The A-League, Football in Australia and the CoronaVirus Crisis Thread

[giggler99]

Looks like I'll be posting a few more of these articles.

Western Sydney Wanderers stand down entire squad
Dominic Bossi

Western Sydney Wanderers have stood down their entire squad and staff indefinitely due financial losses stemming from the postponement of the A-League.
The club is facing significant cash flow problems as a result of the competition's shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, losing match day revenue and sponsorship. It is also unlikely to receive the final quarterly windfall of the A-League's broadcast deal with Fox Sports, worth close to $900,000 per club.

Players, coaches and administrative staff at the Wanderers were told on Tuesday they will not be required to work and will not be paid until the club knows when the competition will resume, which will be no earlier than April 22. The club and the A-League players' union confirmed stand down notices were issued to all players and staff when contacted by the Herald on Wednesday.
The Wanderers have become the third A-League club to stand down its entire roster while the competition is suspended, following Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners in issuing stand down notices. In a worrying sign for the future of the competition, they aren't expected to be the last.
Senior A-League sources expect a handful of other clubs to not be able to pay their squad until games resume. While final announcements are yet to be made, sources expect Brisbane Roar, Adelaide United, Western United and Newcastle Jets to also issue stand down notices this week.

The A-League is in a precarious financial situation with the competition and Football Federation Australia already preparing for the possible end to their broadcast deal with Fox Sports. The Pay TV provider is expected to try and walk away from its contract with the A-League if the competition fails to provide content for an extended period of time.

Players could leave as free agents after Wanderers stand down entire squad

Western Sydney Wanderers are one of five clubs to have stood down their entire squads due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Minidisc MD]

So again, are all of these players going to be on the open market? Macarthur will probably start thinking they've timed this all pretty well. it seems if you can cancel someone's payments, which I guess is the main reason for an employer signing a contract, then there's surely no requirement for them to play out their service later on. are clubs just relying on the goodwill of players? or just hoping on it?

 

[Shade]

Fair few teams have folded before.

this could be the nail in the coffin the the entire league

 

[dwwaino]

AFL players should think themselves blessed.

 

[burge13]

Unreal how little money there is in football here and the TV deal will only get worse.

We won't be far off having Daniel Mullen as a marquee player after this.

RIP A-League. It can't survive this and even if it technically does, good players won't be coming here for a long while

 

[Quivorir]

Admittedly I saw this on A League Memes so take it with a grain of salt but apparently all clubs other than City will be standing down their players?

 

[gaskin]

Admittedly I saw this on A League Memes so take it with a grain of salt but apparently all clubs other than City will be standing down their players?

City have said they aren't. The obly other side I can see not doing it is Sydney and maybe Victory.

 

[acm21]

Admittedly I saw this on A League Memes so take it with a grain of salt but apparently all clubs other than City will be standing down their players?

Sydney fc have also confirmed they will not stand down the players. I wouldn't be surprised if most club's stand them down (as they have the right to). Victory and Brisbane I think are likely to not stand down players, no idea about United, Newcastle could go either way, and nix are under different laws.

 

[giggler99]

Admittedly I saw this on A League Memes so take it with a grain of salt but apparently all clubs other than City will be standing down their players?

From what I've heard (and I think it might be mentioned in one of the articles I've posted) only City and SydneyFC have guaranteed player payments till end of season which is 30th of May. After that not sure.

 

[giggler99]

Sydney fc have also confirmed they will not stand down the players. I wouldn't be surprised if most club's stand them down (as they have the right to). Victory and Brisbane I think are likely to not stand down players, no idea about United, Newcastle could go either way, and nix are under different laws.

Reports from 3AW news say that Adelaide United have stood down their playing list.

 

[giggler99]

 

[acm21]

The reds released a statement which said the majority of admin staff are on leave/stood down. No mention of the players, apart from being at home.

 

[giggler99]

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

No excuse for all clubs standing down employees to not apply for the job keeper package as well.

 

[nobbyiscool]

How incompetent must the FFA and PFA be that it came to this before a deal could be struck as it was with AFL and NRL players?

I know the A-League has nowhere near the liquidity of other codes, but it's an abject disgrace that we're standing down players with nothing.

 

[GREENESHOOTS]

How incompetent must the FFA and PFA be that it came to this before a deal could be struck as it was with AFL and NRL players?

I know the A-League has nowhere near the liquidity of other codes, but it's an abject disgrace that we're standing down players with nothing.

