A-League players will undergo COVID-19 testing on Monday, as clubs plan to return to training this week in preparation for a July 16 restart.
While the FFA is still deep in talks with broadcast partner Fox Sports over a revised rights deal, most clubs are expected to be back in training on Tuesday or Wednesday.
FFA head of leagues Greg O’Rourke said with proposed extensions to player contracts only running until the end of August, the need to get the resumption process started is pressing.
“The schedule that we’ve shared with the clubs… is to start the first game on Thursday the 16th of July and finish that a month later and then one week for finals,” O’Rourke told AAP.
“If the negotiation took longer than that, then we’d have to rethink the contract term but at the moment the contract term is for three months and that’s our intention.”
Despite a report the players’ union had made an 11th hour demand to alter previously agreed player entitlements, O’Rourke expects the FFA and the PFA to finalise their negotiations early this week.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The situation with Fox is more complex.
The host broadcaster currently pays $57 million annually to the FFA for the A-League rights as well as broadcasting of Socceroos and Matildas matches.
It’s understood the pay TV company is seeking a significant reduction on that amount and Perth Glory owner Tony Sage hinted last week the 2019-20 season should just be abandoned if a deal can’t be reached.
O’Rourke said the season’s future wasn’t completely dependent on reaching a deal with Fox, but it was still the FFA’s intention to find a resolution.
“I wouldn’t say wholly (dependent) but I would say that it is more than likely that the best solution for us would be to go forward with Fox,” he said.
“If we were to find an alternate provider it would probably take some time, but our intent is to work with our current broadcaster and our current contract and get them to broadcast the rest of the season.”
Currently, league organisers have two versions of the schedule for the remainder of the season, dependent on the state of border restrictions when the competition does resume.
The first model will have all 11 clubs based in a NSW hub, playing games in Sydney and Newcastle.
The second model would allow Victorian clubs to play in their home state while Adelaide and Brisbane could also play at home.
Under both models Wellington Phoenix and the Glory would be based in NSW.
O’Rourke said a proposal has been made with NSW health authorities to create a COVID-19 quarantine facility for the Phoenix at the Football NSW headquarters in Sydney.
The arrangement would be similar to that used by the NRL for the Warriors in Tamworth and would allow the Phoenix to train during their 14-day quarantine period following their travel from New Zealand.
The Glory will be based in NSW purely due to logistical demands with the league planning to play 32 games in just 36 days.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
I’m liking your optimism. Cheers.
DAVEC
Roar Rookie
be interesting
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Either model means my club would be playing all it’s games in NSW due to having to relocate to NSW as our remaining fixtures were Sydney Away (3rd Game), Newcastle Away (2nd Game), Adelaide Home (2nd Game), Perth Away (3rd Game), Brisbane Home (3rd Game), Western Sydney Away (3rd Game)but I think a East Coast/SA model if crowds are allowed back would be the better model also would not be opposed to changing Brisbane Home to Brisbane Away and Perth Away to Perth Home if the East Coast/SA model is selected as we have already played Brisbane and Perth twice
Maradona's Lovechild
Roar Rookie
Yeah agree with everything your latest post says again Grem except the origin call? The Origin is just another manufactured Aus sport thing? Mate v mate, state v state - what a bunch of bullocks. Its just a Murdoch promoted propoghanda bunch of BS. It means o. They play for nothing except perhaps a chance at a Kangaroos shirt, and who do they play against? NZ and Britain every now and then. Football is the world game, we must stand aloe and intro promo/relegation, winter football align the leagues and be proud of our game once and for all. Gallop was hopefully the last in a long line of NRL plants to keep the game down, boxed in it's corner. It (the NRL plant tradition) dates back to Sir Arthur George in my lifetime. IE Sellout commissioners. This time we have JJ a real football guy. Not saying Frank Lowy wasn't one, but he only employed Buckley and Gallop for their connections with Foxtel, now that Foxtel want out - lets move onwards and upwards.
