Is there any truth in what I was told - that Ali Williams is involved in the Auckland backing for a team.
My understanding is the Ali Williams/Mowbray siblings bid as reported by 1News tonight was a thing, but isn't any longer – or at least isn't the preferred bid
Had been talk APL was trying to bring the two together at one stage, which might still be the case https://t.co/cYPqaypC8V
The Australian Professional Leagues says it is on track to add Canberra as an expansion team despite missing the previous two deadlines to announce plans. The APL published its annual report on Monday and is confident the game can capitalise on international momentum after the Socceroos' success last year and the Matildas' record-breaking World Cup run this year. It announced its plan to expand the A-League Men's competition in March, but details have been scarce since declaring Canberra and Auckland as the preferred expansion locations. APL boss Danny Townsend had hoped to finalise details by June 30, but the process was delayed and the organisation set the end of September as its new timeline for finding someone to take on the $25 million licence. Townsend wanted to announce plans before the start of the ALM season next week to give the new franchises more than 12 months to prepare for their inaugural campaigns. "[The] APL is focused on expanding the number of clubs across Australia and New Zealand in order to maximise engagement with football fans, provide increased professional football pathways and optimise commercial opportunities," the report says. "APL announced in March its intention to expand the A-Leagues further with new expansion clubs planned for Canberra and Auckland (incorporating both men's and women's programs) growing both leagues to 14 teams. "The process for the Canberra and Auckland expansions is well-advanced with strong interest from investors. An extensive due diligence and consultation program has been undertaken in both markets. "Local football organisations, governments and potential investors have been core to this consultation. It is expected that teams 13 and 14 will enter the A-Leagues in season 2024/2025. "In the longer term, early assessments are being undertaken of geographical markets for the addition of teams 15 and 16 into the A-Leagues."
"Townsend also confirmed that Auckland’s entry into the 2024-25 A-League was likely to be confirmed by the end of the week after Football Australia ratified the entry of a second New Zealand club into the competition.
However, the addition of a Canberra club to the 2024-25 men’s A-League competition won’t be confirmed until after the start of the upcoming season."
It looks like bill Foley. It's the preferred better for the Auckland franchise.https://aleagues.com.au/news/aleagues-expansion-auckland-preferred-bidder-black-knight-bill-foley-bournemouth/
A-Leagues officials are ramping up plans to fast-track Canberra's entry to the men's competition, seeking written confirmation of a funding deal with the ACT government before finalising a $25 million investor. The Canberra soccer community is buzzing in the hope of landing a pre Christmas present from the Australian Professional Leagues, which oversee A-Leagues operations and expansion plans. The APL has been working with Canberra's former A-League bid organisers for almost nine months to finalise a strategy to end the capital's 22-year elite men's soccer exile. The foundations laid by bid leader Michael Caggiano and his team five years ago are being used as a launching pad to give investors confidence and ensure a smooth start for the competition's 14th team. Caggiano secured a government funding commitment of $1.2 million per season as part of his bid in 2018. That number will likely increase for the 2024-25 season, and the APL has asked the government to confirm its intentions in writing as it enters the final stages of investment negotiations. The government has agreed to do so, but the final funding figure and the terms of the agreement will be reassessed once the APL signs a deal with a major backer. Canberra and Auckland were nominated as preferred expansion locations in March. Auckland has secured its future by striking a deal with American billionaire Bill Foley, but Canberra's campaign has been a slow burn.
It's understood one investor has shown significant interest and officials are hopeful of being able to reach an agreement in the coming weeks, which would give a Canberra franchise enough time to prepare for the free-agents market in January.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, centre, has agreed to give written confirmation of his intention to give a Canberra A-League team funding. Jason Geria, left, may be a recruitment target, while the APL is using Michael Caggiano's bid plans as a foundation for the team. Off-contract players can negotiate with other clubs from January 1, with several former Canberra players believed to be on an early hit list of recruitment targets if the investor deal gets over the line. Jason Geria, Steven Lustica, Lucas Moragas and Kai Trewin are all considered to be signing targets and it is hoped the lure of a homecoming to start a new team will sweeten the deal. The APL has twice shifted the deadline for the Canberra deal to be done, readjusting from June 30 to mid September to make early December the key date. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Sport Minister Yvette Berry have given conditional support, subject to final investment confirmation.
