The most important trophy to Australia is …
Roar Guru By old goalie, 10 Aug 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
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- Athletics, Athletics Australia, Australian Open, Bledisloe Cup, Brookvale Oval, football, Football World Cup, Rugby Union, Rugby World Cup, World Cup
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As a tax payer for some time now I believe I’m entitled to a say in where my tax dollars are being spent in terms of sport funding.
According to the Athletics Australia website: “in the financial year 2006/2007, the Australian Government had committed an unprecedented amount – $204.549 million – to the Australian Sports Commission.”
That’s a lot of moolah.
It also says: “Of this figure, a total of $125.457 million was committed to high performance sport in 2006/2007.”
Now I think I’m okay with $125 million being directed at high performance sport. I’m hoping that means sports most of us participate in, watch and play it.
What worries me is that $125 million is going to non high-performance sport. What in blazes does that mean?
I’m funding walkers? Or archers? Or the redevelopment of Brookvale Oval?
So if I’m going to have my say in where my money, and your money is being spent, I think it should go to the trophies most important to Australia.
But what are the most important trophies to Australia?
I’ve made a quick list and divided them into trophies we don’t have (and therefore are the highest priority) and trophies we have won but must retain regularly.
Let’s start with those we’ve won.
The Ashes is obvious, but it’s safely within our grasp for the foreseeable future, bar the occasional and unlikely upset. Maybe a little bit to fund the original urn’s travel to Australia, and a little ornate building to house it in, somewhere in the Botanical Gardens.
The Bledisloe Cup is one trophy which has to be won and also retained for extended periods. Some money would be well directed with the aim of retention. While the Rugby World Cup is arguably more prestigious, the winning of it doesn’t quite match the feeling of beating the Kiwis at the game they define themselves by.
All four tennis Grand Slam trophies must be a high priority – in particular the Australian Open – as well as the four Golf Majors, starting with the Masters.
Olympic track and field Gold Medals, especially a Men’s 100 metre sprint Gold Medal, is worth a go.
A men’s or women’s Marathon Gold is achievable.
A men’s heavyweight boxing Gold Medal would also look good in the national pool room.
But the trophy we should go after the hardest, and direct most of our resources to, has to be the Football World Cup.
The Jules Rimet Trophy is undoubtedly the most prestigious trophy in the world, and the winning of it should be our nation’s top priority.
About one hundred million a year should do it.
And then whatever is left over goes to the kiddies.
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August 11th 2008 @ 9:48am
Redb said | August 11th 2008 @ 9:48am | Report comment
Towser,
Good comments, thankfully not laced with divisiveness.
There is no dispute that the World Cup is the premier trophy in the world. The issue of Federal Government funding is the question(s).
1. Is chasing trophies the only purpose of Government when providing funding for sport?
2. Should one sport due its massive global presence take most of the funds to the detriment of other sports?
3. Does the round ball game with all of its global advantages need any Federal Government funding in the first place?
4. In the AFL for example, the AFL governing body provides the majority of funds to support and grow the game. Should not the FFA approach FIFA to do likewise?
Redb
August 11th 2008 @ 10:57am
Towser said | August 11th 2008 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Redb
Regarding questions 1-3. I guess this is really something only the Federal Government can answer. Having watched the Hollowmen on the ABC recently if theres any ring of truth in it who knows what they think one week to the next.
To answer these 3 questions you would need to investigate what other countries(traditional- say England Brazil & non traditional football countries say Japan ,USA have done or are currently doing. Then by comparison you could make an informed judgement.
This sort of leads to question 4. Fifa provide support throughout the world for football,but having 209 nations spread across 6 confederations one country isn’t going to be favoured above others. Generally I believe the confederation gets the cash from FIFA. So I I would assume that Europe doesnt need as much as a developing area like Oceania.
If the Federal Government decides that it is worthwhile to their needs(& that is independent of my or your opinion) that Football needs to grow then YES it does need government funding,because of the number of national teams it supports & a growing A-League. It doesnt have the cash to grow independently. The Government will decide(hopefully Hollowmen is entirely fictitious) whether football is funded further based on their judgement & whether it is acceptable to the electorate as a whole.
August 11th 2008 @ 10:59am
jimbo said | August 11th 2008 @ 10:59am | Report comment
Redb,
football doesn’t need to be the number 1 code for the Socceroos to win a FIFA world cup and they don’t need to “annihilate” the other codes to do it. Don’t worry AFL will be around for another 150 years.
Football is an international game and has very little to do with the other codes or take anything away from them here in Australia.
Rugby has won 2 world cups and is not the number 1 code in Australia and did nothing to diminish the importance of other codes.
It would be a great honour world wide for Australia to win a FIFA world cup and have a great positive international impact. You guys don’t realise just how big football is in the rest of the world.
The money FFA is getting from the government under the current deal is insignificant compared to other sports grants.
In the last FIFA World Cup, the Socceroos lost one nil to Italy in a last minute penalty. Italy went on to win the WC, so I don’t think Australia has no chance of winning it in the next 30 years. With a bit of luck the Socceroos could have made the last WC final.
With more government funding the FFA might have been able to re-sign Guus the Great and give us a better chance at the next WC in SA.
August 11th 2008 @ 11:12am
True Tah said | August 11th 2008 @ 11:12am | Report comment
Jimbo,
whilst it would be fantastic to win the FIFA world cup, I do not think this will make us a ‘better global citizen’ in any way. North Korea has a soccer team that did well in 1966 and it is the only sport they have there…they don’t strike me as a good global citizen?
Having the world cup will be a big boost for tourism too, but I think it is a bit far to say that an Australian will be better ‘accepted’ overseas if they are a soccer supporter or not.
