Lowy’s A2-League proposal is premature

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By Ben Somerford, 24 Oct 2009 Ben Somerford is a Roar Expert

Tagged:: A-League, FFA, football, Frank Lowy

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Queensland Roar's Tahj Minniecon (second from left) fights for a ball against Central Coast Mariners during their A-League match in Gosford, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009. Queensland Roar won 4-3. AAP Image/Aman Sharma

To a mixed response, FFA Chairman Frank Lowy revealed this week he wants to introduce an A2-League in the “not too distant future” allowing for promotion and relegation in our top flight. And while the idea shows ambition, it’s totally premature in the Australian market.

In Wednesday’s address, Lowy outlined several plans for the game, including free-to-air television and changes to the scheduling of the season.

But Lowy surprised a few when he remarked relegation and promotion was ‘vital’ for the Australian game and strongly floated the prospect of an A2-League being created in the medium-term future.

“We need to support teams by developing a second division which can allow for promotion and relegation, which is the lifeblood of national football competitions around the world,” Lowy said.

“Some people might have suggested that this might be growing the league too quickly. I accept that there is a risk, and I know better than anyone else how fragile some of our existing A-League clubs are.

“But we could not continue forever with an eight-team competition and be taken seriously in world football.

“The larger competition will generate greater interest around the country, not just in isolated pockets of Australia, but a truly national game.”

There’s no denying Lowy’s ambition and plenty of the responses from his comments have had bloggers and forumers dreaming up A2-Leagues of their own with clubs from every pocket of our wonderful land.

But, like Lowy acknowledges, creating a whole new bunch of clubs from scratch to form a completely new league is risky business.

Indeed, Lowy’s latest additions to the A-League, the new second Melbourne and Sydney franchises, have been greeted with some skepticism, so creating another string of clubs for another division seems outrageous in that context.

But, of course, Lowy isn’t proposing an A2-League tomorrow. It is something the FFA should keep in the back of their minds and work towards but realistically in the next 5-10 years it simply isn’t viable.

The current A-League season has shown us that the novelty has worn off the competition and clubs need to knuckle down and find a way to make a profit year-in year-out.

And in terms of expanding into regional areas, the two newboys from Townsville and the Gold Coast are finding it tough although the example of the Central Coast (who are making an annual profit) is the ideal regional prototype, but executing that example is clearly easier said than done.

Plus, as we know, football isn’t the number one dog in Australia, whereas in Europe football is a religion and second or third divisions work because the people make it work. So elevating the game in Australia requires the people to embrace it and the recent calls for free-to-air coverage are central to this.

So right now is the time for consolidation rather than an A2-League (which ultimately requires mass expansion), with TV deals, crowd figures, the quality of football and sponsors, all important factors which need to be stabilized.

Lowy’s arguments for an A2-League include the boost it’ll give to the competitiveness, intensity and relevance of the A-League (relegation battles make good TV!), the nation-wide interest it’ll add via new regional clubs and how it’ll make the league more European.

But these points pale in significance when compared to the risks which the game would face with an A2-League, when we the competition isn’t stable with 12 teams just yet.

Indeed, the risks which would come with an A2-League in the next 5-10 years would include the possibility of clubs failing and folding, which would do so much harm to the public perception of the code.

Maintaining, the A-League’s image of professionalism is crucial right now, because currently image is everything as the game tries to convince the Australian public of it’s worth.

Nevertheless, of Lowy’s argument for the A2-League the first point is the strongest, as that added intensity would do a lot for the competition, but at this stage it is a pipe-dream because it simply isn’t viable as there are other priorities.

Sure the FFA should aim towards an A2-League, but for now let’s focus on the immediate matters at hand which will facilitate the game reaching that dream, as long as that may take.

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The Crowd Says (21) | Page 1 of Comments

tifosi said | October 24th 2009 @ 5:10am | Report comment

Not too distant future = Never in a million years

Lets have an FA Cup. That way the state teams can play for something and it keeps them engaged.

