Sage reveals Wellington had five-year A-League promise

The chorus of support for A-League death row club Wellington Phoenix is growing with Perth Glory owner Tony Sage declaring he believed Football Federation Australia had promised Phoenix it “would be in the competition until 2020 at the very least”.

Wellington Phoenix players celebrate after scoring a goal earlier this season Source: AAP

Fellow club chief, Central Coast Mariners' Mike Charlesworth, has questioned the governing body’s motives in rejecting Phoenix’s request for a 10-year extension to their A-League licence, which expires at the end of the current season.

The outspoken Sage, who learned of Wellington’s plight through the media rather than official FFA channels, said: “I think I speak for all A-League owners when I say I am extremely disappointed for Wellington, given that it’s my understanding there were assurances that they would be in there for the next five years, until 2020.

“That, at least, is what we were all led to believe as owners, so the decision has come as a shock to all of us.

“I have talked to three or four people that are as surprised as me given that we all believed, given those assurances, that Wellington would be in competition for the foreseeable future.

“I have no idea now what will happen next year … it’s a very uncertain situation.”

With FFA leaning towards unveiling a third Sydney franchise based in southern Sydney, possibly as early as next season with Phoenix now on the brink, Charlesworth is critical over the manner in which their continued A-League tenure has been handled.

While Phoenix has been told it can still apply for a four-year licence renewal, Charlesworth said “I don’t know what the FFA’s strategy is.

"Reading between the lines, even if Phoenix was granted an extension for four years, what you do as a business knowing that the business will get taken away from you after that.

“You are not going to invest in it - they are probably losing money anyway, so why carry on losing money in a venture that has no future?

“From Phoenix’s perspective, there must now be the temptation to put the club into administration. I know that if the Mariners licence was going to be revoked that’s what I would do.

“We all like to believe we are investing our time and money in a future bigger business that has some value. But if you know its game over … what’s the point in continuing?”

Charlesworth said the future of Wellington might even lie in the proposed ASEAN Super league, which has won FIFA approval, and is slated to kick-off as early as next year while including teams from Thailand, Malalsyia, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.

“That would be the only possibility for them, there’s no point in them running a professional club in the New Zealand League," Charlesworth said.

Meanwhile, Sage also queried the wisdom of installing a fifth A-League team in NSW, and encroaching on the hard-won territory of Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers.

“I am sure both of the existing clubs will have issies with a new team in their back yard, but you better ask them,” Sage said.

Charlesworth is open to the notion of a third Sydney team, but not necessarily at the expense of Wellington.

“Whether it’s a good thing or a bad hang to have a third Sydney team, I don’t know. They have to expand somewhere at some point," he said.

“Why kick out an established club that’s well run financially and has great sponsors? They have a passionate chairman in Rob Morrison - he has invested a load of money and time and I think he is being treated pretty poorly.

“There is a problem that they don’t generate much income through their TV rights and while there may be some logic behind FFA's decisions, I don’t agree with them.

“What would be wrong with keeping Phoenix and adding a third Sydney team, and having an 11-team league?”

Sage said he had sympathy not just for the plight of Morrison, but ex-A-League chiefs like Clive Palmer (Gold Coast United), Don Matheson (North Queensland Fury) and Nathan Tinkler (Newcastle Jets), who all lost millions before being cast aside by FFA in their restructuring of the competition over the last decade.

“Nobody recognises them at all  ... they have been all cast as bad people after they leave. But they all put money into the game," he said.

“Clive put in $12 million, Nathan about $8 million and Don Matheson $10 million. They should be recognised for what they did.

“It’s the same with Wellington owner Rob Morison – the club has put in a lot of money and it’s not their fault that they are in the situation they are in. It’s an FFA decision; it’s not the owner’s decision. We all support Wellington, bar none.”

FFA was approached for a comment by The World Game.