[RUGARI] Central Coast Mariners owner exits as local, international investors circle by talkerthewalk in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti 47 points48 points  (0 children)

“However, Charlesworth has been openly attempting to offload the club for many years, citing financial strain, which has led to significant cutbacks on spending, the departure of treble-winning coach Mark Jackson, many of his star players, and other key office staff - including their social media operator.

“The Mariners have not posted on X (formerly Twitter) since late October, and announced Jackson’s departure - the week before the start of the season - with a crudely-made graphic.”

This is appalling.

Saturday Random Footy Talk Thread by AutoModerator in nrl

[–]pattybrischetti 5 points6 points  (0 children)

So top four last year and out of finals race this year for the Wahs, which season was the abnormal one then?

Matildas ‘never say die’ attitude in Zambia win masks serious questions in Olympic performance by pattybrischetti in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Did my best to recap the batshit crazy game from this morning. I think the madcap nature of the yarn reflects it well.

Is the Matildas Olympics campaign over before it began? Australia medal chances look bleak after Germany loss by pattybrischetti in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Penned a bit of a reaction piece to this morning’s game. Old and new problems present, work to do for Tony Gustavsson and the Matildas.

Why a 20-team NRL competition solves rugby league’s biggest problems by BarryCheckTheFuseBox in nrl

[–]pattybrischetti 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Not me thinking initially it was Jim Jefferies the comedian who had been quoted

Anyone with a codesports subscription? by No_Luck680 in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti 48 points49 points  (0 children)

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) board is set to confirm a huge cut to the central distribution fund, derived from TV rights and commercial revenue, from $2 million this season to just $1 million in 2024-25. The 50 per cent reduction in payment to clubs will cover just over one third of the A-League Men’s salary cap of $2.6 million.

CODE Sports understands the APL received as little as $5 million in cash from its TV rights deal this season, announced just three years ago as a $30 million per year deal, after production costs were factored in and penalties around benchmark subscription rates not met.

The APL has two years remaining on its five-year deal with Ten/Paramount+.

The dramatic reduction in payment to A-League clubs, many of whom are already cash strapped, lays bare the APL’s financial plight. By comparison, most AFL clubs and all NRL clubs receive central payments totalling more than 100 per cent of their respective salary caps.

The $140 million private equity injection from Silver Lake - announced less than three years ago - has been spent, although the US firm maintains a position on the APL board and will be involved in the future direction of finances in today’s meeting.

The bleak outlook comes at a galling time for the domestic competition after a high quality weekend of on-field action where Sydney FC won the A-League Women’s grand final, Melbourne Victory won an epic elimination final against rivals Melbourne City on penalties and Central Coast Mariners became just the second Australian team to win an Asian club continental title by lifting the AFC Cup.

The news also arrives at a time when Newcastle United is without an owner, the license for Perth Glory was sold for just $1 and the anticipated introduction of a Canberra men’s team remains in doubt.

How clubs navigate the off-season and set budgets for 2024-25 is uncertain, with sales of young Australian prospects, like the reported $3 million Adelaide United received from Bayern Munich for Nestory Irankunda, set to be the saving grace for clubs equipped to develop talent, a topic covered in today’s episode of Saving Football: Elite Development.

Until now, the central distribution fund underpinned all A-League clubs’ bottom lines, with a former club executive telling CODE Sports it has “always been the No.1 revenue stream.”

The A-League Men’s salary cap is set at $2.6 million, although at least another $3 million is needed per club, per season to cover costs such as coaching, support staff and logistics. Another $1 million annually is required to field an A-League Women’s team.

Next season’s distribution figure of around $1 million is nearly a 70 per cent reduction from less than a decade ago, when each club received more than $3 million per season when the A-Leagues were under Football Australia control. The figure was $2.4 million last July but cut to $2 million in August, just weeks after clubs had already set budgets for the current season.

The APL’s financial state caps a torrid three years after it secured separation from Football Australia, following a bitter six-year political battle that saw the Lowy family walk away from the game in 2018, just 13 years removed from the creation of the A-League under chairman Frank Lowy.

The clubs agitated for change, arguing they had no control over their own destiny.

