yuppie wrote:I have a friend who is a South Melbourne fan, and he seems pretty confident about them getting a place. Can Melbourne really support another team? Im sure a few Victory supporters would go back to supporting South Melbourne, but it would dilute the support for me of the other 2 teams from Melbourne.
Personally though it is about time Tasmania got a national team. Neglected by the other winter codes, a "Soccer" team might well take off in the apple isle.
FTS do you think the Wellington Phoenix will survive. Pretty much the smallest team in the league, and i'm not sure how much of an impact they have had in NZ?
South Melbourne is a very interesting case. They are the oldest soccer clubs in the country, and boast a large following, including having a well established network of under age teams, and have their own stadium. They strongly insist that they have moved away from being a Greek club, but for me, they will always be a Greek club. They've been trying to gain admission into the A-League since the inception of the league a decade ago. With the failure of several franchise creations over the past five years, I can't help but feel that it is inevitable that South Melbourne FC will get their wish, maybe not during this current expansion, but perhaps the next.
Tasmania United does seem to be a favourite at this stage. With the league still drawing up it's criteria, I suspect that this bid could well fall short in some key areas, namely; population base, lack of stadium other than Blundstone Arena (which could work). I'm not so sure that soccer is such a big sport down in Van Dieman's Land. The media on the mainland, however, seem to think that the Apple Isle is ripe for the A-League. We have a team in New Zealand, so why not have one in Tas-Vegas?
As for the Wellington Phoenix, foe me, long term, they're in trouble. They have the lowest membership base in the league, they're currently second last on the points table, and things their generally are just not looking good. It would make better sense to have a New Zealand franchise based in Auckland, but we've already been there, done that, got the shirt, and it didn't work. Kiwis are really only interested in three things it seems; rugby, sheep dog trails, and....
Looking forward, I'm predicting the following;
Southern Sydney and Tas Utd get the nod this time. A new tv deal is signed. Not everyone is happy.
Wellington lose their licence, with Brisbane Strikers and South Melbourne falling over themselves to take their place. The league decide to give Auckland another crack instead.
Central Coast continue to struggle, and talks of a relocation come to nothing as the clubs owners dig their heals in.
Further expansion occurs, with South Melbourne and the Strikers taking legal steps to ensure that they gain admission to the league.
A second division eventually gets of the ground, with 6 teams coming in, including a second Adelaide team, Canberra, Wollongong, Northern Fury, possibly Geelong, and possibly a team based in Singapore. 10 teams in each division with promotion and relegation at the end of the season.
South Melbourne end up in division one and become a powerhouse. Central Coast and the NZ team languish at the bottom of division 2.
Melbourne City, despite being backed by rich owners, struggle to attract crowds.
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