Any possibility of the A-League moving to a promotion and relegation system in the future "has effectively been scrapped by Football Federation Australia as a franchise-style system is set to remain for at least the next two decades," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. FFA "will unveil the blueprint of the game's growth for the next 20 years and among various strategies is a clear line through moving towards a traditional professional football format." The financial risks of placing uncertainty around existing clubs "has ruled out the A-League adopting the required format of the Asian Football Confederation and for that matter, most of the world in moving towards a promotion and relegation structure." A more fluid structure involving two national tiers of football "has long been the hope of most rusted-on fans in Australia, but the commercial realities of football have essentially scrapped that possibility." There "is a fear that the financial viability of the A-League could be compromised if the top tier of Australian football is composed of teams with little strategic placement and on football merit alone, with little reflection on market forces." Current National Premier League clubs "will not have the chance to progress to the A-League through promotion though the FFA will consider their application for licences." Expansion "remains a main item on the agenda for the FFA, with a significant hint of a plan to urbanise the competition." The governing body will determine that, "Every major Australian region with a population over 500,000 has the market size to host an A-League club," yet another sign that growing regions within major cities could be a target (SMH, 5/5).