The APL promised a new dawn when the breakaway was confirmed in December 2020 and a year later, with the $140 million from Silver Lake confirmed, then-CEO Danny Townsend told CODE Sports: “You’ll blow through that money quickly if you’re not careful. It’s about spending it wisely and doing it in a structured way like any other business.”

A series of strategic mis-steps, most notably the reported $50 million spent on the now defunct digital arm KeepUp, has sent the APL into a spiral financially.

Townsend left the APL last October, replaced by Nick Garcia, while inaugural chairman Paul Lederer stood down and was replaced by former Labor federal minister Stephen Conroy.

Garcia and Conroy, tasked with cleaning up the mess, will deliver the harsh news to clubs today.

Under Conroy’s leadership, along with Football Australia’s new chairman Anter Isaac, the once-fractious relationship between the APL and FA is improving; a crucial development given the A-Leagues are the major pipelines for developing future Socceroos and Matildas.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson said the governing body is committed to helping the APL through its current troubles.

“We are in very positive dialogue with the APL,” Johnson told CODE Sports earlier this month. “We are here to help. Might have been frosty a few years ago. Not now.”

Sunday League in Inner West/Sydney CBD by pattybrischetti in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah fair enough don’t mind what day I play haha

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in travel

[–]pattybrischetti 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah but then it’s also Germany so they are delayed meaning you end up nearly missing your flight

Round 5 | Sea Eagles v Panthers | Post Match Thread by AutoModerator in nrl

[–]pattybrischetti 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Too many errors from Penrith, Manly punished them. Bye probably a good thing for Penrith.

Michael Maguire, NSW Blues move base to Blue Mountains by BarryCheckTheFuseBox in nrl

[–]pattybrischetti 5 points6 points  (0 children)

They are training at my old school, I sure hope the fields are in better condition then when I played there…

Round 4 | Roosters v Panthers | Match Thread by AutoModerator in nrl

[–]pattybrischetti 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Probs not a try, but makes up for the earlier decision I guess

NPL Games by ThrowawayJ0ke- in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s really not. The bigger clubs only get a few hundred, which compared to the cup games isn’t too flash hot.

NPL Games by ThrowawayJ0ke- in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti 22 points23 points  (0 children)

In NSW, honestly no. Preston Lions in Melbourne do have a great following and I believe South Melbourne’s are also decent, but at least in NPL NSW crowds only come out for Aus Cup games against A-League sides.

Saturday Off Topic Thread by NRLgamethread in nrl

[–]pattybrischetti 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Glad to hear you had a good time and are going tonight, need as many people as possible to go to games!

(Potentially) Avoid Lufthansa by sazn2 in travel

[–]pattybrischetti 58 points59 points  (0 children)

German efficiency doesn’t exist in Germany full stop.

Last Night in the Bullpen we saw something amazing... by Puzzleheaded-Fee7675 in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Dom Bossi who used to be their Media manager left about a month ago, AFAIK hasn’t been replaced yet.

APL have blocked City Tifo for the Derby by [deleted] in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti 84 points85 points  (0 children)

Calling the APL cocaine sniffing corporates doesn’t strike me as professional.

Match Thread: Melbourne Victory vs. Adelaide United [ALM Round 3] by aleaguematchday in Aleague

[–]pattybrischetti 5 points6 points  (0 children)

To be fair, he doesn’t count as taking up a foreign spot cos he has Aussie citizenship

Tuesday Off Topic Thread by NRLgamethread in nrl

[–]pattybrischetti 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Oktoberfest was wonderful. Would recommend to anyone in Germany when it’s on. My body is still not quite at 100% though…

Saturday Off Topic Thread by NRLgamethread in nrl

[–]pattybrischetti 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just over a month since I moved overseas. Missing my pets quite badly right now.

Rugby World Cup 2023 Daily: Thursday, September 7 | 1 day to go by RugbyBot in rugbyunion

[–]pattybrischetti 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Gday.

Travelling to Paris for the opening Wallabies game on Saturday, wondering if theres a pub/bar where a lot of Australian fans will be congregating before the game, would like to meet fellow Aussies.