Today could well be remembered as one of the most important days in recent Australian football history.
David Gallop will this morning make a “significant announcement” regarding the outcomes of the recent National Competition Review, which set out to clean up all of Australia’s state leagues.
The fact that the FFA CEO is going to be the face of this announcement means it is a big one – and a big one has been in the pipeline for a while.
We can safely assume what it is.
The ‘Australian Premier League’ project has been going on quietly behind the scenes for some time now – most prominently in Queensland, the state which has effectively served as a test case.
The idea is to have a new APL division in each state to replace the current leagues that hitherto have differed wildly in terms of quality in all senses – coaching, administration, facilities, governance and of course, the football itself.
It might not even be called the Australian Premier League – the grapevine suggests securing the rights to this name has been a tougher task than what the FFA had anticipated.
But the name is not important. It is only window-dressing for a set of nationwide reforms that will give football the kind of underpinning that the AFL and NRL both enjoy, but the round ball game never has.
All states will come under the new banner by 2014, starting with Queensland, South Australia, the ACT, New South Wales and Tasmania this year.
The only reason why Victoria, Western Australia and northern NSW are 12 months behind is because of existing sponsorship arrangements, which will soon expire.
When the curtain was last peeled back on the outcomes of the NCR back in October last year, Football Queensland told reporters – including this one – that a national naming rights sponsor was on the way and that the FFA would play a major hand in upping the publicity surrounding state-level football.
That was at the launch of the APL’s Queensland conference, when FQ chief Geoff Foster turned what was a good news story into a confusing one by claiming FFA was under enormous pressure from the Asian Football Confederation to create a national second division with promotion and relegation by 2022.
Is the whole APL/NCR thing a step towards that? Probably, eventually. But that’s a long ways down a road that needs to be walked very carefully – and it’s not even close to the most exciting thing about all this.
For me, it’s going to do two things that have been desperately needed for years – to bring the proud old NSL sides back into the ‘new football’ fold, and to create a genuine pathway below the A-League for players, coaches and even future expansion bids.
It’s huge. Using Queensland – my beloved adopted state – as an example, former NSL clubs like the Brisbane Strikers will be pitted against former A-League clubs like Northern Fury and A-League aspirants Sunshine Coast Fire.
In NSW there’s Marconi and Sydney Olympic, in Victoria there’s South Melbourne and the Knights.
All of these clubs, past, present and future, in each and every state, will see their paths intersect in an annual play-off cup between each state champion.
What intrigue, what drama. They can relive past rivalries on a brand new stage or build fresh dynasties as they’re embraced as part of a broader national strategy.
Then, the players. Of course, this is primarily for them – these higher-level competitions are being introduced to increase the opportunities for elite young players to play senior, first-team football.
They will all be guided by better coaches – perhaps ones keen to climb up to the A-League like Marconi’s Jean Paul de Marigny or new gaffers just starting out like the recently-retired Kasey Wehrman at the Western Pride in Ipswich, just outside of Brisbane.
This is the level for them to earn their stripes, in a competition where new minimum standards will be set for coaches for the first time ever.
The cherry on top is the fact that in the winter time, we’re going to have some football that at long last will be in some sort of national context.
Eventually the FFA Cup will arrive. For now, though, Australian football gets the structure below the surface it has needed.
It’s been a long time coming.
legend
Guest
The league should grow over the next 3 years to 16 teams with 6 guest spot so as to not disrupt the franchise arrangement. the npl will pr with the guest spots. And in about 10 years a limited p/r be introduced with the a league having minimum teams from each city/state being retained
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@ Kasey Don't worry yourself about P/R. The FFA have a dedicated team, who will crunch the numbers & devise a strategy. According to the CEO, who is far better acquainted with the data than any of us, P/R could occur in 5 years. Football is evolving. Let's just enjoy the good times, rather than jump at shadows.
Kasey
Guest
This is a really exciting development. MLS is 10 years advanced on us (they kicked off in 1995, we kicked off in 2005. But more than just learning from the mistakes the Americans made so we don’t make them ourselves; we could learn a great deal from the Americans in terms of fan engagement and Customer Service as I've written elsewhere in this thread.
Kasey
Guest
I am an optimist and have been wracking my brains to figure out how Pro/Rel could work in this country. the fact that the only sporting competition that I can think of that successfully employs it is the Amateur Aussie Rules footy leagues in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne shows that the concept isn't totally alien to Australian sport, but in each instance, the furthest distance travelled would be from the extreme North of Adelaide to the extreme south(Adelaide being a very large city - by footprint ~ 90kmNorth to South - we are spread out quite well) Even the lower leagues of the Ammos split Adelaide into North & South. I just can’t imagine how Football would manage the logistics of a HAL club being relegated, but ensuring that a major market (Perth, Brisbane or Adelaide?) isn’t unrepresented in the top flight. Our league is still too immature to risk a major market being unrepresented. I think the thoughts already mentioned where Promotion to HAL from NPL for clubs willing and able to take the big step up occurs but no relegation to build a top flight based on merit is what we are likely to see in the next 10 years.
