Momentum is building for an A-League team based in Tasmania, with independent MP Andrew Wilkie taking the proposal personally to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
According to Wilkie’s website, he met with the PM on Wednesday.
“The Prime Minister gave me a fair hearing and committed to consider the matter” Wilkie said of the meeting.
“I thank the Prime Minister for his time and will continue to look for opportunities to champion the A-League proposal in the Federal Parliament.”
Tasmania represents one of a number of clubs and cities who are pushing for their very own A-League franchise.
Bids from Canberra, Geelong, South Melbourne, Southeast Melbourne, Brisbane, South Sydney, North Queensland and Adelaide are all expected in the coming weeks and months as the race for A-League expansion heats up.
The Tasmanian bid is backed by a number of wealthy individuals. It is believed property mogul Harry Stamoulis and car park magnate Robert Belteky, both former Melbourne Victory shareholders, are behind the Tasmania bid.
“They [FFA] have never had a bid this strong come to them and I would go as far to say that there is a number of potential bidders or interested parties around at the moment and nobody has progressed as far as we have,” Belteky said.
“We’ve got stadiums, we’ve got stadium deals, we’ve got financial backing, we’ve got sponsorship deals, we’ve committed to buying a marquee player so nobody [rival bidders] has put those pieces together on the chessboard.”
Belteky continued, “Tasmania will deliver significant benefits to the A league with enhancing Fox Sports viewer numbers a certainty given the enormous support from government, business and all Tasmanians that we have experienced in wanting to see this materialise. No other bid or location can match this.”
It is believed that the bid has already been promised around $2 million and that their stadium deal is such that they would only need an average of 5000 fans through the gates weekly to break even.
Tasmania’s bid will have to beat a number of others if they’re to be awarded an A-League license in the coming seasons.
It is rumoured that the FFA will make a decision on the new teams to join the decision some time in 2017.
tully101
Roar Guru
city- rectangular oval, running average of 9k over the 7 years
Chuq
Roar Pro
Is this the first article you've read about the Tassie A-League bid that's been all over football and mainstream media for the past few weeks?
Chuq
Roar Pro
Looks like it was you that started it?
Chuq
Roar Pro
So they would reimburse MVFC for lost profits for sold out matches that they could have hosted at Docklands?
Chuq
Roar Pro
Look at all these people from rugby league areas demanding it be a rectangular ground or nothing at all! If I didn't know better, I'd think they didn't care at all about the match day view of Tasmanian supporters and were just trying to make their preferred bids (how many NSW teams did you need?) look good. Yes, I'd love a rectangular ground, it would be my preferred option, but how are you going to pay for it with 10 A-League matches a year (remembering some matches will be in Launceston)?
Ian
Guest
And if it is Cascade or Boags they will be serving?
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
If Tasmania can break-even on 5,000 fans with the North Hobart stadium deal then that is a substantial boost to their prospects of joining the competition. Whilst some are calling for rectangular stadiums only, the legacy of sport development across Australia has meant that stadiums with sufficient facilities of that shape are predominantly in NSW and Qld. Even Melbourne Victory, with all its resources and influence, plays at Etihad. Tasmania does not have such a stadium and as such the negative aspect of an oval stadium needs to be weighed against the positive aspect of the A-League reaching a new market. Should the team be admitted and prove to be a viable on-going concern then investors, be they state or private, can look at the viability of constructing a small purpose-built stadium.
Fadida
Guest
It's started
Fadida
Guest
The first half of this post was so sensible. The second was nonsense
Fadida
Guest
Agree
steve
Guest
The FFA should ensure no team or game is ever played on an oval. Melbourne Victory included.
Rellum
Roar Guru
As someone who would love to see a second Brissy team I just cannot see that ever getting close to happening. They are more likely to go with 3rd Sydney and Melbourne teams of Auckland. Teams that would make little sense to the general public.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
No one knows whonis leading the charge ATM IMO and its down to 5 locations at least. Brisbane 2, South of Sydney Somewhere, Geelong or Thereabouts, Canberra annndddd Tasmania. Would say Canberra is the only cert.
Sam Walker
Roar Guru
How long before the it should be in the north or in the south arguments start from Tasmanians.
Bob
Guest
No to ANY Oval. At any time GF's included
Waz
Guest
We shouldn't be admitting anyone that has a home ground Oval.
Fadida
Guest
Capacity is closer to 20k. At least City are closer to the action
Fadida
Guest
Agree sadly
Nemesis
Guest
Depending on the capacity of the oval, that sounds pretty similar to watching Melbourne City playing at home for the past 7 years.
Lee
Guest
Wilkie can meet the PM until the cows come home- it is not going to make any difference. Tasmania will not be getting an a league team as it is unsustainable. It is cruel to get the residents of the island excited about this as it is never going to happen. It is too poor and too sparsely populated. Gallop has repeatedly indicated that the new teams will be in areas which have populations of millions using the fish where the fish are analogy. Tassie club would make the mariners look like they had a large fan base! There should be no more teams added until 2030 at the earliest however the mariners being relocated to a proper sized city would be a sensible move.