sport, local-sport, Bruce, Gordon, WIN TV

INFLUENTIAL WIN Television boss Bruce Gordon has thrown his support behind an A-League team for Wollongong, indicating he would be prepared to invest in the expansion club. In a rare and wide-ranging interview, Gordon said the Illawarra had the capacity to be the base for three elite sports, the Dragons, Illawarra Hawks and a new football team. Football Federation Australia is expected to announce criteria for expansion in coming months, with the Wollongong Wolves poised to make a bid. However, there has also been a model mooted for a southern Sydney club which would also include the Illawarra. Confirming he has been in negotiations with former FFA chairman Frank Lowy, who was succeeded by son Steven, Gordon expects a team to be based in Wollongong. “We have talked to Frank Lowy and we are still talking to him,” Gordon said. “We are very happy to support something … an A-League team. That will happen sooner or later. Probably sooner more than later.” The Wolves are the 2000 and 2001 National Soccer League champions, now based in football’s second tier NSW Premier League after a tumultuous recent history. It is understood Channel Ten are the front-runners for the A-League free-to-air rights when the new broadcast deal is announced. The Bermuda-based billionaire has a 14.56 per cent stake in Ten, after WIN’s long-time partnership with Channel Nine collapsed. Gordon has long been considered the ‘white knight’ of football in the region, but also been in ongoing talks about owning 50 per cent of NRL club St George Illawarra. The Dragons are more than $6 million in debt, but Gordon did not elaborate on any plans to bail the club out, or if he is prepared to have A-League and NRL interests at the same time. The negotiations between the NRL, Dragons and Gordon have been ongoing for more than a year. Wollongong Wolves chief executive Chris Papakosmas has declared the club’s readiness to be part of an expanded A-League in 2018-19, but is waiting on the criteria to be released. South Melbourne, Tasmania, Brisbane Strikers and second teams in Perth and Adelaide and Geelong are among other potential bids to be launched.

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