Griffo
Roar Guru
+2
Australian Rules
Guest
johnno, if you sought to compare the 2 with a real world comparison, it could be akin to a C.Hitchens-v-F.Phelps debate.
vinnie
Guest
+1
Kasey
Guest
To be fair to the other regulars on the football tab: IMO It’s not usually been the content of MelbCro’s comments that raises hackles (Often I agree with him - especially when it comes to recognising the records of the past), more it is the aggressive and antagonistic tone he writes with. Obviously he is a passionate football fan, but perhaps his mother never taught him that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.
Brendo
Guest
Yep, this is how I see it as well. 10 - 15 years of "P" only based on a strict criteria that ensures only the best clubs (those that are likely to add value to the A-League) being allowed to go up. Once we have enough teams (18) we would see a split in the A-league, creating two divisions and then P/R will be introduced between those two divisions. Assuming by that time the FFA can help support two national divisions. There will not be a relegation back to the state level NPL, A-League clubs would fold within the season without massive finance support. All players would have to be released from professional contracts, sponsors would walk away, stadium contracts ripped up, massive staffing cuts. It just aren't going to happen the damage to the game would be immense and we are not ready for it.
Cpaaa
Guest
PR will happen. Football no longer playing follow the leader, we go our own way. opened my diary and I get these quotes by randoms. Today it was one from Walt Disney "its kind of fun to do the impossible"
Stevo
Guest
LOL, YES, end of day typo Kasey :)
Adrian
Guest
Guys the talk of having 3 or 4 pro leagues div, is just crazy..Germany only had 2 pro leagues on tile 4 years ago, ..this is a country with 80 million people And there nothing that say a P/R model , leads to a stronger A-league.. K-league and MLS don't have P/R model what FFA said today is good..It has given us a stronger State league , and a stronger State league will lead to a stronger A-Legaue... now where does it show having a P/R model leadds to a stronger league
Adrian
Guest
Fussball we been heaing there could be a FFA cup next year, for a number of years : could be in 5 years, means a lest 10 years in FFA talk :)
dasilva
Guest
There's a difference between a club that is popular with ethnics and an ethnic club. If there was a club that was formed by migrants but they are able to attract a multicultural fanbase than there is no problem. THe original Brisbane Roar had dutch ethnic links but no one really cares about that. I will say that a club that is unable to demonstrate the ability to attract people from diverse ethnicity shouldn't be included in the a-league
Andyroo
Guest
South Korea do have Promotion and relegation. Relegation was brought in last year to set up the new 2nd division which starts this year. They will have promotion and relegation this year. Even though its a small country with 50m and a LOT of corporate money involved they still had a lot of trouble bringing it in and there are real fears that some of the owners will wind up their teams if they are relegated. If that happens it could be a pretty serious warning to the FFA.
Adrian
Guest
100% right Bunny Colvin..South Korea don't have promotion and relegation..so why should we
Soccerlogic
Guest
@Kasey I often hear a lot of rubbish on these comment pages but the idea of a Community match featuring NPL champions vs A-League champions has restored my faith in them. Absolutely Fantastic idea!!! A great way to herald the beginning of a new A-League season and assert football's commitment to the grass-roots. Genius!!!!
MV Dave
Guest
Err AU finished 2nd bottom last year only because GCU were terrible and booted out, likewise PG the year before finished 2 nd bottom with only NQF below them...the year before that AU finished bottom! Sorry Johnno probably 14 teams is about it for HAL in the foreseeable future...unless TV start throwing crazy money at Football.
Johnno
Guest
I didn't know that evan thanks mate. Hollandia still might be able to pitch a team together, now the P/R option could happen in the next 5 years, The incentive is there now to attract sponsors, and expand.
Johnno
Guest
Iv'e been smoking life Mon, caribeean style Mon. But MV Dave look at it like this. The Perth with the mining money, can have 1 team and do well. WA has always done well in all national comps it's entered, except rugby. And so have Adelaide. And it is picking the pace up there too. So how would Adelaide or Perth be failures, in a national comp when they never have. They have the money the will be sweet. And each A-league match will get better crowds, and tv ratings as each match will be tense. And with NZ tv ratings, and Asia, im sure the Australian market can sustain about 20-25 teams in OZ, that can be competitive and earn a spot in a top flight 15-18 division.