A-League expansion has been on the cards for a while, but where should any new teams be based?
These are the places I think would make the best new additions to the A-League:
1) Wollongong/South Coast (pop. 450,000-550,000)
2) Canberra/ACT (pop. 400,000)
3) North Sydney/Manly
4) Albert Park
5) Ipswich
6) Tasmania United (pop. 500,000)
7) Geelong (pop. 200,000)
8) Gold Coast (pop. 600,000)
9) North Queensland
10) Darwin
Wollongong and Canberra are shoe-ins with large enough populations to support teams and stadiums already in place.
Wollongong won the NSL twice and Canberra has won twice in the W-League, so they can both compete at the national level if given the opportunity.
North Sydney would create an epic North versus South derby as well as a Hawkesbury derby with Central Coast and then you have the Wanderers to the West. The North versus South Battle of the Bridge would be the A-League’s showpiece fixture and would also attract a global audience, kind of like El Clasico but more Australian.
Maybe we could call it El Bonza?
A North Sydney team also wouldn’t split Sydney FC’s fan-base as much as a new team in South Sydney. It could use Brookvale Oval in the meantime but a new 50-60,000 seat rectangular stadium at North Sydney Oval would be a better option in the long term. The Parramatta Stadium rebuild could be revised up to a similar size as well.
This would evoke images of a Mexican standoff with the three stadiums standing there like three gunslingers staring across the city at one another.
Albert Park would create rivalries between teams north and south of the Yarra as well as with Geelong. Longer term, it could be the site for a new 50,000 seat stadium to match another at AAMI Park which was built with foundations for a stadium of that size.
The location beside the world-famous lake and racetrack with the Melbourne skyline in the background is superb.
Ipswich needs its own stadium but can use Lang Park in the meantime.
Tasmania and Geelong currently lack rectangular stadiums but if they commit to building them in the future they should be let in.
At the youth level, Tasmania has had good success in football. Back in 2008, a Tasmanian youth team played friendly matches against A-League National Youth League teams from Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, Queensland Roar and Adelaide United. The Tasmanian team won three of the four matches.
Tasmania also gives millions to North Melbourne and Hawthorn so they can easily find the money to support a team if they want to.
Geelong, meanwhile, manages to support an expensive AFL team despite having a population much smaller than Tasmania so I can’t see why they couldn’t support an A-League team as well.
The Gold Coast should get another go and make a return. It is Australia’s sixth-largest city as well as being the country’s largest non-capital city. Gold Coast made it to the top four in their first two seasons so they could do well again.
At the time, they were a new team which hadn’t established itself in a new league which hadn’t established itself in a sport that hadn’t established itself. That’s a lot for any team to deal with.
Hopefully they’ve learnt their lessons since then. Give them five years but if they fail again to attract fans their license should go to another team.
Finally, North Queensland could become a separate state in the future while the Northern Territory isn’t represented in any national football code, so teams from these two locations would take the A-League to all states and territories.
Darwin is also Australia’s gateway to Asia so that should be kept in mind as well.
The current 10-team structure of the A-League exaggerates the struggles of the last 3-4 teams which draws attention away from the quality of the stronger ones. This creates an impression of a small and struggling league which is a bad image.
If there were 20 teams, more focus would go to the top teams and people wouldn’t keep questioning the strength and stability of the A-League. Expanding the A-League would also make it possible to add interest by adding different teams and creating new rivalries.
Teams like Wollongong, Canberra, Tasmania, Geelong and Gold Coast would be underdogs overshadowed and written off by larger cities and states and the public in general, but they would also be highly motivated by this so larger teams couldn’t afford to get complacent.
But the larger teams will still be there to battle it out with each other as normal. This combination will add greater interest and balance to the A-League. The Sydney FC vs Manly/North Sydney derby will simply be the fixture the A-League has to have.
Doubling the size of the A-League might make people worry about the quality being diluted. But if teams form affiliations with overseas ones then young players and reserves from overseas could use the A-League as a stepping stone to their own clubs, which could then play friendlies against their Australian counterparts.
