Let's look at some actual truths about all the latest Phoenix out beat up from Aus.
Primarily it comes from two sources.
1, Fox sports 'analysts' and their buddies in other parts of the media. Their vested interest is that they have a delusional idea that spreading the A-League by adding more derbies and more clubs in metropolitan areas like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane is the way to make the A-League grow.
They refuse to accept the example of poorly followed City or the millions it cost to make Wanderers function and don't see how any additional clubs in those markets will cannibalise the fan base of the existing clubs while giving only a moderate bump to TV ratings and their subscriber base but leave the league with potential white elephants in inappropriate stadiums that are as empty as Westpac.
They also choose to ignore the significant retrenchment over the years in the NRL and AFL in the original cities to try and create new markets elsewhere because saturation did not make enough TV dollars and because an NRL fan of Newtown is buying league coverage even if he switches to support Canterbury Bankstown.
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The real problem for them though is the second source:
2, 'Potential franchisees'. The problem for Fox is that there are no viable franchisees and there will not be in the current environment. The FFA want millions and millions of dollars for a license and none of the purported bids genuinely believe their proposal is viable but more importantly do not see it as viable if they have to pay the FFA 5 to 10 million dollars up front for the license.
What they do see however is that if the Phoenix went under they could buy a franchise at a heavily reduced price off the Phoenix and then their initial costs are less but more importantly they are one of only 10 clubs and no part of the FFA can afford for that to drop to 9 so they will be propped up at all costs.
In someone like Kosmina you have the perfect storm because he has not only a role at Fox but a foot in one of the expansion bids that knows it's not genuinely viable to run an A-League club.
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This leaves the FFA with a huge problem. They want to expand but their whole world is one huge clusterfudge with some clubs barely surviving, and owners who are asking why they should spend their own money every season because the FFA financial direction is so messed up that the clubs had no idea of their operating budgets from TV coverage this season
FIFA want expansion and independence for the league but the FFA don't want to lose power because delusionally the Lowys think Australian Football is their own personal fiefdom but they have talked up a future that they can't deliver themselves.
The good news for them is that if people scream about the Phoenix the soft as fudge Australian media (looking at Bossi) stop talking about the sword of Damocles in the shape of FIFA over their heads or the collapsing crowd numbers and TV viewership of the league.
Then you have the likes of midfielder who is so blindly devoted to Fox and FFA HQ that he pops in here and repeats the party line without questioning the interests of those involved.
/rant