Covid effed the A-League and took most of their war chest, but they also didn't adjust and kept a large staff and pouring money into keep-up. In hindsight after spending all that money keeping the league going over lockdowns (a big chunk of that went to us) they should have pulled back all their big plans and focused on growing their core business sustainably before maybe trying to expand again in the future when everything was on a sound footing.
I have to keep reminding everyone that - despite subsequent bad business decisions - if the A-League hadn't gone independent, we wouldn't be here (and neither would AFC)
$500,000 is shockingly low. It’s going to impact hugely across every factor of the A-League. Wages will plummet, there will be little money for marque players. Games will have to shift from expensive big stadiums to local grounds.(Nix to Porirua park???) I would expect some clubs are really really going to struggle. Some may fold. Ironically Auckland with Foleys cash may become the Manchester City of the A-League
I read somewhere that viewing numbers were supposedly up last season. The Paramount deal was negotiated in the dark days of Covid. Surely when this deal finishes they can get a better media deal, and then APL gets itself on a stronger footing.
Any news yet on what the club's minimum salary cap level will be? I presume it's dropped before when the APL disbursement has been reduced.
The salary cap is part of the collective agreement with the PFA, so there won't be any changes until the next one.
Joey Lynch just had a long talk with the APL, sounds like the cap structure will change in the next CBA
Garcia and Stephen Conroy also flagged potential regulatory shifts in years ahead - around negotiations on a new CBA - to fit league’s new, more restrained ‘football vision’.
One example used was potential increases surrounding young Australian players in squads/teams.
I have to keep reminding everyone that - despite subsequent bad business decisions - if the A-League hadn't gone independent, we wouldn't be here (and neither would AFC)
We would have ended up like the Auckland Tuatara in the FFA was still in charge for sure.
I read somewhere that viewing numbers were supposedly up last season. The Paramount deal was negotiated in the dark days of Covid. Surely when this deal finishes they can get a better media deal, and then APL gets itself on a stronger footing.
its nothing to do with paramount, the apl blew through 150 million dollars and is now broke, the tv money hasn't gone down the apl is taking more of it to cover bad investments including millions to support a startup live event distribution company that was supposed to be cheaper than the incumbents but ended up being substantially more expensive as they were the only client of and had to keep it in business.
$500,000 is shockingly low. It’s going to impact hugely across every factor of the A-League. Wages will plummet, there will be little money for marque players. Games will have to shift from expensive big stadiums to local grounds.(Nix to Porirua park???) I would expect some clubs are really really going to struggle. Some may fold. Ironically Auckland with Foleys cash may become the Manchester City of the A-League
I don't think they could change venue as members are sold the same seat at Sky Stadium, might be some small print somewhere that they can change that.
As far as money goes, traditional big clubs like Victory have been struggling financially since Mario Biaslin passed away and Sydney have been funded by Russian money so although they've cut ties they're still likely hurting. Ironically a cut in the budget of the league may benefit us.
I have to keep reminding everyone that - despite subsequent bad business decisions - if the A-League hadn't gone independent, we wouldn't be here (and neither would AFC)
Potentially the A-League wouldn't be here either. The APL had raised $150 million from private equity which they could re-purpose to keep the league going, when Covid hit Football Australia had $25 million in cash. They might have been forced to shut the A-League down.
Worth remembering and taking some comfort from the fact that Rob Morrison is one of the four team representatives on the board and was involved in making this decision.
Yeah all this is a combo result of some poor early investment decisions, Paramount low balling the league during COVID and just a market with higher costs. The clubs are just gonna have to tighten their belts and fund their salary and development for themselves. This will probably result in a more sustainable model, where clubs learn to self fund rather than rely on the TV/APL money. Assuming the league survives to the next deal they'll hopefully be in a better negotiating position and wont splash the cash on some digital platform that falls over.
Does anyone know how many staff members are on the payroll? I would guess that if you added up the players, men and women plus admin and coaching staff it would come to around 50???? If they are talking about the payout of $500,000 that amounts to $10,000 per staff member. I am not sure about the Nixs budget but that leaves a huge hole for Welnix to make up. Some serious cost cutting will be needed. I have seen comments on social media that the pro women’s A League could no longer be economically viable. Unfortunately the women’s pro game does not yet generate enough revenue to make it economically sustainable. It would be sad to lose pro women’s football but club CEOs will be looking at the costs e,g flights, wages etc of the women’s league. We are now in very uncertain times. Anything is on the cards including perhaps cost cutting for the Academy.
This is where transfer fee income now plays such an important role. With Fraser, Paulsen and basically Old now confirmed as sold - it will be a record transfer year for the Nix. They will also likely sell Surman before his contract expires in 12 months.
But this is unlikely to be repeated next year. I'd guess Hughes, LKH, Sutton, OVH and GSR are the next wave of youngsters that Nix could sell for a nice fee. One of them could have a real breakout season in 2024/25, and quickly command some interest overseas.
But it might be a few years again before this bumper 2024 is repeated.
Also where the Nix may suffer further financially is the loss of 2 ALM games per season in Auckland, and maybe some Auckland based sponsors looking at AFC as a more natural local football fit, for their valuable dollars.
Taylor, Fraser and likely all of the visa players leaving should free up some wages in the ALW squad.
The APL with yesterday's announcement, have talked about a more sustainale football model long term. We wait to see what that actually means.
They were getting a product with MacArthur, Newcastle and Western. New owners at CC and issues in Perth. Brisbane in a general malaise. Sports viewership in general dropping and the A league not helping themselves.
The question is, is the cut to 500k necessary? It may well be, but equally it seems that APL leadership is keeping football journos at arm’s length too. We got in this mess because of APL leadership so it’s only fair not to take anything that’s said 100% on trust.
