Only a possibility at this point, Doyle. The Australian government-- or rather, an independent inquiry thereof-- is investigating Soccer Australia as far as how it runs itself. A re-organization of the NSL as being a separate and private entity apart from Soccer Australia is only a possibility at this point. http://www.socceraustralia.com.au/i...d=111030&link=http://www.soccerinquiry.org.au http://www.soccerinquiry.com.au Those are a couple of links anout the investigation as a whole. Hope that helps!! Cheers, William
just my 2c... I think the NSL as a whole needs to get scrapped completely and built up from scratch. Because of the ethnic-oriented teams in the competition it will never flourish and will not draw in the spectators. The only clubs that are doing well are not ethnic-based. For example, Perth Glory. New teams, new administrations and different grounds to remove race-bias in teams. This is the only way the NSL will develop into a proper competition to rival the other big codes.
No the NSL cannot be scrapped because the clubs like Melbourne Knights and South Melbourne have built a loyal fanbase that is reasonably stable over the past 60 years. If it was scrapped it would completely fall apart. Perth Glory is a success because it is the only club in Perth, It has been carefully planned since the early 80's, Tana is business savvy, Careful financial planning and we have a huge football fanbase (Heaps of soccer nuts). I am not saying that the rest of Australia is hopelessbut Perth have tapped into it more successfully. Northern Spirit did but the bubble burst for some reason.
One of the key financial problems with the NSL is that there are not enough people at the games so the television rights (where the UEFA clubs make their money) are almost worthless. I remember a soccer journalist last year writing that a Brisbane game had just over 900 spectators - how do you make a profit with that. Perth and the Football Kingz do have the advantage that they are the only professional teams in their city (and country in the case of the Kingz) but without other teams there is no league. Maybe a combined Pacific Nations team could be an option. Crowdie.
No we will not degrade our A league into a wish wash of other nationalities. FIFA already dislikes the idea and want the Kingz out of the NSL. However we need an expanded Chyampions league with Asia. Gives the NSL more drive to win the championship.
The current wisdom, as far as i know, is that the proposed Australian Premier League won't get off the ground as soon as is hoped. With too many clubs in financial difficulty, no known big sponsor or television rights on the horizon things look bleak. The hope when Lowy and his team were elected was that the 03/04 season would be a possibly shortened interim season and the APL would kick off in 2004. Now, without concerted movement between the board, clubs, players and officials that outlook could be quite optimistic. There's not a lot of information coming from the SA board so it's a matter of wait and see (and speculate like crazy, of course).
I don't believe that an Australian Premier League would work at this time anyway. With a new team getting off the ground in Adelaide and another in outer Sydney seemingly on the brink of collapse, it would probably seem as if the APL consortium would be capitalizing on a depleting or weakened National Soccer League. However, I am anticipating an APL arrival before 2010.
I think that what had happened to Adelaide City was nothing more that a coup. They wanted to kill the Italian backed club for a "new" one which will have just the same influence from another ethnic group. Anglo-saxons. This what i have been studying into the mess the Australian game has got itself into. Yes the Force also got themselves into the mess but the SASF, Businesses AND the State Government saw the club fall on its sword and never helped it to recovery. it has to be a 14 team comp with Canberra Cosmos to be back in the fold (hence why there are still byes because they were kicked out) And the financial restructuring of Lowy and others and it will look good. An APL model looks like it will be 2004/2005 but pencil 2005 in as the year for big change for the NSL
The issue with the Kingz is a FIFA rule that all professional teams must play in their country's own league. This rule stops a border Austrian team, for example, threatening the Austrian FA with the threat of playing across the border in Germany. As the Kingz are the only professional team in New Zealand there is no domestic league for them to play in. The Kingz started as a concept by several ex All Whites who wanted a NZ professional team and as a number of Kiwis were playing in the Australian league it made sense to have the Kingz play in Australia. Soccer New Zealand, Soccer Australia and Wynton Rufer (at the time a member of the FIFA board) approached FIFA for an exemption to the local league rule on the grounds that there is no local professional league in NZ to play in. After several attempts FIFA issued the Kingz a two year exemption. Later a five year exemption was issued. To quote Bill MacGowan (the NZ Soccer CEO): Finally, just in case it was missed in the wash during recent discussions concerning the Kingz, can I repeat the very good news that came in the form of a written assurance from Soccer Australia regarding a New Zealand entity in the NSL. SA has given a written assurance to NZS that there will always be room for a New Zealand based franchise in their national competition, regardless of what shape it takes after reform. The key to this is the organisation must have the support and approval of the New Zealand Soccer Board. Having a NZ side in the Australian soccer league is good for the game as a NZ side is always going to be sustainable (both financially and from a player point of full). Agreed but with the Asian confederation being the largest in the world will they have time to play against us? Crowdie.
Hmmm maybe but the MLS could be a good option. FIFA were reluctant to award an extension to the Kingz. They need to fix NZ's domestic league first, then they can come knocking at our door!
The NZ domestic league is amateur so the Kingz cannot play in it. That is why they play in the NSL (or whatever replaces it) - it is the closest professional league. Crowdie
They haven't acheived anything the Kingz since 1999 and Even the Kingz board agree with what they have been saying on SBS that the new league will leave out the Kingz due to the dismal failure they are since their first season. I am not a big fan of other nations playing in others' domestic leagues. Only International games should be played.
I can't see the Kingz surviving too many more years without a new management team. I believe they will be replaced by another Kiwi team as there is already another one waiting in the wings and NZS has an assurance with the new board in Australia that a Kiwi team will always be welcome in the Aussie league. Crowdie On the teams from other countries playing in the league the NZ/Oz situation is a unique one and that is why FIFA gave NZS the exemption.
That is not a secured garantee though. Lowy has indicated that clubs in the new league will be based on financial support and geography. Perth, Adelaide (City) and Brisbane have complained in the past to SA, ASA, NSL comittee and FIFA that the travel distance is putting the league under stress. The ASA model does NOT show a NZ side in the new league but the PFA model DOES. The PFA model is short sighted and rushed that sees the massive reduction in clubs and financial chaos. In the Model it leaves out Newcastle and Wollongong regions which have a huge football base, instead the 2 places are for 2 NZ sides. Why would the ASA grant a team in NZ if the Kingz is a proven model for failure? I don't see a NZ future in the NSL or the restructured league. I am not being a kiwi basher, far from it however when i was there in 2000 and saw Perth Glory take on the Kingz there was virtually no crowd but only the loyal Shed fans who made Auckland part of their "tour of Duty" tour. They were failing then and I do not see any future for NZ in the new league.