If you were asked the question, how would you describe your local state league's premier division? Is it a production line of future A-League stars? Does it provide you with the assurance of quality football all year round? Do you even know it exists? In Western Australia, we have a thirteen team competition that features our NTC squad as a league participant. The NTC game each round isn't for points, and as such they can't be relegated. There's also a bye for one team each week. Football West has their own cup competition that features amateur sides as well as those in the top two divisions, and a pre-season competition is played out each year under lights. Oh, and many of our clubs have 'ethnic' roots, but we don't seem to encounter riots or stabbings on a weekly basis (shock, horror!)
But the WA league currently seems to be in a state of uncertain flux. New stadium requirements are coming that could potentially cause the expulsion of some teams from the premier league or force them into unwelcome ground-share arrangements in the meantime. What's more, the competition between the Liga Primer Indonesia and the Indonesian Super League clubs in our neighbouring country has sucked quality players right out of the local top division. David Micevski, Andrija Jukic, Aleks Vrteski and even former A-League star Eugene Dadi are just some of the players plying their trade in the populous Asian nation. There's also concern over the two relegation spots this year and the fact that the NTC is immune to them; with only one side coming up to ensure an even number of teams in the division next year, there are going to be some very envious clubs watching the juniors stay up. Add to this the fact that Perth Glory have lately recruited heavily from the eastern states and overseas, and many may ask why we have a league at all.
Part of the problem seems to be confusion about where the league is heading - and this forms part of the bigger question as to where state league football needs to sit in our national football setup. In this article, I will propose three paths fro each state federation to mull over, in the faint hope that they and the FFA are already building towards one of them. Because as things stand, we can't seem to be sure if we're building a mud hut or a five star hotel.
Taking the latter option first - the state bodies could go down the FFA path and build a standalone (semi-?) professional league with quality boutique stadia and no promotion or relegation. The rich clubs would stay, the rest would become amateur. In all respects it would essentially become a 'Super League' for state level football. A higher standard of football, played by a better standard of player attracted by higher wages and prize money than present, would theoretically attract higher gate takings and give people quality football all year round. Richer clubs would be able to pay the wages and insurance fees of A-League players, leading to more loan deals throughout the summer season. Sounds like a real winner, right?
Well, let's not be too hasty. Part of the problem with this approach is stripping away promotion and relegation - something which adds spice to the league and gives hope to many smaller Division One teams. How many times have A-League fans just given up on the season with five (or more!) rounds to go? No wonder the crowds drop away. Another issue is sponsorship - if the FFA and clubs struggle to attract enough money to fund the A-League, where is Football West supposed to pull out the extra cash needed for bigger prize money, media facilities, etc? It's surely not going to come from junior clubs - registration fees are already well in excess of other popular junior sports like T-ball and cricket.
The other thing here is the number of semi-pro teams that would have to turn amateur; a massive blow to clubs that in many cases have a rich and proud history. George Best and a number of other big names appeared for clubs that are now state premier league or below; and some have national titles that adorn their walls. Finally, it could be that a more professional competition isn't actually needed - or wanted - at all. State league games used to pull 5,000 people through the gate in WA; but since then the AFL and a little team called Perth Glory have well and truly swallowed up those numbers; you're lucky if a quarter of that show up to some of the games at the moment. Clubs spending more money and needing to build better seating won't automatically bring back those people. It's debatable as to whether anything other than the entire collapse of the national league system will - and nobody wants that. If much money is spent with little return the potential is there for the league to blow up like a white elephant stuffed with nitroglycerin. Remember Perth Spirit?
So let's take a step back and think about another option - enhancing the current system and linking it in to have a tighter coupling with the A-League. This is a favourite option of many fans, especially those who like the English leagues. The non-league Conference system has semi-pro teams battling it out to be promoted to the relative riches of the Football League - so why not do the same thing in Australia? The state leagues should work as they do now, with the respective winners at the end of each season playing off against each other for the chance to be promoted to the A-League. Optionally, a relegation playoff would then take place with the state-level 'champion' against the lowest ranked A-League side; the loser being consigned back to the state league system. This method could possibly have saved the North Queensland Fury as a football club and provided a chance for teams like Dandenong, South Coast, or Perth SC to leap into the big time. An FFA Cup would of course provide state league teams with yet more national exposure.
Sadly, this may just remain a pipe dream because of a number of problems. To begin with, the cost of relegation for a relatively raw A-League franchise might just as easily lead to extinction as it might to salvation. What's more, would the FFA really sacrifice an A-League market for the sake of promoting another Queensland side? Nottingham, England might not have a top tier football team but would fellow reds Adelaide be content to watch United in the SASL whilst Floreat Athena (sorry, Floreat Ethnically-Unaligned Football Club) enjoyed matches against Melbourne Victory? It seems unlikely that such a move is part of Frank Lowy and Ben Buckley's vision. That said, I'm not actually clear on what is part of their vision, either. And whilst ground sharing might be an option for some teams, can many state league clubs outside an NSL-era few really claim to have the money needed to meet ACL minimum standard? You'd hate to think that a club like Blacktown City would be driven into bankruptcy thanks to a promotion that rewards their success but leads to loans to work on stadium rebuilds.
So with money and skill levels a key issue, perhaps it is time to examine our final option; turning the state leagues into full-time development environments. Cap each team to three foreign players. Force another 3 players in the starting eleven to be Aussie under-18s. Make each A-League youth team a full-time fixture of the state leagues (starting in the second division and being promoted and relegated based on merit, of course). Abandon the NTC system, or merge it with the aforementioned youth sides; when everyone plays their best three kids there's no need to throw the 'next best' into another 25 man squad. Put a wage cap in place to stop Perth and Balcatta - er, or any team for that matter - buying league titles. And best of all, make entry to the games free. A big ask I know, but if you get more people coming down, more people grabbing that full-strength beer or a plate of chips and curry, a club's bottom line shouldn't be impacted. Your waistline might, though.
Reward the trophies won by teams, but remember the league's overarching aim to produce players who can be A-League regulars for a good decade. Not necessarily Socceroos or Euro stars, but players like Jamie Harnwell or Todd Howarth who can be A-League players nearly their whole career. Guys like Viduka and certainly Kewell didn't build the NSL - it was the Moris, Despotovskis, Horsleys and Navens who did that on a week-by-week basis. A production line of these sort of players is exactly what a stable A-League needs. But what about state league supporters - are the Azzurri or Western Knights really going to want to give up their high profile players for the sake of a balanced development league? Will it sit well with the traditionalists that their proud club needs to focus on development rather than domination? Will they just see it as being a glorified creche?
I for one hope not, because I personally believe this is the best option. There are still titles to be won, and traditional rivalries to be had - I don't care what people over East may think, I've never felt uncomfortable at a 'Greek' or 'Italian' club over in Perth. Though I did once get a dodgy kebab at Athena years ago. (Subsequent visits however verified they remain a recommended eat for hungry state league enthusiasts)
In the end though, I don't really care which path Football West and their brethren choose to take… just as long as they pick one of them and stick with it. A lack of direction at local level will simply see the game stagnate and fade - and this is precisely the level of football we need to ensure has a solid foundation in order to build a mighty national competition on top. Anyone who cares about football in this country should want to see that; regardless of how it is achieved.
