FFA will pay big for stars

[s3tTz]

Looks like it's going to be a goer . . .

FFA will pay big for stars (http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19851574-23210,00.html)
By Simon Kirby
July 20, 2006

FOOTBALL Federation Australia is "ready, willing and able" to wear some of the cost of bringing home overseas-based Australia stars to play in the A-League.

Clubs would pay half the player's salary and the FFA the rest in proposals under consideration by the governing body, FFA chief executive John O'Neill said today.

While two veteran Socceroos have come home this season - defender Tony Vidmar expected to announce an A-League move from the Netherlands this week and ex-Birmingham City midfield player Stan Lazaridis already at Perth Glory - a third, Tony Popovic, is bound for the Middle East.

Defender Popovic, 33, who played against Brazil in last month's World Cup, this week switched from English Championship outfit Crystal Palace to Qatari club Al-Arabi.

The Popovic move prompted Newcastle United Jets coach Nick Theodorakopoulos to yesterday call for the FFA to consider a central contracting system to lure home star players, who could then be farmed out to A-League clubs.

While O'Neill did not go as far as advocating central contracts, he said the idea had "merit" and that the FFA was looking at a system of top-up payments to achieve the same end.

"We are ready, willing and able within the confines of our current financial position to provide a top-up for some of the Socceroos who might come home," O'Neill told Sydney Radio 2KY.

"For some time now (FFA chairman) Frank Lowy in particular has wanted to repatriate Socceroos and to create a bit of a 'fighting fund' if you like to ensure if we can get them back and if a club can afford, say, half their salary then the FFA can provide the rest."

With the second A-League season little more than a month away, O'Neill said he had two main yardsticks to measure success this year: increased match attendance and financial stability for the eight franchises - which would be helped by an injection of television money from Fox Sports.

"I think we averaged 11,000 (attendance) last year, it would be nice to be up to around 15,000 this coming season," O'Neill said.

"A number of clubs struggled financially... so I think we've got to be very acutely conscious that every club becomes financially sustainable.

"The new broadcasting deal done with Fox Sports really enables the FFA to subsidise the clubs to the tune of about $1.5 million each per year."

Although football's popularity soared thanks to Australia's exploits in Germany, O'Neill conceded it was now "back to reality", saying the sport had its work cut out if was to seriously rival Australian rules and rugby league for a market share.

"We've got to continue to earn our stripes and the A-League is well-placed but it's clearly not where the other competitions are but over time it will move into a more popular position."

O'Neill said a healthy A-League was one part of a "pyramid" that was the key to successful Australian football, the other two being the grassroots level of the sport, and the national team.



AAP

[Victory MP]

15 k average...that will be very difficult to reach and would be amazing if the league could do it...

[coxman]

I don't like this idea one bit. It kind of sounds like the set-up in Rugby Union at the moment. As previously stated in this thread, returning socceroos should come back to the A-League to put something back into the game and not make outrageous wage demands as they are all extremely wealthy as it is.

As far as Popovic goes, I could care less. The only extra people he would bring through the gates are friends and relatives. If he wants to go to Qatar for the money, fine by me.

[jonk]

Poppa is good enough for A League but he isn't a massive magnet of an attraction like Yorke and Lazaridis

The solution proposed by John O'Neill is a good one. It's sort of unfair that we finance our own players and Dwight Yorke is half paid by outside sources. I guess this evens the ledger.

[storai]

Who's Vidmar signing for?

[jonk]

Split between Perth - empty roster - and Adelaide - hometown hero.

[El Zilcho]

They mentioned that "fighting fund" months ago, id say its all just talk otherwise clubs would surely have made use of it.

[jonk]

Agreed - just pay a normal amount for a player and with FFA's topping up, boom you have a great player... (well, by a-league standards!)

[futuremelvicstar]

Poppa is good enough for A League but he isn't a massive magnet of an attraction like Yorke and Lazaridis

The solution proposed by John O'Neill is a good one. It's sort of unfair that we finance our own players and Dwight Yorke is half paid by outside sources. I guess this evens the ledger.
Agreed I think it is a good one aswell and would help the A-league teams alot finacially. Also it would stop teams from getting sponsers to pay for players wages as i think that should be stoped. The age paying muscat so we can fit him in the salary cap i don't know how that is allowed also yorke being paid by hyundai how can it be allowed why don't hyundai pay for archie,laza etc? Adleast this way everyone is going to the FFA but they should still stop sponser being able to pay players wages so they can fit them into the salary cap.

