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Also there will hopefully not a bye rounds which are a real downer when it comes to professional leagues

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Also there will hopefully not a bye rounds which are a real downer when it comes to professional leagues

There will be no byes but FIFA windows should return as we go from a 29 week competition to a 26 week one.
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That I don't mind one bit because a) most professional leagues will stop for FIFA windows and b) because a good chunk of our squad usually features in the AWs.

I have an issue with bye rounds as they reek of amateurism - it's like your local Sunday league, when you can't get enough teams, so the league goes ahead but you get a bye... established pro leagues don't have byes.

I know this is a necessary evil and we've just added the first new team to the A-League in years, but still, I just don't like them :)

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Facebook



MACARTHUR FC’S LOCAL INVESTMENT GROWS

MACARTHUR FC’s future was strengthened today with investment committed from two new local businesses.

As the Club moves into its next phase, two local families, the Gerace and Mammone families, will formally support the Club as a new shareholder. Walker Corporation will continue as a major five-year sponsor of Macarthur FC, while the Gerace and Mammone families will take Walker’s place as a shareholder, strengthening both the local support and investment in the Club to keep expanding and providing pathways for local footballers. “The goal from the beginning was to establish a professional football club for the region’s future generations – we have successfully established a grassroots club thanks to the strong and significant support from local businesses and communities, junior football associations, and Macarthur’s local councils,” Walker Executive Chairman Lang Walker AO said. “And now as the Club moves into its next phase, local investment will help it deliver opportunities to the region, while Walker will continue our support in the health and wellbeing of the community through our investment in the Macarthur Medical Research Centre.”

Roy Mammone, said he was thrilled as one of the regions largest employers to have the opportunity to support Macarthur FC and the region. “The Club’s next phase is only possible because of the significant support and investment from the current shareholders, businesses like Walker, local home builder Wisdom Homes, Australian tech innovators Solos and homes.com.au, as well as the Club’s community partners, Campbelltown City Council, local shopping centre Macarthur Square and Western Sydney University,” Macarthur FC hit the ground running, establishing a Centre of Excellence and a grassroots community engagement program to support three local football associations, representing 28,000 players and more than 90 clubs.

Michael Gerace added: “The Club is very excited to be so close to our inaugural season. I’m looking forward to seeing families and football fans getting behind the region’s first professional football club.”

Macarthur FC Executive Chairman Rabieh Krayem said “This investment by two of the most successful business people in the Macarthur region is a great endorsement of the Hyundai A-League and the achievements of the club.”

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Chaos at Macarthur FC before a ball even kicked with football director forced out

The A-League’s newest club, Macarthur FC, is in turmoil with another senior figure leaving less than eight months out from its first game.

Football director Ken Stead left the club two days ago, just a week after executive chairman Rabieh Krayem departed in the wake of major backer Lang Walker selling his stakeholding in the club.

Stead – who had previously worked with Ange Postecoglou at Brisbane Roar – was brought in by Krayem to build Macarthur’s football structures below the first team, and was seen as a heavyweight appointment for the club.

But five weeks after he started work, Stead was told the club is moving in a different direction since Walker’s exit. The property magnate sold his stake in the new club for more than $7 million to two local businessmen last week.

Gino Marra, deputy chair under Walker but who had previously headed one of two South West Sydney bids to join the A-League, has become chairman, and said that Stead’s exit was the result of a change of focus.

“Ken as football director was put in to run our academies, but for now we want to focus closely on our region,” he said. “Ken is professional, a great guy, but unfortunately he didn’t fit into our plan for ensuring we have a strong local focus.”

Krayem himself was only appointed eight months ago by Walker to oversee the building of the new club, but left last week after Walker sold his 50 per cent stake in the club to two local businessmen for more than $7 million.

Under the terms of the original deal that established the club, Walker had the right to appoint a chairman for the first three years.

Marra and former Sydney United president Sam Krslovic – head of Macarthur’s football committee – have effectively assumed control of the club in light of Walker’s exit.

Krayem had been the executive chairman since inaugural CEO Archie Fraser resigned unexpectedly In August, after just four months in the job.

Neither Stead nor Krayem could be reached for comment.

