A-League expansion "is at risk of being delayed by another season" with an announcement on the two new teams to enter the competition "potentially delayed to January next year," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop and his management team "will make their recommendation on the expansion process" to the board on Dec. 12, where they will "state their preference for the next teams and timelines for their entrance to the A-League." However, Gallop warned it "could take up to another month for the board to make its final decision on expansion, adding another delay to the process" which was initially set to be concluded by Oct. 31. Already, the perspective new entrants are "running short on time" to have teams up and running by the start of the '19-20 A-League season and an announcement in January or beyond "would place serious strain on the new clubs" (SMH, 12/4).
BEST FOOT FORWARD: In Sydney, Ray Gatt reported Gallop "played down suggestions" that FFA is "only thinking about the financial dividends it will reap" from the pending decision to include two new teams in an expanded A-League next season. Concerns were raised last week that the two spots could go to the consortiums prepared to pay a "huge" up-front license fee. Gallop: "The expansion equation was always going to take into account a range of factors so it’s silly to suggest it was only ever about the license fee. We are talking to all the bids about making sure that they put their best foot forward, not only in terms of the license fee, but such things as infrastructure and community engagement." However, Gallop also conceded that the financial aspect was "critical." He said, "Clearly, the financial position of the A-League and the rest of the game means the financial equation is critical" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/4).
TURF WAR: In Melbourne, David Davutovic reported former National Soccer League club South Melbourne "declared a turf war on A-League expansion rivals Team 11," claiming it owns Melbourne’s southeast ahead of an FFA decision on Dec. 12. The southeast Victorian bid -- operating under the working title Team 11 -- "has created a geographic divide" from existing clubs Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, with plans to play out of a proposed stadium in Dandenong’s central business district with a training base at Cranbourne’s Casey Fields. Western Melbourne, which is "insisting it will build its own stadium in Tarneit," is the other Victorian club vying for one of the two expansion spots, with the Macarthur South-west bid from NSW favored to "jag the other spot." Team 11 "has drawn an invisible line divide" at Springvale Road, leaving it with a catchment area of 1.7 million inclusive of the Latrobe Valley, which housed former NSL club Morwell Falcons. But South Melbourne believes some of that territory is its own (HERALD SUN, 12/4).
SHOTS FIRED: In Sydney, Tom Smithies reported days before the bidders learn their fate, the Southern Expansion consortium "has fired another shot at Sydney FC in their turf war for the south of Sydney." Continuing antipathy between Southern Expansion and Sydney FC "rumbled on" with Southern Expansion CEO Chris Gardiner claiming that the Sutherland Shire district -- one of three his bid aims to colonize -- "dwarfs the other bidders for participation numbers." Citing what he said was FFA’s own data, Gardiner said that Sutherland boasted more than 25,000 registered players -- who are "yet to be engaged by existing A-League clubs, according to provocative words" from Sutherland Mayor Carmelo Pesce, who said, "We’ve been behind Southern Expansion from Day 1. ... The thousands and thousands of local football fans who haven’t been engaged by existing clubs in the A-League want their own club who will play games here in Cronulla" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/4).