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Robbos said | October 24th 2009 @ 7:51am | Report comment

I’m as pessimistic as everyone about the crowds in the A-League this year. But lets remember it’s not the end of the A-League

However, if 6 years ago, if Mr Lowy told me;
That football in this country would have a A-League with teams in Nth Queensland, Central Coast & Gold Coast & looking at expanding to Tasmania.
That some clubs would get 25K+ to some club games like Melbourne (regularly), Brisbane & Sydney. The A-league itself avering 10K.
That we would have a women’s league which would be shown on FTA TV & a youth league,
That a total revamp of our coaching system to align ourselves with the rest of the world in the technical & tactical areas.
That we would have made 2 WCs in a row including qualifying undefeated for the 2nd one.
That we would even be considering bidding for a WC let alone being one of the frontrunners. This is the BIGGEST sporting event in the world, daylight 2nd.
Move into Asia to allow our A-League teams to play in the ACL (one of the most memorable nights was SFC v Urawa Reds) & little Central Coast taking on teams from ASIA home & away.
Move into Asia to allow the Socceroos to now play meaningful matches, not just 2 matches every 4 years.

I would think Mr Lowy was losing his marbles.
I’m sure there are many more positives I have forgotten. I still think we football fans forget where we came from.
So while I’m not confident about an A2, I would not put it past Mr Lowy.

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- Robbo said | October 24th 2009 @ 9:17am | Report comment
  
  Brisbane is getting crowds of 25,000? Try 6,000.
  
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dasilva said | October 24th 2009 @ 8:11am | Report comment

It’s also quite possible that Lowy knows that it is not feasible but just saying this publicly to appease the AFC bosses.

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slimy said | October 24th 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment

in lowy we trust! If he says we can do it…. THEN BY GOD WE CAN DO IT!

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Freud of Football said | October 24th 2009 @ 10:06am | Report comment

I thought I read somewhere that promotion/relegation was or will be a requirement for leagues around the world?

Either way obviously a second division is fantasy at this point in time but it MUST be what we look towards in the future. If Lowy can get the new franchises in, a significant hike in the TV deals and some decent gate figures there is no reason why a D2 couldn’t work in Aus.

The clubs would simply have to be smaller to begin with, establish the league first and then after a few years introduce promotion/relegation otherwise they won’t be able to cope financially. Do away with salary caps in whichever leagues we have as they will remain a hindrance as they are, clubs simply need to be controlled more strictly with their finances but as long as they are spending within their limits then there is no reason to have a salary cap.

I think the biggest problem is, where do the teams come from? As much as I’d love to see an Adelaide or Perth derby it’s hard for me to imagine either city being able to support two fully professional teams, regardless of them being in A1 or A2 leagues.

The A-League will expand before promotion/relegation is introduced so Canberra will eventually get its team but then who else? Where are the markets and the finances?

I’d love to see a state-of-origin (for the lack of a better term) type league. The best players from teams across the area getting selected to play in a representative team that plays against others. Eg. the best Adelaide club players picked for “The Croweaters” and the best in Perth for “The Sandgropers”.

A Wednesday night fixture may seem a little silly but this couldn’t replace the current leagues played on weekends, it would have to be in addition too and of course would require finance etc. but if you can utilise these state-leagues then you have a player pool, facilities, infrastructure, a fan-base, interest in the game, it wouldn’t be starting from scratch and it would obviously improve the standards of each league.

Sure you probably won’t get a lot of interstate travelling support but it is realistic to expect the fans interest to be there, if the state-level clubs can get a few hundred or thousand to a weekend fixture, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect to get a similar figure to such an “interleague” game, you’d draw supporters from various clubs who want to see the same players they watch on a weekend at a higher level.

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- Pippinu said | October 24th 2009 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
  
  In the days of old soccer – both Adelaide and Brisbane had moments when they had two teams in the NSL.
  