Re funding, if the money goes towards community projects like maintaining junior fields, then I have no issues…if government funding goes towards bringing our overseas stars by paying them to play in Australia when they are earning $500,000 a week, then yes I do have an issue with that, if it goes to propping up professional HAL sides which would collapse otherwise, then I would have an issue with that as well.
Hopefully the Womens league will be similar to the ANZ Championship in terms of being able to get decent coverage and increasing crowds, and I think it will be able to stand on its own two feet.
August 11th 2008 @ 11:18am
Towser said | August 11th 2008 @ 11:18am | Report comment
Jimbo
The key as far as I can see to winning a World Cup is consistency in actually participating in it.
So we have to keep qualifying.
I disagree with Spiro absolutely in this respect. Australia is learning about World Football much faster than I ever anticipated(just look at the measures in place in the last 3 years re technical development etc) & the will to learn by the football community is immense.
I’ve followed the QLD scene in particular over the last 27 years & the improvement in technique amongst the current crop of say Roar players is obvious. Kruse,Zullo,Minniecon no longer chase a ball they try to control it & create something when the ball is at their feet. Sure theres a long way to go before we can score a goal like Argentina last night from what I call “pin ball wizard “stuff,but were willing to learn & rapidly.
From my experience of Australians & sport over the years once once this occurs (the will to acheive in a particular area) theres no looking back.
August 11th 2008 @ 11:33am
Redb said | August 11th 2008 @ 11:33am | Report comment
Towser,
I think the ‘Hollowmen’ is right on the money, which accounts for my relatively cheap shot at Rudd and his ‘international statesmen’ ambitions.
I’m far more inclined to support grass roots sports funding than grants for example to keep the A League afloat.
Jimbo,
Well I think do understand just how big the World Cup is, that is not debatable. I’ve always maintained an interest in the growth of soccer in this country and its welcome evolution via the A League and World Cup success in getting to the final 16 in 2006.
What I don’t like is the Federal Government picking winners in sports funding and chasing the WC dream to the extent that other niche sports in a global sense like Aussie Rules become marginalised. Australian football has a very strong cultural background in various parts of the country and the Government should always be mindful of supporting the things that make us unique.
Not getting too nationalistic about this, but everytime a US Corporate buys an Australian food brand we lose some of that identity. We are encouraged to buy Australian, support Australian uniquesness and support Australia in world sport, business,etc. It is a difficult line to tread when it comes to the football codes, yes we all want the Socceroos to do well, but many of us don’t want the country expunging our cultural sporting passions in the uber pursuit of global glory via the World Cup.
Soccer fans get confused by this I know, having spent 2 years on the SMH’s soccer blog – the Flog I know this only too well.
Redb
August 11th 2008 @ 11:36am
Towser said | August 11th 2008 @ 11:36am | Report comment
Redb
“Right on the money”
Now I’m really worried
August 11th 2008 @ 11:43am
Michael C said | August 11th 2008 @ 11:43am | Report comment
So – - on the ‘other sports’ and ‘olympics etc’ tab – - this has degenerated into a soccer (wanna be the only game called ‘football’) search for the holy grail dreamfest.
……………geeze…………how boring.
re names – - AFL is ideally a single competition, in Australia – - for an Australian ‘tab’ that is deeming to refer to all things Aust Footy – including AFL, VFL, SANFL, QAFL, WAFL, local leagues, country leagues, TAC cup etc etc – - then, AFL is vastly underselling – - in the same manner as NRL is to Rugby League. It would be like using the ‘Super 14′ ‘brand’ instead of “Rugby” or “Union”.
However – - the AFL themselves have worked hard to ‘brand’ the ‘AFL’ ‘brand’, such that AFLQ and AFLNSW and even international leagues are, I gather, getting ‘better’ support should the AFL brand/logo be ‘incorporated’.
I guess its a period of transition.
August 11th 2008 @ 11:47am
Redb said | August 11th 2008 @ 11:47am | Report comment
Towser,
I lament the fact that the West Wing type of government just does not exist. Although even the fictional West Wing crew would run a polling sample before making a decision.
Governments tend to attach themselves to success orientated vehicles, the flavour of the month has been the round ball’s recent rise and its global reach.
Redb
August 11th 2008 @ 11:53am
Michael C said | August 11th 2008 @ 11:53am | Report comment
Midfielder -
the ‘outside’ of NSW thing is simply to state that the illustrated importance of soccer is less outside of NSW (Sydney in particular). That’s exhibited via participation numbers – - – of tax payers.
Using that as a guide, however, applying this MORE so to the Rugby codes – - where by Union especially (and therefore the BLuddyslow and the Web Ellis trophy) are going to be of greater significance by far to more people in NSW and QLd than any other state – - –
- – - the ashes, on the other hand – - will be far, far more consistant across the entire country…..
….and has a whole lot of history on it’s side, also has the guarrantee of 4 yearly hosting and 4 yearly overlapping touring – - – in competition with England – - – therefore, regularity of known contest, and against the most traditional of rivals.
Nothing anywhere in regards to Aust sport comes near to the Ashes.
That’s my opinion. You may call it a foolish rant – - but, I’ve actually based it to a degree on known and illustrated facts/statistics (which I recognise are only just slightly more dependable than our personal opinions on this site).
btw – - funding for a game like soccer is certainly hard to handle in view of recent discussions about a HECS style arrangement for AIS graduates etc………perhaps that’s the objective though, produce more Aussie soccer players of a better standard, send them off to Europe, and take 20% of their wages about $100,000 a week!!!!!
I still find it ironic that this all powerful global behemoth of soccer so desperately needs and apparently warrants major fed govt funding……..oh, that and a free new stadium in Melbourne………can’t wait for soccer in Australia to properly learn to stand on it’s own two feet, stop relying on hands outs.