Diamanti ain't Cahill, and FFA were right to turn Victory down

the the only time i will see cahill is when he plays against vicory thats if he does i dont think the people will go to see him play it a bit diffurent than playing for soccer roos

@Mark I think you are being contradictory. If the salary cap is not making teams competitive then what is its purpose. Seems to me to be stifling the league. Imagine if a La Liga or the EPL had a salary cap. The best players in the league would be heading to clubs or leagues that don't have one and their overall league would suffer. The difference between our top clubs and bottom clubs is not say great so it would be still be competitive. The added bonus is that bigger clubs would be able to retain their best players and it would be more flexible in how they spent their grant, same as for the smaller clubs. A lot of these smaller clubs would be able to direct funds to their development of youngsters and yes become selling clubs. They would need to introduce transfer fees as well so these clubs can benefit from developing players. I cant see how you dont want clubs to introduce better players to the A-league by getting rid of the cap, because this is what would happen. We would get more bums on seats and we would get a much better league because of it.

Correct Bob. MV can sign Diamanti if they want to, but the FFA won't contribute any $$$$ to signing him. The list that would satisfy the FFA's criteria would be really, really short I think. Maybe around 5 to 10 players who would be available right now... probably less.....

Bob An interesting sub plot is WIN corporation who are the biggest regional network in NSW & QLD have gone from being a carrier of 9 to a carrier of 10. WINs major shareholder Gordon Bulter is a Football person and back in Hal 3, tried to buy the A-League broadcast rights for his regional network but Fox refused. Football has kinda a leading person on 1o biggest carrier and who also holds shares in 10 who enjoys and likes Football.

Like ADP.

I had this discussion with someone else here a while ago. Unless someone can prove me wrong, I'm pretty sure the 'Tier' system was introduced into Parliament but never legislated (meaning, effectively, it doesn't exist).

You're being completely contradictory. On one hand you're saying removing the salary cap will make the bottom three clubs more competitive, but on the other you're saying 'let the market dictate it' and clubs don't have to get into bidding wars for players if they don't have to. The outcome of the market will be that the clubs in large markets will have greater resources than the clubs in smaller markets. Like I've said, if the bottom three clubs can't afford to compete for players in a salary capped league, they surely won't be able to in a non-salary capped league. Salary caps don't limit the ability of smaller teams to compete, they limit the ability of larger teams to excel. The bottom three clubs could choose to cut the coaching and development budgets to stretch the player wages budget and try to compete. Alternatively, they could put more money into coaching and development, effectively consigning themselves to being a 'selling club'. In a league trying to attract new fans, why would fans follow a team that has effectively given up on any hope of success?

@SVB (well, sort of - more at the idea of what you are saying) If we don't have that culture "yet", we're not going to get it by paying for over the odds "names" to get a few extra people in the seats with no lasting interest beyond celebrity. Diamanti or equivalent - even the ones we have, like last years crop - will do more for our culture, and the willingness for people to discuss these guys and allow them to become names in the conversation - than fly by night cameos. It might not happen in one season though, that's the thing. We can't look at last season and go, that was a failure. We have to let it happen over time and in conjunction with other things.

Bob This no edit button is a pain but I meant to say a good post..

Bob I can recall reading Gallop approached MC for advise and they put FFA in contact with the company that negotiated the EPL deals and they were either heading or acting as senior advisers.

Because the deal involves doing public appearances, promotions and ads for the FFA and its major sponsors.

Sydney FC didn't get any FFA Guest Marquee Fund money for Bobo. So far its only Tim Cahill. Victory can sign Diamanti if they want, but FFA have declined to chip in any money from the FFA Guest Marquee Fund for Victory to sign him.

The new media deal doesn't just involve one person (Lowy or Gallop), it involves a team of FFA commercial negotiators including the new Head of the A-League Greg O'Rourke, who is an expert in his field and with consultation from A-League club owners. The FFA board then has to ratify the new deal. Foxtel is certain to get the domestic Pay TV rights for the A-League and Socceroos matches. The FFA are not happy with SBS and are looking to a new domestic FTA player. Foxtel is positioning itself with a package that involves TEN, but negotiations have kicked off with Seven, Nine and Ten, and the likes of beIN sports and Optus. Lowy said there was no definitive date by which the new deal has to be sealed, but the current deal runs out before the start of season 2017/18. Everything is on the table, including the break up of media rights to all domestic and international fixtures, TV, Radio, Internet/online/mobile. “We're in the process of starting to go out to the market, many of them are new players," Lowy said. “I've seen numbers in the paper of 80 to 100 million dollars a year and therefore if we get less than that it'd be 'oh, they did a terrible deal' or if we get more then it's 'wow, way above expectation'. “I don't work like that as a businessman. I want to say formally here that we need to dispel any (monetary) expectation. It will be what it will be and we'll get the best deal we can for our owners and fans.” Lowy was happy to say, however, how crucial free to air TV exposure is for a sport that is booming at grassroots level but failing to get the same financial cut at the top end. “Subscription TV accounts for about a third of the households in the country, that's not enough," he said. "The current penetration of SBS is far too low. "There also is a very strong interest now from free to air. You've seen what Seven did with the Matildas. "Seven and Nine have both taken an active interest in international (club) games that have taken place and that's very good, very interesting. "Those opportunities were not available in the last contract negotiations, so the landscape has changed and we are looking to benefit from that."

Correct, but they are on the Tier B list, which means they don't have to be shown live or on a main channel.

"Who is Diamanti? A journeyman who is only known to some Australians for his exploits with Evergrande in China." He's a damn sight more well known than Bobo!

I would prefer 10 to 9 and 7 as they are not so heavily invested in other codes.

Waz Are you sure Stephen Lowy is heading the TV deal

Herald Sun reporting that the criteria for 3rd marquee includes ability to speak English and being social media savvy. Interesting.

City membership ahead of where it was when Villa was marquee. Cahill effect well and truly alive.

Stephen Lowe is leading the negotiations on the tv deal, not Gallop. And Fox are playing their trump card, they're the only provider in a position to start the contract early which, if that leads to increased revenue this season, you'd expect the HAL clubs to unanimously want it, especially the cash-strapped ones. I still have an issue with Fox though, they appear to do the bare minimum in covering the HAL and in particular don't allow the best games on FTA and this nonsense of putting finals on FTA on delay needs to stop. The key to this is the FTA component imo, gallop has correctly identified the need for better marketing which only an FTA offers Be interesting to see what the FFA do now.