The off-field ructions come as coach Ante Milicic bids to build a squad for Macarthur’s debut season, though Mariners attacker Tommy Oar is the only confirmed signing so far.

Several more players are believed to have put pen to paper but not yet been announced. The club has tried to pitch itself as the “noisy neighbours” to the Wanderers and Sydney FC, making a provocative bid to tempt Milos Ninkovic away from the Sky Blues before he opted to sign a new two-year deal at Sydney.

Macarthur had written to both its local rivals about the possibility of talking with a number of players coming off contract, though Sydney have since re-signed almost all of them.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/football/chaos-at-macarthur-fc-before-a-ball-even-kicked-with-football-director-forced-out/news-story/d5066fc3356be9e066c1565858bc8b1c
WeeNix
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That I don't mind one bit because a) most professional leagues will stop for FIFA windows and b) because a good chunk of our squad usually features in the AWs.

I have an issue with bye rounds as they reek of amateurism - it's like your local Sunday league, when you can't get enough teams, so the league goes ahead but you get a bye... established pro leagues don't have byes.

I know this is a necessary evil and we've just added the first new team to the A-League in years, but still, I just don't like them :)

Not necessary at all. There was the option to add two teams instead of one. And if two teams weren't ready there was the option to wait a year.

It also wasn't necessary to gave a stupid half-a-third-round. Have no round or have a full round. Or with 12 teams, split after two and game a top six league and a bottom six. 

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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/s...

'Everything's fine': A-League boss defends Macarthur FC after another off-field exitBy Vince Rugari

February 26, 2020 — 6.59pm

A-League boss Greg O'Rourke insists there is no cause for concern at incoming expansion club Macarthur FC despite a concerning turnover of key personnel, which continued with the departure of football director Ken Stead.

High-performance guru Stead, who worked closely with Ange Postecoglou during his successful tenure at Brisbane Roar, was appointed in October to a wide-ranging role at the head of Macarthur's football department.

Trumpeted as a "major off-field signing" at the time, Stead was to have oversight of not only the A-League team but all academy and community football structures beneath it.

But his role was made redundant this week, club sources said, in the latest round of behind-the-scenes changes at the Campbelltown-based club.


It comes days after executive chairman Rabieh Krayem quit and major investor Lang Walker sol..., while last year, Archie Fraser's tenure as chief executive lasted just four months.O'Rourke told the Herald "everything's fine" at the club, describing Krayem's resignation as a natural consequence of Walker's decision to exit as a shareholder. Walker, however, remains attached as a five-year major sponsor of the Bulls.Macarthur FC was conceived after two rival expansion bids from Sydney's south-west joined forces - one of them led by Walker, the other by Gino Marra, who has become the new chairman."When they were building the ownership structure, they had a plan, but when Lang came on, he said as part of his conditions of being a 50 per cent investor that he wanted his owner leadership team," O'Rourke said. "When he left, they went back to plan A, and that didn't include the people brought together by Lang."Marra would not comment when contacted by the Herald.

Macarthur, who will be coached by Matildas boss Ante Milicic, have only officially confirmed the signing of one player, Tommy Oar, but are believed to have several others locked in that they are unable to announce due to agreements with rival clubs.

The A-League can ill-afford for a second expansion club to hit rough waters. Western United have endured a difficult first season in th..., with average crowds of around 5,000 at multiple venues scattered across the western part of Victoria.

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Rudan - advise for The Bulls

“And I think that’s something that we all as an organisation and as a club [espouse], we’re strong in numbers and if we stay unified through these bad times, we’ll see the light and it will be much more rewarding.”

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Ken Stead is considering legal action against Macarthur FC, after the A-League expansion side made his role as football director redundant just five weeks into his tenure.

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https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/football/chaos-at-macarthur-fc-before-a-ball-even-kicked-with-football-director-forced-out/news-story/d5066fc3356be9e066c1565858bc8b1c

The men running Macarthur FC have fired back at criticism of their progress in building a new club in readiness for the new season. Former Socceroo Robbie Slater had warned the group’s new powerbrokers that “alarm bells are ringing” after key backer Lang Walker sold his 50 per cent stake, the chairman was bumped and the technical director was sacked last week. The new club will enter the A-League in October, and so far has announced only one signing – former Socceroo Tommy Oar, currently with the Mariners. But new chairman Gino Marra said the club would welcome Slater to visit their offices and go through their plans, with foundation coach Ante Milicic starting to assemble his inaugural squad for their first campaign.

