Sawdon back with City

IT has been two decades since Peter Sawdon last coached Launceston City, but he will return to the top job next year after current coach Jez Kenth was forced to step down after one season in charge.

The 66-year-old last coached the side back in 1998, but he will return in 2019 after Kenth stood down because of a combination of work and family commitments in Hobart.

Sawdon is a Tasmanian football stalwart, and is a member of both the Riverside team of the past 50 Years, and Launceston City’s team of the past 30 years.

He will be City’s fourth coach in as many seasons, but joins the club on the back of its best NPL Tas season to date.

Launceston looked to be the title favourite when it held a six-point buffer at the top of the table after 12 rounds, before stumbling to finish fourth. A-LEAGUE clubs will have a say in which two expansion bids are approved to join the competition next year.

In a sign their opposition to Football Federation Australia’s expansion process may be dropping, the owners of the existing 10 clubs have been granted permission to review the final submissions handed in by the eight remaining contenders.

They will also be given access to the online “data room” which contains financial and demographic information relating to expansion of the ALeague.

The two successful bids will enter an expanded 12-team competition in season 2019-20.

While the FFA board will still wield the power to make the final selection on its own, the fact that the A-League clubs are now eager to weigh in on the matter represents the removal of a significant road block.

Several owners have been open in the past about their disapproval of the expansion process set out by FFA and its consultants Deloitte.