The A-League Expansion Thread

No it wasn't. J2 wasn't introduced for years after J1. Football in Japan was developed by using currently-existing clubs that were capable of meeting certain criteria.
Also, the running cost of a lower division at the moment wouldn't be a great deal different to the A-League, unless we use ex-NSL clubs that already have facilities and allow them to continue running as semi-pro teams.

With the current instability of the A-League, introducing another division right now will be a massive slap in the face and throw everything and everyone further out of balance.

 

Well, to be fair, while J2 was founded years after J1 came around, JSL has been around for the entirety of J1's existence and was Japan's D2 prior to J2's creation.

However, J2 was created at the same time that attendance started to turn around for J-League. I'm not saying that is why their attendance turned around, but J2 was implemented in 1999 and the bottom of the trough for J1 attendance was 2000.

 

It's a complete non-starter and may never happen in this country.

 

Forgive me for saying this, but I don't think you understand the Australian sporting landscape.
No sporting league of any importance (even in the days when every state had their own 'national' league) has ever had relegation/promotion.
The FFA should look and learn about what has succeeded in Australia and forget about what happens in foreign countries where their code is not the 4th football code.

Costs would also not be cheaper for a second division team. A team would need to have money to attract players to get a higher standard than state league teams. This money does not exist.
Travel fees would cost more from Townsville and Geelong than from Townsville to Melbourne.

A second division team will really struggle to get any sponsorship and corporate support. A second division team could not also exist in a city with a first division team.

Also FFA could not afford the possibilty for one of the major five cities (in particular Melbourne and Sydney) to not have a team in the top division.

 

HAHA Spoken like a person who knows nothing about Australia and the situation with football here, the huge travelling distances, where people are located, how little money there is.
Come down and live here for a few months first, before you shoot your mouth off about us learning from country's who don't face these challenges.

 

The 2011/2012 A league will have again 11 teams ?

 

More likely 10. If things go really bad, 9. But probably 10.

 

Maybe we should rename this the A-League Contraction Thread?

Also, apparently this genius move was going to involve Miron taking over from Ange. FMD indeed.

 

OMG I thought the NRL had problems, the FFA are a bunch of circus clowns!

 

So I was looking up NSL soccer teams on Wikipedia at work today, and it got me thinking. How come the A League created a bunch of whole new teams when they founded instead of using existing teams and tapping into their existing fan bases? Better yet, why aren't they doing like MLS, and just giving expansion franchises to successful, popular lower level teams? Like Adelaide City, (who have a wicked logo and color scheme. Look 'em up) or Sydney City?

Look at the success of the Melbourne Derby. Imagine if they had that going in Adelaide and Sydney too. That would be crazy! Anyway, I think they should start plundering the lower divisions, a la MLS. Adelaide City, step right up

 

MLS isn't just giving franchises to successful lower level teams.. The Sounders paid $20 million, Vancouver and Portland paid $30 million, and Montreal paid $40 million.

I'll leave why A-League created new teams for someone else to answer.

 

Very few NSL clubs were a) able to meet A-League franchise criteria and b) non-ethnically aligned. Those that were did make the transition - Perth Glory, Adelaide United, Newcastle United and NZ Football Kingz were all NSL clubs, and Glory was the model for the newly created Melbourne, Sydney and Central Coast sides.

Adelaide City, per your example are Italian based, Sydney City was supported by the Bondi/Eastern Suburbs Jewish community, etc etc - these clubs had little appeal to mainstream fans and by and large weren't and aren't capable of operating in the A-League environment.

It was a divisive issue at the time and the wounds within the football community are only beginning to heal but it's hard to argue the break shouldn't have been made.

 

I knew a lot of teams had ethnic ties, I just didn't know they were still so strong. Sounds like Canada. They're domestic has an entire ethnic team division.

Are there any existing clubs w/o strong ethnic ties and that with the right backing could be a part of future expansion? Or will certain derbies only happen when they get FFA Cup and running next year?

 

The one state league club that keeps getting brought up as a possible A-League club is the Woolongong/South Coast Wolves (pretty sure they have no major ethnic ties?). Maybe in a few years time they could, but they recently went through some financial troubles and are just getting back on their feet. Also the Canberra Cosmos could also be suitable, but they haven't been a very good club historically (not that good, no support).

If there are going to be any new derbies created they will most likely be from entirely new teams (West Sydney) or during the FFA cup as SR said.

 

The expense of going national (in a league bases) for a club are two damn high to be sustainable.

The only league that would be expanded like what you discribed would be the NSWPL with Canberra FC.

 

Tasmania doesn't even have the resources to support an AFL team (hell they had issues financing a VFL team)- let alone an A-League team.
There is also the massive North-South divide as well as the fact that neither Bellerive or York Park are really suited as stadiums.

Logically the next club should come from Western Sydney and play out of either Parramatta or Penrith- both with a good standard rectangular stadium. Canberra or Wollongong would be next in line.

Geelong would be fourth in line and would draw supporters from Werribee and South West Melbourne as well. Geelong has a highly succesful AFL team which was rated in the top 4 most valuable clubs in the country. Kardinia Park is quite narrow and would be a decent ground for A-League.

 

I dunno.. It sounds like Tana might be needed back at the Glory with the current owner throwing the fans under the bus for not supporting his under-performing team.