It’s understood that around 10 players have been signed so far, from Australia and overseas, but will only be identified once their clubs are out of contention for honours or finals.

Marra insisted the club was ahead of some expectations, with a “foundation membership” drive currently halted at 3000 and full memberships to go on sale shortly.

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Will They Beat The Virus? Or will Mccarthur FC be the first football Victim 

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Why would they?

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They do not have to do much on the field before the FFA Cup, if it is held at the usual time of course.

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Way things are going they’d be smart to adopt a ‘locals only’ player policy. #C’town

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Membership Packs going out today - ⚽️?

Best payed plans 

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Foundation Shirt

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not bad. what's with the creature on their logo?

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It's a bull. They're called something like MacArthur South West Sydney Bulls and as like a longer version of their name I think.

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Lots of packing errors in foundation packs by the sound of it. 

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Sauce

New chairman says all good at Macarthur FC bull pen

Eric Kontos on News

Macarthur FC chairman Gino Marra wants fans to know that recent personnel changes on the board of directors have led to the club once again becoming focused on the region and its first A-League season.

While conceding that the departure of chairman Rabieh Krayem and director Ken Stead may look like instability from the outside, Marra says there’s been a positive outcome for the Bulls.

“The focus is now back where it should be, so fans should not be concerned that some people are no longer part of our setup,’’ he said.

“Those people who have been there at the start are still there and things are on track for our first season.

“We have so far signed 12 players, whose names will be revealed towards the end of the current A-League season,’’ Marra said.

“But as well as working hard to produce a great squad of players for our inaugural season, the changes at board level have meant we return to our original focus, which was on the local region, the local community, instead of a national approach.’’

Gino Marra, along with current fellow director Sam Krslovic, were part of the original South West Sydney FC licence bid.

They were encouraged by the FFA to join forces with Campbelltown Council to form the ultimately successful Macarthur United bid.

As part of the agreement the team will use Campbelltown Stadium as its home ground.

Since winning the licence, in December 2018, Macarthur FC have announced the signing of Matildas coach Ante Milicic as their inaugural manager.

Last year they announced they had secured the services of Tommy Oar, a former Socceroo, but there have not been any other player signing since then.

Four months into the job, inaugural Macarthur FC chief executive officer Archie Fraser departed in 2019 and was eventually replaced by Rabieh Krayem, who was also club board chairman, representing majority owner Lang Walker.

Within days of Walker selling his stake in the club a few weeks ago, Krayem was also gone, and so was director Ken Stead, who appointed last October.

Gino Marra, appointed board chairman in the wake of Krayem’s departure, says he can promise Macarthur FC fans “150 percent stability’’ between now and the start of the 2020-21 A-League season in October.

“These changes are a positive for us as a club because they mean we can return our focus on the football and our region,’’ Marra said.

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Curious as to what were these allelegations?

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Curious as to what were these allelegations?

Word on Twitter is the article has been amended and the apology added.  So may never know.
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Blew.2 wrote:

I believe this to be the original article:

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/macarthur-chairman-steps-down

They’ve yet to kick a ball in anger but A-League expansion club Macarthur Bulls have already lost a CEO, major backer - and now chairman Rabieh Krayem is gone.

Updated 11 hours ago By Dave Lewis Share

Krayem - who was appointed by erstwhile owner, billionaire property baron Lang Walker - has been replaced by shareholder and co-founder of Sydney’s third top-flight club, Gino Marra.
Formerly the CEO of axed A-League club North Queensland Fury and head of NPL umbrella group the AAFC, Krayem was in situ for just eight months and presided over the club’s inaugural signing, Tommy Oar from Central Coast.
His appointment came weeks before the resignation of CEO Archie Fraser, with Walker departing the scene last week after selling his 50 per cent stake

Marra, an existing board member, was the initial face of the club when it emerged as a serious bidder for an A-League license, and he is based in Western Sydney.He has appointed two new female directors as part of the shake up whilst former FFA executive Mal Impomato, the brainchild behind the FFA Cup, will step up from general manager of operations at the Bulls into the role of interim CEO.

