FFA hits A-League clubs with $250,000 fee for exhibition matches

The FFA will be imposing  a $250,000 fee on A-League clubs seeking to attract ‘famous’ international teams to Australia for exhibition or friendly matches.

The story, in the Australian Financial Review, states that “the FFA sees the move as ensuring clubs only bring out top-class opponents capable of generating large financial returns that would allow for the new sanction fee to be affordable.”

Previously clubs were only docked 5% of gate takings for organising their own exhibition matches, but it would seem the FFA aren’t satisfied with the quality of some teams being brought to Australia, with “[s]ome matches in recent years, including Victory versus Greek team Olympiakos” failing to generate a sufficient financial return.

This move has already negatively impacted the A-League. “Manchester City have already withdrawn from a May tour during which they had planned to play their ­subsidiary, Melbourne Heart, and Brisbane Roar, while clubs such as Melbourne Victory are reconsidering plans for 2015 matches.”

opinion

There are a few ways this fee – hereafter called the ‘Daring To Dream’ Levy – could be viewed by clubs and their fanbases:

1) The FFA wants more money. This is the obvious view to take, and one which has a leg or two to stand on. 5% of gate takings is only an effective revenue raiser if the number of tickets sold is significant. As the FFA stated, $250,000 up-front would guarantee a significant source of income for the governing body, even if the crowd turnout is poor.

2) The FFA does not want clubs taking attention away from the All-Stars concept. As one of the few people not against the All-Stars, sadly I think this is a perfectly valid opinion as well. As the piece in AFR says, the FFA can make up to $1 million a match from All-Stars matches; why would you want attention for your showpiece event to be lured away by the promise of clubs fans are attached to taking on big-name teams, something which fans are vocal in their support of?

3) The FFA does not trust its own clubs. As the FFA says, this move is to ensure that clubs “only bring out top-class opponents”. The FFA seems to think the clubs cannot be trusted with this task, so it will now seek to impose a levy clubs based on what the FFA must view as the mistakes of the past.

As a fan, I cannot see any positives out of this move that benefits my enjoyment of the sport. In a fledgling league like ours, having teams touring here in the first place is fantastic, so why would we seek to put obstacles in the way? The clubs should be able to bring out any team they want without having to think about whether the team they’ve chosen benefits the FFA; clubs trying to drum up support during the huge off-season have their hands full as it is, let alone when they’re hit with exorbitant fees.

My question is: where will it end? Will the FFA seek to slap clubs with this same fee if they tour foreign countries the organisation sees as not ‘top-class’ enough? Will the FFA demand clubs use a specific line-up of players? Will clubs just not bother?

If we needed another reminder that the clubs we support are franchise arms, the Dare To Dream Levy provides it.

 

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