Promotion/ Relegation in 5 years!

[Stuckey]

South Coast could yet have the opportunity to play in the A-League under a Football Federation Australia blueprint to be announced by chief executive David Gallop Wednesday morning.

Under the new structure, the elite national competition will use a promotion and relegation system involving the champion club of Australia’s state league clubs.

The Mercury has learned the NSW Premier League titleholder would enter an eight-team cup competition to be established next year.

Then within five years, the cup winner would advance to a promotion-relegation playoff against the bottom-placed A-League team.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/stor ... ges/?cs=12

Wow
IMO 5 years is far too soon but it is a fantastic step forward and shows we really are taking the AFC's recommendations very seriously.

[EdDog]

What would happen to the A-League clubs that get relegated though? Say AU got relegated. What would happen then??

[Stuckey]

Thats the big question I would say. I guess they have 5 years to work that out.
I guess clubs have two options.
1. Cut back everything and run a par to the clubs in their league.
2. Run themselves as they would have if they were in the HAL and gun for returning straight back in. Thats basically what Newcastle (EPL) did the year they were relegated and they said running the club with EPL expenses on Championship income would have bankrupted the club if they didn't get promoted straight back up next season.

There just are so many unknowns. What players would stick around? What kind of crowds can the HAL clubs expect playing in the local league?

But on the other hand this will be absolutely huge for which ever club gets promoted! Can you imagine a Super League club suddenly being given enough TV money to cover a $2.75m wage budget!

Personally if I was living in Adelaide at my house not far from Hindmarsh I probably still would go to as many games as I could but I reckon if I still lived in the Hills like I used to I wouldn't go to more then 5 games that season probably.

[Stuckey]

I also wonder if maybe to begin with is might just be a way of increase numbers of the HAL? Say the first 4 seasons its just promotion without relegation.
It would be wonderful to see some of the old NSL clubs back playing nationally. If not for bringing the game together at least some of those old cronies on FN would STFU whinging!

[ganas]

this is huge news.
i fear for a-league clubs being relegated though. whether they would be able to continue in a state league, and whether they would still be a franchise from the ffa?
local teams being promoted i think would be able to handle being relegated again because they are established, have their own grounds, youth set-ups etc.
also, if a state team is promoted, i'd assume their games would have to be played at hindmarsh...

[Old Gregg]

I would imagine it would have to be as Stuckey says, for the first few years just increase the numbers in the league, then when it's at 14 or so introduce relegation as well. That way you wouldn't have to worry about a Sydney FC or Perth Glory or someone dropping out straight away.

Also, I don't think there would be such big problems with clubs like Adelaide City, South Melbourne etc coming up, because these clubs have supporters, but State leagues are full of clubs whose supporter base consists of two men and a dog. I guess that's just the way it goes though, if they get promoted and play in front of a couple of hundred people then so be it.

[shinAUFC]

They would likely take away the floor in the salary cap, allowing smaller clubs to field sides but also keep the Franchises in the top tier

[ganas]

i thought this was an interesting read as well.

FFA have launched the National Premier League

maybe this is what will be used in the interim before teams actually get promoted, or maybe a smaller prototype to see how the FFA Cup will work?

FFA launch National Premier League for semi-professional state-based competitions across the country

FOX SPORTS
February 13, 201312:50PM


Football Federation Australia have announced the launch of the National Premier Leagues (NPL) for the semi-professional state-based competitions in Australian football.

Each state and territory will still run their NPL competition - but the winter season will culminate in a national play-off.

It is a huge boon for grassroots football, coming a day after FFA chief executive David Gallop said that the FFA Cup is still on the governing body's agenda.

"The semi-pro state league clubs have long been the engine room of Australia’s player development system and have always provided a local focus of football passion across the nation," Gallop said.

"Today’s launch of the National Premier Leagues model gives the state-based competitions the status and organisational structure they deserve.

"This model is the product of National Competitions Review (NCR), a hugely important piece of policy development over the past two years.

"I commend our Member Federations, the constituent clubs and the FFA staff for their commitment to the cause. This work will shape football across the nation for years to come."

There are significant changes to the current model, which will help both players and clubs. Each club will have a qualified technical director, while there will be consistent pathways for players to develop - with adequate compensation for those clubs who produce A-League players.

The phased national roll out of the NCR recommendations will see 70 clubs across Queensland, NSW, South Australia, ACT and Tasmania implement changes this year.

In 2014, Victoria, Northern NSW and Western Australia propose to roll out the NCR changes. Due to its smaller scale, Northern Territory will adopt a partial model.

"The NCR is a key outcome of our strategic plan which has the objective to better connect community football to the professional tier,” said Gallop.

"The National Premier Leagues model is a vital conduit from the grassroots to the Hyundai A-League. The strategy is sound, but now all parties need to redouble their efforts to ensure the implementation brings the desired results.

"In short, our aim is to see highly qualified coaches employed by stable and well-run NPL clubs producing better Australian players from under 12 to under 18, then under 20s and finally to senior ranks."

more at http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/ff ... 6577005446

[shinAUFC]

i wonder how much of it may be televised . I would hope the interstate matches are televised at very least.

Possibly something for SBS to pick up ? mmmmm football in the off season:D!

[Stuckey]

i wonder how much of it may be televised . I would hope the interstate matches are televised at very least.

Possibly something for SBS to pick up ? mmmmm football in the off season:D!

Never say no to more football on TV!

[Interloper]

5 years since the last time promotion/relegation was raised and it's still 5 years away. Check back on this thread in 2018.

[sevengoals]

5 years since the last time promotion/relegation was raised and it's still 5 years away. Check back on this thread in 2018.

[bpowell454]

I think it's great to have plans like this but I just can't see it happening, Without having a secondary national league, that is popular enough to draw decent sponsorship cash and ticket income.

[Old Gregg]

Isn't that the whole point, working out how to implement a second tier (of sorts) that could be viable as a vehicle for promotion/relegation? At this stage a genuine national 2nd div is probably unrealistic but something like this, a short play-off competition following the state league seasons, could work as a compromise.

[bpowell454]

What you'd really need is "Qantas A-League 2" or another airline to be the major sponsor and get them to give a really good deal for flights. But then would the NYL have a place? Or could an A-League team put their NYL into the second tier? Maybe under another name just in case they get promoted.