This is an interesting article. I do hope he has got the job. My source is very confident that he has
For the first time in Australian national soccer league history, fans will be given a direct say in the running of a club if A-League club-in-waiting Southern Expansion wins its bid for inclusion in the competition next year.
The Australian can reveal the administrative model that allows fans to have a full voice in how the club operates will be a key component when the franchise releases its official public bid document today.
Under the plan, Southern Expansion will allow two members, one male and one female, as elected by the fans, to be part of the club’s inaugural board of directors.
Southern chairman, former NSW premier Morris Iemma, believes the structure will set the club apart from the rest of the teams in the competition.
“Our members will have a voice around the table and ensure Southern is a community-based, member-engaged club,” Iemma said. “Over the past 12 months, we’ve explored various models of member involvement in modern professional sporting clubs and what we’ve found is that clubs require significant private business ownership and funding to be successful and sustainable.
“But they often lose contact with their members and fans. This won’t happen at Southern.”
Iemma said club members would have a “genuine input” in the operations of the board of directors under the chief executive.
“Under this administrative model, our fans will be part of an organisation that allows club members to elect one male and one female representative directly to the board,” he said.
“Our chief executive will be tasked with establishing and maintaining an ongoing working relationship with the members’ organisation and representatives to ensure their views are heard.
“Southern will be the only football club in Australia to give members a direct say and have genuine input into the operations of the club’s board and, ultimately, the strategic direction of the club on and off the field.
“A lack of engagement has resulted in the A-League stagnating, in terms of club memberships, crowds and TV audiences. It’s why our board model is a welcome initiative which will build engagement with our members and the wider community.”
Southern Expansion is one of a long list of franchises bidding for two spots when the A-League is expanded from 10 to 12 teams for the 2019-20 season. Football Federation Australia opened tenders last month and said it hoped to announce the two successful bids in October.
Southern, which represents the St George, Sutherland and Wollongong regions, is regarded as one of the strong favourites to be included in the national competition. Other bids include the South Coast, Geelong, Tasmania, South Melbourne, Brisbane City, Gold Coast and Team 11 (from southeast Melbourne).
A group from southwest Sydney will formally announce their bid tomorrow.
A joint venture between the Southern Districts and Macarthur football associations, the group plans to play at Campbelltown Stadium and has the backing of Campbelltown Council.
The group had targeted a second-tier national competition.
While it remains a long shot, given Western Sydney Wanderers already have a foothold in the region, those behind the franchise believe there is a strong need for a club whose base would stretch from Liverpool to Camden, where the population is expected to exceed 1.5 million by 2023.
