The A-League Expansion Thread

Discussion in 'Australian A-League' started by Azzballz the Great, Mar 26, 2007.

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  1. La Trucha

    La Trucha Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 16, 2009
    42 Wallaby Way, Sydney
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #976 La Trucha, Feb 18, 2018
    Lol the local NPL club I support is a Greek-backed club and I’m not Greek. It’s fanbase is still primarily Greek.

    Not everyone is as indifferent as us. The aim is to try to get as large a fanbase as possible, and ethnic clubs will primarily cater to their particular group, while excluding others. I understand it won’t be like the bad ol’ NSL days of racial violence and ethno-nationalism , but I just don’t want to risk the exclusions of any potential fans and neither do the FFA. Some of the former NSL clubs still have issues with ethno-nationalism and I think you know which ones I’m talking about.

    After all, the reason Adelaide United was such a big hit when they were first formed was due to them being an inclusive and neutral club unlike their rivals Adelaide City and West Adelaide; who catered mainly to the Italian and Greek communities of Adelaide, while excluding others.
     
  2. theFOOTBALLlover

    theFOOTBALLlover Member

    FC Porto, SC Freamunde & Fraser Park FC
    Jan 17, 2015
    Sydney
    #977 theFOOTBALLlover, Feb 18, 2018
    10 clubs in Australia have a monopoly over the game and all the benefits that come along with that. The best clubs in the lower division go up and the worst in the higher division go down. What's unfair about that?
     
  3. theFOOTBALLlover

    theFOOTBALLlover Member

    FC Porto, SC Freamunde & Fraser Park FC
    Jan 17, 2015
    Sydney
    #978 theFOOTBALLlover, Feb 18, 2018
    The only issues I've heard of is at Rockdale when they played Bonnyrigg or Sydney United. Two clubs are bad so lets deny the other 100 good ones?
     
  4. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #979 Yoshou, Feb 18, 2018
    It’s been 20-30 years since pro/rel worked that way.. The “best clubs” are now defined by the size of their owners bank account. That seems contrary to “fair”.
     
  5. theFOOTBALLlover

    theFOOTBALLlover Member

    FC Porto, SC Freamunde & Fraser Park FC
    Jan 17, 2015
    Sydney
    #980 theFOOTBALLlover, Feb 18, 2018
    Hold on a minute.. so you want clubs with rich owners to come into the A-League and clubs in the NPL who don’t have that can’t yet now you are complaining that having a rich owner isn’t fair?

    If that’s a problem, it’s related to the salary cap not pro/rel. You are going off topic.
     
  6. La Trucha

    La Trucha Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 16, 2009
    42 Wallaby Way, Sydney
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #981 La Trucha, Feb 18, 2018
    We already saw how ethnic clubs worked out during NSL. FFA does not want to risk that happening again.

    The other issue is their catchments. Australia does not have London-like cities, we don’t have the capability to hold so many teams in one city, especially without cannibalising the existing A-League teams. Hence why I beleive Wollongong Wolves is the only former NSL club worth bringing back.

    I can’t see Heidelberg, South Melbourne, Knights, Olympic, SU58, Blacktown, Bonnyrigg etc joining the A-League without either having poor attendance, or severely cannibalising the existing A-League sides.
     
  7. theFOOTBALLlover

    theFOOTBALLlover Member

    FC Porto, SC Freamunde & Fraser Park FC
    Jan 17, 2015
    Sydney
    #982 theFOOTBALLlover, Feb 19, 2018
    Things change. These clubs are all in NPL and don't have issues. Maybe 2 clubs still do but if they are being denied a chance in the A-league because of their off field issue, why are they allowed to compete in the FFA Cup?

    If you believe that these clubs won't be big enough to compete then they'll never be promoted so why not just open up the pyramid to clubs that might work out?
     
