The fate of soccer in the Riverina lies in the hands of Wagga clubs and the Football Wagga board.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Eleven Football Wagga clubs have until December 14 to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the intake of three more clubs, from Griffith.
A strong majority of ‘yes’ votes could build the Pascoe Cup into a 13-team competition, and shatter the Griffith league, leaving two clubs in the first grade men’s competition.
A clear majority of ‘no’ votes could shatter the hopes of punters from Hanwood, Yoogali SC and Griffith City intent on playing against a variety of clubs in 2017.
Football Wagga’s board, however, has the final say.
On Wednesday, Wagga club representatives met to hear the pitch from clubs intent on affiliating in 2017.
Hanwood, Yoogali SC and Griffith City representatives had met with the Football Wagga representatives the previous Sunday.
“Griffith clubs were very conciliatory, they were happy to fit in with us,” Football Wagga president Erwin Budde said.
“It’s really up to our clubs to inform us about what they think, if they're open to these quite substantial changes in one hit.
“If there’s a clear majority we would go with that.”
Griffith club spokesmen indicated they would adopt Wagga club culture of not providing financial incentives to players. They also were willing to assist with the referee deficiency.
“They have some referees they can bring,” Budde said.
At this stage, the initial idea of splitting the league in half has been abandoned, and stakeholders have been considering the prospect of a longer season.
“It would add another six weeks to the season,” he said.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s not insurmountable.”