Since David Gallop announced that the A-League had begun a new process of expansion much has been talked about which cities would benefit from the granting of a new license.
To the names of Brisbane, Canberra or Tasmania has also been added in the last time Auckland.
Many are the ones that have asked that New Zealand have a new team in A-League. Even, and not without reason, it has been said that Auckland City FC should be the chosen club.
A few days ago Ivan Vuksich, chairman of the Navy Blues, informed AAP that the club had started the process to formalise an offer to the FFA.
The current OFC Champions League champion has plenty of grounds to gain access to a license. The team has been successful not only domestically but also internationally.
With 18 official titles in only twelve years of life Auckland is, with Wellington Phoenix, the largest representative of New Zealand football in the world. And they reached the third place in the 2014 edition of FIFA Club World Cup.
No one could object to the FFA if they finally decide to choose Auckland City as a new A-League franchise. But there is a question that underlies this issue.
What would be more beneficial for New Zealander football? A new team in the A-League or the establishment of a professional league?
We could even go further and ask ourselves: Should New Zealand imitate the example of Australia and leave the OFC to compete under the umbrella of the Asian Football Conference?
These questions have been formulated several times by many journalists and fans. The author has spoken of this issue with a former player of New Zealander domestic league.
The Argentine Santiago Falbo, who played at Waitakere United, thinks that leaving the OFC would undermine New Zealand chances of entering in the final phase of the World Cup.
The competition in Asia is much tougher, with teams like Japan, Korea or Australia with a major tour in the world of football. In Falbos’ opinion would be difficult for New Zealand to leave the OFC.
What the Argentine player says is true. But it is also true that if New Zealand moves to the Asian confederation, it can face rivals who could easily dispute the group stage of the World Cup.
Facing Japan, or Saudi Arabia is not the same as doing it to American Samoa or Vanuatu.
As for the question of establishing a professional league, the task should be addressed as soon as possible. The current system of a semi-professional competition does not guarantee the correct development of the sport.
The domestic league has grown a lot in recent times. New teams like Tasman United and Eastern Suburbs have joined the competition, the latter with great success. Even the level of several teams has improved.
Last season Team Wellington was crowned champion for the first time in history, breaking the dominance of Waitakere United and Auckland City.
Day by day the number of foreign players that militate in the domestic league of New Zealand increases and that has a positive repercussion in the growth of the football culture of the country.
These lines seek to be a trigger for discussion. It is important that all parts involved in New Zealand football participate in this discussion.
In a hyper-professionalised sport such as football, you should always look beyond the next season.
Griffo
Roar Guru
This as well. For a short time having no P/R was hurting us but perhaps not as much as not having the minimum number of teams. The only way around that '11 team' conundrum as I mentioned previously is for the 'Nix to field 5 Kiwi footballers in the visa slots with the rest Australian... ...can really see that happening :lol:
Griffo
Roar Guru
Agree Ben, I just can't see the FFA adding to what is (at times) a volatile mood regarding the 'Nix in the A-League. Adding another NZ team: In the past, maybe. And if FFA were desperate to add teams and had no Aussie offerings, again maybe. And there are no long term guarantees around the 'Nix. I just can't see the FFA choosing someone like Auckland City. I also think the FFA should be up front about this, but politically they may not wish to be that blunt.
Midfielder
Guest
Mark Nail head with growing the pie statement. The Nux has paid its way ... once teams are sustainable the need for having a team that pay's it's bills is no longer a pre-req for being an A-League team. What we can never forget in the argument is the promise Frank Lowy made to NZF that if they let us leave Oceania for Asia we would look after them as as much as possible have a team in our league. Almost the entire growth in Hal and Football in general has been because of the move to Asia from Oceania... Its difficult to determine when we have paid the price as we don't play national matches anymore .... but without NZF we would still be playing the Cook Islands, PNF, Fiji etc .... However as you point out they today need to grow the pie and as Waz says there are other Australian areas wanting in.
MarkfromCroydon
Guest
I like the Nix. I like how we beat them every cup eve. I like that they've stuck around with what they've got and as a club have kept trying to improve and kept trying to provide a pathway for young kiwi's and given the NZ public a chance to watcha higher level of Football week in week out. I do want Football to prosper in NZ, and I do want to see the Nix do well, but that doesn't mean I am desperate for them to stay in the A-League, or for another NZ team to come in. I've been thinking about it. What does 1 or 2 NZ teams add to the league, and what compromises does it mean having an NZ team or 2 in? The negatives from an Aus point of view are: the vast distance b/w Perth and NZ, the international travel aspect for regular league matches, the time difference for TV broadcasts, the small tv market, the fact that they'll have NZ players rather than Aussies. It seems the only positive from an AUS Football point of view is that we've had an extra team in the A-league that has managed to 'stay the course' for a number of years. NZ is not really bringing any money into the league, is not really 'growing the pie' and if a team from Aus could replace an NZ team on a like for like basis, theat would probably be better for Football here. Putting a 2nd team in would seem to cement NZ as a long term part of the league.
