The man charged with exploring the "ambitious plan" to expand the A-League into southeast Asia, former player agent Jon Smith, has "hit back" at Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop for "questioning the idea's credibility," according to Sebastian Hassett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. While FFA "remained cold" toward the proposal, Smith "reckoned Gallop's stance was misguided -- describing it as 'a little disingenuous' -- and was confident the idea remained worth exploring if the A-League hoped to reach its full potential." On Wednesday, Smith said in a statement, "We were a little surprised to read David Gallop's somewhat disparaging comments about the potential A-League expansion 'project.' This began after a conversation with Mike Charlesworth, the owner of Central Coast Mariners, who has a vision to grow the A-League beyond the boundaries of Australia." Smith said early discussions had been "well received" by key players throughout the region and, in his opinion, was "well on its way to gaining widespread acceptance" (SMH, 4/1).
