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Further expansion plans for the A-League – including a second Sydney team – have been put on the backburner. Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley admits mistakes have been made in the competition’s expansion push.
Of four would-be expansion teams, one has been axed (North Queensland Fury), one has never managed to get going (Sydney Rovers), one is struggling for support (Gold Coast United) and the jury is out on the fourth (Melbourne Heart).
But Buckley told AAP the priority for the now 10-team competition was to consolidate before any more clubs – including the much talked about team in western Sydney – were added.
“The competition needs to take a breather,” Buckley said on Thursday.
“We need to stabilise the existing competition base and inject more resources into the existing 10-team structure.
“Any further expansion needs to be really contemplated after we’ve been able to create more stability within the existing competition.”
Buckley has come under heavy fire for his part in the A-League plateauing in crowd numbers and interest after a spectacular start to life six years ago.
The FFA has been accused of taking its eye off the ball with the A-League while chasing the failed 2022 World Cup bid.
Financially struggling clubs, the messy axing of the Fury and the embarrassing failure to get Sydney Rovers off the ground have all painted a picture of a competition in crisis.
But Buckley said the A-League’s recent problems provided an opportunity for all involved in the competition – the FFA included – to learn, grow and do things better in the future.
“It’s not a crime to make a mistake, but it’s a crime if you don’t learn from it,” Buckley said.
“I think we’ve (the FFA) learned, the game’s learned and we need to carry that knowledge into any further decision-making.”
He remains confident the growing on-field quality of the competition – producing the best playing standard in year six – and a later start date will boost this season’s A-League.
The competition will run from October to March-April, rather than start in August and battle the AFL and NRL finals for traction.
Buckley says a western Sydney team remains important to the FFA.
Already the AFL has a presence in the region, with Greater Western Sydney Giants set to join the competition next year as its 18th club.
“We’ve clearly stated previously we aspire to have a team in west Sydney, but I wouldn’t put a timeframe on that,” he said.
“The financial stability of the competition and the game has to be strong enough to allow that.”
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