Football Federation Australia today announced it had received eight submissions to be part of the Hyundai A-League’s expansion from 2019/20.
FFA Chief Executive Officer David Gallop said the process had been highly competitive and confirmed the announcement of the new licences will be made before 31 October this year.
“The level of interest in investing in our game is unprecedented and a significant vote of confidence in our sport in Australia. We have worked closely with the ten shortlisted consortia over the past two months and have been impressed with their quality.
“As part of this process, we have asked the prospective new licence holders to demonstrate how they can complement existing Hyundai A-League Clubs, link back into fans and the football history in their local community, help develop pathways for players, increase interest from sponsors and broadcasters, have solid financial backing and operate sustainably,” he said.
Mr Gallop said an expanded A-League would provide more opportunities for Australian footballers, increase the diversity of fixtures in the league, generate more revenue for clubs and drive increased attendances across the country.
“The benefits of expanding the A-League are clear and we look forward now to assessing the bids with our lead advisers, Deloitte before making our final decision,” he said.
The FFA had shortlisted ten bidders at the end of June this year, during this process Brisbane City FC decided not to submit a final bid.
“Brisbane City FC has put an enormous amount of work to get his far, and we thank them for their efforts, we look forward to working with them again in the future years as we continue to grow our A-League footprint,” Mr Gallop said.
Separately, the South West Sydney and Macarthur bids have come together to submit a joint proposal.
The eight bidders are:
- South West Sydney Macarthur (Sydney)
- Southern Expansion (Sydney region)
- Wollongong Wolves
- Team 11 (Melbourne)
- South Melbourne FC
- Western Melbourne Group
- Ipswich Pride FC
- Canberra & Capital Region
