Football NSW cancels all competitions for 2021

In response to ongoing lockdowns and restrictions, Football NSW has announced that all competitions within their state will be cancelled for the rest of 2021.

The state federation released a statement today detailing the competition structure going forward based on this decision, which was made on public health advice from the government, amid continuing lockdowns.

Promotion and relegation between leagues will be deferred until the end of the 2022/23 season, with a statement by Football NSW saying that with only 17 of the 22 regular season men’s NPL games completed it would be impossible to fairly promote and relegate clubs.

“Clearly, the Premiership season has not been completed and as such, the sporting integrity associated with our various principles surrounding promotion/relegation have been severely compromised,” Football NSW said.

“The promotion and relegation structure as set out in Section 2, Article 12 of the 2021 Competition Regulations is to be deferred to apply for promotion and relegation from the 2022 to 2023 season rather than from the 2021 to 2022 season.”

No Premiers or Champions titles, trophies, medals, or prize money for the 2021 season will be awarded to clubs.

For women’s and girl’s competitions, only 12 of the 22 games were completed. The structure for the 2022 season will be as follows:

“For the 2022 season, the women’s competition will comprise two competitions (NPLW 1 and NPLW 2) with no more than 12 clubs participating in NPLW 1 and no more than 16 clubs participating in NPLW 2,” Football NSW said.

“The clubs competing in the 2022 NPLW 1 Competition will be each of the 12 clubs that participated in the NPLW1 competition for the 2021 season.”

“At the conclusion of the 2022 season, the top two clubs from the NPLW 2 competition (based on Club Championship standings at the end of the 2022 season) will be eligible for promotion to the NPLW 1 Competition for the 2023 season, subject to any applicable competition regulations as well as any other criteria deemed appropriate by the Board.”

A 2022 NPL NSW girl’s and women’s Operational Structure Document to reflect the above will be communicated shortly.

For junior teams, Football NSW will allocate their positions in next season’s ‘three-tiered’ structure based on their performance in the already completed “Phase one” of competition.

“Football NSW confirms that it will still proceed with moving to the three-tiered structure for 2022 and with expanding the number rounds 30,” they said.

“While Phase Two of the 2021 season could not be completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant cancellation of the season, Phase One was successfully completed and the Board, therefore, resolved to allocate clubs across the three tiers of the Competition based on their standings at the conclusion of Phase One.

“Football NSW recognises some clubs may feel disappointed and aggrieved that they did not have the opportunity to complete the season and improve their standings ahead of the 2022 season. However, Football NSW believes that allocating clubs based on standings at the conclusion of Phase One is the fairer option rather than allocating clubs based on standings at the time that football was suspended (i.e. as at 26 June 2021).”

Skill Acquisition Programs will continue with the same principles and no changes to age grades once they are restarted in 2022.

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Melbourne Victory’s brand-new infrastructure strategy

Melbourne Victory & SEDA

A-League giant Melbourne Victory has revealed a brand-new extensive infrastructure strategy to foster and support tomorrow’s footballing stars.

The strategic infrastructure plan set out by Victory will aim to develop youth and women’s football programs by providing improved access to world class footballing facilities and player pathways across Victoria.

To achieve this, Melbourne Victory has opted for a campus model to enable players access to connected and consistent facilities across the North, East, South and West of Melbourne, all within an hour’s journey of Victory’s club administrative centre and the A-League Men’s training facilities at Gosch’s Paddock.

The club also intends to build another campus within the Melbourne city centre, with the first campus location to be announced by the club soon, as it continues to review and assess possible sites across the city.

Melbourne Victory Chairman, John Dovaston, explained why the club had chosen the campus model.

“The announcement of this project, and the direction taken, is aimed at ensuring we are best placed to attract and retain football talent across the State,” he said in a press release.

“Our innovative approach will allow us to have a number of campuses with not only an elite focus, but also, an eye on building our community to ensure that all Victorians have an opportunity to participate and engage in our game.”

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the new infrastructure strategy was so important to the club.

