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Expansion Thread 🪜

HonestSpursFan said:
Genuinely shocked. I thought they would surely just focus on the Championship and wait for pro/rel. It would be good to get the Championship running as an actual league and during the A-League season to pave the way for pro/rel.
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Again, would be interesting to see if this bare minimum opens the door to the championship clubs being brought i”under the umbrella of the a league (ie the idea of an A1 and A2)
 
JS96 said:
Yeah they're around. When I first started reading I thought you were going to mention ethnic based clubs in Germany. Türkgücü München have just released their new kit. It's the Turkish national team kit. It's just ridiculous and no one from outside has any interest in going there.

The local Hannover divisions have clubs from nearly every European background and there's drama every week. I get there are deep wounds from the past and some idiots use these clubs as a crusade for trouble. That's not to say ultras aren't the same with their clubs that simply represent a city.
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If the Aleague had 20 years of violence free football I would warm to your suggestion but the excuses are wearing pretty thin. Sure some clubs are better than others at controlling "that side" of their fanbase but using "effnikz" as a reason is bullshit in 2026...
 
Monoethnic Social Club said:
neoskosmos.com

Melbourne makes history: FIFA Oceania Professional League arrives in Victoria

South Melbourne (Hellas) FC hosts historic Pacific football reception in the Victorian parliament, using sport to unite cultures and nations
neoskosmos.com neoskosmos.com
greekherald.com.au

Moray & Agnew celebrates Melbourne office opening in presence of new Victorian Premier

Victoria's new Premier Ben Carroll has made the official opening of Moray & Agnew's new Melbourne headquarters his first official engagement.
greekherald.com.au greekherald.com.au
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Victoria (hopefully) may not even have a Labor government by November. It needs bipartisan support if you want the government and opposition involved.
 
JS96 said:
I suppose trouble is inevitable in either competition. The issue is the Australian media and police would use the negative examples from ethnic based teams to fire up anti football sentiment again.

The vast majority of supporters are fine but we keep seeing incidents from a number of clubs with ethnic based drama and people just don't want that.
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Hmm let’s compare ALeague crowds when there was strong active support vs now? I had kids 8 and 10 at the time and they and their friends loved the active support.
Most parents are sensible enough to let their kids enjoy it from a reasonable distance.
Today, there’s more atmosphere watching a game at home with a couple of mates.

The ALeague went after the BBL crowd at the expense of its heartland.
 
Monoethnic Social Club said:
If the Aleague had 20 years of violence free football I would warm to your suggestion but the excuses are wearing pretty thin. Sure some clubs are better than others at controlling "that side" of their fanbase but using "effnikz" as a reason is bullshit in 2026...
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I've acknowledged drama in both competitions. I think adding NPL clubs just opens up to a whole different set of issues. Partly of their own making but certainly due to their treatment as well. I just don't see it as viable due to the challenge it presents.
 
The challenge for any team joining the A-League is the minimum financial investment you need to make to field a side. South is probably best placed to make that possible because they would make money on each home game - something maybe Adelaide and at times Victory, accomplish - and have an existing fan base to build from. But I would much rather see South join the league through promotion based on sporting merit and transparent criteria.

Auckland was successful because it's a large city with no other professional football team. The MLS can continue to expand because North America has so many large cities capable of supporting franchises that need to invest 10's of millions of dollars per year just to compete. But we don't have any cities without teams that have the size and scale where the investment is likely to succeed. That's why licensee fees of $18m for places like Canberra are unlikely to ever be realised. But the $$$ are needed to prop up the league. It's a shark that needs to keep moving forward or it drowns.

I agree with others, that clubs from cities with existing teams should come from existing clubs that are promoted up from the Championship. Regional clubs should likewise start in the Championship to build their fanbase and professionalism and only join the A League via promotion. Investing $500k to 1 million a year to support a second division team will attract more interest than the definite multi-million dollar losses owners of A-League clubs will face.
 
ClockworkOrange said:
Hmm let’s compare ALeague crowds when there was strong active support vs now? I had kids 8 and 10 at the time and they and their friends loved the active support.
Most parents are sensible enough to let their kids enjoy it from a reasonable distance.
Today, there’s more atmosphere watching a game at home with a couple of mates.

The ALeague went after the BBL crowd at the expense of its heartland.
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The reasons active died down have been well documented. It was a combination of factors. Ruined by politicians, police and idiots.
 
JS96 said:
I've acknowledged drama in both competitions. I think adding NPL clubs just opens up to a whole different set of issues. Partly of their own making but certainly due to their treatment as well. I just don't see it as viable due to the challenge it presents.
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Maybe 5-7 years ago I would have agreed with you but the landscape has changed down here. When you see clubs like Preston (settle down my North Maco friends Im praising you) put their club above petty nationalism, the old clubs are evolving.
 
Monoethnic Social Club said:
Maybe 5-7 years ago I would have agreed with you but the landscape has changed down here. When you see clubs like Preston (settle down my North Maco friends Im praising you) put their club above petty nationalism, the old clubs are evolving.
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Well good. Perhaps there's a just a old element that needs to fade away. I think the kids trying to bring shit back, such as Serbs at the tennis, are a negligible risk.

There'll be no convincing the suits. You'd need excellent advocacy and someone with an open mind but that doesn't exist in governance.
 
JS96 said:
The idea behind the A League was to attract everyone. That's not to say people aren't welcome at clubs based off a single nationality yet you won't find many newbies going to those clubs. It's Ok. The clubs give a sense of belonging to people from those communities.
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I agree. That was the idea. I supported it until the suits went to war with the real fans. But after 20 years of football teams with no clubs, no juniors, no crowds, just perhaps it’s time to admit it’s not going the way we want and start again.
 
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