A-League Expansion

[adz]

.... I don't like the idea of splitting the home games though. I'd hate to have two home grounds. Have one HG and turn it into a fortress....

was thinking the same thing - plus this as a third home ground:

* Playing marquee home games at ANZ Stadium;

strange idea, wonder if it gets through or the FFA says just pick a ground FFS.

 

[dibo]

splitting games is indeed stupid. penrith is miles away from most people - heaps of people would go 'screw it, moore park's easier'; they should do parramatta, and they should do parramatta with gusto. parramatta's also a very attractive little all-seater stadium in the heart of what would be the second or third largest city in the country if it weren't considered part of sydney.

they should be getting to the point where parramatta is a fortress filled with whatever the colours are and they're talking about expanding the joint and the NRL club are in the shade.

 

[Jesus]

Indeed. Play at parra. If crowds are pretty full, then play their bling match at homebush on a saturday night. Otherwise still, at least early, leave them at parra

 

[FFC Mariner]

As I have free car parking near the ground/pub, Parra is a must.

 

[loyalist]

play at endensor park plz

 

[Bex]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23855919-5000940,00.html

Neill fights for Sydney's west

By Ray Gatt
June 13, 2008

Details are still sketchy, but the bid looms as a serious threat to the dominance of Sydney FC.

"dominance of Sydney FC."

WTF?????????? What comp were they watching last year?

 

[Jesus]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23855919-5000940,00.html

Neill fights for Sydney's west

By Ray Gatt
June 13, 2008

Details are still sketchy, but the bid looms as a serious threat to the dominance of Sydney FC.

"dominance of Sydney FC."

WTF?????????? What comp were they watching last year?

Presume they mean the dominance of the bling in the sydney market. Which could only mean the challengeless bling in the huge market getting no where quickly.

 

[Bex]

About the only thing Bling dominate is making the worst marquee player decision by paying an outrageous amount for a has-been striker with a dodgy knee.

Actually, that would fit.....wasn't there mention of signing a massive marquee player for the western Sydney bid. Perhaps they can make a worse decision than bling???!!! LOL

 

[~Floss~]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23855919-5000940,00.html

Neill fights for Sydney's west

By Ray Gatt
June 13, 2008

Details are still sketchy, but the bid looms as a serious threat to the dominance of Sydney FC.

"dominance of Sydney FC."

WTF?????????? What comp were they watching last year?

Presume they mean the dominance of the bling in the sydney market. Which could only mean the challengeless bling in the huge market getting no where quickly.

Hopefully they mean either dominance of the Sydney region, or dominance of media coverage/attention.

 

[nero]

If Johnny doesn't score for them in the first or second game, there will be blood.LOL. Down with the scum.

 

[Sean]

A-League in Sights
Sutherland Sharks contemplate future including Toyota Stadium games
by Brad Forest
Source - The Leader (Shire Newspaper 17/06/08)


Premier League football club leaders Sutherland Sharks are examining plans for an eventual bid for an A-League licence and possibly playing out of Toyota Stadium.

The Sharks don't have the finances to bid by themselves, but are looking at a number of other options a few weeks out from their game against Sydney FC at Seymour Shaw Park. They can can seek a joint venture with Wollongong in a similar vein to the St George-Illawarra NRL joint venture.

There is talk of the club waiting for the planned (second division) B-League competition in five or more years time - and hope to win promotion to the A-League.

However, as the Wollongong bid is well advanced, it would be less expensive for any Sutherland consortium to join up - and play half their home games at WIN Stadium and the other half at Toyota Stadium.

Sutherlands Scottish Born coach Brian Brown said a second A-League side, apart from Sydney FC was 'imperative' in the countrys largest city.

"Playing an A-League side out of Shark [Toyota] Park would entice more supporters than playing all the games at Wollongong" said Brown referring to the country's biggest junior football nursery (about 18,00 players) in the Sutherland Shire.

Referring to the NRL played in winter and the A League in summer, Brown said
"It would give Cronulla Sharks revenue all year round. I would be suprised if this isn't already on the table, and if it isn't, it should be because it just makes good sense"

John Hills, the Pipe King multi-millionaire and major sponsor of Sutherland Sharks said he had been a vocal supporter "for years" of a Shire-based side playing in the big league. "Since the National League era in soccer I've supported that concept," Hills said. "I still support it today, I don't have the answers about who would need to finance an A-League bid. However I will be having discussions with Cronulla Sharks where I was a major sponsor for 3 years about this and other matters."

Hills, who has financed Sutherland Sharks to a tune of about $2 Millionin recent years, including having the countries first synthetic grass surface laid for football games, has ongoing plans to fund a redevelopment of Seymour Shaw Park and its surrounds.

Sydney FC's sole Sydney liceence agreement for the first five years expires at the end of next season.

Sutherland, who hold a commanding seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League ladder, hosts Sydney FC in an exhibition match at Seymour Shaw Park tomorrow fornight, July 2.

 

[loyalist]

cant see ithappening for years

 

[clarence]

That Sutherland Shire Sharks article is full of inaccuracies.

The A-League is not and probably never will be promotion and relegation competition.

Consortium get together and bid for a franchise in the A-League. If there's a spot available, the best bidder gets the franchise.

Best they can hope for is some partnership arrangement with Blingers.

 

[midfielder]

I can see this helping the gong ....... as the shire is just a tad over 30 mins to Win, and with SWSydney also within fairly easy drive the gong. So like the mariners draw many from Sydney's north, the gong would draw from Sydneys south but with the added advantage of being within close range of southern beaches unlike Mariners were northern beachs find us difficult too get too.

Also the shire has a sizable association to market to just like the Marinetrs market to Glad / Hornsby and so on.

Good move if it can be pulled off.

 

[serious14]

The A-League is not and probably never will be promotion and relegation competition.

What makes you say that??  Many countries far less organised and way smaller in size than ours have promotion and relegation systems, and if we're ever going to be taken seriously on a level that we'd like to be by both FIFA and the AFC, then it's something that we're going to have to initiate, sooner rather than later.

 

[dibo]

The A-League is not and probably never will be promotion and relegation competition.

What makes you say that??  Many countries far less organised and way smaller in size than ours have promotion and relegation systems, and if we're ever going to be taken seriously on a level that we'd like to be by both FIFA and the AFC, then it's something that we're going to have to initiate, sooner rather than later.

smaller in population, sure. size, no way. we would surely be the least densely populated nation running a promotion and relegation system if we ever got there.

A2-league teams attracting maybe 5k will barely have enough money to be able to fund flights for 30+ people 600km every second week, let alone pay anybody wages. it's the NSL all over again.

 

[Bear]

May see a mariners bus for away trips, like in semi-pro lol

 

[serious14]

Don't worry Dibo, we'll have a stupid amount of money in 30 or so years time - football is the future, etc. 

 

[dibo]

there's many a slip twixt cup and lip.

 

[Jesus]

I can see this helping the gong ....... as the shire is just a tad over 30 mins to Win, and with SWSydney also within fairly easy drive the gong. So like the mariners draw many from Sydney's north, the gong would draw from Sydneys south but with the added advantage of being within close range of southern beaches unlike Mariners were northern beachs find us difficult too get too.

Also the shire has a sizable association to market to just like the Marinetrs market to Glad / Hornsby and so on.

Good move if it can be pulled off.

Most of the blings fans are from the northern reaches of the shire that i know. The bling will have no one left!