Granville & District Soccer Football Association announce brand-new X-League

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GDSFA

The Granville & District Soccer Football Association (GDSFA) have announced the creation of a new top tier local Men’s Seniors competition, named the X-League.

Kicking off in March of 2022, the GDSFA will be looking to play 22 rounds of football competition each and every Friday evenings across the Granville Association. In addition, there are a number of exciting initiatives that the organisers have thrown into the mix to assure that this will be one of the most appealing local Senior Men’s competition across NSW.

Such incentives include:

  • Livestream Broadcast & Commentary of ‘Match of the Round’
  • Local officials and talent officiating matches
  • 2 Leagues (X-League 1 and X-League 2)
  • 12 Teams in each league
  • Single Team format of up to 20 players per team
  • Promotion and Relegation
  • Prize Money for Premiers and Champions
  • Season Launch Party with special guest
  • End of Season Player & Team Awards Evening
  • Entry into Australia’s oldest knockout competition “The Cottam Cup”
  • NPL Opportunities
  • ‘Match of the Round’ played at the legendary Melita Stadium home of the Parramatta Eagles FC

Granville & District Soccer FA’s General Manager Scott Sadler was looking forward to the new challenge of this concept, that was struck up with a few local and passionate Club administrators wanting to promote, collaborate and deliver new ways of getting more people interested with the world game.

“Back in May, myself and Joe Bacha (Rydalmere FC’s First Grade Coach) met at a café to catch up and chew the fat over the state of play of GDSFA football,” Sadler said.

“As many will know it’s not been an easy ride for them over the last few years, and Joe wanted to bring some of his observations and ideas on how we could improve our Men’s Premier League given we had gone from having 10 teams in the 2020 season and reduced to six in the 2021 season.

“Rydalmere FC have shown great character in rebuilding their club culture and in turn they have seen the fruits of their labour with a fantastic facility being constructed. We started to get some ideas down on paper and the ball was rolling, but Covid lockdown reared its ugly head for round 2 and so we got stuck into battening down the hatches.

“A working group was eventually formed, and the brainstorming sessions commenced every Wednesday, and are still ongoing looking at how we could make the Men’s Premiership Competition more viable and inclusive for all clubs to get involved.

“It has been great to watch the clubs coming together and collaborating on ideas, and between them they have come up with the concept of the X-League.”

Even though the league will be open to Men’s for the 2022 season, the Association has stated that plans are underway to offer this league concept towards the Women and Youth clubs in the football mad area.

“We are definitely looking at expanding in both the Women’s and Youth sectors once we get the Men’s off the ground in 2022 as that has always been our intention,” they said.

“GDSFA is the OG of football within Australia, we may not have done everything right along the way, but we have helped to shape football in some way shape or form.

“With the X-League, we are wanting to offer grassroots football a high standard of football for a very competitive membership fee, giving value for money for each player involved.”

Friedkin Group to acquire majority stake in Everton

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Image credit: Everton FC Instagram

The Friedkin Group has reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri’s majority 94% stake in Everton. The deal is subject to regulatory approval from the Premier League, the Football Association and the Financial Conduct Authority.

It is believed to be worth in excess of $770 million, leaving Moshiri with little return on his substantial investment.

The US-based group is led by chairman Dan Friedkin, who also owns Roma. He has a net worth of $11bn AUD according to Forbes thanks to The Friedkin Group, which was founded by his father, Thomas H. Friedkin.

Everton would become the 10th club in the Premier League under majority American ownership, joining the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool.

The deal would bring to a conclusion the damaging Moshiri reign. The British-Iranian businessman has invested more than $1445 million in the club since 2016, but many supporters have been deeply unhappy about his ownership because of its failure to hit successful transfers and its enormous debt which lead to points deductions in 2023/24.

Last season they were deducted points twice, amounting to a total of eight after an appeals process, for breaching Premier League financial rules on the level of losses clubs are allowed to make.

