One of the biggest talking points over the past 12-18 months has been that of promotion and relegation in Australian football.
There are many valid arguments on why promotion and relegation will and will not work in Australia. This is another take on how promotion and relegation can work in Australia and still promote a sense of club-run autonomy, as well as sustainable growth for clubs and the game as a whole.
It is a widely held opinion that promotion and relegation in the A-League is an eventual must-have for the game to flourish and for all successful clubs (on and off the pitch) at various levels to achieve the highest possible standing, regardless of a club’s size, public standing or roots in which they were founded and developed.
In comparison to football systems in other prominent football nations, Australia has more hurdles than most. However, with club-driven autonomy and initiatives, which includes investment from private enterprises, the ability to form an official and commercial second tier could become a distinct possibility.
Promotion and relegation could bridge the gap between the A-League and NPL clubs (including ex-NSL clubs) and engineer significant growth. Grassroots football is the life blood of the code in Australia and this is a commodity that needs to be tapped into.
The notion of simple A-League expansion does not sit well within some football circles, as it somewhat promotes a ‘free ride’ for clubs and regions that may not have necessarily earned it through hard work and long-term commitment to grow the game. This argument can be backed up by looking retrospectively at failed franchises which have come and gone from the A-League without really contributing much to football or leaving any type of legacy. Franchises and businesses fail for all kinds of reasons but the thought still lingers that maybe these club were premature or lacked any strategic framework for it to become a viable entity.
Those clubs and regions of Australia who demonstrate hard work, commitment and vision should be rewarded with the opportunity of playing in a national competition.
Here is a proposed second division concept labelled the B-League.
Six clubs would be plucked from each of the eight state NPL competitions NSW, VIC, NNSW, QLD, ACT, TAS, SA and WA.
An eligible B-League club would need to pass certain on and off-field criteria and undergo an intensive review to ensure they are applicable and portray a shrewd business model.
The B-League conferences include the following:
NSW & VIC
TAS & ACT
NNSW & QLD
SA & WA
Thus fielding six clubs from each region and forming four conferences of 12 clubs.
Clubs would play home and away during the season and each of the conference league winners would form a play-off finals series to decide a National B-league Champion.
Relegated sides from each B-league conference would go back to relevant State NPL competitions and play-off with the champion of their NPL division to either decide survival or relegation (meaning the State NPL side would be promoted to the B-league)
Promotion to the A-league would be introduced for the B-League play-off champions.
The bottom side of the A-league would be relegated to their relevant B-League conference.
In the early years of the B-League a salary cap and possible travel concessions may need to be implemented for some clubs, which will increase their capacity to implement shrewd business strategy. Allowing the clubs time and the resources to create financial stability, improved facilities and enticing valuable sponsorship partnerships will be key. The salary cap is needed to ensure clubs operate within their means, while also harbouring sustainable growth commercially.
Why a conference system? For the simple reason that it’s a gradual climb to promotion and also a gradual fall to relegation, thus trying to minimising the financial loss which could be felt a lot more if the B-League was to be a competition on a national scale.
Now, I’m not a football businessman, nor am I a number cruncher – purely another football fan that wants a level playing field for all clubs to be given the eventual opportunity to grow, prosper and be successful.
Some would argue this is very much a “pie in the sky” idea and others will argue whether this is the right or wrong way to go about things, but wherever you may sit on this discussion, one thing that is certain is the promotion and relegation topic is always going to be a big talking point, at least until it’s implemented and refined to find the best system possible for Australian football.
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