New Sydney club 'long way off'
by: Ray Gatt
From:The Australian
December 22, 201112:00AM
HOPES of a western Sydney side playing in the A-League in the next three to four years still remain forlorn, despite revelations that former Perth Glory owner Nick Tana has offered to help establish a team.
It was revealed yesterday that the Perth millionaire is keen to get involved in the A-League again after being out of the game since 2006, when he relinquished his ownership of Perth Glory, the club he and former partner Paul Afkos started in the National Soccer League in 1998.
However, sources told The Australian yesterday there was nothing concrete after Tana recently floated the idea with FFA, which is desperate to bring western Sydney into the competition before it loses more ground to the AFL, with Greater Western Sydney making its debut next season.
"We need to have a team in the heartland of our game and there is no doubt about that. But it is so far off at this stage it's not funny, " the source said.
"I understand Nick Tana made the first approach, but it is only an interest at this stage. That's all.
"It is a very tough market out there and this needs to be done properly. Western Sydney needs to be another Melbourne Victory, a club that is financially sound and has a great footing."
Those comments show that while western Sydney is fundamental to the future of the A-League, the head body is not about to fall into the trap of making the same mistake it did with the flawed and subsequently failed Sydney Rovers franchise.
FFA was left red-faced two years ago after allowing Rovers to jump the queue of bidders and handing it the licence to run a western Sydney franchise despite those behind the bid admitting they did not have the money.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sp ... 6227973829
