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Where should A-League expansion end?

2nd February, 2009
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Expert
2nd February, 2009
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The Newcastle Jets captain Jade North holds up the A-League trophy.

Canberra football fans, if you want an A-League team, get out and see the Socceroos in the Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait. The decision to give the home fixture to the nations capital is a litmus test for the cities’ prospects for an A-League franchise.

The FFA is scouting possible expansion cities, but they should be wary about where they settle.

Two further teams will join the league in time for the 2010/11 season, most likely second Melbourne and Sydney teams. Fair enough.

But what of those other bids, like Canberra, with worthy claims to inclusion? Where should A-League expansion end. In other words, how many teams is sustainable given the early development stage the league is in?

Firstly, the A-League shouldn’t look to Queensland, South Australia or Western Australia.

Queensland will have no vacancies left after North Queensland and the Gold Coast enter next season. Even then it is yet to be determined what effect the two upstart franchises will have on the Queensland Roar.

Meanwhile, West Australia and South Australia are simply too small to support second A-League teams. Both have two AFL franchises respectively, but the one-team one city concept works best for these mid-sized cities.

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In New South Wales, much depends on the makeup of the second Sydney franchise: most likely a West Sydney franchise based out of Penrith, Bankstown or Parramatta.

It would surely be beneficial for all concerned to unite the bids and not settle on one of the towns. Perhaps a generic West Sydney franchise pulling support from the surrounding areas of those towns.

Wollongong, under the South Coast FC bid, is also looking for inclusion from New South Wales and has the benefit of geographical isolation from Sydney.

Down south in Victoria, a second Melbourne team seems the safest bet for 2010 given the crowds generated by the Victory, while Geelong has also investigated the possibility of joining the league.

As I’ve written previously, Tasmania should be considered as a viable alternative, while Canberra already has a W-League presence and, judging by the FFA’s decision, is being seriously considered.

So with the second Melbourne team, Geelong, Wollongong, West Sydney, Tasmania and Canberra, the A-League would be up to sixteen teams.

Are sixteen teams too many?

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Yes. The A-League doesn’t have the capacity to support as many teams, nor players in the short-term future.

FFA CEO Ben Buckley has said, “When and where we expand the competition is measured simply by whether it is right for football, right for the existing Hyundai A-League clubs, right for the new clubs and right for the local community.”

Very true and the FFA should not rush this process.

Make these franchises prove their worthiness for inclusion and add them slowly. Build anticipation. A-League fans are already looking forward to next season with a new bling team on the Gold Coast.

But the A-League’s success thus far can be partly attributed to the one-team-one-city model.

Don’t rush into second teams in Sydney and Melbourne because of simple economics. Remember, too, that these franchises will only succeed by dividing loyalties and robbing the original franchises of support.

As Sydney FC have demonstrated, putting together a successful football franchise is about much more than just settling in a big city and expecting people to turn up.

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Take your time with expansion and make sure you get it right. As soon as we have limp franchises stagnating, we will only encourage the hungry ravens – hello Rebecca Wilson – who hover over the A-League waiting to attack.

Let’s hope Canberra football fans get out in force for the Socceroos in March and prove their worth for inclusion.

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