World Sport Group rethinking its Perth Glory bid

Singapore-based World Sport Group is reportedly rethinking its bid for the licence for the A-League's exclusive Western Australian franchise, Perth Glory. According to Tribal Football, WSG president Seamus O'Brien admits there are concerns over going into a loss-making venture. "At the end of the day, you are evaluating taking a loss-making venture off their hands," O'Brien told the West Australian. "We are now just considering whether we want to do that. You've got to look at it in a calm and rational way."

He said WSG, which has close ties with the Asian Football Confederation and helped develop the Asian Champions League, had been informed only last week that it would have to follow an application process, but felt the company already had a "reasonable grip" on what was required. "We are not going into this blind. We want to lift up every stone and see what crawls out," O'Brien said. "But the time barrier is one of the big disadvantages to the whole process." Along with WSG, a rival local consortium, headed by Tom Galopoulos and Argentine legend Gabriel Batistuta, is also in the frame for Glory's licence.

See also: WSG wants to tap Asian intimacies for Perth Glory (6 May)