Most clubs (not sure if all) already run on a loss even with ticket sales and TV going on so I don't really blame them

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

How incompetent must the FFA and PFA be that it came to this before a deal could be struck as it was with AFL and NRL players?

I know the A-League has nowhere near the liquidity of other codes, but it's an abject disgrace that we're standing down players with nothing.

Might have been just a bit refreshing for Tony ‘what am I meant to do, not my problem, everyone will be in the same position in a few days’ Sage to have not started the rot as he did.

Who knows how this sport will be structured come October but the public could really have a desperate appetite for live sport by then, write this season off if we must but get the act together on all fronts for the next one please.

 

[gaskin]

Interesting to see where this goes if true.

 

[Established1870]

The A-League is f’ed and Foxtel are going to pull the pin any day now but I think it could lead to a healthy reset of Australian football.

Create a new league with 10 teams (Adelaide, Perth, Victory, Sydney, Brisbane, WSW, Nix, SMFC, Newcastle and someone else) and create a second division with CCM, Wollongong, Western United and other clubs who would be able to survive in there (GCU, Canberra, Tasmania, Auckland?). Bring in pro/rel after a few years and make it FTA on SBS so that more people can actually watch the game. Keep the FFA Cup around too promote all the big games on SBS and just consolidate for a few years and let the game grow organically.

Of course some billionaire just like Lowry will probably swoop in the 11th hour and save the day making my idea irrelevant but I can dream.

 

[giggler99]

The A-League is f’ed and Foxtel are going to pull the pin any day now but I think it could lead to a healthy reset of Australian football.

Create a new league with 10 teams (Adelaide, Perth, Victory, Sydney, Brisbane, WSW, Nix, SMFC, Newcastle and someone else) and create a second division with CCM, Wollongong, Western United and other clubs who would be able to survive in there (GCU, Canberra, Tasmania, Auckland?). Bring in pro/rel after a few years and make it FTA on SBS so that more people can actually watch the game. Keep the FFA Cup around too promote all the big games on SBS and just consolidate for a few years and let the game grow organically.

Of course some billionaire just like Lowry will probably swoop in the 11th hour and save the day making my idea irrelevant but I can dream.

SMFC ahead of Melbourne City? your having a laugh! It will be the CFG that will probably prop this league up when it gets started again!

 

[GREENESHOOTS]

A legitimate positive of this should be transfer fees between a league clubs and between npl and a league clubs as well. No wonder npl hates a league so much.

 

[Andonis1997]

Of course some billionaire just like Lowry will probably swoop in the 11th hour and save the day making my idea irrelevant but I can dream

The Lowys are the reason we're in this mess in the first place, if they get involved, start A-League III.

 

[Established1870]

SMFC ahead of Melbourne City? your having a laugh! It will be the CFG that will probably prop this league up when it gets started again!

Guarantee there'd be a football loving billionaire in this country who'd prop up the league before CFG do. Also SMFC>City sue me.

The Lowys are the reason we're in this mess in the first place, if they get involved, start A-League III.

I know that very well and I pray to god that for the sake of football in this country that the game doesn't get taken over by someone like Lowry again but when Foxtel inevitably rip of the contract the league will need money to survive otherwise we're back to square 1 for the foreseeable future.

 

[General Giant]

Guarantee there'd be a football loving billionaire in this country who'd prop up the league before CFG do. Also SMFC>City sue me.

In what way? Highest average ever by the supposed greatest club in the country is 8k.

The only time they rated was when they played a cup game against Sydney FC.

They push the whole “we own the stadium” when they don’t. They just have the contract to run the athletics oval for a few years.


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[giggler99]

Guarantee there'd be a football loving billionaire in this country who'd prop up the league before CFG do. Also SMFC>City sue me.



I know that very well and I pray to god that for the sake of football in this country that the game doesn't get taken over by someone like Lowry again but when Foxtel inevitably rip of the contract the league will need money to survive otherwise we're back to square 1 for the foreseeable future.

Care to name any football loving billionaire's that will be happy to pour his or her own money that is willing to prop the league up? Remembering, Lowy didn't even pour any of his own money to start the A-league!
CFG have already tightened their grip on our league I can see them tightening it even further if allowed to or called apon.

I'm actually all for SMFC to one day join the A-league or any other national league in future, but in the current climate the league needs to focus on its priorities and trying to keep its current clubs afloat and solvent.