WHY AN AUSTRALASIAN PREMEIR LEAGUE MODEL?

A synopsis of the holistic benefits of the Australasian Premier League (APL):

• Significant implications for tourism, away team fans can follow their teams.

• the APL can develop sporting relations which can improve foreign relations.

• The APL can generate increased domestic travel into and within regions, and attract people with little or no previous interest in soccer.

• The APL will assist in the promotion of the heritage, history, lifestyles and tourist attractions of Australian cities.

• Huge Promotional opportunities presented through the usage of marquee, franchise and or Star players.

• Brand recognition, branding values should focus on the total atmosphere and entertainment package. Focus on the aura of the Socceroos,soccer traditions and internationalism of Soccer.

• A Better product will increase in ground attendance, atmosphere, expanded supporter base, merchandise/ food and beverage/ season ticket sales.

• As part of their professional obligations, the players are also contracted to undertake public liaison, school visits and advertising commitments. School children have greater access to players and the public image of soccer and soccer players has changed commensurate with the professionalisation of the code.

• exciting changes to branding and entertainment increase the profile of soccer, widen its spectator appeal and make it far more competitive in terms of the discretionary leisure dollar.

• Improved spectator experience through the development and or usage of current premier sporting venues like Telstra Dome, Aussie Stadium, Ballymore etc.

• The APL can be at the forefront of the development of night sport and associated entertainment packaging which will transform the social landscape, the Australasian Premier League can become a social as well as a sporting occasion.

• A new philosophy regarding the links between players and public will be developed through the APL. Supporters of each team will feel a strong bond with the players. Indeed 'ownership' of the team would be focussed on, in much the same way as it is prevalent in England Premier Football fan support landscape.

• Develop the passion, atmosphere, colour and drama of professional Soccer in Australia.

Libero Consulting is currently conducting an Australia wide soccer survey, to ascertain the views of both soccer people and non-soccer people on their preference for a new National soccer league model. The initial feedback has significantly indicated that the Australasian premier league model is the most popular and viable. The fact is that without synergies and a strong product the National Soccer league is not viable as a competition.

Libero submits that the Australasian Premier League is the only viable model long term.

By including teams form Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and Indonesia the audience market will be definitely larger. This will interest potential sponsors to come on board as the potential target audience is bigger then what AFL, NRL and even what Super-12 has at this stage.

The major obstacle of the Australasian premier League is possibly political. That is whether FIFA and the Oceania and Asian Football Confederations may not allow teams from other confederations to partake in a domestic competition.

However, we submit that there is significant precedent, which may/will allow FIFA (for the good of the game) and the AFC to allow the Australasian competition to go ahead.

For example:

• teams from Wales (Cardiff City, Wrexham and Swansea) participating in English Nationwide leagues.

• Vaduz FC of Liechtenstein participating in Switzerland regional league.

• Vancouver Whitecaps from Canada participating in old North American Soccer league which featured such teams and players like the New York Cosmos and Tampa Bay Rowdies and players like Pele, Cruyff, Neeskens, Cubillas etc. Teams from Edmonton and Toronto also partook. The old NASL was an attempt to develop soccer to the final frontier USA/Canada.

• The proposed Alpine league featuring the best teams from Switzerland and Austria.

• CONMEBOL inviting Mexican teams like America, Necaxa and Cruz Azul to partake in Libertadores Cup.

• Football Kingz participating in Australian National Soccer league.

• If the AFC is likely to invite champion teams from Australia to partake in it's AFC champions league, there is no reason why the OFC/Australia cannot request some Asian teams in it own members national league/APL.

It is evident that FIFA will allow in some instances teams to partake in other countries leagues. The clear philosophy here is for the good of the game.

Australia needs to take the next soccer step as does the countries of New Zealand and Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia who have been left behind by Thailand, China, Korea, Japan and even Vietnam in terms of success in the international arena.

The opportunity to synergise is a win-win for all countries via the Australasian Premier League.

Sponsorship is a big issue at the moment. Most Sports want a piece of the pie and as we have seen the Sydney Swans viz a viz the AFL have suffered in the sponsorship market due to the Rugby World Cup to be held in Australia later in the year. Soccer at the national level needs a product to sell which is palatable to both commercial and pay TV as well as to other potential market sponsors. The AFL and NRL have the best club football product to sell to the market. The NSL does not currently have this product. The best soccer product is overseas in the English Premiership, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, UEFA Champions League. That is where the best players and generally high profile and best teams are based.

Here in Australia as a net exporter of soccer player talent, we require a product or league to keep some of our better players and also recruit some quality players from overseas i.e. Asian, South American, European and African markets.

To do this we need finance and supporter bases.

The Australasian Premier league will synergise 5 major markets with the lynchpin being Australia. With more money available we can keep more of our better players and also include exciting talent from overseas.

In essence the Australasian Premier league will fundamentally change Soccer on a national level thus support the other two strong areas of Australian soccer the national teams and the junior participation area.

The Australasian Premier League can provide the impetus to:

• To keep players in Australia through better salaries, lifestyle, competition and conditions.

• To get players from overseas we need more finance.

• Lobby the Minister of Immigration to allow a small quota of overseas soccer players and or coaches to be able to migrate to Australia under a new Soccer player business category. This may entice some good players from Europe and South America with there families to make Australia their home as well as add to the calibre and expertise of soccer in this country. We do this with athletes like Tatiana Gorgieva and Dimitri Markov who have both won medals for this country and have added a new dimension to Athletics and the notion of being Australian.

Australasian Premier League Proposal - Asian Pacific Football League
© Libero Consulting Australia 2003 :: www.liberoconsulting.com.au :: E-mail: info@liberoconsulting.com.au