At a meeting in Sydney today, the clubs and governing body agreed a new Joint A-League Strategic Committee which will be chaired by the FFA Deputy Chairman Brian Schwartz.

Two other FFA directors and three A-League club chairmen will be appointed to the six-member body, which will meet bi-monthly.

FFA Chairman Frank Lowy welcomed the new committee as "highly significant" in the wake of growing anger from A-League bosses like Perth Glory's Tony Sage and Newcastle Jets' Nathan Tinkler.

It comes in the wake of renegade club owner Clive Palmer being stripped of the Gold Coast United licence and him then setting up his quasi-rival body, Football Australia.

Although all the remaining A-League owners - except Tinkler - publicly pledged support for the FFA, resentment still remained about their lack of control over costs and income.

“We now have a united stance in the next phase of building our national competition,” said  Lowy. “The spirit of co-operation in today’s meeting shows we have a true partnership between FFA and the clubs.

“We’re all in this together and I’m very excited that the knowledge and passion of the club owners will be harnessed in this new committee.”

Items on the new committee's agenda will include:

  • Competition structure and policy including match schedule, season window and number of rounds
  • Revenue growth maximisation strategies and policies and strengthening the capital base of the game
  • Benchmarking analysis and financial regulation policy
  • Player contract regulations
  • Collective Bargaining Agreement framework
  • Disciplinary regulations & Grievance procedures
  • Community engagement strategy

Central Coast Mariners Chairman Peter Turnbull welcomed today’s agreement on behalf of all the A-League clubs.

“This committee will provide a meaningful opportunity to direct the development of policy and strategy for the competition,” said Turnbull.

“It has been agreed that this body will effectively and proactively bring a unity of purpose to the task of building club football in Australia.”

Today’s meeting provided a full briefing to the A-League clubs on the economic landscape for the game, including the current financial outlook of FFA and the Hyundai A-League, forecasts for 2012/13, media rights and commercial rights.

Speaking after the meeting, FFA CEO Ben Buckley praised the collaboration between the governing body and the clubs in addressing the major issues facing the competition.

“When we announced the FFA Strategic Plan 2015 last year, we made the sustainability of the A-League the fundamental aim of our domestic agenda,” said Buckley.

“Today we have a new forum that’s been established in spirit of co-operation and partnership. That will enhance our efforts to shape the economic model for the national competition.”

This evening Perth Glory and Newcastle Jets had no comment from their mining magnate owners about the new committee.