Waz
Guest
A 12 team HAL qualifies for 4 ACL slots, an increase of one from the current three slots. However the AFC will penalise Australia one slot for having the Nix in the competition so instead of having 4 teams competing each year we'll only have three. So very soon there will be a team in the HAL each season that will be saying "I'd be playing ACL next season if it wasn't for the Nix". That's the beginning of the end for them.
Bob
Guest
Nix out. thats the future of football in NZ.
clipper
Guest
Agree most of the media coverage would be EPL, but if there was a successful Auckland side that may change - nothing makes the Kiwis more interested than beating the Aussies.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Due to their financial security they offer certainty which lowers the level of financial risk to the competition. Hence there is unlikely to be any change in the status of the 'Nix until the A-League nears its carrying capacity under the current franchise model (somewhere from 14 to 16 teams). At the moment any viable bid can be added to the league rather than replace an existing entity. The caveat here is AFC politics which can be difficult for the FFA to read.
Kaks
Roar Guru
"Potential positives" doesn't cut it anymore.
Nemesis
Guest
"the value of the broadcast rights are probably similar (we’ll know for sure when when the new TV deal is signed)" Well, we already know the value of the ALeague broadcast was worth just under DOUBLE that of EPL in Australia for the past 3 years. Will it remain "Just under double" for the next 3yrs under the new ALeague TV deal? Who knows? But we do know - without a shadow of doubt - that for the period 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 FoxSports paid nearly double for ALeague what they paid for EPL. Did they do this out of charitable hearts? Perhaps. Apparently, Rupert Murdoch loves to throw money away and allow content providers to outsmart him.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
If New Zealand were to have two of 12 teams in the A-League, the idea of promotion and relegation starts to become a bit more complicated (unless people are happy to see the New Zealand teams go out the backdoor the minute they are relegated, and many would be happy about that I guess).
Midfielder
Guest
Further to my post above the following is the link for the NZ Herald sports page.. This less than 8 hours from the FFA Cup final... not one A-League article and no mention of the final tis worth looking at what is being reported .... I also think this is one of the metrics FFA were after ... With 13 to 15 Australian bids being talked about IMO the Nux will be lucky to remain never mine a new NZ team. Remember this is akin to the News site or 9MSN ... its the biggest paper in NZ by light years... http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=4
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Mark Most of us get what you're saying, don't worry. You are spot on that in many parts of the world, the Premier League is the most watched league, then there's daylight, then there's the domestic league. Even in China, would you believe, the Premier League broadcast rights are worth three times the local league. It's not quite there in Australia, the value of the broadcast rights are probably similar (we'll know for sure when when the new TV deal is signed), but you are correct that it's an ever present danger for the local comp.
Mark
Guest
There are plenty of potential positives. The problem is those potential positives aren't being realised. Plenty of us hoped that the enthusiasm to 'Save the Nix' last year would be a platform for the Phoenix to build off in future years. Instead, it seems like it was a short term surge to get the Phoenix over the line for another licence and they have since reverted to type. If the potential positives of a NZ team in the A-League aren't being realised, they are more trouble and inconvenience than they're worth and should be moved.
Mark
Guest
That is an outrageously exaggerated response to a properly qualified comment. I won't dignify it with any further response.
Midfielder
Guest
N I can see the point and because I worked in NZ for about three and a half years in the Northland in a town called Whangerie I have quite a soft spot for the place. I often take a look at the NZ Herald and "Stuff" i.e. the Wellington paper ... there Football coverage is almost entirely EPL ... they sometimes talk about the Nux especially in "Stuff" The media and everyday life over there is so ingrained into Rugby it would be near impossible for other sports to break down. I have often wondered why, and all I can guess is Rugby is a international sport and the NZers as good at it and its a matter of national pride. Roughly four years ago or less, Football for the first time had more players than Union but ..... but .... but Union is embedded into the soul of the country .... So to say most of their media reporting pertaining to Football is on EPL is totally factual ... the A-League if not for the Nux gets very very very little coverage...
Nemesis
Guest
"all that ‘following’ of football is following the EPL, while there is no interest in domestic football." Which countries are you referring to when you allege "there is no interest in domestic football"? According to Roy Morgan Research more Australians watch ALeague than EPL. Of course, EPL kick-off times severely impact viewing numbers but, we live in Australia, so the kick-off times for EPL are what they are. Hence, FoxSports paid $40m per year to broadcast 140 ALeague matches and reportedly paid only $20-$25m per year to broadcast 190 EPL matches. People in Australia may like to tell their work mates "I follow Chelsea/Arsenal/United/etc" but they don't actually watch EPL. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/03/a-league-popularity-grows-on-sbs.html
Kaks
Roar Guru
Show me one positive about the A-league having a NZ team and I wont oppose it.
Mark
Guest
But there is the same issue that plagues many SE Asian countries (and Australia, to an extent)...all that 'following' of football is following the EPL, while there is no interest in domestic football.
clipper
Guest
You'd be surprised how much football is followed in NZ, and followed nationally unlike league which is just really South Auckland - would be 2nd most followed sport, although Netball gets a good run. Don't think they could have another NZ team until the comp is expanded to 14 and ideally 16 teams.