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.
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.
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?
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.
Hamish Alcorn
Guest
Here's my rather long-winded and philosophical reasons why.
Hamish Alcorn
Guest
AR, I for one appreciate your sanity on this point.
pete4
Guest
From last week: "Heart will almost certainly become Melbourne City next season as the new owners, backed by the English Premier League giant's billionaire owner Sheik Mansour and a 36-man global scouting network, declared they "will not save a penny'' in their bid to become an A-League powerhouse" Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/melbourne-heart-became-the-aleagues-richest-club-overnight-after-manchester-citys-1125m-takeover/story-fnk6pqhd-1226809013245#ixzz2rGHux4my
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
$30 million in revenue is nothing to write home about in terms of world football (the Victory is pushing revenue of $20 million per annum in a much smaller market). In terms of financial resources, Melbourne City will match the Victory overnight.
AZ_RBB
Guest
MLS is very lucrative. 5 teams bring in over $30 million revenue each year. How many $50 million stars are there in world football? How many outside Europe and South America? How many are young? I'm not saying the new owners will be ineffective but I think the best they'll do in the next couple of years is bring the club up to the same level of MVFC, SFC, WSW and Brisbane in terms of members,crowds, sponsorship, success and development. 10k members, 15k average, solid sponsorship, push for ACL qualification and strong youth which they already have.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
I should add, SFC's owners have been funding SFC by an average of $6 mill per annum since pretty much day one. You don't think City would fund Melbourne by at least that much per annum, if not more?
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
But how lucrative is the MLS? If City are going to spend $100 million establishing a team in the MLS, then they could easily invest $50 million over the next five years building up Melbourne City. Easily, it would be petty cash to them. City only need to find one young star in that time to make it all worthwhile. That's the world game in a nutshell.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Just wondering, are we assuming that the new owners of Heart will pour in truckloads of money because they've done a similar things with MLS or are we simply being hopeful? If it's the former, then I don't agree with the assumption. The MLS is a much more lucrative league than the A-League. If they put tens of millions into the club they're much more likely to get a good return on it. Whereas they've already invested $12M in the Heart so far and I expect they'll invest a similar amount in building the club. But I just don't see them splashing the cash like they have in England and the US. The average value of a MLS club is over $100M. Our MVFC would be below $40M. But really all they need to do is spend $2 million on a solid marquee and they're set.
Bondy
Guest
Thanks for the info Fuss much appreciated.
AZ_RBB
Guest
I'll take the credit for that. Y'all can thank me later. ;)
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Well, SBS is going all out with its broadcast of the top-of-the-table clash next Friday night WSW v BRI. It will be broadcast on SBS1, SBS2 and SBSHD. Source: Twitter "@TheWorldGame We will simulcast our broadcast of the @ALeague top of the table #WSWvBRI match on 7 Feb LIVE on SBS ONE @SBS2 SBS HD and online."
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Wow.. what an amazing reaction from the FIs to a tongue-in-cheek remark about what I've observed about the beverage consumption at AFL matches. All I can say to the FIs... if the moccasin fits, wear it with Aussie Pride.
peeeko
Guest
i agree and yet for some reason i cherish the end of his self imposed exile
Punter
Guest
No I don't hate AFL Stavros, I know too little for the game to hate it. It's a sport & i love sport & people people with passion for any sport. AFL as a sport just doesn't do it for me, but it does for millions of Aussies, no issues with that. What I do dislike, I don't like the word hate, is a small minority of AFL fans, administrators and media who like to bag out other sports mainly football. This annoys me. But these are small minded people & as Towser says below I should choose to ignore them.
Bondy
Guest
They're paid employees.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
There is some overlap but there is obviously conflict as well The EPL is a powerful commercial commodity but the way it has developed means it isn't all roses as far as its impact on English football is concerned and in some ways it is to the detriment of English football There's never been more money in the game but so many clubs are in financial peril of bankrupt
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
I don't think that will happen at all There is no need for them to build a new stadium both AAMI Park and Etihad are perectly located for this sport and there isn't any more to add What we may see is clubs slowly starting to build training facilities along the lines of the Mariners COE
Slane
Guest
"As far as I’m concerned demand (or lack thereof) for sporting memorabilia is not a valid indicator for the passion fans have for a player, league or team." Good for you.I bet you've never taken a photo or kept a ticket stub from any of those games you've gone to either. On the odd chance that you have and you would like to one day have those mementos made into something spectacular, there's a high probability we'll meet in person. Till then I'll keep catering to the people who do appreciate my work.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"The only A-League players anybody are interested in are Kewell and Del Piero" Fair enough. I've followed football for over 30 years & I've never felt compelled to spend even $1 on football memorabilia. I've been a Full Adult Member of MVFC for 7 consecutive years ...& I've never felt compelled to spend even $1 on MVFC memorabilia. I've been to every meaningful match played by the AUS NT since 1977 plus travelled to Germany to watch them play in 2006... & I've never felt compelled to spend even $1 on AUS NT memorabilia. As far as I'm concerned demand (or lack thereof) for sporting memorabilia is not a valid indicator for the passion fans have for a player, league or team. Football merchandise is a different issue. I've purchased lots of merchandise over the years. I'd estimate 90% of people who attend MVFC matches wear a piece of MVFC merchandise; so, I hope you are not suggesting only Kewell & ADP merchandise is being sold.
c
Guest
fuss uses his best endeavours to neutralise the many disparaging comments that we have to listen to from the AFL ers regarding the round ball game in southern Australia (and we must give him credit as there is only one of him but many of them)