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Blew.2 wrote:

Blew.2 wrote:

I believe this to be the original article:

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/macarthur-chairman-steps-down

They’ve yet to kick a ball in anger but A-League expansion club Macarthur Bulls have already lost a CEO, major backer - and now chairman Rabieh Krayem is gone.

Updated 11 hours ago By Dave Lewis Share

Krayem - who was appointed by erstwhile owner, billionaire property baron Lang Walker - has been replaced by shareholder and co-founder of Sydney’s third top-flight club, Gino Marra.
Formerly the CEO of axed A-League club North Queensland Fury and head of NPL umbrella group the AAFC, Krayem was in situ for just eight months and presided over the club’s inaugural signing, Tommy Oar from Central Coast.
His appointment came weeks before the resignation of CEO Archie Fraser, with Walker departing the scene last week after selling his 50 per cent stake

Marra, an existing board member, was the initial face of the club when it emerged as a serious bidder for an A-League license, and he is based in Western Sydney.He has appointed two new female directors as part of the shake up whilst former FFA executive Mal Impomato, the brainchild behind the FFA Cup, will step up from general manager of operations at the Bulls into the role of interim CEO.

Yep, I can see why that upset him. 

Fancy being accused of having something to do with the signing of Tommy Oar

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ClubOranje wrote:

Blew.2 wrote:

Blew.2 wrote:

I believe this to be the original article:

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/macarthur-chairman-steps-down

They’ve yet to kick a ball in anger but A-League expansion club Macarthur Bulls have already lost a CEO, major backer - and now chairman Rabieh Krayem is gone.

Updated 11 hours ago By Dave Lewis Share

Krayem - who was appointed by erstwhile owner, billionaire property baron Lang Walker - has been replaced by shareholder and co-founder of Sydney’s third top-flight club, Gino Marra.
Formerly the CEO of axed A-League club North Queensland Fury and head of NPL umbrella group the AAFC, Krayem was in situ for just eight months and presided over the club’s inaugural signing, Tommy Oar from Central Coast.
His appointment came weeks before the resignation of CEO Archie Fraser, with Walker departing the scene last week after selling his 50 per cent stake

Marra, an existing board member, was the initial face of the club when it emerged as a serious bidder for an A-League license, and he is based in Western Sydney.He has appointed two new female directors as part of the shake up whilst former FFA executive Mal Impomato, the brainchild behind the FFA Cup, will step up from general manager of operations at the Bulls into the role of interim CEO.

Yep, I can see why that upset him. 

Fancy being accused of having something to do with the signing of Tommy Oar

  No - Wong
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3 more makes 14

Bosnian-based defender Aleksandar Jovanovic, Brisbane Roar right-back Jake McGing and ex-Central Coast Mariners midfielder Liam Rose are all likely to be saddling up with the Macarthur Bulls in their debut A-League season.

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Chris Tanner reckons he has told Macarthur he is out but take that with a grain of salt cuz dodgy agent

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RR wrote:

 Neil Favager, who joined Macarthur FC as chief operating officer in October 2019, claims some of his duties were reassigned amid a change of ownership at the club, and that the uncertainty around his position caused "significant health and safety issues" for him and heightened stress and anxiety for his spouse, which were aggravated by a pre-existing medical issue.
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The Sitting Bull FC - squatting on the licence already, without even kicking the ball yet

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Ante Milicic has three weeks to decide whether to lead the Matildas to the Olympics and a World Cup, or stay with Macarthur Bulls. FFA would offer Milicic a maximum of $350,000 a year, while his three year Macarthur contract is worth around $1.4m. [SBS]

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Blew.2 wrote:

Ante Milicic has three weeks to decide whether to lead the Matildas to the Olympics and a World Cup, or stay with Macarthur Bulls. FFA would offer Milicic a maximum of $350,000 a year, while his three year Macarthur contract is worth around $1.4m. [SBS]

Will the Bulls be in the league in 2 yrs
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Will there be a league in 2 years?

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