This would also increase viewer interest in the A-League globally and start to turn the A-League and its teams into global brands which would then raise broadcasting and advertising revenue. The A-League could greatly benefit from expansion but is has to be bold, not timid.
Martyn50
Guest
During January and February we hear of clubs and supporters complaining about how hot it is playing games in the evening in the southern states. So imagine playing in Darwin with the higher humidity. Of course there's the option of playing a winter code in the winter so games in Darwin would be far more enjoyable in May to August.
smell the fear
Guest
how do you know?
smell the fear
Guest
you really need to come down out of the clouds. that is a totally baseless rumour
Doug Graves
Guest
1) Wollongong/South Coast (pop. 450,000-550,000) No. 2) Canberra/ACT (pop. 400,000) No. How about we have 1 team representing southern NSW/ACT and have them play half their games at Wollongong and half at Canberra? 3) North Sydney/Manly No. This area will not support an A-League team as they see themselves as too good and soccer as beneath them. Also the area can barely support 1 NRL team that's been there for decades. 4) Albert Park Possibly but would need to see more detail. 5) Ipswich No. Not yet. 6) Tasmania United (pop. 500,000) Not sure about this one. Tasmania might have 500k people but Hobart only has 200k. 7) Geelong (pop. 200,000) No. Won't be able to support it. 8) Gold Coast (pop. 600,000) I think it has to happen but it must be done properly so it doesn't end up a basket case like the Titans or Suns. 9) North Queensland No. Not yet. 10) Darwin No. Darwin cannot possibly support an A-League team for the foreseeable future.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
My main concern with this approach is that the FFA are trying to make Australia fit the model rather than adapt the model to fit Australia. This risks creating an environment of hubris which we can ill afford. Fish where the fish are is a good theory, but if the fish aren't biting you need to change lures.
Waz
Guest
AR, I really don't see why you're continuing the debate? Gallop is saying expansion needs to be done where there is a large football population which will occur where there are millions of people. He's very clear on this point when you hear him speak.
Arthur
Roar Rookie
In comparison how well do you think these would rate? South Melbourne vs Melbourne Victory as opposed to Central Coast vs Melbourne Victory South Melbourne vs Melbourne City as opposed to Wellington vs Melbourne City In comparison what do think would be the comparative attendances? 26/2/16 WP v MC 6,591 8/1/16 CC vs MV 14,268 6/3/16 CC vs MV 5,032 SMFC vs MCFC ? SMFC vs MVFC ? SMFC vs MVFC ? For a Broadcaster which of the above games would think have more $$$ value?
MelbCro
Guest
So another league full of franchises where clubs in the state league system are once more left out in the cold. How about no.
AR
Guest
Waz, I don't want to get trapped in semantics, but on 18 September 2014, David Gallop said: "Certainly, I see expansion as something where you need to fish where the fish are. Go where the biggest opportunities are and the biggest opportunities are where millions of people live, not hundreds of thousands of people live." http://www.goal.com/en-au/news/4016/main/2014/09/18/5113714/gallop-football-has-a-great-story-to-tell
Sydneysider
Guest
The interesting question for John would be how much TV revenue would the NSL teams bring to the table and what appeal would they have for TV viewers to lift the broadcasting revenue for the top competition in this country?? I think the FFA wouldn't be getting the multi million dollar TV deals it wants if the Wanderers, SFC, MV, Brisbane Roar didn't exist.
Hulk
Guest
"I heard an amusing rumour yesterday which was that chinese investors want to fund a b-league which will operate for several years with a view to having promotion and relegation." We should jump at this, the sooner the better. If our own admin and a large part of the (alleged) football public refuse to fathom a 2nd division, then let the Chinese 'school us' and pioneer for us. Problem is, FFA is just far too enamored with the AFL model that is currently employed, and the ultimate power it gives them. Unfortunately, they'd probably put a Chinese proposal on the back burner while they pretend to do work/drag their feet, and tell us all about their WOFP...and how impressed we should be with an empty and superficial color brochure. Next time someone naively proclaims "but where will the money come from!!" Well this is your answer. It's called finding ready and willing investors who, contrary to popular sensationalism, do infact exist and are twiddling their thumbs while FFA bumble around.