[Simon]

The whole "centralised contracts" thing is a gimmick. It's the sort of thing I don't like about the A-League.

[cigar69]

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200607/s1692466.htm

FFA willing to bring Socceroos home

Football Federation Australia is prepared to pay to bring home some of its overseas-based Socceroos to play in the domestic A-League, chief executive John O'Neill says.

O'Neill said A-League clubs would pay half the player's salary and the FFA the rest in proposals under consideration by the FFA.

Senior internationals Stan Lazaridis and Paul Okon have returned home for this season's competition, due to kick off next month, while veteran defender Tony Vidmar is considering an A-League move from Holland.

Defender Tony Popovic, who was a member of Australia's World Cup squad in Germany, has decided to play for Qatar's Al-Arabi instead of coming home after leaving English club Crystal Palace.

O'Neill said he was not advocating central contracts, but believed the idea had merit and that the FFA was looking at a system of top-up payments to achieve the same end.

"We are ready, willing and able within the confines of our current financial position to provide a top-up for some of the Socceroos who might come home," Mr O'Neill said.

"For some time now (FFA chairman) Frank Lowy in particular has wanted to repatriate Socceroos and to create a bit of a 'fighting fund' to ensure if we can get them back and if a club can afford, say, half their salary then the FFA can provide the rest."

-AFP

[rusty]

It's not a bad idea, but does FFA have the money lying around to do this stuff?

[M.R.M]

Great idea. Anybody know what the payout for the WC was?

[futuremelvicstar]

Frank Lowy Australia's 2nd richest man he can afford it.

[s3tTz]

Great idea. Anybody know what the payout for the WC was?
I think it was something like $8 Million?

[jonk]

FFA obviously doesn't need much help given the comments they're making on these issues. Once they sew up the new national shirt deal (est. $50m apparently) they will be miles in front.

[sirtrev]

Another incentive for the FFA to do this is that by playing in the a league, more socceroos are available for home and away national team games = bigger home crowds = more chance of qualifying for the asia cup and next years world cup = sustain interest in football = more money!

[jonk]

Ahah good logic trev, yet another benefit to having socceroos at home.

Currently we're having B-grade socceroos at home but.

[Dasher39]

Socceroo for each club (http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19862857-23210,00.html)
By Daniel Brettig
July 21, 2006

THE plan to bring home Australia players will be balanced so that each A-League club can boast a marquee international on its playing roster, Football Federation Australia chief executive John O'Neill said today.

FFA, as part of moves to strengthen the A-League and develop its quality, has made known its intention to help clubs to offer generous salaries to Socceroos who wish to finish their careers at home.

Some pundits suggested the idea could result in a clutch of big names in Sydney and Melbourne, and few elsewhere, but O'Neill said the distribution of players would be managed - even suggesting the possibility of a draft of sorts for players without strong ties to a particular area.

"We've got a commitment to repatriate as many Socceroos as possible, particularly before they're too old," O'Neill said today.

"There's no prescription at this stage, but the more of a fund we can build up (the better).

"Attached to that would be some equity measures as to how the players were distributed.

"You'd like to think you could get a big-name Socceroo at each of the seven Australian clubs - you wouldn't want concentration, and that's what we're working on.

"Some of it may work out naturally in terms of where these players originated from.


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"Craig Moore for example, when he comes home, we know he's going to Brisbane.

John Aloisi, when he comes home, it's not too hard to work out that he'd come to Adelaide, but we'd like to spread the talent."

O'Neill said FFA capacity to offer financial help to clubs seeking repatriated Socceroos was limited but would increase over time.


"Our ability to top up is a bit constrained, but we're willing to top up payments with some modest amounts that will improve as our own finances improve," he said.

"Stan Lazaridis is back in Perth, Tony Vidmar is looking to play for an A-League club, and I know of four or five others within the next 12 months who'll be coming home as well."Who would be the other 4-5?

Skoko
Viduka
Chipperfield (has said he will return ASAP if Wollongong get admitted into the A-League)

Who else could be coming back?

[futuremelvicstar]

look in other thread