Is this the Beginning of the End?

FFA to go ahead with plans to introduce two more clubs in 2010


Football Federation Australia will not heed the advice of former supremo John O'Neill about the dangers of expansion in a gloomy economic climate and will push ahead with plans to introduce two more clubs next year.

O'Neill said at a forum of sports leaders this week that sport in Australia had enjoyed a 15-year run of economic boom but he expressed deep concerns that a "terrifying" recession could force some sporting codes to contract.

While former banker O'Neill was mainly talking about the AFL and NRL, he added: "It's not just about expansion for expansion's sake. It's about getting competition sizes right and living within your means."

O'Neill was running the show at FFA when the A-League kicked off four years ago with eight teams and in August there will be new teams Gold Coast and North Queensland Fury.

Archie Fraser, the new man at FFA and the CEO of the A-League, is convinced a second Melbourne team and one from NSW, most likely from western Sydney, will make up a 12-team competition in 2010-11.

"The dynamics (in our code) are seriously different to the others," Fraser said on Friday.

"In our expansion plans we have markets with high participation levels and the stadiums. We have a new 32,000-seat rectangular stadium being built in Melbourne where both Melbourne clubs will play.

"That's the other thing. There will be more derby matches and we don't see it as a risk as we deliver 12 teams."

But, even before the fifth season gets cracking on August 6, FFA have already had to prop up Adelaide United and Brisbane Roar.

Fraser, the former CEO of St Kilda, said that a football club in the A-League was not as expensive to run as other football codes.

"On an average we're looking at $7 million for an A-League club and $30 million for an AFL club," he said.

Fraser said FFA would encourage A-League clubs to play foreign clubs such as Fulham, Wolves and Celtic, who will tour in July.

"It's a way for the clubs to become more profitable," he said.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25448900-5000940,00.html?from=public_rss

The hopes for an A-League team is slipping away....

Well, the one good news is that they aren't any closer to having more money though...

of course WS are most likely ,this shouldn't be new news to us. as stated before if they have the money they get in, no questions.

i also think that if we don't get in this round we will be the first one chosen next time around because of the strength of our bid. we are just unlucky that we've come up against a WS bid this time.

Problem is I doubt they would expand the year after, I think you would be looking at 2-3 years afterwards...

Graham Arnold OUT! wrote:

well put mate.... LOL

aleague4canberra wrote:of course WS are most likely ,this shouldn't be new news to us. as stated before if they have the money they get in, no questions.

i also think that if we don't get in this round we will be the first one chosen next time around because of the strength of our bid. we are just unlucky that we've come up against a WS bid this time.

yes, but when the CEO of the FFA comes out and SAYS that WS is pretty much assured a spot i can kind of dampen our spirits...

Tobster wrote:Problem is I doubt they would expand the year after, I think you would be looking at 2-3 years afterwards...

Same here. I really hope we make it in this round of expansion because I can't see the FFA shaking up the league again for a few more years. We might be waiting until 2013.

pretty sure the guy said most likely which i agree with, we are just waiting with our awesome bid if they fail which i hope they might.

i just watched that interview with fraser onfox sports fc and it sounded far from a foregone conclusion that WS would get it, it's not as bad as it seems

were not quite at the end but close i mean putting it into perspective were playing knock and run on Saitans door step.

We are kind of like the Raiders Season ATM. It is not dead and buried but nearly is over.

Whereas Tasmania and South Coast are in the Sharks' position ATM.

*shakes head at link to rugby league*

^^^^^

sorry, to post it here but it is time to change your avatar!!

as said every positive post that comes out in the media i get more confident.

I think most of you guys are reading to much into it. That paragraph in the article about western sydney wasn't a direct quote from Fraser and could have simply been the writer para-phrasing.

Then when Fraser does mention the derby matches, he doesn't specifically mention WS, so I think it is hardly a foregone conclusion that WS will get the nod ahead of us.

And besides, if we don't make it this time around, we can always steal Weliington's place :D.

^^^^

yea i guess. but it still is just a little worrying when these things come out.