“It is well understood that sport and football can influence social cohesion, and it’s our responsibility as a Club to establish infrastructure and programs that can positively impact members of the community, regardless of gender, background or location, whether that be through training the next generation of football stars, or using football as a vehicle to lead, unite, connect and inspire the community more broadly,” she said via press release.

“By enabling Victory to connect with communities across the North, South, East, and West of AAMI Park, our spiritual home, we can truly grow the Victory family and set new standards for elite facilities in our Pathway and community programs.”

The infrastructure project is an important move for the club, allowing it to grow, improve and future-proof its current suite of footballing programs. Currently, Victory operates nine elite and 23 pathway programs, providing services to over 16,000 participants across Victoria. Through the campus model, the club hopes it will be able to more efficiently develop the new generation of A-League and national team players.

“The priority is to provide not just an entry point for individuals to engage and participate in football, but to keep them engaged and provide a holistic journey to grow the Victory family across the State,” Carnegie continued.

“We are excited about the opportunities that the project can provide and the potential for growth for our Club and for football in the future.”

Melbourne Victory will continue to issue updates as it sets on the 5-year-plus journey to complete the entire project. For more information on the club’s major infrastructure strategy, access the plan HERE.

 

PFA issues legal threat to Premier League over new financial rules

The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has issued a legal threat to the Premier League, warning of potential legal action if new financial rules are passed without union consultation and approval.

The PFA alleges that the league and its clubs have deliberately withheld critical information about the proposed squad cost rules (SCR) and top-to-bottom anchoring (TBA). These changes, according to the union, could severely impact player wages and club finances.

Legal Warning Over SCR and TBA

The Premier League and its 20 clubs voted on the proposed rules during a meeting on 13 February. In a letter addressed to the league and its stakeholders, the PFA’s legal team stated they “anticipate being instructed to commence legal proceedings” if the rules are approved without adequate consultation with the union.

The union has demanded a written guarantee from the league by 4 pm on 11 February, confirming its intention to fully consult the PFA on the matter. Failure to do so will also trigger legal action.

The PFA described the proposed squad cost rules and top-to-bottom anchoring system as “fundamentally flawed” and expressed deep concerns about their potential consequences for players and clubs alike.

What Are the SCR and TBA?

The squad cost rules (SCR) would limit clubs to spending a maximum of 85 per cent of their revenue on squad-related expenses, aligning with similar rules introduced by UEFA. From next season, UEFA plans to reduce its revenue-to-spending cap to 70 per cent for clubs involved in its competitions.

The top-to-bottom anchoring (TBA) system, however, is more contentious. It would enforce a strict cap on how much a club can spend on squad costs, calculated as five times the amount received by the club earning the least from central Premier League funds.

Critics, including the PFA, argue that TBA effectively introduces an indirect cap on player salaries. Some clubs, such as Manchester United and Manchester City, have also expressed opposition to the proposal, fearing it would weaken their ability to compete with elite European teams.

Accusations of Withholding Information

The PFA has accused the Premier League of failing to follow proper consultation protocols, which are required for any matters impacting player wages or conditions.

Under the rules, the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) must consult with the PFA through the Professional Game Negotiating and Consultative Committee (PFNCC). Any changes that affect players cannot proceed without the union’s agreement.

However, the PFA’s lawyers, Mills and Reeve, claim the Premier League missed its own deadline to provide an updated version of the SCR before Christmas. Instead, clubs received the document on 9 January—too late for meaningful discussions during a PFNCC meeting held on 8 January.

The union further alleges it only received the full 87-page SCR manual after an ad-hoc PFNCC meeting on 20 January, despite indications that clubs had access to the document as early as July last year.

PFA’s Position on the Financial Rules

The PFA remains firmly opposed to the introduction of TBA, stating it imposes an unnecessary cap on player wages under the guise of financial regulation.

The union believes such measures are not only unfair to players but also risk undermining the competitiveness of Premier League clubs on the international stage.

In their letter to the Premier League’s legal team at Linklaters, the PFA’s lawyers described the handling of the proposed financial rules as “flagrant breaches” of the league’s obligations to consult with the union.

As the 13 February vote has taken place, the tension between the PFA and the Premier League appears to be escalating, with the prospect of legal proceedings looming should the union’s demands for consultation remain unmet.

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