A-Leagues & Football Australia General Chat and News Thread

I mean, I haven't seen anything, but... Why would you joke about a shorts sponsor...? That's lame.
Because it gets all the nuffs worked up as evidenced here.
 
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Stripes on a kit aren’t exclusive though.
Not saying they're exclusive to us. Like I've had to clear up before when I mention this point, I've never had a problem whenever Mariners have used stripes, because there has always been a slight difference to the designs every season, despite the similar colours. You can clearly see however there are 2 black stripes on a green base. Nix have 2 black stripes on a yellow base. Black back, black shorts, black socks. They haven't even tried differentiating the two home designs.
Like the "announcement" is literally saying its a shorts sponsor, yet they show a shirt with the logo on it.
I figured that was just a shitty effort to bring Huawei into the main focus :(
 
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Not saying they're exclusive to us. Like I've had to clear up before when I mention this point, I've never had a problem whenever Mariners have used stripes, because there has always been a slight difference to the designs every season, despite the similar colours. You can clearly see however there are 2 black stripes on a green base. Nix have 2 black stripes on a yellow base. Black back, black shorts, black socks. They haven't even tried differentiating the two home designs.

I figured that was just a ****ty effort to bring Huawei into the main focus :(
I know what you meant and I still don’t think it’s that bad. It’s more a rip of Sassuolo than Phoenix.
 

craigos

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What's with all these Mark Rudan whispers doing the rounds. Bit of a shagger that sets up fake social media accounts to talk himself up. Maybe he was the Mel Mclaughlin stalker.
 
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What's with all these Mark Rudan whispers doing the rounds. Bit of a shagger that sets up fake social media accounts to talk himself up. Maybe he was the Mel Mclaughlin stalker.
That's essentially it...

The 2-Factor Authetication for the #westisbest account matched the last two digits of Rudan's phone number, according to one of the leaders of the Yellow Fever so... there's 1-in-100 chance.
 

Silent Alarm

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What's with all these Mark Rudan whispers doing the rounds. Bit of a shagger that sets up fake social media accounts to talk himself up. Maybe he was the Mel Mclaughlin stalker.
Wow, what the *? Where’d you hear this?

Soccer rumours are less prominent because there’s just less exposure and interest but I’m sure there’d be some corkers out there.

Who was the Mel McLaughlin stalker? What’s the story?

Does anyone remember the yarn about Becks when he came out here for an LA Galaxy game? It was the first friendly against Sydney FC. Mel McLaughlin was interviewing him. It all winds down, they all go to leave, but the minder couldn’t find Becks and the camera man couldn’t find Mel. Few minutes later and out of a portable toilet step...
 

craigos

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Wow, what the ****? Where’d you hear this?

Soccer rumours are less prominent because there’s just less exposure and interest but I’m sure there’d be some corkers out there.

Who was the Mel McLaughlin stalker? What’s the story?

Does anyone remember the yarn about Becks when he came out here for an LA Galaxy game? It was the first friendly against Sydney FC. Mel McLaughlin was interviewing him. It all winds down, they all go to leave, but the minder couldn’t find Becks and the camera man couldn’t find Mel. Few minutes later and out of a portable toilet step...
Essentially, Mel had a stalker whom she decided not to press charges on (allegedly). Now the stalker part is 100% factual and extremely weird in itself. A USB was found in a McDonalds with hours of secretly recorded video of her. Rudan was subsequently axed by Fox Sports not long after all the below happened. There's no doubt more information out there somewhere but this is all I heard.


The new man in McLaughlin’s life is retired British soccer player Ashley Westwood, 40, who had a career playing for third-tier English football division clubs including Crewe Alexandra and Bradford City until 2012.He moved on to coaching duties in India and it was while working in that capacity in late 2015 that Westwood met McLaughlin, who was working briefly as a soccer commentator at Star TV and living at the same Mumbai hotel as Westwood and his then pregnant wife Huma.Westwood, who has been unemployed since March when his contract as head coach of Malaysian Super League team Penang was cancelled by mutual consent, has five children by three women.

