A-League Expansion

[marinersman]

It seems like it's just about all systems go for GC and NQ.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/a-league/aleague-expansion-assured-as-tycoon-agrees-to-fund-gold-coast/2008/05/29/1211654220833.html

A-League expansion assured as tycoon agrees to fund Gold Coast
Michael Cockerill
May 30, 2008

AS RIVAL codes fret about contraction, the A-League's expansion plans have received another major boost with the richest man in Queensland, mining magnate Clive Palmer, ready to bankroll the Gold Coast Galaxy.

Palmer, who was brought up on the Gold Coast and still lives there despite his business interests being focused in the Pilbara, has stepped into the breach to replace the previous backers of the Galaxy, a group of local property developers. On the same day he was named the richest man in the state by BRW - with an estimated personal wealth of $1.5 billion - Palmer committed to funding the Galaxy, and is expected to take 100 per cent control of the club.

Football Federation Australia's board is due to meet on Tuesday to decide whether to admit both the Gold Coast and North Queensland to next year's competition, and with Palmer's backing now assured, there is no doubt the Galaxy will be included.

Palmer made his first public appearance as the Galaxy's new owner when the Gold Coast Elect played Queensland Roar in a trial game at Burleigh Heads last night.

North Queensland have also changed ownership since their bid to join the A-League this year was rejected, meaning a 10-team competition starting next year is virtually assured.

While Palmer has had no previous association with football, it's believed his interest stems from the game's growing relationship with Asia, in particular China. Palmer's new-found commitment to the game reflects the A-League's growing corporate appeal, especially to the mega-rich.

Frank Lowy, the second-richest man in Australia, owns Sydney FC, while a Wollongong bid to join the competition next year is set to be funded by another billionaire, WIN Corporation owner Bruce Gordon. Unlike rival codes, all existing A-League clubs are privately owned.

 

[coast]

sounds good to be, be better if we got 12 team comp, the gong and western sydney i reckon. More local derby's the better imo. In hte not so distant future could even get a act and geelong based team's, now that would be huge.

 

[northernspirit]

i wouldnt want to see too many teams, 12 is about right - any more and the talent becomes too diluted and the standard of football becomes more like the nsl... 8 is not enough, 12 is perfect imo

 

[clarence]

We were talking about this in the pub before the game tonight and the best we could come up with to get around the license issue was:

Relegation/Promotion to be State based (cant have Adelaide going down to be replaced by a team from Qld)

When the promoted club is decided, they have a set period of time to raise the license fee and "takeover" the spot.

You would also need 14/16 teams to make it viable.

Don't see how this could be achieved in a small football market like Australia has. Not enough depth in (good) players to support such a concept.

We barely have enough money to support the upcoming Youth League and State Leagues aren't doing well.

Concept of promotion and relegation was a burden on the old NSL and wasn't too popular with the broader Australian sports public -who the FFA is trying to win over to Football.

 

[Jesus]

State leagues would be greatly diminished if a 2nd tier was introduced. All the top players would move to that league. The state of the state leagues will not be a concearn, as they will probably diminish to more regional specific comps.

Presumably, if needed for a world cup bid, which it seems it is, the feds and states will come to the table with some funding.

 

[nero]

Has anyone heard that Lowy wants a pacific aleague team in the future?

Why don't the latest topics come up on the home page of this site?

 

[marinersman]

No. Care to share?

Do you have a link to a media story?

 

[adz]

Why don't the latest topics come up on the home page of this site?

That broke in the forum upgrade - I'll have a look at it this week

 

[mariners4ever]

yeh they were talking about on the world game this afternoon. lowy wants a combined oceania team to compete in the a-league.

IMHO, even though its a national comp, we already have wellington to promote the game in NZ, why not promote the game in the oceania region

 

[Arabmariner]

yeh they were talking about on the world game this afternoon. lowy wants a combined oceania team to compete in the a-league.

IMHO, even though its a national comp, we already have wellington to promote the game in NZ, why not promote the game in the oceania region

Could be another nice away trip! 8)

 

[midfielder]

Pacific A-League team mooted

1/06/2008 5:58:03 PM

Bren O'Brien in Brisbane

Sportal


The A-League could be set for an expansion into the Pacific Islands with FFA president Frank Lowy encouraging the Oceania Football Confederation to set up a franchise in the area.

