FFA ponders second tier competition

Dwindling fan interest and financial distress for several A-League clubs has failed
to deter Football Federation Australia from eyeing off the possible creation of a
second tier competition.
The FFA on Tuesday launched a National Competition Review (NCR) to examine the
set-up of leagues throughout the country.
Central to that is the possible establishment of a second national league, which
would enable the FFA to appease the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) desire for
a promotion-relegation system to be put into operation.
"Once we get it right we will be able to better underpin the A-League, lay the
foundation for a National Cup Competition and potentially for a future second tier
competition framework below the A-League," FFA chief executive officer Ben Buckley
said in a statement.
The AFC, of which Australia is now a part, has regulations that recommend promotion
and relegation.
"A club shall qualify for a domestic league championship by remaining in a certain
division or by being promoted or relegated to another at the end of a season," the
regulations state.
But the head of the A-League Lyall Gorman denies the AFC has been putting the heat
on the FFA.
"We're not under any pressure to do with that at all," Gorman told AAP on Tuesday.
"It certainly is an aspiration or a target of the AFC that all its participating
countries have a promotion-relegation system.
"But would it ever preclude you from participating in the Asian Champions League? No.
"But is it something we want to work towards over time? Yes, there could be a lot of
merit in that."
Any second tier competition would be funded separately to the A-League clubs.
But with the financial struggles of various teams such as Newcastle and North
Queensland well documented, there appears little realistic prospect of the code
sustaining more clubs.
"You'd hope that there'd be a very robust discussion about that," Gorman added.
"I have no doubt that any framework that may come out of this review would clearly
be driven by financial viability and sustainability."



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