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The ailing A-League is set to undergo a facelift, with a later start to the season and less midweek games to be scheduled in a bid to ‘refresh and reignite’ the competition.
While FFA chairman Frank Lowy and chief executive Ben Buckley fielded numerous questions about Australia’s unsuccessful 2022 World Cup bid on Tuesday, the pair emphasised the need to address the challenges facing the local league.
The FFA board will later this week discuss a strategic review paper containing feedback from the game’s stakeholders aimed at boosting the A-league.
“That will make a series of recommendations about some changes we need to make within the A-League to reignite it and to refresh it and to kick-start it and to build attendances, so that’s an absolute priority for us,” Buckley said.
“I think there’s a strong view from all quarters of football that we need to start the season later, whether that is the middle of September or the middle of October.
“We’re still working through some final models but most likely it will be the start of October going through to April.”
Buckley wouldn’t rule out a reduction of the amount of rounds and hinted the quantity of midweek games would definitely be cut.
” I think what we’re seeing at the moment, is probably too many midweek games in particular, they work in some cities, they don’t work in others,” Buckley said.
“The ultimate number of games hasn’t been determined, but our first priority is to make sure that whatever we do improves the financial performance of the clubs.”
Lowy said there was a tremendous future for the code in Australia, but admitted a number of issues needed to be addressed, including the worrying attendances.
“The football is very good, the competition is very strong. We are in need of more spectators, bums on seats and I think we’ll get them,” Lowy said.
“We are in the sixth season and if you consider what happened in America, they started in 1994 and it took them a long time to get where they are today and in Japan it’s the same thing.”
Lowy delivered a stark message to the supporters of struggling North Queensland Fury, warning them it was up to the Townsville community rather than his organisation to provide the majority of finance for the cash strapped club.
Buckley said the FFA supported North Queensland’s proposal of a community-based model, but they needed a decision to be made before the end of the year.
“This job is for the people of Townsville to do. We will assist them but we will not carry the Townsville team on our books,” Lowy said.
“This is not what we’re supposed to do and we don’t have any resources for that, so if there is to be a club in Townsville, the Townsville people have got to want it, and have got to pay for it.”
Buckley said meetings over the next few days would be critical in determining whether a Western Sydney franchise would compete in next season’s competition or the following season.
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