  8. theFOOTBALLlover

    theFOOTBALLlover Member

    FC Porto, SC Freamunde & Fraser Park FC
    Jan 17, 2015
    Sydney
    #983 theFOOTBALLlover, Feb 19, 2018
    You boys should get yourselves on Twitter and follow a few football supporters outside of clubs outside the A-league. E.g. @smfcmike (I think).. he loves South Melb. Obviously he is one sided but it's just interesting to see another point of view.

    I had similar arguments to you all when the A-league first began but since working at the NPL level, I've seen the other side and it has changed my thinking completely. I'm not suggesting you guys should change yours but you have to understand the other point of view. Football clubs are more than just a sporting club even though globalisation has changed that a lot.
     
  9. La Trucha

    La Trucha Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 16, 2009
    42 Wallaby Way, Sydney
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #984 La Trucha, Feb 19, 2018
    I love FFA Cup. It’s a great way for NPL teams and players to get exposure, and I especially love when an NPL club knocks out an A-League club. I still remember the crowd of 4000 erupted when Heidelberg United scored the winning goal against Perth Glory last year.

    Back on topic, it’s where the US model comes in. There’s no pro/rel, but the stronger NASL and USL get promoted to MLS when they prove they’re worthy ie Portland Timber, Orlando City and Minnesota United. The stronger NPL clubs can play in the B-League and if they prove themself they can join A-League.

    Lol, Twitter.

    On the other hand, I’m thinking you all should sign up on reddit and post in r/aleague which is extremely active as opposed to here. There are a few NPL supporters there, and I’ve attended some of those games with some of the other members. Attending all the Melbourne FFA Cup games last year is what got me into NPL.

    I think you’d like it if you wanna talk to more than 4 members ;)
     
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  10. artml

    artml Member

    Liverpool FC
    Ukraine
    Jul 11, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    #985 artml, Feb 19, 2018
    Survival of the fittest is not that cool when your entire sport is not the fittest one collectively.

    Let the wild west work out, let only the fittest prevail and your top flight will be named AFL.
     
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  11. mike4066

    mike4066 Member+

    Jun 30, 2007
    Chula Vista, CA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #986 mike4066, Feb 19, 2018
    This is my point too....just like in the US in Oz we need to strengthen second tier before any true pro/rel gets implemented. Eventually you'll get to a point where you can no longer keep adding teams to the top tier so your second tier gets stronger and that is when you can start thinking of pro/rel.

    Anytime before then and you are just setting teams up for failure (assuming that just being in the top tier will help a team is a fallacy).
     
  12. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #987 Yoshou, Feb 19, 2018
    There also isn’t a particular reason why A-League can’t expand beyond their current 10 teams. If the NPL clubs are stable enough and have resolved the problems that plagued the NSL, would FFA really block them from entry? A-League isn’t large enough where they need pro/rel beyond the “shiny toy” aspect and there are a lot of risks to doing so given the issues around A-League and NPL clubs.
     
  13. mike4066

    mike4066 Member+

    Jun 30, 2007
    Chula Vista, CA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #988 mike4066, Feb 19, 2018

    The only thing that is holding these teams back from "getting promoted" is that A-League is trying to spread out current teams. So teams like Melbourne Knights and Blacktown City would be on the outside looking in as A-League wants to focus on other areas of Victoria and NSW.
     
  14. theFOOTBALLlover

    theFOOTBALLlover Member

    FC Porto, SC Freamunde & Fraser Park FC
    Jan 17, 2015
    Sydney
    #989 theFOOTBALLlover, Feb 19, 2018
    At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what we say because nothing will change unless the FFA decides to change. Until then, enjoy the A-league while I support my clubs in Portugal and my local NPL club.
     
  15. mike4066

    mike4066 Member+

    Jun 30, 2007
    Chula Vista, CA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #990 mike4066, Feb 19, 2018
    To your point though, I think the A-League is closer to pro/rel even though the top tier isn't as steady as MLS.