Retired Sydney FC player Mark Rudan clashed heatedly with Ashley Westwood.According to friends of the Westwoods, wife Huma, a juvenile probations officer in Northampton, recently filed for divorce.Westwood yesterday denied his relationship with McLaughlin began while his wife was pregnant. “I have been separated from my second wife since early 2016 and we are going through divorce proceedings,” he said.
“I started seeing Mel last year after the breakdown of my marriage. We’re very happy.”Sources say police believe some of the “dozens” of telephone threats made to a Seven mobile in McLaughlin’s possession may have been intended for Westwood.Rattled by a break-in at her apartment earlier this year, McLaughlin has since moved out of her home. She did not wish to comment when contacted yesterday.

Rudan allegedly shouted crude abuse during the incident.News of the stalking investigation comes days after an unrelated incident in which the TV host was publicly insulted at a Sydney bar as tempers flared during A-League grand final celebrations last Sunday.Westwood and local soccer commentator and retired Sydney FC player Mark Rudan clashed heatedly outside Frankie’s Pizza Bar on Hunter St in the early hours after the match.Fox Sports commentator Rudan was allegedly assaulted by an unnamed 18-year-old as he and a group arrived at the bar at the same time McLaughlin and her boyfriend were leaving.Witnesses have said the two men started exchanging angry insults — Rudan allegedly shouting crude abuse at McLaughlin — before bouncers stepped in and police arrived, although officers did not take statements.

The argument between Westwood and Rudan had begun earlier in the evening at The Clock Hotel in Surry Hills where 41-year-old Rudan had been drinking with Fox Sports colleagues.While McLaughlin, a Fox Sports presenter from 2007 to 2013, remained downstairs, Westwood went upstairs and had an argument with Rudan, angrily demanding he “take a walk outside” with him, which Rudan declined to do.Rudan, who is married to childhood sweetheart Sylvia, with whom he has children, refused to comment about the altercation
 

Silent Alarm

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Essentially, Mel had a stalker whom she decided not to press charges on (allegedly). Now the stalker part is 100% factual and extremely weird in itself. A USB was found in a McDonalds with hours of secretly recorded video of her. Rudan was subsequently axed by Fox Sports not long after all the below happened. There's no doubt more information out there somewhere but this is all I heard.


The new man in McLaughlin’s life is retired British soccer player Ashley Westwood, 40, who had a career playing for third-tier English football division clubs including Crewe Alexandra and Bradford City until 2012.He moved on to coaching duties in India and it was while working in that capacity in late 2015 that Westwood met McLaughlin, who was working briefly as a soccer commentator at Star TV and living at the same Mumbai hotel as Westwood and his then pregnant wife Huma.Westwood, who has been unemployed since March when his contract as head coach of Malaysian Super League team Penang was cancelled by mutual consent, has five children by three women.

Retired Sydney FC player Mark Rudan clashed heatedly with Ashley Westwood.According to friends of the Westwoods, wife Huma, a juvenile probations officer in Northampton, recently filed for divorce.Westwood yesterday denied his relationship with McLaughlin began while his wife was pregnant. “I have been separated from my second wife since early 2016 and we are going through divorce proceedings,” he said.
“I started seeing Mel last year after the breakdown of my marriage. We’re very happy.”Sources say police believe some of the “dozens” of telephone threats made to a Seven mobile in McLaughlin’s possession may have been intended for Westwood.Rattled by a break-in at her apartment earlier this year, McLaughlin has since moved out of her home. She did not wish to comment when contacted yesterday.

Rudan allegedly shouted crude abuse during the incident.News of the stalking investigation comes days after an unrelated incident in which the TV host was publicly insulted at a Sydney bar as tempers flared during A-League grand final celebrations last Sunday.Westwood and local soccer commentator and retired Sydney FC player Mark Rudan clashed heatedly outside Frankie’s Pizza Bar on Hunter St in the early hours after the match.Fox Sports commentator Rudan was allegedly assaulted by an unnamed 18-year-old as he and a group arrived at the bar at the same time McLaughlin and her boyfriend were leaving.Witnesses have said the two men started exchanging angry insults — Rudan allegedly shouting crude abuse at McLaughlin — before bouncers stepped in and police arrived, although officers did not take statements.

