Western Sydney to Round out A-League Dozen

Then there were 12: Western Sydney will round out A-League dozen

Michael Cockerill
September 16, 2009

FOOTBALL Federation Australia is due to announce by the end of the week that a western Sydney team will join the A-League next season.

After almost nine months of deliberations about the 12th licence, which at one stage included bids of varying credibility from Tasmania, Wollongong and Canberra as well as three separate western Sydney groups, it is understood the FFA has this week finally made its choice.

Western Sydney will be joined by a second Melbourne club in an expanded competition from season 2010-11 - meaning the A-League will have grown from eight to 12 clubs within the space of two years.

Last month, chairman Frank Lowy made it clear that despite the tough economic climate, the FFA would not be getting ''cold feet'' on expansion.

The second Sydney team will be run by Ian Rowden, a former Australian youth international who was involved in the failed bid of colourful businessman Joe Meissner. At this stage it's unclear who will be bankrolling the team, which will cost about $8 million a season to run, but it's believed Meissner is no longer involved. Sydney's second team is expected to be officially unveiled by the end of this week.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/footbal

Few things from that article:

+ It was a Mike Cockerill article
+ Where does this leave Canberra? Where do we go? When will we come in? Will it be at Wellington's expense?

this is sounding really optimistic but there were no direct quotes there from the FFA, cockerill just stated that the FFA are due to announce the accpeting of the western sydney bid.

even so i'm resigned to losing, i just want us to bid for the 13th and 14th licenses along with tassie.

JohnLovesCanberraUnited wrote:

Thanks for that.

good contribution

oh well we all knew deep down that Canberra was an outside chance.. I wonder who is going to finance them?

JohnLovesCanberraUnited wrote:

Post of the year?

But seriously, don't look much into it. I saw on another football forum, do you reckon Mike Cockerill is being payed to get the Western Sydney bid out there.
We know of Cockerill's love affair with Western Sydney, and despite Joe Meissner pulling out of the running, he is just trying to push a team for WS.

Don't look into this much.

I just dont see where they got this information from,

this has no credibility as there is no reference to any particular source or whatever...

How could western Sydney possibly get the 12th spot now, after the leading bid pulled out.

There is no money behind the other bids and I was sure after the main WS bid pulled out that it was the end for Western Sydney.

Confusing and annoying!

JohnLovesCanberraUnited wrote:

Wow... you should submit this comment to the FFA.

^^

thom_canberra wrote:I just dont see where they got this information from,

this has no credibility as there is no reference to any particular source or whatever...

How could western Sydney possibly get the 12th spot now, after the leading bid pulled out.

There is no money behind the other bids and I was sure after the main WS bid pulled out that it was the end for Western Sydney.

Confusing and annoying!

100% with you there thom. i wouldn't call it curtains just yet boys

I'm not sure the Western Sydney bid has all the 6 mil required
If they don't that's crap because that's the excuse the FFA are giving us.

Proud2BeCanberran wrote:

JohnLovesCanberraUnited wrote:

Thanks for that.

Rival bid still in the running for Western Sydney license

The Greater Western Sydney bid is still in the running for the 12th A-League licence.

Despite media stories circulating in the Harbour City today that FFA is almost certain to announce the Ian Rowden led bid as the 12th Team of the A-League, the Greater Western Sydney Football bid is still very much in the running.

The rival bid spokesman Richie Williams told tribalfootball this afternoon: “Our bid is alive and well and gaining momentum every day.

“We have significant support from a number of stakeholders including stadium, state wide Clubs and other community sections of the football family of New South Wales.

“At this stage we are in constant discussions with FFA and in fact we are meeting with senior FFA executives this afternoon to update them on our progress.

“I do not believe FFA would be stringing us along if they had in fact committed to awarding the 12th license to another bidder.”

http://www.tribalfootball.com/rival-bid-still-running-western-sydney-license-3203

which bid was Ian Rowden's?????

JohnLovesCanberraUnited wrote:which bid was Ian Rowden's?????

I don't know. He has pooped out of no where. But apparently was involved with the Joe Meissner bid.

^^^^^^^

our bid has been stable and was even called the "best bid they'd ever seen" by the FFA


but they just want a team in WS which will seriously screw Sydney FC over
just as Hearts will screw Victory over.... crowd wise

JohnLovesCanberraUnited wrote:

Really sums up your 424 posts.

^^


on a side note, i'm gonna send an e-mail to the FFA in the near future once more details come out about this bid and the finances they have basically saying you don't care about us.

might even include the MJ youtube link

We all knew they wanted WS all along and it was just a matter perhaps of WS them getting the right structure (?) in place so they (FFA) could plump for several million to get them going....which no doubt they would have done for us if they had no other option as we were the best bid etc, etc...Canberra Phoenix is our next best option or perhaps team 13 when FFA expand to 14...I feel a song comming on...No-one likes us, we don't care.

jimbo wrote:We all knew they wanted WS all along and it was just a matter perhaps of WS them getting the right structure (?) in place so they (FFA) could plump for several million to get them going....which no doubt they would have done for us if they had no other option as we were the best bid etc, etc...Canberra Phoenix is our next best option or perhaps team 13 when FFA expand to 14...I feel a song comming on...No-one likes us, we don't care.

I doubt that Wellington would come over and base themselves here. I am sure if they did become defunct, which I find VERY unlikely, it would just be a new Canberra team from scratch.