By Mark Baber
August 9 – The Australian football federation’s (FFA) move to introduce a new model for State elite-level football for Australian semi-pro clubs, one tier below the A-League, is running into difficulty in Victoria, where an alliance of clubs is seeking to make changes to the proposed licensing structure.
The Football Federation Victoria (FFV) on Thursday refused to halt the roll-out process for the National Premier League Victoria (NPLV) model, for which clubs are currently submitting Expressions of Interest. Despite protest from the clubs
In response to this refusal to halt the process, an alliance of 48 clubs and associations from Victoria have announced they have now instructed solicitor Nick Galatas and sports law barrister Paul Hayes to prepare legal action and file a case.
The clubs say they are “taking the difficult but principled decision to stand together and try and achieve a successful NPL model for Victoria.”
The main concerns of the rebel clubs are over the financial viability of the new arrangements and over the lack of consultation from the NPLV.
The FFV, regardless of the position of a large number of clubs, appears determined to continue the process with applications for the new league set to close on August 16.
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