Grem
Roar Rookie
No mates Our NBL is another great competition in another world sport. We are one of the best leagues in the world and presently have a golden generation of players in the NBA. They play in good stadiums and their only problem, like football is lack of finance. I don't get how our population is infatuated with 2 sports that have nil or little relevance outside 2 states or our country. And one of those sports has more issues with player behaviour and violence than should be accepted and the other has crowd violence that is rarely looked at and crowds that are racist towards indigenous players.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Whenever negotiations are entered into ambid claims are made. I would hope the 11 million offer is just that. If we are to stay with Foxtel then hopefully James Johnson will get them closer to the 57 million than the 11 million. While on the value of a product - I only have Foxtel for the A League. I presently pay $48 a month for sport, entertainment and high definition. There is nothing on Foxtel, apart from the A League, that I watch so if they have no A League it is worth $0 in my thoughts. No A League = No Foxtel. And, the A League ratings are down but that is also due to the lack of advertising that our game gets which is also the fault of FFA and the club owners as well as Foxtel. Imagine the advertising that could be delivered showing the skills of the players and the passion of the supporters - give this challenge to the Gruen Transfer team on the ABC and see what they can create. As a lover of sport the ONLY game in my opinion that is more exciting than either of our big derbies - MV v MC or SFC v Wanderers is the State of Origin. We need people to focus on our positives.
chris
Guest
lol
chris
Guest
Good post Grem. Fox have done nothing over the past 12 months to nurture football. They've run it into the ground and now they want to jump out. Well, they owe the FFA $57 million for the next 3 years, whether they like it or not. Pay up or go bankrupt. It's really simple.
chris
Guest
Griffo how could it get ugly? If the Fox deal is for 57 million for the next 3 years then that's what it is. And if they don't cough up then FFA can bankrupt Fox. Isn't that how it works? Isn't that what contracts are all about? This "we'll give you 11million...maybe" for the next 3 years. etc is just a load of bull that Fox thinks it can bully itself into.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
With comments like those, no wonder you've got no mates.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
I think the media boffins have been crunching our numbers for quite sometime, years in fact, so they've already formed an opinion about the worth of the A-league.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Wonders aloud what our rating will be if broadcast... If we get say above 50k or below 25K, each will have IMO an effect on the next media deal...
Midfielder
Roar Guru
LH Ignore him he has been banned from 442 ...
Midfielder
Roar Guru
G Yer who would have signed such a clause.... I assume Gallop and it was similar clauses that kept the NRL tied to Fox for so long... the arrangement there was Fox had the right of first bid and also were allowed to be the last bid knowing what the next highest bid was...
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
contempt in knowing our product is just not worthy? what kid of fan are you? of course it's worthy, very, very worthy.
NoMates
Guest
Sorry but Foxtel rate Rugby over A-League that's why they value it more then football. Cycling and gold have more value then the HAL at the moment. I believe we have to be contempt with knowing our product is just not worthy. I mean just look at how many free to air channels the A-League has been on and its failed miserably. We cant even get it on AM radio. Sorry but we will for sure have to follow the NBL and also start playing games in parks and cricket pitches just like the NSL to survive.
Grem
Roar Rookie
That's correct but there must be a difference between talking and negotiating! Testing the waters and knowing there's another option if Fox continue their low act would be necessary. I do understand that the A League has lost some sparkle of late and a lesser deal is probably fair at this moment but 11 million, if true, is an insult. The A League is also looking at driving more interest with some changes and with some support/ financial help could achieve more than they had a few years ago. Transfer fees, promotion/ relegation, connecting with the traditional clubs, etc. sounds exciting. FFA just needs the financial support for it to happen.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Makes you wonder who at FFA agreed to that clause originally. May not have seemed important at the time but a potential minefield if FFA do not want $11m per season over next three seasons. What then if FFA say no Fox keep your existing contract for next three years? If FFA hold up their end of the contract, it could get messy if Fox really agitate get out of contract.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Waz if reports are correct the FFA cannot negotiate – even tentatively – with other broadcasters without voiding the current agreement. Wow, Fox certainty know how to write contracts.... Optus in buying the J-League & running a series on Australian Football, and saying they don't want Rugby but want to expand their sports coverage, seem to be indicating they want the A-League or maybe thats just me reading to much into it... I also have a gut feeling that the relationship between Optus and SBS is much better than the relationship between Fox & SBS, and in the grand scheme of things that becomes important pertaining to support and positive articles coming out of SBS.
Maradona's Lovechild
Roar Rookie
Yep totally agree Grem. Please on behalf of all Aus football fans don't bow to Foxtel's plans to box Football into a 3rd or 4th rate code corner now JJ and FFA. Call there bluff and stand strong. Would rather see the season played out without Foxtel coverage or maybe just the remainder of this season on Fox and then move to Winter and align A-League with state NPL's and intro promo/rel next year with NPL national champs and second place promoted! Maybe take Foxtel's 11 mill for 2 x games and get Optus on board for rest and SBS for match of the round. I don't know just speculating and hoping for the best outcome for Football's sake. Don't want to see us marginalized again. We have so many good content products - A League, hopefully 2nd div, W- League, NPL's, Soceroos, Olyroos, Joeys, Matildas etc etc.