  In fact, I lived for a couple of years in Queanbeyan, and one year, the local team, Inter-Monaro, joined Canberra Olympic in the NSL, meaning effectively two Canberra teams in the NSL! (they were both woeful, incidentally)
  
  If you want a hint of what P&R looks like in the Australian context, look no further than the old NSL.
  
  Teams coming and going – emerging from nowhere, sititng in the limelight for a few seasons, then quietly vanishing for ever – a handfull of very strong clubs do well – the remainder are in tough fight for survival, perpetually broke, and life as a club is brutish and short.
  
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  - AndyRoo said | October 24th 2009 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
    
    Thats not really the competition I want to watch
    
    Would much prefer 16 strong teams ever improving off the field than everything going into survival.
    
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  - mahony said | October 25th 2009 @ 10:24pm | Report comment
    
    Pip, I did not know you were from my home town. I went to a few Inter games as a kid. It is always useful to remember that much of the Lowy “vision” is not new to Australia. But people are right to pause and reflect on how difficult it will be to do it right! I think the FFA Cup should be the priority – but I have no reason to doubt Frank’s ability to put the interests of football first and manage the risks. Long shall he reign IMO at least.
    
    Reply
    - Pippinu said | October 25th 2009 @ 10:29pm | Report comment
      
      Mahony
      I didn’t say I was from Queanbeyan, I said I lived there for two years. Along the river, almost opposite the Leagues club, walking distance of the gold club – it wasn’t a bad life to be honest!! The Leagues club used to show free movies on Monday night.
      
      I had many a fine meal at the Marco Polo Club – very nicely situated too – I think most of the Inter games I went to see were at Bruce – I’m a bit vague on that now (it was about 23 years ago).
      
      It’s been a while since I’ve driven through Queanbeyan – but I’ve got a feeling the Marco Polo club is long gone – last time I saw the building it looked abandoned – not sure though.
      
      Reply
albatross said | October 24th 2009 @ 10:16am | Report comment

He made the speech on his 79th birthday so he gets a little latitude.

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thinker said | October 24th 2009 @ 11:51am | Report comment

Demntia is a terrible affliction.Poor Lowy

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constantine said | October 24th 2009 @ 2:53pm | Report comment

disagree with your article. i believe it can work. i know what lowy is trying to do and that basicly to make australia a footballing power. he doesnt really care if a-league attendances are down, his main priorities are to implement a stronger development system and bring up the technical level in australia. a2 can work, i really do believe in this. we have the player numbers already and a promotion relegation battle will attract plenty of interest. canberra and tassie should be covered; they also need to relax the entry requirements. a2 sides obviously wont have the luxury stadiums of a1 but i do believe they should pick the best of the best state league teams a fair run. already have built up support, already have youth development and they already have good stadia. we need to dream big to win big or australia will continue to be a footballing backwater; we have enourmous potential and its guys like lowy that will help us realize it

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gazz said | October 24th 2009 @ 4:19pm | Report comment

i disagree constantine. cant see how it would work, especially with state league clubs.

attendances need to be up before we attempt this A2league. lowy’s proposal is inverted, that he wants to make new clubs in untapped areas, whereas it should be the peolpe coming to him with the desire for new clubs.

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Griffo said | October 25th 2009 @ 3:13pm | Report comment

Yes, clubs dying because they fall into the A2 league would not be good for the game in many respects. A2 is a loooong way off mainly due to guarantee viability of the league and its clubs.

Of more concern is the gulf that exists right now between the professional clubs and the amateur clubs. Of more benefit to the game in this country would be bringing the amateur clubs up into the professional sphere through coaching and administration revolutions. Long term this might give some extra clubs to an A2 league, improve the standard of the game and its player, coaching and administration base. An FFA Cup style competition with the cream of the State teams might be a good place to start, if not an inter-state premiere league a few notches above what the states have now.

Promo-relegation is the AFC mantra: I think we could do it differently, but anything still requires nearly double the teams we have right now, all professional, all difficult to spring up from next to nowhere without solid financial backing.

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