Sydney Olympic CEO, John Boulos, was invited on the 3XY Radio Sports Sunday program to talk about the situation in Sydney regarding clubs and the national second division.
Sydney Olympic and many other clubs of the NSW NPL competition are keen and very interested in a national second division. The general feeling is that there needs to be another level of competition and this is a pathway for our clubs.
There is talk amongst clubs, media and officials that a national second division is a great idea but needs to be economically sustainable. Sydney Olympic believe the model is critical and there is a need to be able to develop into the competition where the standards and criteria are above the level of the NPL competition.
The clubs will need to develop over a couple of years and live within their means to develop and grow as the competition grows.
John was then asked about the benefits of the national second division for both the game and the clubs. Many players, he said, don’t get the opportunity to play in the A-League and he believes there needs to be a competition that sits just under the A-League, where clubs like Sydney Olympic and other NPL clubs have players that are ‘hungry’ and want to go to the next level.
This enables the competition to be more aspirational for players and will provide a springboard for the A-League. From a club perspective, it’s very important there is a lot of supporters that want to see their club playing at the highest level possible and they believe the second division allows for that.
Big games in the NPL such as the recent Sydney Olympic v APIA attracted about 8,000 fans and this suggest that we can bring back the supporters and match days will be vibrant.
John strongly believes his club have the right set up and a pathway that is unrivalled. They invest heavily in their coaches and their football pathway. They are the right club for aspirational players that want to go to the next level, to develop them and assist them in their journey. Sydney Olympic are a professional club in a semi-professional environment, the players joining the club need the right support and are providing sessions and variations of sessions, a full week of program for the players which go beyond the traditional three sessions a week training program.
Does Belmore Oval meet the criteria for a national second division? Yes, John answered with confidence. Belmore Oval does meet the stadium criteria and will have no issues hosting upcoming FFA games and NPL final matches. It can also provide an environment for corporate sponsors, media and large crowds as well as providing good TV coverage.
Belmore Oval is a professional venue, the facilities are fantastic, it gives the players a feeling that they are playing beyond NPL level, which is important in the mind set.