    This is due to the vibrant state leagues and having closer ties to soccer than the US (meaning most people get the concept of pro/rel vice the US although that is changing).
     
  16. La Trucha

    La Trucha Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 16, 2009
    42 Wallaby Way, Sydney
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #991 La Trucha, Feb 19, 2018
    As you would already know, USA is a very heavily-populated country unlike Australia. MLS has 23 teams and still there are a number of major cities they have not tapped into. Fortunately for us, there aren’t as many major cities and towns we need to tap into.

    I think with 6 or 8 more teams (and perhaps replacing the struggling Nix with an Australian team), A-League can tap into most areas of significance.

    This. I don’t want to go back to NSL days where the league was stacked with mostly Melbourne and Sydney teams. We should be expanding all around Australia and not just two cities.

    However, I am absolutely for expansion into Dandenong-Casey (SE Melbourne) and Southern Sydney. I was reluctant about the latter, but I could no longer deny it is a strong bid.
     
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  17. mike4066

    mike4066 Member+

    Jun 30, 2007
    Chula Vista, CA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #992 mike4066, Feb 19, 2018
    Yea I've been interested in southern Sydney (assuming you are talking about Wollongong) since 2010. Really surprised they weren't announced before GWS.
     
  18. La Trucha

    La Trucha Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 16, 2009
    42 Wallaby Way, Sydney
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #993 La Trucha, Feb 20, 2018
    No, the Wollongong Wolves bid is another bid. The Southern Sydney bid is essentially a "super-group" encompassing the regions of Sutherland, St. George and Illawarra (Wollongong's area).

    I prefer that the Southern Sydney bid focuses only on the Sutherland and St. George regions, while Wollongong focuses on the Illawarra region. Wollongong is too far to be considered 'Sydney'.
     
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  19. almango

    almango Member+

    Sydney FC
    Australia
    Nov 29, 2004
    Bulli, Australia
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #994 almango, Feb 20, 2018
    Aside from the fact that the "Southern Sydney" bid is displaying huge arrogance if they think they can cover the Wollongong area without the support of the local area.
     
  20. La Trucha

    La Trucha Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 16, 2009
    42 Wallaby Way, Sydney
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #995 La Trucha, Feb 20, 2018
    Yeah it feels like they slapped on Illawarra as an afterthought. Looking at the population numbers of the three regions, I think there is enough room in the A-League for both Southern Sydney and Wollongong Wolves.

    It’ll make for a good derby, and we know FFA loves derbie$.
     
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  21. theFOOTBALLlover

    theFOOTBALLlover Member

    FC Porto, SC Freamunde & Fraser Park FC
    Jan 17, 2015
    Sydney
    #996 theFOOTBALLlover, Feb 20, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2018
    How the FFA are considering allowing those 3 areas to make one team is beyond me.
     
  22. La Trucha

    La Trucha Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 16, 2009
    42 Wallaby Way, Sydney
    Club:
    Melbourne Victory
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #997 La Trucha, Feb 20, 2018
    Well, if you only visit this forum for Australian football discussion, then you’d be forgiven for thinking there have been no news in the past few days regarding expansion. Tassie, Canberra and Brisbane City have all re-ignited their desires for an A-League spot:

    Brisbane City back Ballymore rebuild push

    Canberra's A-League franchise hopes boosted as FFA approve expansion

    Wilkie ups Tasmania A-League push

    Furthermore, AAFC have pushed once again for a national second division:

    AAFC to push national second tier with FIFA, AFC
     
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  23. el-capitano

    el-capitano Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 30, 2005
    Sydney
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #998 el-capitano, Mar 28, 2018
    Well we're almost up to the 1000 posts- so I'm going to close this one and open up a new one to discuss the new news.
     
  24. el-capitano

    el-capitano Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 30, 2005
    Sydney
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #999 el-capitano, Mar 28, 2018
  25. el-capitano

    el-capitano Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 30, 2005
    Sydney
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    #1000 el-capitano, Mar 28, 2018
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