Prize fund for clubs off table for now

A-LEAGUE bosses have ruled out awarding prizemoney for the time being, despite having previously targeted the introduction of financial rewards under the terms of the new broadcast deal.

Though Football Federation Australia continues to describe a prize fund for the league winners as “a worthy aspiration”, there are no plans to introduce one as the competition continues to suffer financial duress.

Currently, clubs get no financial reward based on where they finish in the competition, let alone in the finals, and even the gate money from those latter games is kept by FFA.

Ironically, the winners of the FFA Cup get a small prize.

Two years ago FFA promised to give “active consideration” to creating a prize pool for the finalists “once the game’s longer-term economic foundations take shape in the next broadcast period”.

But those plans are on hold amid continuing tension between the clubs and FFA over a new operating model for the A-League that would give the clubs more independence.

Talks between the two sides have become mired in the wider confrontation over the power structure at the top of the game, with no obvious resolution in sight.

FFA said it had focused more on increasing the central grants awarded to each club, which have risen to a maximum of $3.5 million to cover a salary cap of $3 million.

Under the broadcast deal signed with Fox Sports, Foxtel and News Corporation, FFA gets some $60 million a season, with the clubs demanding a greater percentage.

“It is a worthy aspiration for the league and should be introduced when affordable,” said FFA CEO David Gallop of the concept of prizemoney. “In recent times we have focused on increases to the club grants.”

In fact, only $2.9 million of the grant is guaranteed, with $300,000 for marketing and the $200,000 “club services grant” having to be applied for.

The level of FFA income spent on running the league remains a huge bone of contention between the clubs and FFA, with claims from the clubs’ umbrella group, APFCA, that the A-League costs far more than equivalent overseas leagues to administer.