Newly appointed Cronulla Sharks CEO and former Central Coast and Western Sydney Wanderers boss Lyall Gorman has added fuel to the fire that a Sutherland Shire-based A-League club could be formed in 2017-18.
A-League boss David Gallop mentioned, correctly, that the Shire contains the largest junior participation rate in the game in the Southern Hemisphere, making the area an attractive proposition to host Sydney’s third Sydney-based side.
Gorman mentioned that the Sharks could have an A-League wing of the organisation up and running by 2017. Meanwhile, Sportsbet have installed Cronulla $2 favourites to host any newly created A-League franchise.
The Sharks, who own Remondis Stadium, would be silly not to at least look at the opportunity to host A-League fixtures, given that their stadium is not in use for half of the year.
The extra revenue generated by home fixtures and the league’s club takings would ensure the newly established Woolooware Bay precinct is in high use all year around.
In terms of the Sharks, the bid would be a no-brainer, however I truly believe that if there was to be a third Sydney side admitted into the A-League, it should be based further south.
I’d like to see a side based in either Wollongong or Canberra admitted into the competition.
Canberra have success in the past in their NRL and Super Rugby sides, as well as their reigning W-League premiership team. Wollongong have a rich history in the old NSL through the Wolves.
Both areas would surely benefit from A-League sides, while both have the stadiums and supporter bases to support the potential sides. The majority of A-League fans within the Shire are already supporting Sydney FC, while pockets support the Wanderers, and other sides nationwide.
I’m not sure how many fans would jump ship so to speak if a Cronulla-based side was created. Would Cronulla be southern enough to draw fans from Wollongong and further South? Why take that risk when you could allocate the side to that area to begin with?
Surely Cronulla could host a few home fixtures, which would likely draw any potential fans into the league. I’d allocate the majority of home games to WIN stadium in Wollongong, and have maybe three or four take place at Remondis in Cronulla.
The idea of a Cronulla side was also suggested to draw in fans within the Kogarah area. Once again, I believe the location is too close to the established Sydney FC fan-base, while I doubt too many Dragons fans would be willing to wear A-League jerseys with anything resembling a Shark.
If I were on the expansion committee, my vote would be for either a Canberra-based side, or a team based in the Gong, with one third of its fixtures played at Cronulla. I wouldn’t think there’d be enough fans willing to travel to Remondis each and every week.
nordster
Guest
A multi tier aleague would not have the cost barriers to entry of the NRL or the current franchise based aleague.
JonD
Guest
If it wasn't for the AFC/OFC rules then it would make the most sense to add in Auckland. It's the largest city without a team. If FIFA had any brains they'd allow NZ to have more teams in A-league.
SAM
Guest
There is no money in Wollongong. It struggles to fund half an NRL side.
Boban
Guest
If we're going to expand the way to go is probably the same way the Wanderers were founded, that is, the FFA starts out as the license holder and after the team has proven itself the license is sold to a private consortium, because let's face it, there are not too many billionaires in Australia that are diehard fans of football. If the FFA can get businessmen such as Bruce Gordon/Terry Snow on board this could make A-League teams in Wollongong/Canberra viable.
Boban
Guest
The funny thing is, if NZ was in the AFC, or the OFC merged with the AFC, Auckland would be the frontrunner for the next A-League license.
Boban
Guest
Good point. Remember Parramatta Power? They were owned by the Parramatta Leagues Club. And didn't the Penrith Panthers try to buy the controlling stock in the Wanderers? Like it or not, we are at war with the NRL.
Terrosilops
Guest
How about a Tahiti club. Maybe and Auckland one. Wellington sucks.
Waz
Guest
I just can't see Townsville making a good go of it, not yet anyway.
Waz
Guest
There's no way an NRL club should be allowed to own an A League side - cut all the bull out of this and any A League side would exist only to fund, feed and grow NRL activities that would come at at the expense of soccer. Can you imagine WSW being as successful or as engaged with the community if they were owned by the Eells ??? I very much doubt it. Both AFL and NRL see soccer as a competing code and have no interest in seeing it grow. Stay well away from this idea FFA, stay well away!!
jamesb
Guest
I want Wollongong in. I want the side to be full time based in Wollongong. The thing that annoys me with the FFA, is that they are still reliant on wealthy owners, rather then constructing a community ownership model for all clubs, and therefore don't rely on the Sages, Lederers, Tinklers etc.
Chopper
Guest
I say go North. Townsville should get the chance to go again after all they were not that far away from being viable and Queensland should get another team.
mattq
Guest
Agree a lower cost model for regional areas is a must, or greater subsidies. This whole fish where the fish are is hopefully a throwaway line. Regional participation in the A-League is a must, particularly the big regional centres which have been discussed previously. But p/r or an A2 would have to be sometime off. The A-League must expand to 16-18 teams first. Perhaps to 16 and the final two can come from an established A2 in the future. But I'd hate to see Wollongong have to wait another decade to be involved in the top flight.
Gareth
Guest
I think a number of fans would take it over nothing, but it definitely wouldn't be an optimum solution. IMO it would not work out well and only result in Wollongong and South sydney being written off as expansion locations in the future when the league is more popular and sustainable. Personally I'd be much happier to wait another 5 or more years to see a genuine and sustainable wollongong based club emerge over a club that tries to straddle two different demographics.
melbourneterrace
Guest
Nothing is a far better option than a farce.
AR
Guest
What's the point of that comment? The context of this discussion relates to professional sport - specifically, the ALeague. Whether P/R *exists* in Australian amatuer sport is not the question being discussed. The question is whether P/R is a viable model for the professional ALeague? And the answer, currently, is an emphatic no.
nordster
Guest
So lower the cost of entry so regional areas can compete...if they can afford an NPL team they can afford a future A2 team if the parameters are right. Just add some travel subsidies and deregulate the league to allow them to achieve all sorts of costs savings. A low wage team will also prioritise local youth players (still living with ma and pa) which is a positive.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"P/R works beautifully when the sport is so culturally ingrained that it’s strong enough to swap one club for another, season to season" In Victoria, P/R is culturally ingrained in Football for every senior competition & junior competitions if there is more than 1 league for a particular age-group. As far as I know, the only football competition in Australia which does not have P/R is the A-League. Which means the A-League is currently at odds with the ingrained football culture in Australia. I also know, in Victoria, P/R is culturally ingrained in ARules: VAFA & suburban leagues.
nordster
Guest
Alternatively level playing fields dont work so well as the cost of entry is high in order to maintain a competition of partial equality in the hal's case. Also without promotion and relegation u are missing out on potential top flight teams that would never even get a chance under the regulated and strategic rationales behind 'expansion' The league misses out on the 'from little things big things grow' effect... People need to think just as much about what can spring up from the lower tiers organically. And also as for the top division teams, the threat of relegation adds a sense of pressure and urgency the game here needs. It will become stale without it...
Daniel Nichols
Roar Guru
Would they take it over say, nothing?
AR
Guest
P/R works beautifully when the sport is so culturally ingrained that it's strong enough to swap one club for another, season to season. That's some way off yet for association football in Australia. Imagine WSW and SFC finished bottom two, being relegated, and 2 small culbs from Adelaide and Perth take their place the following year. There'd be no club from Sydney in the national competition. Reckon the broadcasters would love that.