OH. MY. FUCKING. SCIENCE.

This whole world is going absolutely bananas. And I'm fucking loving it. In other words, this A-League bid for some reason appears real, at least semi-organised, and well, give it our best shot-esque. I wish it all the best, with all my support behind it.


South in bid to join A-League

August 13, 2008

OFFICIALS from the South Melbourne-backed consortium bidding to gain the second A-League franchise for Victoria will hold preliminary discussions with Football Federation Australia today before making a formal presentation to the game's governing body by the end of the month.

The franchise, if successful, would be known as Southern Cross FC, a source involved with the bid said yesterday, as the name had been registered by the South Melbourne bid committee.

While South Melbourne — a powerhouse in the old National Soccer League but now a mid-table team in the Victorian Premier League — has been closely linked with the Greek community, backers insist if they win the rights to establish a second team, it will be a broad-based club designed to appeal to the whole community.

Nevertheless, many believe that the club's perceived ethnic heritage will make it difficult for FFA — which has been ruthless in establishing the A-League as "new football" to differentiate it from "old soccer" — to entertain it as a vehicle for a second Melbourne side.

In a statement issued last week, Jim Mellas, the bid team spokesman, emphasised that the South proposal would be "compelling and broad-based".

"It involves the new team having a base at the soon-to-be-redeveloped Bob Jane Stadium and incorporates the participation of a variety of stakeholders from the Victorian football community," Mellas said.