It wasn’t all that long ago we were salivating at the prospect of Tim Cahill coming to the A-League, packaged nicely with a new franchise in the Sutherland Shire.
Some months later and any chance of Tim Cahill calling Cronulla home looks about as likely as Ned Zelic being picked to bat at three for Australia.
Hopes for a team in Sydney’s south, though, remain very much alive.
President of the Sutherland Shire Football Association Wayne Schweickle is confident of a franchise being established in Sydney’s south, even if not exclusively in the Shire.
Speaking on Sutherland Shire Radio on Friday, Schweickle said a local A-League side is well within the realms of possibility.
“There have been some conversations over the last 18 months or so heading in this direction, with positive conversations involving Football South Coast, the St George local football association, local council and Football Australia,” Schweickle said.
“By collectively working together, we should be able to come up with a solution that sees an A-League team based somewhere in this area.”
With over 18,000 registered players, the Sutherland Shire Football Association is one of the largest in the country. This, coupled with a strong grassroots network in surrounding areas, may just tempt the powers that be to cut ties with the Wellington Phoenix in favour of a 10th Australian club.
Hopes across the Shire are that a potential team would both showcase local talent, and become a community icon on par with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
“It’s the locals identifying with something local that they take ownership of and take pride in, it builds and grows from there,” Schweickle said.
“If it comes to the Sutherland Shire, that’s a great thing.”
Sydney FC’s trips to Wollongong whet the appetites of southern football fans, and left them wanting more than the occasional fixture.
The potential team has already received the green light from Sutherland council, with a strong feeling that the community is ready to get behind a professional football team.
“You think of the monetary value it would bring into the local community, to the local businesses. If it was in the Sutherland area and we looked at a facility, it may be Remondis Stadium,” Schweickle said.
Football fans in the Shire are territorial creatures, and breathing life into a local team would set Australian football down a bold, yet exciting path.
If the FFA’s problem with the Phoenix is that it doesn’t benefit Australian football, then a side in the Shire is the solution.
For a long time, the Shire has been a one-code, one-team town. The community’s affection for the Sharks is undeniable, but success has been slow to come. An A-League venture would tap into a very hungry market.
Jeff Williamson
Roar Pro
I wonder what Sydney FC think of the idea of a team in Sutherland Shire. It really is a big part of Sydney FC supporters. There would easily be a few thousand Sydney FC members and supporters from that area. So this idea would only work if those Sydney FC members decided to switch to a team from their area. Are we meant to grow A-league clubs by taking away fans from another club? In my opinion, this is not the best way to expand. The people of Sutherland do have a decent NPL team, but it does not have huge crowds. I am not sure that Sutherland has any more claim to an A-league club than other areas of Sydney (eg Manly Warringah. Kuringai, Campbelltown, Penrith, Fairfield)
Working Class Rugger
Guest
AGO74, You're bang on. In the next 10-15 years the population of the Macarthur region is set to top 600,000. No regional sporting team and a largely empty stadium. A club would have a virtual monopoly. The argument on whether it would encroach on the Wanderers. Well, no. The Macarthur is its own distinct region within Sydney.
Robbie
Guest
Wiith all the financial issues, the A-League needs stability right now, not a new club. Dare I say it, I'm not sure Sydney is ready to support a third team. Sydney FC crowds would surely be hit. The geographic (and class and ethnic, arguably) divide between WSW and Sydney FC works brilliantly, I don't see how a third Sydney team would fit into the equation. If the FFA really want to a new team, why haven't places like Canberra, Wollongong, North Queensland, etc., even been mentioned once!?
oly
Guest
A third Sydney team is needed if the A-League is going to get a bigger TV deal next time, but Cronulla isn't the right location. Kogarah would be a better spot for the team. Seems crazy to kick Phoenix out when they are one of the more stable clubs.
