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There is no doubt that the introduction of the A-League has set the foundations in establishing a truly progressive football competition.
It is one that is chartered in developing players from juniors to professionals and ultimately feeding the national team.
Off the pitch, the A-League is continually attracting new fans; supporter groups are embracing their clubs and look to deliver passion and colour on match days.
The fact that at times, members feel that their best intentions are somewhat not addressed by the hierarchy is another story.
It is now however time to look towards achieving the next steps in the games progression and overall development, that being expanding the competition.
It’s no secret that the A-League wants to add new teams over the next few seasons. But the question still remains as to where to locate any new teams and whether or not the chosen location(s) will attract sustainable long term support.
Ideally, the A-League should look to expand to anywhere between 14 and 16 teams. This will give the league a good balance, making the title race and the race for the finals even more exciting.
A total of 14 teams in the league delivers 27 rounds with everyone playing a traditional both home-and-away fixture.
This however will result in featured cross town derbies in Sydney and Melbourne will only occur twice instead of the current three times a season.
A traditional home-and-away season could be the catalyst for the league to create new match day traditions.
Now, the idea of 14-16 teams does sound quite scrumptious but the issue still remains as to where and whether such expansion is necessary.
The idea of a third Sydney team has been thrown up in the air a few times. The Sydney derby is one of the most featured and exciting matches of the season due to the match dividing Sydney’s east and west.
Whether a third team in the city can attract the same support, we are yet to know.
Wollongong are seemingly always in the mix as a candidate, and rightly so, the city of just under 300,000 people has a demonstrated interest in football, with over 11,000 players registered at grassroots level.
The region had a rich and proud history with the Wolves being crowned NSL champions in 1999/2000. WIN Stadium would be the logical venue for the club and with a decent capacity of 23,000 would see an exciting atmosphere at big games.
In addition to the Wolves’ success, the city is very much a footballing town, producing stars such as Scott Chipperfield and Mile Sterjovski.
Canberra has also made a strong case for their right to host a club in the National Competition. Football fans have been craving for a club in the capital city and they have certainly displayed their devotion for the sport, with an average attendance of 12,000 in the seven games played there during the Asian Cup.
Fans were seen making banners demanding a Canberra team during matches and if the league is to put a team somewhere, would it not be in our capital city?
Recently 19,000 turned up mid-week for the Socceroos games against Kyrgyzstan.
There is another possible expansion target. Is it time however for the A-League to tap into Australia’s most untapped market? Is it Tasmania’s turn to host a team?
This will certainly be welcomed in our most southern state, with cricket being the only sport with a team in Tasmania. Although having a team in Hobart would be very nice, the main concern would be whether the sport can attract a crowd, with the city of Hobart itself only having 200,000 residents.
Having continually being overlooked by the AFL maybe it is time for the Tasmanian government to lobby the A-League for a spot? Surely they would get better value for money than ploughing sponsorship dollars into Hawthorn.
Other options for expansion have included the likes of Geelong in Victoria as well as a second Brisbane team, which could liven things up with a possible ‘Brisbane derby.’
The A-League could even look to expand to Auckland, granted that the Phoenix stay in the league. The Phoenix have a unique charm about them, whether it’d be their fans or their playing style, the Nix deserves a spot in the competition.
It is strange that the league would look to throw out Wellington, if anything the league should be looking to add a second team from NZ. With a population of 1.5 million I think now is the right time to reconsider an Auckland licence.
Generally, whenever expansion is discussed, the topic of a promotion/relegation system isn’t too far behind. At this stage however, we should not be looking to pursue this. The main issue with this is whether promoted teams will be able to sustain the required support and funds.
The funds simply do not go far enough when you consider the amount of travel, player salaries and support staff. It also runs the risk of jeopardising a national competition, as a state could be left without a team in the main division.
Having a 14-16 team competition can still be very exciting without a relegation battle. In doing so, teams will feel as though they have truly earned a place in the top six, rather than falling in because there are only ten teams.
The battle for the title will also be very exciting as teams will feel even more satisfied winning the league, seeing as though the competition has increased.
Ultimately, the A-League’s expansion is an issue that will be debated over and over again. Wherever the league goes, let’s hope that the supporters follow and Australian football becomes the powerhouse that it wants to be.
So the question remains, do we consolidate with the ten established clubs, or do we wish to expand and where to?
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