Everton, who have not played outside the top flight during the Premier League era, had been toying with relegation under Frank Lampard and current manager Sean Dyche, finishing in the bottom half. They started the season on only one win after six and it suggests they will spend a fourth season near the drop zone.

The Friedkin Group had agreed a deal in principle to purchase current owner Moshiri’s 94% stake in June but talks were called off a month later after the two parties failed to finalise an agreement.

That followed Miami-based 777 Partners being unable to a complete a deal earlier this year which Everton is probably fortunate to hear considering the toxicity around how they have run Standard Liege and Hertha BSC into a tough position.

In June, it was said that Friedkin hinted that he wanted Roma and Everton to sit at the top of a multi-club model, something that The Friedkin Group has yet to experiment.

Everton’s appeal to the Friedkin Group was said to be based on the club’s history, fanbase and the new stadium being built on Bramley-Moore Dock which will be used from the start of the 2025/26 season onwards.

The group in a statement said they remain fully committed to Roma and has no concerns regarding the two clubs co-existing under UEFA rules.

The Friedkin Group assumed control of Italian side Roma in 2020 and guided the club to Europa Conference League success under Jose Mourinho in 2022.

However, this success was short lived, sacking Mourinho only 10 months later before Daniele De Rossi’s short reign has the club in an awkward position in the Serie A.

After some shaky managerial appointments and sackings for AS Roma, Sean Dyche’s future also looks to be in a perilous position if he fails to turn the results around before the new year.

The Friedkin Group released a statement regarding the takeover agreement and their plans to stabilise the club.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become custodians of this iconic football club. We are focused on securing the necessary approvals to complete the transaction,” a spokesperson for the Friedkin Group said in a statement last week.

“We look forward to providing stability to the club and sharing our vision for its future, including the completion of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.”

Overall, this is fantastic news for Everton and its fanbase who were long overdue some clarity around the dark situation of their ownership.

The Friedkin Group are willing to overlook the huge stadium debt and inconsistent league results in an attempt to bring one of England’s oldest clubs back to its former glory which saw them win 9 Division One titles and 3 FA Cups.

The group will lead Everton through its new era, right before they permanently leave Goodison Park and enter the 53,000 capacity Bramley-Moore Dock which should increase the club’s revenue and bring a fresh feel to the club.

Melbourne Victory secures new sponsorship deal with Ferraro Dairy

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory Facebook page

Melbourne Victory Football Club has confirmed a new collaboration with Ferraro Dairy. Under the terms of the agreement, Ferraro Dairy’s brand will be prominently displayed on the back of the shorts for both the A-League Men’s team and Academy teams for the next two seasons.

Ferraro Dairy is an Australian family-owned dairy for 50 years, based in Tullamarine. They pride themselves on high-standard dairy products from Australian produce.

The two-season partnership represents a strategic move for both organisations, combining the prestige of one of Australia’s premier football clubs with a respected name in the dairy industry. By extending the branding to both senior and academy levels, the partnership shows a comprehensive approach to team sponsorship.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the alignment between the two organisations.

“We’re incredibly pleased to have Ferraro Dairy on our Men’s kit for the next two seasons and excited to have them along for our journey,” she said via press release.

“Ferraro Dairy is a proud local business that strives for a common goal in driving high standards and delivering a premium product for its loyal clientele.

“We’re thrilled to kick off our partnership with Ferraro Dairy as we head into our 20th season as a Club.”

Ferraro Dairy General Manager, Brad Ferraro echoed the sentiment of excitement about the new partnership.

“It’s an honour to partner with a Club like Melbourne Victory in its historic 20th season and we’re proud to be featured on its iconic kit, we’re excited to be part of their journey and share in the success both on and off the field over the next two years,” Ferraro said via press release.

As Melbourne Victory continues to strengthen its commercial portfolio its partnership with an Australian-based family business, with Ferraro Dairy further solidifies its position as a supporter of local businesses.

This commitment suggests a strong foundation for what both parties hope will be a mutually beneficial relationship.

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