Baracuda
Guest
A team in liverpool, sydney's south west would be a better option. You could have a western sydney derby for that matter, further enriching sydney's football scence and converting more people into fans. The club could be run along the lines of melbourne city, and become a main stake for australian football as a city the size of canberra is to built between liverpool and camden in the next 20 years. The shire bid is inadequate
Puskas' left nut
Guest
Hobart/Tasmania would be an absolute disaster. They would fold within 3 years. Lack of crowds, poor economy, lack of suitable venue. It'd make NQ Fury look like Man U
jamesb
Guest
Is there a demand for a club based in the Sutherland Shire? Probably not, or better yet, no where near the demand there was for a western Sydney club. Throwing out the nix is a terrible idea. A club folding is a terrible look for the league and the game.If the Nix get their marching orders, It will be the fourth A League club to fold in eleven seasons. If the FFA wanted to get rid of a kiwi team, it shouldn't have been done after the first season with the NZ knights. Gallop is having a shocker lately. I'm not sure if he is coming or going. While De Bohun isn't much better.
ac
Guest
Sydney Morming Herald reporting a lot of crowd violence at Sydney derby last night - not a good look for A League
Slim
Guest
De bohun and Gallop are the reason this won't happen for a Long time.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Maybe they can call the 2nd Perth club the Wildcats and have them play out of the Arena. It'd be the only way they'd get more than a handful of people showing up to watch.
Cam Reddin
Roar Rookie
It feels like the ideal here is to have that second division where franchises can rise from and fall to, the question being whether or not support would be strong enough to support a second tier. You're spot on about the NPL, it's growing at a rate of knots.
Cam Reddin
Roar Rookie
You're bang on there, and it's disappointing to say the least.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
If they are committed to a ten team comp for the medium term, then you can understand why they would want to replace the NIx with a 3rd Sydney team, because you can effectively achieve some growth while remaining a ten team comp. It does sound a bit like a Claytons plan for growth though.
AR
Guest
I'm pretty sure the FFA have come out recently and publicly shelved expansion. The immediate commitment is to a 10 team competition, nothing more. Replacing NZ with a Shire team may be smooth as you say, but you gotta feel for the Nix - a well-run club with a loyal core. Things could get interesting if the Nix won either the plate or the trophy.
AGO74
Guest
As a shire local I'm not sure about this And I'm not just saying that as I am a Sydney FC member. Just on that though I don't know the demographics of Sydney FC membership but id expect a reasonable portion of its membership is from the shire. I wonder what Sydney FC would think of that attempt at cannibalisation? Now as for cronulla sharks nrl side they do average reasonable crowds for a team who's fan base is almost exclusively from the shire but you have to remember they have been around for 50 years to get that fan base. If a shire team is put in I see it for quite a while being on par with the mariners or Phoenix in terms of fans and members. You can't just assume that the largest football registration base in Australia will translate to fans. For mine the next natural step in expansion is the south west corridor which is set for a huge population growth in the coming years (circa 500,000 as the urban growth extends beyond picton and Camden) which is on top of what is already there. Some may say that this area it is the wanderers territory but then so is the shire to Sydney FC. It's a far larger area population wise than the shire and also the distance from say Campbeltown to parramatta stadium to attend a wanderers game is quite significant so I wonder how many fans from that area are existing wanderer members?
Mister Football
Roar Guru
You are unlikely to see a Perth derby before you get one in Brisbane or Adelaide.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Slowly but surely, I'm starting to come round your way of thinking. There are clubs playing in the NPL who would be capable of matching the Mariners and Nix off the field in a very, very short space of time. I think it would raise interest levels to see these clubs have a go, and it's a fairly efficient way to jump from 10 to 12 clubs. If they fail - you let the next lot in - you can keep going ad infinitum - I think your argument (and it's a good one) is that there is always someone ready to step up to take the place of a failed club.
pete4
Guest
Not sure about a club based in Cronulla TBH For mine the 3rd club should be based a growing part of Sydney like Campbelltown. I also think a 2nd Perth club would be a great addition and create the "Perth derby" Wellington should be offered another extension to prove their worth but long term Canberra could fill this if NZ Football decide otherwise.
Herbal Lint
Guest
The 'Nix have no business being in our league. Different country in a different confed altogether, so any comparisons w/Welsh clubs in England and Canadian/Puerto Rican clubs in the US are null and void.
nordster
Guest
Open the league to competition for entry and end this lame 'strategic expansion' debate forever ....this is not football.... Nz would be far better off with Phoenix at home, building their domestic league...