Yan Sasse scores for the Phoenix against Brisbane. Photo / photosport.nz
The plans for the new Auckland A-League franchise have taken a dramatic twist, with a stunning late bid associated with an English Premier League club.
After six months of negotiations, discussions and meetings, which had seen a high-powered local consortium emerge as the frontrunners to take the licence for the team from the 2024-25 season, there was a significant development in recent weeks.
The Herald understands that Bill Foley, the owner of Premier League club Bournemouth, has entered the race, which could significantly up the financial stakes involved, as Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the governing body behind the A-League Men and A-League Women, consider the respective offers.
Given the time frame of the bid, it’s unlikely to have significant detail behind it, with the scale of what will be required to set up two new teams (male and female) and the infrastructure behind it, including sponsors, commercial and football staff and players in less than a year.
But the potential Premier League investors are likely to have no shortage of financial resources, which could catch APL’s eye and delay their decision.
The Premier League is the richest football league and one of the most lucrative sporting competitions in the world. Fourteen of the 20 clubs have offshore owners and the majority are billionaire individuals, investment groups or state-backed sovereign wealth funds.
The move could be interpreted as a setback for the local consortium, though not necessarily insurmountable, given the individuals involved.
It’s understood they were close to getting the green light a few weeks ago, as negotiations had almost concluded with APL, before the emergence of the late offer.
American tech entrepreneur and New Zealand Breakers minority owner Marc Mitchell is believed to be leading the local consortium, along with long-time former ASB Classic boss Karl Budge. Highly-respected Auckland City FC chairman Ivan Vuksich is also understood to be involved.
The licence fee to join the league was initially priced between $20 million and $27 million.
While there have been various initiatives and hopes for a team for years – with Vuksich a driving force behind the scenes – those dreams came closer to reality in March when APL chief executive Danny Townsend announced the intention for two new teams, in Auckland and Canberra.
Auckland was seen as a large, untapped area and the biggest new market available. It came out on top in numerous metrics, including population base, commercial opportunities and participation numbers.
The A-League ownership model includes the existing 12 clubs, the Silver Lake group and Viacom CBS. Auckland hasn’t had an A-League franchise since 2007, when the New Zealand Knights folded and the licence was moved to Wellington. The Knights had completed two seasons, preceded by the Football Kingz during 1999-2004 (before the A-League kicked off).
In March, Townsend told the Herald the APL envisaged the new club would have a mix of local investors and international backers. He acknowledged football clubs tended to attract interest from around the globe but said a local flavour was critical. Townsend initially set a soft deadline of July.
That confirmation of APL’s vision kick-started a flurry of activity in football, sporting and business circles here, which eventually resulted in the consolidation of an impressive network. The group is believed to include:
Others believed to be involved include property developer Alex Sipka, who has been Vuksich’s business partner in a proposed A-League venture in Auckland for several years, since the duo registered a company, Auckland FC, in 2021.
Allbirds founder and former Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand representative Tim Brown has also been linked with the project, though the nature of his involvement is unclear.
The group have already presented their proposal to New Zealand Football and met with Northern Region Football and club representatives.
Their plan is for the team to be based at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart. They would need to share the facility with the Warriors, though the respective seasons overlap for only a short period and there are perceived to be many advantages.
When contacted, Budge said he was unable to comment on his possible involvement.
In an interview with the Herald several weeks ago, Vuksich confirmed his ongoing interest in an A-League venture but did not want to go into specifics.
“It’s not something I can talk about right now,” said Vuksich.
Earlier this month, New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell told the Herald everything was heading in a positive direction but there were still “further steps to be taken”.
At the time of writing, Townsend was unable for comment when requested by the Herald.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
With three rounds to go, team remain in the hunt for grand final spot.