FRUSTRATED A-League owners are considering forming their own organisation along the lines of the European Club Association to present a united view to Football Federation Australia over ways to improve the economics, and organisation, of the competition.
While maverick Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer has launched a withering spray at the FFA over recent days and Newcastle Jets owner Nathan Tinkler has threatened a second court action against the governing body, those behind the new lobby group are keen to emphasise they have no intention to start a war with Whitlam Square. ''This is not being set up to go to war, it's being set up to prevent a war,'' said one club backer, who did not wish to be named.
''It shouldn't be seen as a threat by the FFA, or a body which is all about agitating. It's about being able to present a single view to the FFA, rather the individual owners presenting multiple views.''
The ECA was set up in 2008 - replacing the infamous G-14 group - and is recognised by the European governing body, UEFA, as the sole body representing the interests of clubs. It's influence on policy-making has been steadily growing.
Locally, the establishment of a new club association is still on the drawing board, but Adelaide United chairman Greg Griffin said: ''If owners can co-operate, and co-ordinate, a lot better than they are now, that's got to be a good thing. It hasn't got beyond the discussion stage, but does anyone object to an owners group? No. It makes sense.''
Two federal government reports over the past eight years have recommended some form of autonomy for the A-League, and on December 7 the owners made it clear in an at-times heated meeting with the FFA that they wanted genuine progress towards power-sharing.
Since then progress has been slow, although FFA chairman Frank Lowy has begun a ''listening'' tour where he will meet with all the key investors of each club. FFA chief executive Ben Buckley has the unenviable task of converting the rhetoric into a structure that would give the owners real input into decision-making - a long-time bugbear for those who are collectively losing around $25 million per year with little say in determining policy.
An FFA spokesman last night confirmed changes were under way, saying: ''The process of developing a better model for consultation between the FFA and the 10 clubs has been a work in progress … we've spoken to all the clubs today in the normal course of business, and they are largely comfortable with the what's envisaged, which is a solution within the current framework of the game and its constitution.''
Meanwhile the depth of support for an association of club owners has yet to be put to the test. Perth Glory owner Tony Sage, for instance, told the Herald last night his preferred option was for the owners to have ''one or two seats'' on the FFA board. ''That way we get the transparency, we get the input, we're all after,'' Sage said.
''If that model is rejected, then my next choice would be to set up a separate body to run the A-League with equal representation from the clubs and the FFA. What I don't believe in is the animals running the zoo. That's what happened in the old NSL, and it was a disaster. If the owners ran everything, we probably wouldn't have Melbourne Heart in the league, because Melbourne Victory would have opposed it. That's just one example.''
Sage, usually an outspoken critic of the FFA, has already had his one-on-one meeting with Lowy, and praised the process, saying: ''To the credit of the FFA, they have followed the recommendation of the Smith Report, and they are negotiating with each club. That's the process I've been following.''
Sage scoffed at rumours he was one of the owners prepared to stump up a $250 million fund to underwrite the league, saying: ''People say I'm worth this and I'm worth that. I'm nowhere near that. It's a struggle for me to pay for Perth Glory, but I do it because I love the club. There's no way I could afford to fund the league.''
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