Barr has also flagged the government's intentions to bid for hosting rights of women's Asian Cup games in 2026, but only if the fixtures will generate a "positive return on investment" for the capital. The government opted not to bid on World Cup games for the historic tournament this year, citing exorbitant fees and what it deemed minimal economic impact for Canberra. It meant Canberra fans sat on the sidelines as Matildas fever swept the nation and almost 2 million people watched from the stands. Asked by Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee if the government would bid for Asian Cup and rugby World Cup games, Barr said: "The deputy chief minister and I will certainly look at the bidding opportunities that exist around those tournaments.
"And if they represent value for money, as assessed through our process which we undertake ... if they come up with positive return on investment, then most certainly we would bid."
Was in ChCh in October for the first time in a few years, and yeah came away with a gut feel a club could actually work there now. Lots of infrastructure investment going on, wider city popn certainly growing faster than Welly, and demographics changing slowly making it bit less rugby dominant. Quite a few Cantabs in the Nix teams now. Tony Smith missed Luke Supyk off his list. Meyn, I guess will be the key to it happening or not.
“The A-Leagues have made a significant strategic decision by saying, ‘we’re all in with New Zealand’,’’ NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell told Stuff.
“For me, strategically, if you’re all in with New Zealand, there must be a South Island-based franchise.”
Meyn said, with the new, covered 25,000-seat Te Kaha stadium set to open in Christchurch in April 2026, the time was right for the city to have an A-League club.
He was confident there would be sufficient support. Meyn recently went to a Belgian premier league game between OH Leuven and Club Brugge in Leuven, a city of around 100,000, 20 minutes from Brussels.
“The stadium seats 10,000 and it was packed,’’ he said. “I think an A-League team in Christchurch could get [crowds of] 10,000.”
One-off A-League Men games in Christchurch have generally attracted good crowds. The Wellington Phoenix drew 14,000 to AMI Stadium in 2010 when Christchurch-raised Ben Sigmund scored a stoppage-time winner against Adelaide United.
How can the A League accept a Christchurch team now given the concrete nature of the AL2 project?
The mooted eventual A1 & A2 structure, would first see the ALM expand to at least 20 teams (some invited up from the NST) before a split into A1 & A2 leagues, with pro/rel. Similar to how the Japanese formed their J1-J3 pyramid. And it’s far from a concrete concept at the moment
Correct but how happy would #2 clubs that (presumably) would lose a chance for promotion, even if only for a short time.Doloras
Napier Phoenix
How can the A League accept a Christchurch team now given the concrete nature of the AL2 project?
If by "AL2" you mean the National Second Tier, NZ teams won't be involved in that
Read the article I posted above. True pro/rel is years away, if it ever even happens. And initially it likely won't just be onfield performance, but a combination of other factors like financial stability, stadium, crowds etc etc. But earlier than pro/rel, yes the A League could be expanded by new teams like a Sth Island or Tasmania etc franchise if it stacked up. The $20M odd entry fee will aways be a big barrier to new start up clubs
Understand the plans but none-the-less, a lot of those old clubs won’t like it. From my understanding, many of them also want pro-rel sooner than planned.coochiee
Napier Phoenix
Correct but how happy would #2 clubs that (presumably) would lose a chance for promotion, even if only for a short time.Doloras
Napier Phoenix
How can the A League accept a Christchurch team now given the concrete nature of the AL2 project?
If by "AL2" you mean the National Second Tier, NZ teams won't be involved in that
Read the article I posted above. True pro/rel is years away,if it ever even happens. And initially it likely won't just be onfield performance, but a combination of other factors like financial stability, stadium, crowds etc etc. But earlier than pro/rel, yes the A League could be expanded by new teams like a Sth Island or Tasmania etc franchise if it stacked up. The $20M odd entry fee will aways be a big barrier to new start up clubs
Should we be at all worried that very little has been said about the possible inclusion of Canberra in next year's A-league men? Are we likely going to have an uneven number of teams?
