A-Leagues & Football Australia General Chat and News Thread

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

Still no explanation for the media releases regarding the LFE takeover from the other week though. Obviously I understand from the LFE end he was a dodgy businessman and he has little credibility with anything he says. So not so much any of their PR.

But the glory media release seemed to outline that a deal had been agreed to, I’m sure I remember reading that. Now it seems to have disappeared.

 

[gaskin]

This is the only media I can recall seeing from the club about it.

From Sagey:

A message from Glory Chairman and Owner, Tony Sage:

"Dear Perth Glory Members, Sponsors and Fans,

I'm writing this from from Zurich where it's only 2 degrees...

I cannot believe the rhetoric that has been caused by me advising the players and staff only about a potential deal.
These are the facts below:

1st..
No deal has been executed by PGFC with the London Football Exchange.

2nd
I only told the staff and players because I did not want them to stress as I was boarding a flight that night and because once lawyers and experts get involved, things may have leaked out. The players are heading to Tokyo and would have read social media about their club being sold.
I stressed at the meeting with the staff and players that I am going to London to talk about their offer and how it all works.

3rd
Nothing changes on a day to day basis. l stay on as Chairman and in control of the club for the next 3 years. All the staff will also be staying.

4th
Any new concept that people don't get, we are all sceptical about, myself included, hence my trip to London for 3 days to check them out.
Remember Mark Zuckerberg was also laughed at and ridiculed when Facebook started. The whole blockchain crypto world was supposed to be dead 6 years ago, but it thrives. I don't get it myself, but it does seem to work.
LFE 's concept is brilliant but will it work?
I don't know and that's why I am spending 3 days with their team in London with independent experts.
If, after this due diligence process, the final deal in London is not good for PGFC, of course PGFC won't sign up.
If PGFC do sign up NOTHING changes at Perth Glory other than with extra funding, we will be able to compete with the bigger clubs in Australia and Asia.

Finally, don't believe fake news.
Your club has not been sold and I have not even sent anything to the FFA for approval.
Once I am comfortable I will.
FFA are aware of my discussions, however.
You will be the first to know on this platform.
Huge good luck to Poppa and the boys in Tokyo.
I hope you're all watching at 6pm on FOX 505 on Tuesday.

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

This is the only media I can recall seeing from the club about it.

Yeah that’s not the one I was thinking of. Early in that ABC article linked above it makes mention of the one I’m thinking of.

It used the term “asset sale and purchase agreement.”

 

[acm21]

Yeah that’s not the one I was thinking of. Early in that ABC article linked above it makes mention of the one I’m thinking of.

It used the term “asset sale and purchase agreement.”

That I believe was from a source who knew of the deal (but let the cat out of the bag a bit too early). The press release from perth was the first official release from Sage. I do think from interviews he did he was very positive about the ownership opportunities (partly because he was able to keep control and all the other elements he wanted in a partner).


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[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

That I believe was from a source who knew of the deal (but let the cat out of the bag a bit too early). The press release from perth was the first official release from Sage. I do think from interviews he did he was very positive about the ownership opportunities (partly because he was able to keep control and all the other elements he wanted in a partner).


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It was still an official Perth release readily available on their website. Only recently it appears to have been deleted after realising what a stuff up it was.
I understand that it was clearly released when Sage hadn’t signed off on anything and it was a cat out of the bag early type situation. Still just a head scratcher for me as to how such an important story about the future of a professional sporting club can be basically confirmed by the media department of the club while there was so much yet to be done.

Anyway, hasn’t been the league’s finest episode. But still wouldn’t change a thing about the quirks of this comp.

 

[craigos]

Does anyone else get super defensive about the A League when people bag it out? Kinda like you banter about it with people who enjoy it (ie everyone here) but when someone who has no interest in it says something you wanna slap them?

Anyways, I feel if the league can hang in for another year then the tables will start to turn. The one thing the new league will have to do is try and put aside short term gains for the benefit of the league.

