TURF WAR IS COMING
SOCCER’S JUNIOR DILEMMA:
GOLD Coast junior soccer players have been caught up in the crippling national funding model that Association of Australian football Clubs chairman Rabieh Krayem says is the biggest issue facing the game.
The Glitter Strip has lost one National Premier Leagues Queensland club following the collapse of Gold Coast City FC due to the costs associated with running the club.
Two more teams including the Gold Coast Knights and Gold Coast United have been created but Krayem warns they are under threat of suffering the same threat if the exorbitant fees for junior players isn’t resolved.
The AAFC was formed in March this year following a meeting between 85 NPL clubs from around Australia to give a voice to the stakeholders propping up the game.
It now represents 140 teams playing NPL competitions who are fighting to make the game more sustainable.
THE SITUATION
Krayem says NPL clubs are charging between $1500 and $3000 for children to play in the development system with $2000 needed just to cover the costs associated with having the licence.
“It is the biggest issue in the game,” Krayem said.
Clubs have a squad of 16 for under-13, 14, 15, 16, 18 and 20 teams and one senior side.
“Forget the costs of a senior team, you have 96 players for the six other teams who have to generate the funds for the club,” he said.
“To meet the criteria set out by FFA they need to employ a technical director who could cost up to $80,000.
“Then you add the coaches. You have to have A licence coaches, B licence and C licence coaches, ground hire, you have to pay for referees, training facilities, lighting, medical and registration fees.
“The NPL is a good system but you don’t have enough space to spread the costs over. You are placing a burden on clubs who pass costs down.”
Krayem said clubs do their best to help families who cannot afford to pay NPL costs but many fall through cracks, a situation that could hinder the national A-League and Socceroos teams in the future.
NATIONAL FUNDING MODEL
Australian soccer is built from the ground up on what Krayem describes as a “userpay” system that results in the grassroots players shouldering the national burden.
“At club and community level you have to pay a registration fee that goes to the FFA, Football Queensland and zone area while part of it stays with the club,” Krayem said. “At the moment the junior pathway is a user-pays one because no money trickles from the top. The system is run from the bottom up.
“Other sports like rugby league or union have a lot more money coming from the state and national federations who fund a lot of activities.”
Krayem said it came down to heightened revenue being produced in rival football codes through broadcast agreements, club memberships for professional teams and crowds.
THE SOLUTION
A second division competition that can operate below the A-League is one of the ideas Krayem and the AAFC has to alleviate the costs.
“There is a big gap at the moment between the NPL and A-League,” Krayem said.
“We have got 140 clubs nationally representing the current second tier competition – that can’t work.
“If you build another division of lets say 16 teams, that can become your pathway.
“Therefore at the NPL level they can produce without having the burden of all these other costs. Does every club need an A-level coach or technical director then?
“That should be able to generate revenue to pay for development, therefore taking restrictions off the NPL.
“There has got to be a balance of what clubs can afford and what restrictions we are placing on clubs.
“It’s far bigger than just this. This is just part of talking point to resolve the issue, it’s not the answer.”