Melbourne Heart have rejected a takeover offer from former NSL heavyweights South Melbourne, with the current owners not prepared to sell a controlling share of the A-League club.
Heart chief executive Scott Munn confirmed South Melbourne had contacted the club about acquiring a portion of shares – the second time it had done so.
But the Heart said no – and are believed to have done so in record time.
It is understood the Heart’s current owners want to retain control and direction of the club they have built.
Munn says the Heart – who are on track to turn a small profit this year and may be the only A-League club to do so – are open to outside investment.
But they don’t want to disrupt an off-field structure which they believe is working well.
“Our owners have been clear from the start – they’re in this to have a club for the future, a club that develops young players, and to have a club that is not dominated by one particular group of owners,” Munn told AAP.
“We’re the only A-League club this year to break even.
“The owners don’t have to put in any more money.
“Clearly we want to challenge for titles. To do that, we need to spend money on our football department, and we’d love some investment.
“But we’re not going to make any rash decisions around the structure of the club which would jeopardise it in any way for a short-term grab for success.”
Munn admitted there had been other offers of investment during the season – one from the Middle East and one from Europe.
The Heart are also locked into a deal to play at AAMI Park for the next three years – shooting down any suggestion they will have to decamp to another stadium to house average crowds of around 7,000.
South Melbourne’s boutique Lakeside Stadium, with a 15,000 capacity, would appear a decent fit.
But Munn confirmed to AAP the Heart last season renegotiated a new three-year deal with AAMI Park.
The Heart also remain in negotiations with various tiers of government to extend their training base at Bundoora in Melbourne’s north.
South Melbourne had also expressed interest in becoming involved in the Central Coast Mariners’ ownership when the A-League champions were undergoing cash flow problems in March.
But the Mariners eventually offloaded a controlling interest to existing director Mike Charlesworth.
The Greek-backed club, who now play in the Victorian Premier League, had been a powerhouse in the old NSL winning four championships.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
Pretty much,though not sure one would say many mvfc fans want them to die for its own sake, more a case of "unite the tribes" worked well down here and we want a proper teo team dynamic rather than the current paradigm There were two melbourne bids, one was heart and one was southern cross fc which was a pseudo smfc bid Heart bid came about because Sidwell couldn't buy onto victory board and so has spawned as a result of surplus investors The southern cross/smfc bid came about because there was an element of the old guard wanting to articulate some kind of top flight representation in the new era FFA went for heart because of some marketing notion that the Melbourne "market" was big enough for two teams Heart is nothing more than an FFA franchise dumped on Melbourne by people in an office up in Sydney, people didn't want a second broad based club, hence the reason heart have struggled to capture the imagination. Indeed from the perspective that their entrance opened the door for the slagging off of MVFC and the underminining of the goodwill that had previously existed then derbies aside they have been a step backward for the football in Melbourne Smfc is the only organic alternative to MVFC emanating from the Melburnian football fraternity, their entrance can help heal some old rifts and in ky view they are the only truthful alternative to MVFC in Melbourne
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
Very well managed is debatable, since they aren't even able to come up with a coherent marketing strategy for a start and to this day no one can actually figure out what they stand for exactly other than "anti-victory" Even if crowds did grow with a relatively successful season, it would drop again quite quickly. Since 2007 there has been a core so about 25-30k people willing to follow the a league on a week in week out basis and a few more for big games. Heart merely took many of these from victory so we have MVFC at about 23k and heart at about 7k. This won't grow until second generation and the only way to add to it is to get people from the old soccer segment of football fraternity into it via an NSL oriented entity like smfc\southern cross The FFA subsidising the salary cap may just about balance out the end of the sweetheart deal I'd they have the top tiers closed. But they can't sell players year on year and they'll prospectively end up like the Mariners Smfc on the other hand, can be a smaller niche club with great history and no great pressure to get big crowds, if playing at Lakeside they are potentially sustainable and profitable with a lower fanbase
Evan Askew
Guest
I hope Heart don't roll over because we can't afford another club to go bust. I don't believe ethnic clubs should excluded from the A league on the basis of them being ethnic clubs as that is discrimnatory and against the idea that people and organisations should be appointed on merit. At the same time I think 2 teams in Melbourne is enough for the present. So if South were to get in now it would have to be a merger with Heart which I think is a good idea save for the probable opposition of both sets of fans. If South were to get in the a league in their own right then it would have to be when bothe Heart and Victory are well established. In my opinion.