Should we be at all worried that very little has been said about the possible inclusion of Canberra in next year's A-league men? Are we likely going to have an uneven number of teams?
From what I've seen, there appears to be a bidder for the Canberra A-League franchise, but it's hung up on (a) whether it will integrate the existing Canberra United women's team; (b) ACT government funding
Understand the plans but none-the-less, a lot of those old clubs won’t like it. From my understanding, many of them also want pro-rel sooner than planned.coochiee
Napier Phoenix
Correct but how happy would #2 clubs that (presumably) would lose a chance for promotion, even if only for a short time.Doloras
Napier Phoenix
How can the A League accept a Christchurch team now given the concrete nature of the AL2 project?
If by "AL2" you mean the National Second Tier, NZ teams won't be involved in that
Read the article I posted above. True pro/rel is years away,if it ever even happens. And initially it likely won't just be onfield performance, but a combination of other factors like financial stability, stadium, crowds etc etc. But earlier than pro/rel, yes the A League could be expanded by new teams like a Sth Island or Tasmania etc franchise if it stacked up. The $20M odd entry fee will aways be a big barrier to new start up clubs
The old clubs don't like the A-League at all, and they oppose all the expansion clubs (not just Christchurch) because they see the current A-League as a Ponzi scheme where new franchise fees keep the operation afloat. They want pro-rel but only as a means to an end, i.e. that the A-League and all the clubs in it go bankrupt and propah coalface sokkah clubs like SMFC and Sydney Ustaše 58 once more rule the roost.
Point is that Christchurch doesn't upset them any more than Auckland, Canberra, Western United or Macarthur.
Macarthur at Campbelltown would be their closed geographical rival. They pinch a few players from one of the established clubs, they immediately could have a pseudo Nix verus Western United matchup.
But they likely would need the Gong to get a team, to get that real local enemy.
I really don't understand why the A League doesn't look to the Pacific for a side or two.
It's the national sport of half of them and I'm sure they'd attract better crowds then a number of current sides.
I'm sure there are enough Kaltaks, Krishnas, Karembeus, Kais and Tehaus to put a very competitive side together. It would greatly help their national team's too, much like the Kingz and Nix have for us.
I really don't understand why the A League doesn't look to the Pacific for a side or two.
It's the national sport of half of them and I'm sure they'd attract better crowds then a number of current sides.
I'm sure there are enough Kaltaks, Krishnas, Karembeus, Kais and Tehaus to put a very competitive side together. It would greatly help their national team's too, much like the Kingz and Nix have for us.
I really don't understand why the A League doesn't look to the Pacific for a side or two.
It's the national sport of half of them and I'm sure they'd attract better crowds then a number of current sides.
I'm sure there are enough Kaltaks, Krishnas, Karembeus, Kais and Tehaus to put a very competitive side together. It would greatly help their national team's too, much like the Kingz and Nix have for us.
They should definitely make it so that pacific island players are local players not visa players. Probably plenty of krishnas and kaltaks out there who will never be given the chance.
On the subject of A-League expansion in the Pacific, I recently heard on French radio an interview with Christian Karembu the New Caledonian ex French national team player. He mentioned plans for a Noumea based A-League team. He didn’t say how far much progress had been made but IMO it would be a great idea. Noumea has nearly 200,000 people. It’s a true football nation. They already have a ready to go stadium which is certified for international matches. Noumea has good airlines connections to Australia and NZ. I could imagine a base of New Caledonian players plus the best players from Vanuatu and Tahiti with a back bone of players from mainland France. Karembu mentioned potential sponsorship from the big Nickel Mining companies plus I would imagine the French govt would support it as a gesture to the locals. I think it would work. Plus there could be some extra TV money for the A-League if their games were broadcast back in France.