The argument between Westwood and Rudan had begun earlier in the evening at The Clock Hotel in Surry Hills where 41-year-old Rudan had been drinking with Fox Sports colleagues.While McLaughlin, a Fox Sports presenter from 2007 to 2013, remained downstairs, Westwood went upstairs and had an argument with Rudan, angrily demanding he “take a walk outside” with him, which Rudan declined to do.Rudan, who is married to childhood sweetheart Sylvia, with whom he has children, refused to comment about the altercation
Yeah I saw one article around the time where Rudes and this bloke nearly got in a punch up, with the '...McLaughlin's stalker, unrelated to this incident...'

It's a crazy story, that Wellington Phoenix forum is some funny s**t. It all makes sense too.

There's a story on there about some guy going to a cup game and seeing Mark Rudan standing behind some dingy clubhouse in the cold, staring down into his mobile phone for 20 minutes until he went out to coach.
 

craigos

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Expect official news to drop in the next 30 mins to an hour but agreement has been reached on the independence of the #ALeague at last. The new deadline is August 1 to finalise the very last details but it’s viewed as a fait accompli. A brave new world beckons.

For the love of god let this be true.
 

Silent Alarm

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This is going to cook either the Socceroos or the A-League.

I wonder if we'll see the salary cap basically removed, or some guidelines where a checklist lets you have 10 marquees. Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City, Perth Glory would probably behind that but I can see some serious collateral.

I have no faith in the competition anyway. The timing of bringing in Western United and Macarthur was terrible. It's a bit like you're knowing your coach is going to be sacked but letting him choose the list for the next season. Bizarre.

Then again this is the same competition that has never timed expansion after major tournaments. There should have been two clubs primed for 2010/11, one after the 2014 World Cup, then one after the home soil Asian Cup. Ludicrous.
 

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I fear for the smaller clubs such as my own but hopefully I'm proven wrong.
 

craigos

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This is going to cook either the Socceroos or the A-League.

I wonder if we'll see the salary cap basically removed, or some guidelines where a checklist lets you have 10 marquees. Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City, Perth Glory would probably behind that but I can see some serious collateral.

I have no faith in the competition anyway. The timing of bringing in Western United and Macarthur was terrible. It's a bit like you're knowing your coach is going to be sacked but letting him choose the list for the next season. Bizarre.

Then again this is the same competition that has never timed expansion after major tournaments. There should have been two clubs primed for 2010/11, one after the 2014 World Cup, then one after the home soil Asian Cup. Ludicrous.
I have a lot more faith in the teams running the competition than I do the FFA. I don't think Western United would have been given a license if the league was independent. I think the chances of teams from regional areas increases for this exact reason.

The socceroos should not be getting paid what they did in the last few tournaments, with the FFA not having control over every cent in the game they are going to have to be a lot more careful and responsible with the money they do have.
 

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https://www.ffa.com.au/news/new-lea...-agreement-recommendations-a-new-era-football

In the interests of ensuring the whole of the Australian game benefits from the commercial re-focus of the Professional Leagues, a number of recommendations have been agreed upon, including:

  • There will be an annual contribution from League revenues to FFA including for National Team programs and grassroots initiatives. This contribution will be equal to 1.125 times the amount that will be distributed by the League to any individual Club in the same year. The minimum contribution will be A$4.5m per year in the first instance and indexed linked to CPI thereafter;
  • The Leagues be relieved of the licence payment obligation for the next four seasons in order that investment in the long-term sustainability and growth of the League is maximised. In effect, this recommendation will see FFA re-invest its licence fee in the Australian professional game in order to help ensure longer-term sustainable returns;
  • Once adopted, the recommendations will precipitate the injection by the Clubs of significant capital in the Leagues to enhance the on-field product and bolster their commercial and marketing appeal.
For the benefit of the National Teams and grassroots programs, the NLWG has identified a number of ongoing funding opportunities that the Leagues will provide, including:

