A-League Expansion

[dibo]

pacific team is a farking silly idea. can you see perth being keen to do an away trip to fiji? or fiji to pretty well everywhere bar welly?

the populations and peoples are pretty disparate too, there is the polynesian/melanesian divide and even within groups you've got things like the tongans and the fijians and the samoans who don't necessarily get along all that well.

then take into account the simple fact that the economies and the infrastructure are so far behind other australian centres that you'd be insane to pick a pacific franchise over a sunshine coast, geelong, tasmanian or canberra franchise. gdp per capita is miles behind...

and even after all that, in the solomons we're talking about the number one sport, but in the polynesian nations we're behind rugby and in PNG we're behind rugby league. no doubt we'd make some sort of impact, but i'm not sure a tokenistic 'you can all play as a united club' thing will work all that well.

it's not like we *have* to do it for the sake of TV rights. if there are good players over there, they're going to wind up here anyway (like fa'arodo and menapi did). the tv rights will go at a discount to broadcasters over there, largely subsidised by the fact that the whole thing is a farking ad for hyundai and whatever news corp affiliates are operating in each of those markets.

 

[skilbeck]

I agree with Dibo it is a stupid idea. Maybe New Caledonia would a decent shot i.e. same population as the Central Coast, 1st world country with the potential to develop infrastructure, as well as a decent footballing culture established plus same sort of time zone as kiwiland so maybe worth a shot

 

[marinermick]

pacific team is a farking silly idea. can you see perth being keen to do an away trip to fiji? or fiji to pretty well everywhere bar welly?

the populations and peoples are pretty disparate too, there is the polynesian/melanesian divide and even within groups you've got things like the tongans and the fijians and the samoans who don't necessarily get along all that well.

then take into account the simple fact that the economies and the infrastructure are so far behind other australian centres that you'd be insane to pick a pacific franchise over a sunshine coast, geelong, tasmanian or canberra franchise. gdp per capita is miles behind...

and even after all that, in the solomons we're talking about the number one sport, but in the polynesian nations we're behind rugby and in PNG we're behind rugby league. no doubt we'd make some sort of impact, but i'm not sure a tokenistic 'you can all play as a united club' thing will work all that well.

it's not like we *have* to do it for the sake of TV rights. if there are good players over there, they're going to wind up here anyway (like fa'arodo and menapi did). the tv rights will go at a discount to broadcasters over there, largely subsidised by the fact that the whole thing is a farking ad for hyundai and whatever news corp affiliates are operating in each of those markets.

we all know it will never happen

uncle frank is just canvassing votes for '18 or '22

 

[dibo]

I agree with Dibo it is a stupid idea. Maybe New Caledonia would a decent shot i.e. same population as the Central Coast, 1st world country with the potential to develop infrastructure, as well as a decent footballing culture established plus same sort of time zone as kiwiland so maybe worth a shot

nouvelle caledonie is a territoire d'outre mer (TOM) of france, and as such any club from there would be affiliated to uefa through the FFF.

 

[skilbeck]

I agree with Dibo it is a stupid idea. Maybe New Caledonia would a decent shot i.e. same population as the Central Coast, 1st world country with the potential to develop infrastructure, as well as a decent footballing culture established plus same sort of time zone as kiwiland so maybe worth a shot

nouvelle caledonie is a territoire d'outre mer (TOM) of france, and as such any club from there would be affiliated to uefa through the FFF.

would there be any way around it?

 

[dibo]

I agree with Dibo it is a stupid idea. Maybe New Caledonia would a decent shot i.e. same population as the Central Coast, 1st world country with the potential to develop infrastructure, as well as a decent footballing culture established plus same sort of time zone as kiwiland so maybe worth a shot

nouvelle caledonie is a territoire d'outre mer (TOM) of france, and as such any club from there would be affiliated to uefa through the FFF.

would there be any way around it?

NC gaining independence from france?

even if uefa allowed it (and who can imagine lennart johansson helping the OFC or AFC?), i can't imagine the FFF giving up the the next karembeu to play in our league.

 

[skilbeck]

I agree with Dibo it is a stupid idea. Maybe New Caledonia would a decent shot i.e. same population as the Central Coast, 1st world country with the potential to develop infrastructure, as well as a decent footballing culture established plus same sort of time zone as kiwiland so maybe worth a shot

nouvelle caledonie is a territoire d'outre mer (TOM) of france, and as such any club from there would be affiliated to uefa through the FFF.

would there be any way around it?

NC gaining independence from france?

even if uefa allowed it (and who can imagine lennart johansson helping the OFC or AFC?), i can't imagine the FFF giving up the the next karembeu to play in our league.

well if they were the next Karembeu, a french side would have them on their radar anyway or it will just mean theyll end up playing for Arsenal or another English Francophile side. Might be a good chance for some of those players that arent the next Karembeu

 

[tintin1989]

New Caledonia isn't a member of UAFA!

Look at the OFC website, they are quite clearly a member of the OFC... which means there's no problem with the FFF.

Fiji
New Caledonia
PNG
Solomon Islands

Are my suggestions for home teams, maybe give them 3 home games each with Vanuatu getting one game (assuming a 14 team 26 round league)

 

[dibo]

i stand corrected on the UEFA/OFC thing, cheers tintin.

otherwise i stand by my previous calls.

 

[~Floss~]

A-League adds Gold Coast team

Article from: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23801085-5006068,00.html

By Tom Smithies

June 03, 2008 12:00am

FOOTBALL Federation Australia is set to give the green light today for a Gold Coast A-League team, funded by billionaire philanthropist Clive Palmer, to enter the competition in 2009.

An FFA board meeting in Sydney will review the franchise application that Palmer has agreed to fund and it's believed the FFA management will advise them to grant a licence as the A-League looks to expand to at least 10 teams.