Lowy met with OFC representatives in New Caledonia on Saturday and discussed the possibility of a combined team from the Pacific Islands competing in the A-League, which currently contains seven sides from Australia and one from New Zealand.

"I invited the Oceania Confederation to create a team of all the islands and if they do that, we will be able to accommodate them in the A-League and they certainly seemed very interested in that," he said.

"I think it would be very good for the A-League, there are 11 million people in Oceania and if we can attract a team from the islands to play in the A-League we can another 10 or 11 million viewers."

These discussions mark a new era of cooperation between the OFC and FFA, which turned its back on Oceania in January 2006 in opting to move to the Asian Football Confederation.

Lowy said there was many similarities between the two areas despite Australia taking a different direction and that both areas could benefit from further co-operation with one another.

"We have reacquainted ourselves with one another. And we are interested in helping the Oceania confederation to get established in football," he said.

The main benefit for Australia in these latest discussions is that the OFC has agreed to back Australia's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

 

[Jesus]

Would surely only bring in more money to the ffa. The major problem is, where would they play? Is there a city with a big enough population and stadium? I have no idea.
Presume ffa will help with some money.

 

[FFC Mariner]

10/11 million potential viewers?? I doubt it, what would the % of pay tv households be in that part of the world??

Pool of potential players to draw on though and another attack on the egg chasing codes who draw a significant number of their players from there.

As for a 2nd tier reducing the State leagues?? I would have thought that the FFA wouldnt be too upset if they f**ked over the old NSL Sokka leftovers.

 

[midfielder]

I assume the team will be based in PNG with some games in Fiji. The table is population in these nations. (The following would assume a 16 team comp 13 Australian and three overseas, how many years down the track, only guest work at this stage)

Using the figures below PNG would be very close to all below except Fiji. Solomon Islands & Vanuatu & Indonesia already football nations, PNG follow RL but play football.

Remember to that the Indian half of Fiji play football not union and are not that bad at it.

After looking at this table I have looked at some % below.


Fiji.............................................. ... 856,346
Indonesia (Oceanian part only).......4,211,532
New Caledonia (France).......................207,858
Papua New Guinea............................5,172,033
Solomon Islands..................................494,786
Vanuatu........................................... .196, 178

Sub Total ......10, 958, 460

New Zealand.....................................4,108,037

Sub Total ...15, 066, 497

Now Add Singapore ....4, 000, 000

Total .....19, 066, 497

Singapore is a big football nation akin to the size of Melbourne & Sydney and would watch the A-League in viewing patterns similar to existing Sydney & Melbourne patterns of AFL& NRL.

I expect PNG would follower a similar pattern to the Mariners, . Big supporter of RL, but big player numbers of football, so PNG would follow A-League in big numbers if they had there own team.

If you add the 19 million above to Australias 22 million the big figure is 41 million people.

Hell 10% of 41 million is 4.1 million. With Singapore it would be huge and 10% would be reached with ease. At 15% viewer pattern is 6.05 million noway AFL & NRL will ever match.

 

[adz]

why did you add singapore and nz?

 

[midfielder]

NZ as they are already in the A-Leagure & Singapore as there has been over the last three years lots of talk about a Singapore team being in the A-League.

Then just adding it all up to see the total, ........... however it would all need FIFA / AFC & OFC permission to go ahead but it is a very big number,  ............ bean counters love that kinda stuff ............ revenue would be huge ........

 

[northernspirit]

would also mean more tv revenue, the new tv deal would be much much bigger

 

[Jesus]

Pay tv has nothing to do with it. Fox has the rights in australia. Someone else does in NZ. Etc
Forgot PNG would be included, and was wondering why not have a png team too, now i know

I think it could really work.

NZ as they are already in the A-Leagure & Singapore as there has been over the last three years lots of talk about a Singapore team being in the A-League.

Then just adding it all up to see the total, ........... however it would all need FIFA / AFC & OFC permission to go ahead but it is a very big number,  ............ bean counters love that kinda stuff ............ revenue would be huge ........

Since Nix count as an australian club under fifa and afc rules. So would any islander team. Meaning that there would be no need for a rubber stamp from fifa i believe.

 

[Jesus]

PNG seems to have 2 stadiums. one 10k, one 16500. both in port moresby.
fiji has a 30k and 10k

 

[marinermick]

away trip to fiji - WOOT