Professional Footballers Australia is set to ramp up pressure on five A-League clubs owing money to players, reminding them to pay up by the end of the year or face the possibility of player walkouts, transfer embargoes or points deductions.
It’s understood the PFA will write to the clubs on Thursday in an attempt to force payment by January 1, which was agreed to as part of the new collective bargaining agreement ratified by the union and Football Federation Australia earlier this year.
The five clubs are the Central Coast Mariners, Brisbane Roar, Newcastle Jets, Perth Glory and Adelaide United. The outstanding entitlements differ from club to club but include superannuation, match payments, bonuses and transfer fees.
The Mariners are the biggest concern as some players haven’t received superannuation payments since the first quarter of 2013.
None of their players have provided written notice to the club yet, despite reports that as many as five are looking to leave next month. However, any player whose entitlements have not been paid fully can put their club on notice at any time, giving the franchise a mandatory 14 days to remedy the situation.
If the situation is not resolved the player is then able to terminate their contract.
The new CBA also allows for new sporting sanctions, which include transfer embargoes and points deductions, to be imposed.
From January 1, a club will have two days to pay after being put on notice or they will be immediately barred from signing new players.
After seven days, a suspended points deduction of four points will be triggered, with the points to be taken off clubs after 14 days of non-payment.
The PFA chose to make its move as Thursday marks exactly 14 days out from the end of the year. But it is ultimately up to the player, not the PFA, to put a club on notice.
The Roar, owned by Indonesian conglomerate the Bakrie Group, lost the services of midfielder Luke Brattan earlier this year because of what was believed to be only a small amount of unpaid super.
There is a chance Brisbane’s debts to players won’t be settled by the deadline as the club continues to work through a complicated financial mess left by the previous administration.
It’s also unclear if Football Federation Australia, who now own Newcastle, can legally pay super debts owed by a previous employer.
However, the PFA is confident that the four clubs aside from the Mariners will meet their obligations on time.
Justin Thighm
Roar Guru
On Current form shouldn't that be Melbourne City representing Melbourne?
Waz
Guest
Correct Fuss, outside of marquee signing-on fees I don't recall one transfer fee being paid. European clubs normally account for transfers on their balance sheet with a 'profit/loss on player trading' number which is not really relevant to the HAL as it's normally zero anyway.
Waz
Guest
Fuss - that is great news, the minimum match fee is $500k/match but hopefully they've negotiated higher than that. Let's hope 2 or 3 of those teams are farmed out to play friendlies in other states as well prior to the tournament as Man City did so successfully last times
mattq
Roar Rookie
FFA wouldn't have got that money without the bid, it was specifically for the bid. How many times do we have to go over this??
FIUL
Guest
BREAKING... Just announced MVFC will be participating in the 2016 International Champions Cup that will be played in Australia next July. 4 teams will participate in the Australian matches (presumably all at the MCG with the winter sports kicked off the oval). Juventus & Tottenham will join MVFC with a 3rd European team - rumoured to be Atletico Madrid, or possibly a German club - maybe Dortmund, or Bayern? Another good off-season for Aleague football. If MVFC plays 3 matches, it could be worth another $1.5-3 million cash .. no expenses.
mattq
Roar Rookie
omg you complained about $0.05?
FIUL
Guest
"If you are going to remove profits from selling players from A-League clubs income, then we might as well remove the expenses of buying players as “extraordinary expenses” while we’re at it.' Which ALeague club has spent any money buying a player? I can't recall even $1 being paid to buy a player. Every foreign player has either been a Free Agent, or come to HAL on loan.
Roy
Guest
I believe Fuss is also a QC
Bob
Guest
HAL clubs have a real opportunity of making really good money out of transfer fees but we're not even scratching the surface yet. The transfer fee supposed offered for Mooy was pathetic compared to the fees in Europe, this is an area I believe the HAL should tap into - if we can start selling players for $5-$10m (as Africa and Eastern European states are doing) then we will transform HAL finances. And it needs to become regular too, each season we get one maybe two transfer fees for the entire league which is like winning tier 2 on the lotto, nice but likely you won't see that again for a few years if at all - so in that context I suppose transfer fees should be considered "exceptional" until they become "the norm" in the HAL.
Bob
Guest
I'm pretty much with you SVB this is all a bit of a storm in a teacup although I can see someone losing points next month, probably CCM as they seem to have the biggest debt and a detached owner which is never good. Joe, this article opened with the statement "Professional Footballers Australia is set to ramp up pressure on five A-League clubs owing money to players, reminding them to pay up" ... I read Waz as trying to clarify that as it's not five but four clubs, and then it seems Newcastle and Brisbane have no issues leaving perhaps 2 in the PFAs cross-fire.
Yes man
Guest
Well said Fuss, everything is fine in football land
pat malone
Guest
keep fighting the good fight. not one ad thing has ever happened to football in the country in the last 11 years. there is nothing wrong and everything is perfect.
Justin Thighm
Roar Guru
Settle down Waz, don't be too negative or you'll blow your cover. If you are going to remove profits from selling players from A-League clubs income, then we might as well remove the expenses of buying players as "extraordinary expenses" while we're at it. What a huge profit A-League clubs are making!
SVB
Guest
Well Joe your comment was just a general one about 'ongoing losses'. Perhaps you want to elaborate a bit more as it doesn't exactly tell us much about what message you are trying to get across. Waz obviously believes the clubs aren't in as much trouble as indicated, although I am sceptical about what he says. But then I don't believe the world is ending either when it comes to football in Australia.
Waz
Guest
Let me try for you Joe/ It might help if you explained where you're confused? The original story was flawed and named Perth as being behind in super. Turns out they're not so the PFA were forced to issue an apology. Same with Roar. Jets super arrears sit with Tinkler not the FFA so there's no issue there. What's confusing about that apart from the lazy reporting that started it all?
Waz
Guest
Adelaide did last year based on the LFC match and the success of the Adelaide Oval game v Victory. Both are absent this year. But unless anyone wants to argue we have a financially stable league the point is valid until something changes right?
AR
Guest
Of course not paying players is an appalling look - but to be fair, from what I am led to believe, it's only the Mariners that may be in real strife. Still, the Lowy "shaky" comment seems prescient and totally at odds with Gallop's bluster.
Peter Cotton
Guest
So Jack, you are suggesting the PFA is more powerful than the ATO? Unfortunately that is wishful thinking. From personal experiences and observations, the incompetence of government bureaucrats is only exceeded by that of union bureaucrats. The PFA assisted Luke Brattan in his endeavours to depart Brisbane Roar, citing unpaid super as the reason. Hopefully, Luke's course of action proves to be successful. At the moment, there would appear to be some doubt. Socceroo status? If he had a financial advisor, I believe Luke would have been advised to contact the ATO. JMHO.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Outside of liquidating the company, the ATO can't force them to pay (and I doubt most of these clubs have much by way of saleable assets). The players have a much better chance going to the PFA.
Joe
Guest
Can someone translate Waz's comments - I'm at a loss, got nothing, don't get it??? What does that all mean?