However the new club will not be called the Gold Coast Galaxy, a name Palmer is said to dislike, though bid insiders have refused to divulge what the new branding will be. It may be revealed later this week, however, with the FFA expected to make an official announcement tomorrow.

Palmer was a successful property developer on the Gold Coast in the 1980s before moving into iron-ore extraction in Western Australia. Deals he has signed with China, where the demand for iron ore is unquenchable, have propelled Palmer to billionaire status and he has already donated more than $100 million to medical research in Perth.

It's said that his involvement with the A-League is a way of putting something back into the Gold Coast community and FFA sources say his financial guarantees are impeccable and funding has already been put in place.

Two bids for a Townsville A-League team will also be evaluated by the FFA board today though it's less certain either will be given the go-ahead. It's understood the FFA have put out feelers to those groups planning an A-League franchise for west Sydney to see how quickly they could be ready to set up, hoping that Gold Coast and the western Sydney operation could be guaranteed starters for an expanded competition from 2009. A Wollongong bid is also a serious possibility given the backing of regional TV mogul Bruce Gordon.

Though a second Sydney team then would technically need the permission of Sydney FC as the five-year exclusivity promise to all teams runs until 2010, this is unlikely to be a major issue given that the club's major shareholder, Frank Lowy, also happens to be the FFA chairman.

Establishing teams on both the Gold Coast and in western Sydney would fire a broadside across the bows of the AFL in two regions where it hopes to establish a foothold.

However the new club will not be called the Gold Coast Galaxy, a name Palmer is said to dislike,

verhead:  verhead:  verhead:
Thank f**k for that

 

[dibo]

i'm almost disappointed - my reason is simply that if there were anywhere in the country that the tackiest of borrowed names might not merely be possible but in all likelihood appropriate it's the gold coast.

what better way to maintain the the character of this appalling haven of bad taste than to adopt this most plastic and artificial of names?

 

[Sean]

Galaxy Bid Now In A Black Hole

Aidan Ormond
Jun 3 2008 00:45

EXCLUSIVE: It sounded like a concession speech when au.fourfourtwo.com spoke with Gold Coast Galaxy bid boss Fred Taplin last night.
Faced with the real prospect of losing out to the cashed up Clive Palmer-backed bid a spectacular late entry into the race last week - Taplin said he didnt want any lingering rancour once the decision had been made.

Isnt it great that the Gold Coast will have an A-League franchise and that there are two bids? It shows how important the A-League is," he said.

"Were not giving up of course but hopefully in years to come well be remembered as being the people who started the process of the A-League on the Gold Coast.

The FFA board meeting today (Tuesday) is expected to give the Palmer bid at least a provisional green light for the A-League in season five starting next year, thus spectacularly trumping Taplin's stalled bid which has been on the starting grid for six months.

Taplins bid is believed to have needed an extension on certain financial matters.

One Gold Coast football insider told au.fourfourtwo.com that the Taplin bid "simply didn't have the money".

Taplins' bid was also criticised by his now former football operations manager Miron Bleiberg. The feedback we were getting from FFA wasnt positive, said Bleiberg today.

Last Friday, when Palmers bid publicly surfaced, Taplin removed Bleiberg and financial consultant Norman Chan from his bid.

Taplin added that hed been trying to get in contact with the FFA before the board meeting today, but with no luck.

He will not be in Sydney today with his representatives.

Im a football fan and we all want to see the A-League grow on the Coast,"he said. "I want to bring people together, not be a divisive element once the decision has been made. That's not what I'm about."

He added that he may purchase a corporate box at future A-League games at Skilled Stadium. The property developer conceded there had been a lot of work put into his bid and but he refused to point fingers.

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/77421,galaxy-bid-now-in-a-black-hole.aspx

 

[skilbeck]

i'm almost disappointed - my reason is simply that if there were anywhere in the country that the tackiest of borrowed names might not merely be possible but in all likelihood appropriate it's the gold coast.

what better way to maintain the the character of this appalling haven of bad taste than to adopt this most plastic and artificial of names?

thats exactly how i felt, now only if the new bid is the Gold Coast Knight Riders or another IPL rip off will it exceed in tackiness

 

[adz]

i'm almost disappointed - my reason is simply that if there were anywhere in the country that the tackiest of borrowed names might not merely be possible but in all likelihood appropriate it's the gold coast.

what better way to maintain the the character of this appalling haven of bad taste than to adopt this most plastic and artificial of names?

thats exactly how i felt, now only if the new bid is the Gold Coast Knight Riders or another IPL rip off will it exceed in tackiness

Like the Gold Coast Royals and the Townsville Royal Challengers? ;D

 

[skilbeck]

i'm almost disappointed - my reason is simply that if there were anywhere in the country that the tackiest of borrowed names might not merely be possible but in all likelihood appropriate it's the gold coast.

what better way to maintain the the character of this appalling haven of bad taste than to adopt this most plastic and artificial of names?

thats exactly how i felt, now only if the new bid is the Gold Coast Knight Riders or another IPL rip off will it exceed in tackiness

Like the Gold Coast Royals and the Townsville Royal Challengers? ;D

how about the gold coast daredevils or superkings

 

[fedelta]

Those IPL teams had the worst names

 

[marinermick]

Gold Coast Miami Vices

 

[adz]

Gold Coast Schoolies

 

[Jorome Alexander Bennett]

i stand corrected on the UEFA/OFC thing, cheers tintin.

otherwise i stand by my previous calls.

Australia is obviously part of Uefa because we have the Queen on our Cash.
Come on Dibson!

But good on you for not leaving a single crumb on your plate when you ate the sweet humble pie.

 

[northernspirit]

youth team: g.c schoolies fc
a-league team: g.c toolies fc