New teams call looms

EXPANSION of the A-League for next season is back on the agenda, as hopes rise that the new board of Football Federation Australia will give the green light for two new teams

As the 11 candidates for election to FFA’s board prepare for Monday’s deciding annual general meeting, ALeague management has taken the positive forward step of compiling a shortlist of bid- ders they believe would be ready to launch by October next year.

Once the new FFA board is voted in on Monday, a recommendation for preferred bidders will be presented as soon as possible afterwards — plus the strong suggestion that the new teams should be introduced next season.

A delegation of senior FFA bosses has held field trips to explore a number of bids in recent days, and made clear their hopes that the competition will not have to wait another sea- son before expanding.

One of the field trips was on Monday, when FFA CEO David Gallop, A-League boss Greg O’Rourke, FFA COO Mark Falvo and commercial head Luke Bould met all the Melbourne-based bids, and toured some of the sites nominated for possible stadiums and training grounds.

The selections will come from six remaining bidders who have made it this far: the two Sydney-based consortiums, Southern Expansion and Macarthur South West Sydney (NSW), three from Victoria including Western Melbourne, Team 11 and South Melbourne, plus Canberra.

With crowd figures static and TV ratings down again, adding new teams is seen as essential to reinvigorate interest in the competition.

The Fox Sports TV deal also contains extra revenue predicated on new teams having joined the A-League in certain markets from 2021-22.

It remains unclear whether the new board will meet immediately or take its time. The four directors elected on Monday can appoint a further three — though one candidate, former Socceroo Craig Foster, has indicated he is not prepared to be appointed, arguing that election is necessary to give him a mandate for reform.

Monday’s AGM will be preceded by an emergency general meeting to appoint the independent chair of a new women’s council, which will hold 10 of the total 100 votes to elect new FFA directors.

The women’s council was included at the behest of FIFA.