A-League Referees Deny FFA's Claim Contract Deal Is Finalized; A-League Standoff Continues

The standoff between the A-League and its referees "is continuing a month before the start of the new season, with the Football Federation claiming a deal over their contracts had been done, only for the referees to deny it," according to Tom Smithies of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. After weeks of talks over what the match officials have termed "antiquated" conditions, with the threat of senior officials being excluded from the competition's kickoff next month, A-League President Damien De Bohun released a statement saying that "agreement had been reached with all the match officials on a variety of issues." However, sports lawyer Tony Dempsey, speaking on behalf of the trade body formed by the referees to advance their interests, later issued a denial, saying, "No deal has yet been done. We are considering all legal options" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 9/11).