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The need to expand the A-League has become a hot topic of late, especially as the TV rights deal is up for renewal in the 2017-18 season.
Proponents of an expanded competition believe an extra two teams would be needed so as to create more television content which would lead to a better TV rights deal for the league.
So the idea has a fair groundswell of support but these new teams must come from somewhere. While not arguing for the need to expand, assuming the league was to expand for the 2017/2018 season, who will the new teams be?
On the way I will develop some criteria that should deliver the answer.
The issue is so important that delegates from all over Australia, including many Roar commentators, were willing to forgo the delights of winter for an all-expenses paid conference at a Port Douglas resort.
To assist them, FIFA has despatched a special advisory committee with experience gained from the 2022 Qatar World Cup bid.
As they sat down to their entrée of oysters they were handed this list. It is all the cities/regions that have previously put their hand up to have an A-League team. In accordance with David Gallop’s mantra of “fish where the fishes are”, they are sorted by population.
1. Auckland 1,418,000
2. Gold Coast 557,822
3. Tasmania 495,354
4. North Queensland (Townsville/Cairns) 442,333
5. Ipswich (Ipswich/Towoomba) 422,010
6. Canberra 391,645
7. Sunshine Coast 306,909
8. Wollongong 268,944
9. Geelong 250,651
The source for these figures is either Wikipedia or the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011 census, with places in brackets added together. The sauce for the oysters was mornay.
The lead in time is relatively short. The teams need to be ready to rock and roll, leading to the first criteria.
Criteria 1: the stadiums must be in place now
Applying Criteria 1 takes out the Sunshine Coast and Ipswich so our list is down to seven.
Congratulations the Auckland Whales you are the first cab off the rank. Take your jerseys and suit up for season 2018. Is it that easy though?
Wellington Phoenix’s position in the league has often been called into question with regards to the Asian Confederation. Adding a second New Zealand team could be risky. And besides, there may be a revolt from Australian football fans if a New Zealand side took one of the expansion slots.
Criteria 2: The two new teams must be from Australia
Now we have Gold Coast and Tasmania in the top two positions. Will the Tasmania van Diemens take the field in 2017? No.
There are a variety of reasons why they wouldn’t, but an easily definable one is the home stadiums.
AFL/cricket stadiums don’t look great on TV or make for a fantastic fan experience for football. As the lobster and barramundi is brought out, we can look at Criteria 3.
Criteria 3: The new teams must play out of rectangular stadiums
Applying Criteria 3 knocks out Geelong and Tasmania. So that brings the list down to the following: Gold Coast, North Queensland, Canberra and Wollongong. I believe this will be the shortlist that the FFA will be looking at for the next expansion, and I wouldn’t argue if any of these four were chosen.
After a desert of Tiramisu and salted caramel ice-cream, our delegates headed out for some well deserved rest, where even Roar commentators from different sports were seen laughing and joking with the diehard football ones.
Arriving back from the swim up bar with cocktails in hand, our delegates filed in to make the final decision.
As the FFA advisory committee were reluctant to leave the pool, our delegates were now on their own. Could they just take the top two names off the list, Gold Coast and North Queensland?
Remember both these teams have failed before. It would be a huge risk for the FFA to reinstate these teams after they have already been kicked out only recently. How would they decide? After twice trying to chat up the barmaid, one of the delegates invoked the “once bitten twice shy rule”.
Criteria 4: Teams that have previously been kicked out of the league cannot reapply
And out onto the plate drops two names: Canberra and Wollongong.
The Canberra Pollies and the Wollongong Wallys will be the two new expansion teams. After a few more days of rest and recreation, our delegates head back to cooler climates and the more serious business of posting bitter comments on sports websites.
As the final results come through, which two teams did our erstwhile colleagues from the FIFA advisory committee recommend? A handwritten scrawl on the back of a beer coaster from the swim up bar contained their answer: Bali and the Maldives.
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