Evan Askew
Guest
Thanks MV Dave. I actually think it would be a good idea for the two clubs merge.For Heart they would get a round more suitable to the level of support they would get. They acquire their own facilities and a ready made junior base. They would keep their name and their colours. And a union with South Melbourne would give them something to stand r which is what the've being lacking according to many. On South Melbourne sidethey would get access o the top division in Australian football again. As South Melbourne Heart playing out of the lakeside sadium they would still keep a large part of their identiy. And in an ideal world the 5 to 7k that turn out for the Heart games (outside of the Melbourne derby, the games against Sydney Fc with Del Piero and the ouble header with the VPL grand final) would be joined to the 4k that went to the South Melnourne NSL games. That is the problem though. And from what you tell me that is not going to happen.
7NA
Guest
Huh? Are you for real? NO away team gets any gate receipts! LOL.
Kasey
Guest
so who are the people that turn out in red and white each week? ghosts? They are the Famous GSE* ;) *Green Seat Elite
Kasey
Guest
Sadly "Kite flying beat up" pretty much covers every 'story' SBS have run regarding the HAL in the last 3 years. I just ignore the trolling now. They are sadly nnot only out of touch, but obviously agenda drive and that agenda is not the best interests of the gane of football in this country IMO. There's a Heart fan at my work, so stick that in your hoop Johnno.
Kasey
Guest
I hope they didn't keep their money in Cypriot Banks;) Laiki etc. too soon?
goatherder
Guest
Is this correct the away team doesn't get any of the gate receipts in the A-League?
Matthew Skellett
Guest
looks like it's in SM 's interest for MH to roll over
West
Roar Pro
I don't think its an ethnic decision, I imagine its a business decision.
West
Roar Pro
Thanks Fussball, then why do Heart make a profit?
Max Weber
Roar Pro
Regarding no.2, do we genuinely think that the FFA would be okay with this? Leaving aside the ethnic connotations/fanbase (I'm not too familiar with how South Melbourne is run/if they're still predominately a side for Greeks only, but I'm assuming they are), the message that is sent by a former NSL club and current state league side buying out a current A-League side sends a pretty shocking message. Namely that clubs subordinate to the A-League may have much greater financial clout than the premier competition. Can't see the FFA allowing it to happen, even if this whole thing is legitimately coming from SMFC.
Ballymore
Guest
Hammil (pre-season). Plus I'd guess Aloisi would be cheap option, far less than the reported $800,000(?) they were paying JVS.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
1. Why would the away team get any of the Gate receipts - that just doesn't happen. 2. I'm an MVFC fan & I want Heart to be a viable competitor & rival forever. But, you don't need a Harvard MBA to realise it's ridiculous for Heart to play out of an expensive stadium with 30k capacity, when their average crowds are less than 10k. Heart needs to move to Lakeside Stadium - with, or without, any alliance with SMFC.
West
Roar Pro
Are you all Victory fans with a death wish for Heart? There are 3 derbies every season. Even the away team gets part of the gate receipts, sales etc and they don't have any travel or accommodation costs, so it all helps the bottom line. Heart are one of the few clubs to make a profit, yet they had some of the lowest attendances of the season. If that's not good management, then please give your reasons.
Stevo
Guest
Exactly right! Honest to God this is a kite flying beat up. One thing though is that it's generating some off season discussion and some publicity for my club :) This is the sort of discussion that could really rally people behind the club. yes!
MV Dave
Guest
Well said Evan...and from what l understand neither set of fans...those that turn up to watch the games...want a merger. Heart will survive comfortably with the new TV deal...so they don't need SM...unfortunately for SM, if they want to get in the HAL within the next decade or so, they need Heart to roll over and sell up and l don't see that happening.
pete4
Guest
As much as I would love to think we have state league clubs with millions of dollars lying in their bank ready to invest this is simply not the case. While South Melbourne's name seems to be popping up I doubt the club itself has much to do with it. More so it'll be a group of people who may have been involved with the club in the past. $3.5M for 100% stake? is a long shot. That type of money doesn't even buy a nice house in Melbourne
Evan Askew
Guest
I think the most imprtant question to consider is the attidtude of those who support Heart and those who support South Melbourne, both the current and NSL era supporters, to the possibility of a merger? Would a South melbourne HEART playing in red and white out of the lakeside stadium be appealing to a substantial number of both fans? Because it is important to remembr that Heart still attract an average crowd in excess of anything South Melbourne achieved in the NSL. And if a merger were to alienate the majority of Heart fans and fail to attract more than 3 or 4k fans from the south Melbourne ranks, then what would be he point?