FFA: Western Sydney, Give us the money or give up

D-Day Looms for Western Sydney Bids

SEBASTIAN HASSETT
September 9, 2009 - 12:21AM

FOOTBALL FEDERATION Australia has told the western Sydney consortiums bidding for 12th A-League licence they have until the end of the month to find the required financial backing to enter the competition next season.

The game's governing body has repeatedly delayed the deadline for a decision since July, and was expected to award the licence to one of the three bidders at an FFA board meeting a fortnight ago but again stalled on the decision.

Since then, one of three bids - led by controversial businessman Joe Meissner - has fallen over, leaving one consortium led by former Marconi player Richie Williams and another by player agent Paddy Dominguez in the frame. They have been urged to find the start-up money by October 1, the date when the A-League transfer window reopens.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said there was a chance the deadline could be extended again but admitted he wanted one of the bidders to step up before then.

''We have set very clear financial benchmarks for a prospective club to attain but we haven't been satisfied to date that the criteria has been met,'' Buckley said yesterday. ''However, we are operating in an economic environment which is extremely challenging. That has impeded the speed at which prospective bidders have been able to acquire the capital needed.

''We are still working very hard to have 12 licences for next season and, yes, we've always said we'd ultimately like a team in western Sydney. We don't believe that time has run out; we still think there's at least another month before a final decision can be made, if not longer. Other clubs have demonstrated their capacity to be strong and competitive in a short space of time.''

Speculation has mounted in recent times that the FFA could take a controlling stake in such a club should they fall short in funds, but Buckley said that remained unlikely.

''It's not our preferred model or position. We did that at the very inception of the A-League with one or two clubs but it's certainly not our ideal,'' he said. ''We have a very strong preference that 100 per cent of the capital is provided by the bidder. But I think we're open to all models. What we ultimately have to do is get the model right but it will always still require an substantial amount of capital injection from the prospective licence holder.''

Money aside, Buckley said he was satisfied with the planning behind the two bids and that the bidders ''had addressed nearly all of the criteria to our satisfaction''.

''That's a real positive and we're confident they could switch on very quickly because they've done a lot of the preliminary work,'' he said. ''If all those bidders got together and said, 'Right, let's form a consortium that ticked all the boxes,' we'd certainly listen to that. We'd be silly not to - but at this stage, they've acted independently.''

Should a western Sydney club fail to materialise, the FFA is stuck with two alternatives they clearly would prefer to avoid - putting a 12th team in Canberra or going with only 11 teams next season.

''Our preferred option is ultimately to have 12 teams,'' Buckley said. ''But as yet, whilst Canberra is very well advanced, they haven't met all the financial criteria that we've sought.''

Buckley also said he was disappointed that only 5139 turned up for the match between Central Coast and Perth Glory in Canberra last Friday.

''Having two clubs competing from regions other than Canberra is always going to be hard but I expected more. I think the game deserved more,'' Buckley said. ''If you look at the context of what other sports have achieved, it wasn't a bad result but it was certainly below our expectations.''

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/soccer/dday-looms-for-western-sydney-bids-20090909-fg7c.html

Proud2BeCanberran wrote:
Speculation has mounted in recent times that the FFA could take a controlling stake in such a club should they fall short in funds, but Buckley said that remained unlikely.

''It's not our preferred model or position. We did that at the very inception of the A-League with one or two clubs but it's certainly not our ideal,'' he said. ''We have a very strong preference that 100 per cent of the capital is provided by the bidder. But I think we're open to all models. What we ultimately have to do is get the model right but it will always still require an substantial amount of capital injection from the prospective licence holder.''

Well TBH, this has put a dent in the Canberra plans and we have never really thought of it.

This statement basically means that the FFA will help Western Sydney if they cannot get the start up money in time.

yep well that pretty much signals the end of our bid.

If West Sydney get in i'm going to hate that team sooo much!

the FFA is stuck with two alternatives they clearly would prefer to avoid - putting a 12th team in Canberra

How is this so?

What did Canberra do to be treated as an alternative the FFA clearly would prefer to avoid...

We are the best bid out of everyone and the remaining WS bids dont have a chance of raising the required capital so whats going to happen next???

the FFA are b*tches!

i am sooooo sick of the damn FFA and their sh*t

thom_canberra wrote:

the FFA is stuck with two alternatives they clearly would prefer to avoid - putting a 12th team in Canberra

How is this so?

What did Canberra do to be treated as an alternative the FFA clearly would prefer to avoid...

We are the best bid out of everyone and the remaining WS bids dont have a chance of raising the required capital so whats going to happen next???

the FFA are b*tches!

Agree. They are just using us as a back-up, back-up.

It will go to 11 teams and something that the FFA will regret. The 11 team league may prize away interested players in coming to the A-League.

Just give us a licence, FFA.

I'm going to send them an email as soon as i get their address!

What bloody idiots!

i think that our best hope of coming in is a strong tassie bid becasue if there isn't then the FFA aren't gonna rush to an uneven comp just to let us in.

Somehow I think FFA is thinking Canberra will be the backup should the AFC kick Wellington Phoenix out!!

pete wrote:Somehow I think FFA is thinking Canberra will be the backup should the AFC kick Wellington Phoenix out!!

Yep, that is right Pete. The only way I can see us coming in in the next 4 seasons is if Wellington get ommited from the league- therefore Canberra coming in.