  • FFA will receive 10% yields from the sale of new Club licenses and on the net profits from any sale of existing licenses;
  • FFA will receive a funding allocation annually equivalent to 10% of the value of transfers of Australian domestic players internationally;
  • FFA will retain a 20%, non-diluting and non-voting, ‘carry’ equity share in the League. Importantly, if a portion of the Leagues are ever sold in order to generate investment funds for further growth of the League then 20% of those proceeds would be allocated to FFA for investment in accordance with FFA’s objects
  • Fundamental to the NLWG agreed recommendations is the assertion that FFA should be “no worse off” from the re-organisation. A body of work, already under way, is to be completed by FFA and APFCA as an immediate priority to ensure that there is no adverse cost impact to FFA from the transition to the new organisational structure
 

Silent Alarm

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I have a lot more faith in the teams running the competition than I do the FFA. I don't think Western United would have been given a license if the league was independent. I think the chances of teams from regional areas increases for this exact reason.

The socceroos should not be getting paid what they did in the last few tournaments, with the FFA not having control over every cent in the game they are going to have to be a lot more careful and responsible with the money they do have.
I think it's a good thing for sure, but no one has ever run the game to its potential and now I think that potential's gone. Its zenith was the 2006 World Cup and the timing was all there with a brand new national, professional competition. Fifteen years on and it's less sexy than ever.

A good point about regional clubs as the current ones seem pretty entitled to entire cities. You'd imagine Wollongong, ACT, and Tassie would have been the frontrunners. The added benefit is that any new metropolitan team is going to be petitioned for by the current city side: Brisbane Roar would love a derby and they'd encourage the Brisbane Strikers. No chance of a Penrith/Macarthur/whatever team but tbh I don't see them as worthwhile as a Shire - Saints team (as far as a Sydney club goes).

I can't find it anywhere now but I saw Brisbane Roar are playing four games at a little ground in the outskirts of Brisbane. Looked a tidy enough place. That's the future of this league: smaller, less glamorous, more about the promotion of youth to enlarge the national team pool, 16 teams with less staff and smaller budgets, playing out of grounds like Jubilee Oval, Lakeside Stadium. NIB, AAMI, Bankwest as the ultra-desirable stadiums.
 

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NZ Media considers this positive for us, going as far as saying our future is now secure!!
Why do Australian clubs want the Phoenix in?

I know the FFA are against it because it harms their relationship with Asia and FIFA (interesting point that in general – I can't see the A-League Council or whatever they call it being kind to the FFA when it comes to competition bids or pressure from federations).

But won't the A-League clubs all want more revenue through TV? I guess annexing Wellington will see the Melbourne and Sydney clubs wanting the metro TV rights but going 'no you have it! No you take it!' but still.
 
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Why do Australian clubs want the Phoenix in?

I know the FFA are against it because it harms their relationship with Asia and FIFA (interesting point that in general – I can't see the A-League Council or whatever they call it being kind to the FFA when it comes to competition bids or pressure from federations).

But won't the A-League clubs all want more revenue through TV? I guess annexing Wellington will see the Melbourne and Sydney clubs wanting the metro TV rights but going 'no you have it! No you take it!' but still.
Stable, dedicated club with a loyal core of fans. It's an untapped market that still has so much potential, due to another code dominating the landscape a.k.a. AFL with Australia. As well as that, Rob Morrison (our CEO) was a very important part of this result, obviously to try and kill our unfair short-term licence deals, when everyone else still has 10 years on theirs.

Also, part of the Australian move to the AFC was to apparently help OFC move forward as well, so this is one of those ways. The Nix played a great brand of football last season, and our "metrics" were one of the only clubs' stats that went up, which the FFA publicly praised.

You also can't kick out everyone's second team... :kissingheart:
 

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This Quivorir guy is a real bully. Lucky he is a Victory fan.

Of those who have memberships, who has renewed for next year? I've gone from Cat A (yeah I'm rich) back to GA and honestly only attended about 6 games last year. Most of that was due to Sunday night matches and the fact I am lazy.
 
This Quivorir guy is a real bully. Lucky he is a Victory fan.
:(

Of those who have memberships, who has renewed for next year? I've gone from Cat A (yeah I'm rich) back to GA and honestly only attended about 6 games last year. Most of that was due to Sunday night matches and the fact I am lazy.
Mine has auto renewed but I finally have convinced some mates to join so I'll be leaving the confines of my reserved seat and joining in with one of the active areas I think.
 
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