 

[gaskin]

Yep. I hate when people that don't watch it bash it. I have no problem with those that watch it taking the piss out of the league.

Saying that, if the criticism is legit, then I don't have as much of a problem.

 

[Greenery]

The thing is Glory, City, Sydney, Nux, Adelaide all consistently play quality entertaining football. The others less consistent this season, ie Wanderers unwatchable most of the season with Babbel. But you hear that the A League is watched in Europe and actually relatively popular over there and it kinda makes you laugh at how Australia generally (media, eurosnobs) have little respect for it. The leagues quality has only gotten better football wise and its only been around 15 years which is short in a global sense.
They just need to loosen the regulations asap so teams can turn a profit and spend more. Then the league will grow.

 

[Colonial]

The thing is Glory, City, Sydney, Nux, Adelaide all consistently play quality entertaining football. The others less consistent this season, ie Wanderers unwatchable most of the season with Babbel. But you hear that the A League is watched in Europe and actually relatively popular over there and it kinda makes you laugh at how Australia generally (media, eurosnobs) have little respect for it. The leagues quality has only gotten better football wise and its only been around 15 years which is short in a global sense.
They just need to loosen the regulations asap so teams can turn a profit and spend more. Then the league will grow.

The quality is definitely there.


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[Colonial]

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[Greenery]

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The sooner the better

 

[acm21]

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The mariners only want that so they can actually make money off the players that are leaving, he is the one who is openly wanting to seek international spots in the reform that was being reported last week.
The only real club that has been struggling (partly by poor management and partly due to low funding/poor choice of players, especially the foreign players) is the mariners. You can see from Brisbane and the nix that the right funding and players can make a big difference (and it can be on a pretty low budget).


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[giggler99]

I don't think the cap should be scrapped but that idea about making foreigners except from it isn't such a bad idea, it would certainly help us compete more regularly in Asia for example.

 

[Andonis1997]

It is interesting to see the club that wants the cap removed is actually the club that could be harmed by this the most.

 

[giggler99]

It is interesting to see the club that wants the cap removed is actually the club that could be harmed by this the most.

Not necessary with no cap and an open transfer market here the Mariners will most definitely market themselves as a development club and will stand to try and make a s**t load of $$$ on transfers to the bigger clubs.

 

[Colonial]

Not necessary with no cap and an open transfer market here the Mariners will most definitely market themselves as a development club and will stand to try and make a s**t load of $$$ on transfers to the bigger clubs.

100%

It might actually save them.


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[ioppolo]

Whilst the Mariners may be better off financially, that model may leave them without success for a while

 

[Colonial]

Whilst the Mariners may be better off financially, that model may leave them without success for a while

You never know.


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[Andonis1997]

Speaking of the Mariners, does anyone know of a clause that the FFA apparently has about teams finishing last for 4 out of 6 seasons getting their licence revoked? Or something similar?

 

[giggler99]

Speaking of the Mariners, does anyone know of a clause that the FFA apparently has about teams finishing last for 4 out of 6 seasons getting their licence revoked? Or something similar?

Wasn't that a rule in the old NSL? May have carried over to the A-League not sure, first I've heard of it is this week, Simon Hill mentioned it on the FOX podcast too, but he was referring to if a team wins a hattrick of wooden spoons they may have their license revoked.

If anyone can find that clause please link it?

 

[acm21]

Speaking of the Mariners, does anyone know of a clause that the FFA apparently has about teams finishing last for 4 out of 6 seasons getting their licence revoked? Or something similar?

Im not sure about the revoking of the licence, but the plan for the Ffa cup is the bottom 2 or so would play off for the aleagues final 10 spots. I wouldn’t be surprised if there may be some kind of clause that would enable that (if they feel like it).

Yeah the mariners would prefer turning themselves into a development/trade based side and make a lot of money (which they have been historically very good at).

The best situation, imo, for the mariners would be opening up the monetary rewards for transfers and placing all internationals outside the cap. Would allow for the developmental situation, limit the gap forming between them and other clubs (and can focus on developing internationals on short term/loan based deals). It could just well work.