There must have been good money- our money- they’ve hoovered up after those sell out finals. And on the CC. Auckland has paid their fees. Where’s that all gone to?
I have to keep reminding everyone that - despite subsequent bad business decisions - if the A-League hadn't gone independent, we wouldn't be here (and neither would AFC)
We would have ended up like the Auckland Tuatara in the FFA was still in charge for sure.
That club was a bigger joke then the Knights mk1. Should never have happened and now NHS is fuct because of it.
I have to keep reminding everyone that - despite subsequent bad business decisions - if the A-League hadn't gone independent, we wouldn't be here (and neither would AFC)
We would have ended up like the Auckland Tuatara in the FFA was still in charge for sure.
That club was a bigger joke then the Knights mk1. Should never have happened and now NHS is fuct because of it.
My conspiracy theory is that the Tuatara fiasco would not have happened except that the son of the Prime Minister of the time was a baseball player
Plus he was a Fox employee. And Fox crapped all over the A league. Check out Simon Hill’s piece. They bailed on their contract. They ran ads for the competing cricket games during the soccer. They cut all their football staff as soon as they cut the contract.
As Metal Leg says this is all part of the league getting back to basics and bailing itself out. Ol’ White line fever saying sharke is bad and piling on is a load of steaming self serving crap…It’s like someone getting angry that it’s raining, but not passing anyone a brolly.
Bozza's (and Slater's) anger is at the APL, not Paramount.
And it's apparent, the APL have been grossly incompetent in many areas. There has been a lot of waste.
Adam Peacock did a 3 part series on this. Bosnich & Slater let fire on there as well.
Confirmed: Central distribution for A Leagues clubs set at a shade over $500,000, or roughly 25% of the current salary cap. Less than a decade ago the full 100% was covered. Sad and reprehensible in equal measure how it got to this.
The revisionism over how the FFA ran the A-Leagues this past few days has been something.
The TV rights that the APL inherited from the FFA was a reduction from previous one, despite huge gains in AFL and NRL TV deals. Even with being able to bundle Socceroos/Matildas rights with the A-Leagues, a post covid TV deal would have been even lower. They probably wouldn't have gambled on jumping to Paramount tho.
And then you had Gallop who tried to kill off active support, the one difference we had as a product for the casual fans.
For all the wasted money and stupid decisions of the APL, the A-Leagues would still be in a perilous position if the FFA were still in charge. They wouldn't have had the cash reserves the APL did (Thank you Silver Lake) to get thru covid without probably sacrificing the Jets & us.
Bozza's (and Slater's) anger is at the APL, not Paramount.
And it's apparent, the APL have been grossly incompetent in many areas. There has been a lot of waste.
Adam Peacock did a 3 part series on this. Bosnich & Slater let fire on there as well.
Confirmed: Central distribution for A Leagues clubs set at a shade over $500,000, or roughly 25% of the current salary cap. Less than a decade ago the full 100% was covered. Sad and reprehensible in equal measure how it got to this.
All the ex-Fox employees sticking the boot in. No mention of two seasons of pandemic there. No idea how starting a production company might have gone otherwise.
The war on fans was started by Gallop as mentioned and by police/security before that.
I was shocked the Nix had the best academy set up in the league. That means the salad days were pissed up the wall on marquee players and doubtless other sharke.
And APL were bequeathed the poison pill clubs of MacArthur and Western United who have been more like 3rd or 4th tier organisations in their stadiums and support.
These just seem like cheap shots from concern trolls trying to finally bury the league or get clicks.
Imagine if the millions spent on Jardel et al had been put into club owned stadiums. Or academies.
APL at least took a shot at not being as dependent on the whims of a corporation like Fox. But who’s turning in to watch City v MacArthur? Or City v Western? Not going to get international revenue that way. And people using a VPN- if you can buy beers, you can pool resources and at least get Sky online or whatever. Or go to an older richer persons or a pub with a subscription.
I’ve got no respect for Bosnich or Slater. Or Harper. So f- glad not to listen to them. They were poor commentators and irritating to listen to. They were symptomatic of the marquee age.
I’ll give Peacock’s series a read, but if it’s buck passing and nostalgia for the good old days…
If there were 4 or 5 clubs like Central Coast to go with a couple of bling clubs we’d have a rip roaring league.
We’ve sold out Gosford and Wellington. Perhaps Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane need to go back to the drawing board and start by showing some humility and respect to their fans. Otherwise they’re squatting on their licenses.
Edit: Peacock starts with the headline: Saving Football. The last bloke who talked like that was Clive Palmer. A very unlikeable know nothing dickhead when it came to football.
Edit 2: and I’ve gotta pay to read these reckons. Or watch a YouTube video starring the aforementioned zombies of football. They’re not getting any of my cash.
Edit 3: Code sports IS part of Fox they’re just trying to hide it. A sister entity, whatever that means. So Adam Peacock is carrying water directly for Fox. Which we have we have to pay to read.
Here’s Hill’s bunch of questions about Fox just so you get the idea of the BS with them. And the game is the revenue is the broadcast deal. Which mean the broadcaster and any plans are entwined. Unless match day revenue can be pushed up by better cheaper fuller stadiums.
The same network who used the global pandemic to tear up a contract they’d willingly signed up to? The same network who dumped the game, and almost every single one of its football employees a year later? The same network who heaped scorn on the competition via the pages of its newspapers? The same network who promoted the cricket during A-League games to try to persuade people to turn over from the football? The same network who first bullied, then ignored the game almost completely for three years, and is now suddenly concerned about its welfare?
