Football Federation Australia has admitted that it needs the New Zealand Knights to continue in the A-League because of media and other contractual arrangements. "We owe it to the league, the other seven clubs and the FFA's partners to ensure we continue," operations manager Matt Carroll told Terry Maddaford of the NZ Herald. "There are millions of dollars worth of contracts that would be in jeopardy if we didn't have eight teams." Of suggestions the licence which had been stripped from the Knights former owners could now be handed to a franchise in Australia, Carroll said that while there was some interest, none was ready to step in.
"We are aware of interest in North Queensland and Woollongong but they would be regionally based and not have the same support base as you have here in New Zealand. In any case they are not ready and at least a year away." Carroll also said that under the agreement there could be no additional Sydney or Melbourne franchises in the league's first five years.
"We are aware of interest in North Queensland and Woollongong but they would be regionally based and not have the same support base as you have here in New Zealand. In any case they are not ready and at least a year away." Carroll also said that under the agreement there could be no additional Sydney or Melbourne franchises in the league's first five years.