Hulk
Guest
"Would have to put aside local and home country rivalries like Olympiakos vs Panathinaikos to make this work LOLz." Typical heart fans, they have the backing of CFG, yet they're still petrified of the little club that could. Are you trying to say, for eg, that SMFCs fanbase consists only of olympiacos fans and that bentliegh greens fans only follow panathinaikos? Your comment is both infinitely naive and infinitely insidious.
Arthur
Roar Rookie
Would be nice if the FFA just had a plan for expansion and or promotion relegation or even just a National second tier. Our game will stagnate until we get out of the holding pattern we now find ourselves in.
c
Guest
ahh found it http://www.theroar.com.au/?s=+Nick+Symonds o sokkah articles on first two search pages HA!
MarkfromCroydon
Guest
It seems to me that FFA don't actually know what they want in terms of expansion. If they do know, they should be publicising that, or at the very least, letting the fans know that they are talking to the people who they think can meet their requirements. I reckon they should come out and specify some criteria in public, e.g.. club needs to have dedicated backing of $xxxmil in reserves, club needs to have stadium deal, stadium needs to seat xxk min, club needs to have likely average crowds of xxx per match. If they put that info out there, I'm sure it would help likely investors/ and/or existing nil clubs get a handle on what they need to do. I also think we need to get to an independent A-League. As regards a licence fee, I think the licence fee should be priced at 2 years running cost of the club (excluding salary cap), and the licence agreement should specify that if the club seeks to leave the A-League, the A-league commission then takes ownership of club (i.e. players, coach staff, intellectual property, branding), that way, if the club owners try to walk away, they can, but at least the club remains in the A-League, and it gives the A-League a 2 year window to either on-sell or wind up the club (and allow a new team in if necessary). Put something like this in place first, and then i think you can see some expansion, probably from NPL clubs coming in.
Carl Spackler
Guest
If you have to expand, and only after the current 10 teams are financially sound. They will put another club in Sydney, probably in the south west and maybe SE Melbourne or northern Melbourne. 12 teams in A-League is the absolute maximum.
Waz
Guest
AR - Gallops original quote was "fish where the fish are biting" which he elaborated was where there is a large "football population" which he went in to say is likely found in large general populations. Hiwever, the difference is merely a play on words as the end result is the same, small populations will still be ruled out. Also it's worth remembering that the expansion he is talking about is from 10 to 12 teams, what follows (12 to 14?) may not necessarily follow the same criteria and will probably be after gallops tenure has finished any way.
David
Guest
Canberra is smart and overdue, Wollongong a good second choice along with a 2nd Brisbane / Gold Coast team, QLD needs two teams for rivalry and sponsorship, ditto a 3rd Melbourne / Geelong team - If we saw these 4 in the next 10 years and none go under, by 2026 we'd have 14 teams playing a home-and-away 26 round competition, the Premiership would mean more when everyone plays each other once home and once away. 10-15-20 years down the track if this succeeds, then look towards Tasmania and a 2nd Adelaide or Perth team for 16 and 30 rounds, add both ADL/PER and a 2nd NZ team for 18 teams like MLS sits about now. Darwin is a grand idea but not for a sport in summer in the Top End - Making 14 teams should be a major priority in the next 10 years, from there, see how the teams stand before going further.
Waz
Guest
Mid, not sure where you get your numbers from but last season looked like this according to the FFA: Profit: Victory, WSW big losses: City, SFC ($5m each) Breakeven: AU (maybe a slight loss) $7m losses: Roar, Jets, CCM, Glory, Nix (average of $1.4m/club) This season Riar have brought their losses to around $500k and mariners have flipped a profit thanks to Matt Ryan Overall the picture is not that bad tbh
Waz
Guest
Mr. F - totally agree with you there, football has two things some other codes don't in a comprehensive national team representation at multiple levels for men and women, and a massively under-resourced grass roots layer. Interestingly the FFA though have said the HAL is now their showpiece event so hopefully if any windfall comes (and lets be honest it probably only needs a deal of >$60 million/year to do it) all but the two big loss losers can expect a move into profitability.