FFA set for 11 teams

Team for western Sydney on hold

Ray Gatt | September 08, 2009
Article from: The Australian

FOOTBALL Federation Australia's grand plan for further expansion of the A-League is likely to be placed on hold with the head body expected to bite the bullet and go with an 11-team competition next season.

FFA has been left to weigh up its options in the wake of drama surrounding two of the three western Sydney-based bids.

Still reeling following the decision last week by businessman Joe Meissner to withdraw his bid for a franchise, FFA was forced into damage control yesterday after another western Sydney bid team, backed by Socceroos captain Lucas Neill, was linked to murdered businessman Michael McGurk.

A Sydney newspaper revealed that the Neill franchise approached McGurk, who was gunned down in front of his home late last week, to help raise a large part of the $6 million needed to fund the bid's entry to the A-League.

Working under the informal name of Sydney Wanderers FC, the paper alleged that former NSW planning minister Craig Knowles is the franchise chairman and that the bid's registered office and principal place of business is owned by McGurk.

Mr Knowles' involvement with the bid was apparently minimal.

Knowles issued a statement yesterday in which he said: "I have never met and had never heard of Mr McGurk until recent media reports of his death."

Paddy Dominguez, Neill's Sydney-based agent, is said to have met "numerous times" with Mr McGurk, though he told the newspaper "there is no tie here".

"He is somebody we did speak to because we knew he manages money and has very big clients. We put our proposal to him and he spoke to people, but in the end they weren't interested in investing," Dominguez said.

Dominguez was under instructions not to talk to the media when contacted by The Australian yesterday while FFA was quick to distance itself from the controversy.

"Football Federation Australia notes the report in today's Sydney Morning Herald which makes mention of Qantas Socceroos captain, Lucas Neill, in respect of the 12th licence for the Hyundai A-League," FFA said in a statement.

"FFA has no knowledge of the matters outlined in the report. FFA also notes that it has not issued a licence for a 12th team, nor entered into exclusive negotiations with any of the competing consortia.

"FFA is in the process of undertaking due diligence on the consortia."

Neill, a highly respected sporting figure in Australia and overseas, is understood to be gutted by the latest developments, which has thrown the game's expansion bid in to disarray.

Until early last week, FFA was considering the merits of three bids based in western Sydney -- the Meissner group, Neill's franchise (Sydney Wanderers) and a consortium known as the Greater Western Sydney Football Group (The Wanderers) -- and one each from Canberra and the South Coast.

FFA chairman Frank Lowy has made no secret of the fact he wants a western Sydney-based team in the A-League to make up a 12-team competition next season. FFA has granted an 11th licence to a Melbourne-based consortium known as Melbourne Heart.

But concerns about the three Sydney bids, mainly to do with financial details, forced FFA to continually delay making a decision on which franchise it would approve. FFA has been steadfast in its position on expansion -- it will not include a 12th team without the certainty of financial backing.

The withdrawal of Meissner, who once had convictions for assault and theft of machine guns, for "personal reasons" was considered to have left the door wide open for one of the two remaining Sydney bids.

With FFA's determination to have Sydney covered, the GWS group is now expected to sit down with the head body to finalise plans to bring football to the broader Sydney and Wollongong markets.

The GWSFG is considered by some to have the best expertise and franchise model, and is about to put a revised financial model to FFA.

When asked about any confusion between his group's proposed name "The Wanderers", and the Neill group's Sydney Wanderers, GWSFG spokesman Chris Tanner said:

"We are two completely separate bids." He refused to offer further comment.



http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26040264-2722,00.html

smeh, the game doesn't really change, if anything another western sydney bid is out the door so that just leaves us and that tanner fella.

we're so bloody close to this license, just 1 fricken mil!!

lol this article doesn't even give Canberra a chance.. they must be sydney siders hehe

I know, really they haven't acknowledged the Canberra bid and how it is so close to becoming the 12th team.

11 teams? God no. This would just be ridiculous as it is and the players need to be playing as much football as they can.

This is just plain ridiculous. Hurry up FFA and make a decision.

For the good of the game, the FFA should accept the Canberra bid and hold WEstern SYdney to get their bid together, with them and South Coast coming in in about 2 years.

Were sooo close....

Tanner is pure poison. If the FFA get into bed with team connected with Tanner they lose credibility instantly (IMO) .