interview with Tony P. Somewhat depressing stuff unfortunately: the sponsor's nervous and there's nothing we can do but leave the whole thing in the hands of FFA for now.

Absolutely.

Apparently we did know about the 2011 dateline and we weren't even sure if we would be in the a-league next season. Can Tony P shed any light on this?

+1
I reckon people need to go and read Foul! by Andrew Jennings to learn about how Fifa and with that football operates around the world.

Sorry if there is a thread on here already about this, feel free to move this mods.

This video here is about AFC's President Mohammed Bin Hammam's position on the Phoenix.  It also has the reaction from Tony Pignata which didn't encourage me at all.

http://player.sbs.com.au/twg#/twg_08/ALeague/A-LeagueNews/playlist/FOOTBALL-FOCUS-Phoenix-stand-firm/

What do you guys think of that?

Tony P needs to shave that nasty mo.lol

Some good product placement

That video made me seriously depressed

That video was terrible. Sony are scared, and looks like the phoenix board and that are half defeated. Im sure the aussies don't mind having the phoenix, but culdn't care less if they were to be replaced.

Lets just get a massive crowd this friday night, beat melbourne, make the top four, win the league, and then well be untouchable

They seriously need to focus on getting the license renewed and then focus on sorting out this AFC problem (and get us a few strikers).

Don't listen to them. It makes you look distinguished, Tony!

Stop trying to get free stuff.

Do we have any friends in the A-league or Australia? Cos we haven't been hearing a great deal from them. And if Fozzie is thinking the way others are thinking, there doesn't seem to be a lot of ANZAC spirit running around, despite our club being successful and supporting many good Australian players back into an Australian competition.

Perhaps it is a real pity that News didn't get to break down crying on Franz Beckenbauer's shoulder!

Dont you mean again.

I  Frank Lowy.

'Resolution' could mean either way

Lowy us.  He's an Aussie that gets it.

Your always so negative first Paston now this This should hopefully mean we are staying in.