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[Andonis1997]

Wasn't that a rule in the old NSL? May have carried over to the A-League not sure, first I've heard of it is this week, Simon Hill mentioned it on the FOX podcast too, but he was referring to if a team wins a hattrick of wooden spoons they may have their license revoked.

If anyone can find that clause please link it?

I was a bit too young to start looking into that one for the NSL, caught the backend of it.
But for the HAL I did find this (which is behind a paywall...) but looks like it is a thing.

EDIT: Reddit is my friend, article from last year, so that's why the Nux's licence was mentioned - no FFA mutiny was active yet... Both the hattrick of spoons or 4 out of 6:

Battling A-League outfit Central Coast Mariners are facing relegation at the end of next season if they collect another wooden spoon.

Wellington Phoenix are also in the gun as they battle to hit a series of Football Federation Australia performance metrics by the end of 2019-20.

The current CPA (Club Participation Agreement) stipulates that any club which finishes last three years in a row, or four out of six seasons can be relegated.

The Mariners, who are away to Melbourne Victory on Sunday at AAMI Park finished last in 2015-16 and 2017-18 and need a minor miracle to avoid the wooden spoon this season.

The Gosford club, who replaced coach Mike Mulvey with Alen Stajcic, have won twice in 24 games, securing a miserly 10 points - five behind Brisbane Roar - while shipping 62 goals.

FFA chief executive David Gallop, who admitted the Mariners operated in a tough market, said underperforming clubs need to be held to account.

“It is far too early in the process to suggest what might be included in any CPA going forward but consideration would need to be given to the process for any club that underperforms consistently,’’ Gallop said.

“The proper management of any league requires KPIs that assist the continued good performance of the constituent clubs and contribute to the strength of the league as a whole.

“Any new operating model for the A League will need to take on that responsibility. The current clause indicates grounds for a review rather than anything automatic.”

While the new A-League operating model is due to be resolved by June 30, the Mariners’ results are now under the blowtorch.

“If the club finishes last in the A-League for three consecutive seasons of the term or finishes last in four out of six seasons, the FFA may notify the club that it is not satisfied with the club’s compliance,” the CPA states.

Clauses 17.4 and 17.5 state: “If within 30 days of receipt of a notice FFA is still not satisfied that the club can and will continue to meet its obligations under this agreement, FFA may … implement the requirement of a bank guarantee or (call a status meeting).

“If the club and FFA have not been able to resolve any one or more of the issues set out in the notice and one is either a flagrant or serious breach of this Agreement or a material failure of the club to meet its obligations and Minimum Performance Measures over the period leading up to the review point, FFA may terminate this Agreement with immediate effect by giving notice to the club.”

It’s understood that the existing CPA will be largely retained when the A-League becomes independent next season.

Gold Coast United was the last A-League club to be relegated, in 2012, after breaking several other CPA rules, paving the way for Western Sydney Wanderers to enter.

As it stands, the Mariners could only be relegated to the state league (National Premier Leagues), although the release of the FFA’s second division White Paper is imminent.

Promotion-relegation has been a hot topic in Australian soccer, with grassroots and traditionalists calling for the system to be opened up, a la most European leagues including England, Italy, Spain and Germany.

 

[acm21]

Thoughts on the glory contemplating refusing to play and being fined and banned from the acl?




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[Greenery]

Thoughts on the glory contemplating refusing to play and being fined and banned from the acl?




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Seems a bit of an overreaction from Glory in my eyes but I coudnt tell you the extent of the threat

 

[acm21]

Seems a bit of an overreaction from Glory in my eyes but I coudnt tell you the extent of the threat

Yeah I’m in a similar boat. From what I gather there is a good number of cases within South Korea, but not many within that region (if any), the opponent is wanting to play it behind closed doors (and obviously perth and popovic dont want to play). Also the AFC are telling both clubs to work it out among themselves and they will stick to what is chosen.


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