The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Political implications of the Heart takeover

Roar Guru
29th January, 2014
Advertisement
Harry Kewell will finish his illustrious career wearing Melbourne Heart's red and white. (AAP Image/Joe Sabljak)
Roar Guru
29th January, 2014
136
1980 Reads

As the ink is still drying on the Manchester City buyout of Melbourne Heart’s franchise license, and football fans in Australia digest the news, the Australian football fraternity is only just beginning to comprehend the implications.

Most interesting of all perhaps, is whether the FFA comprehend the implications of allowing one the domestic leagues franchise licenses to be purchased by the Mansour Empire (or any other football empire for that matter).

Inherent within the new franchise to enter into the competition next season is its potential capacity to redefine the political relationship between the FFA and A-League club bosses.

In the inaugural eight and a half seasons of the competition Frank Lowy has very much been seen as the big fish of football in Australia.

The FFA has been very much where the power lies.

The A-League has been seen as something of a subservient talent pool to be used at their disposal and one can be forgiven for thinking that the regard held for the A-League bosses has bordered on contemptuous disregard for their interests.

After all, despite the fact they are expected to cough up for the losses they are merely license holders of a franchise the FFA owns.

This is articulated through issues such as the blatant poaching of coaches to fill FFA positions.

Advertisement

This occurred firstly in terms of Gary van Egmond back in 2008 much to the consternation of then Jets owner Con Constantine and more recently the poaching of Ange Postecoglou from Melbourne Victory.

And this is without going into the long standing tensions between team franchise owners expected to absorb the losses of A-League clubs out of their own pockets and limited ability to secure club sponsors that clash with the FFA’s league sponsors.

Is it any surprise there was difficulty in securing an owner willing to stump up for a Western Sydney-based franchise despite all its potential?

Not to mention the explosion of tension that occurred through Clive Palmers dispute with the FFA.

This brings us to the latest franchise acquisition which ultimately extends to Sheikh Mansour and the Jewel of his Football Crown – a certain English Premier League club called Manchester City.

Australian football fans would probably do well to look more closely at some of the detail of the acquisitions of the license currently held by Melbourne Heart.

Most specifically at how they were “stunned” when Manchester City bigwigs turned up to FFA headquarters to acquire Melbourne Heart’s license.

Advertisement

It is hard not to pick up on the implication they were comprehensively outwitted by bigger sharks in this negotiation process – a bit like they were during ill-fated World Cup bid.

The FFA would probably also do well in asking themselves is do they think the new franchise owners are going to invest their money, and happily sit back and wear the historical losses that come with owning an of A-League franchise?

Odds on the new owners are going to want a return on their investment, at the very least have the books balanced.

If there are obstacles, an organisation in the process of expanding its global footprint is unlikely to merely whinge and walk away disgruntled as the “millionaire” class of A-League owners of the ilk of Con Constantine has traditionally done.

Nor would they be likely to blow a lot of hot air and make for some awkward press coverage on the way out as Clive Palmer did.

No, when their operations are being obstructed by over-regulation such an empire is likely to use its influence and turn the screws of pressure on the source of such an obstacle, whether it be a government or in this case a governing body like the FFA.

The big question the Australian football fraternity needs to ask is what happens when the owners of the new franchise and more specifically the implied weight that lies behind them come into conflict with the FFA over the power distribution within Australian football?

Advertisement

Do fans think that Melbourne City will take poaching of their coach or staff lying down?

If the World Cup bid and the manner in which A-League clubs lost a full AFC Champions League spot on a whim is anything to go by then if the FFA pull the same trick as they did with Clive Palmer for example and withdraw the license in order to preserve power then this will not come without significant repercussions.

The acquisition of Melbourne Hearts license has set the stage for the future battles to come within Australian football.

The power distribution between the FFA and clubs in terms of how the A-League and its clubs are run along with the distribution of broadcast revenue that will be increasingly underpinned by the national league will be at the forefront.

close