Melbourne Victory's Sebastian Ryall holds up the trophy after their penalty shoot out win over the Wellington Phoenix in the Hyundai football A-League pre season final at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand, Wednesday, August 06, 2008. (AAP Images/NZPA, Ross Setford)
As the A-League swings back into gear, expansion is still the buzz word. But it didn’t stop Football Federation Australia putting a halt to Melbourne Victory’s plan to become a super brand last week.
The Victory, and chairman Geoff Lord in particular, had expressed a ready interest in branching the brand out to basketball and rugby union franchises.
Lord perhaps had dreamed of emulating the likes of FC Porto and CSKA Moscow, which boast champion teams across a host of sports.
But FFA last week appeared to have scuppered any such moves, stating in no uncertain terms that it held the rights to the Melbourne Victory name.
A new licensing agreement, which all clubs are required to sign, will be ratified at the end of the 2009/10 season to support the stance.
“We believe it is important that focus and resources are directed at leveraging the investment FFA and clubs have made in football and specifically the Hyundai A-League,” an FFA spokeswoman told The Age’s Michael Lynch.
FFA constantly cops criticism from fans over scheduling, the disciplinary system, the salary cap, coaching appointments … let’s face it, pretty much everything.
Like many of the governing body’s decisions, it is one born from an autocratic governance intent on avoiding the financial issues of the National Soccer League that can sometimes be viewed as over the top.
But it is one stance that – this time – perhaps a majority fans will agree with.
A-League clubs are hardly a byword for financial stability, with both Adelaide United and Brisbane Roar under the auspices of FFA as they go through so tough financial times.
And as one Victory supporter said, with glazed dreams of an academy straight out of the English game in his eyes: “I’d rather the money be spent on our youth.”
And it’s not hard to believe that the bulk of A-League club members would much rather see their club work towards a facility like the Central Coast Mariners’ much-vaunted centre of excellence than branch out into different sports.
It’s also hard to see a large number of fans following the brand’s other sides simply because they share a badge and team colours.
It’s also feasible that such forays into basketball and rugby union would take considerable outlays.
And while it’s doubtful Lord would have raided the football coffers to establish teams in rival codes, his current members – like any others in the competition – would no doubt be keen for him to utilise his fundraising expertise to help set the team up as a domestic giant.
As they and FFA would perhaps argue, there are plenty of other, footballing ways, in which money could be spent.
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