What does FFA have to hide from local media?

 
Davidde Corran Columnist

By , 3 Aug 2010 Davidde Corran is a Roar Expert

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If you flick through the local version of FourFourTwo’s August edition, 89 pages in you’ll find an article on Australia’s World Cup bid that says: “FourFourTwo spoke to (Football Federation Australia) CEO Ben Buckley and garnered about as much information as someone with an internet connection and the ability to type ‘Australia World Cup bid’ into Google.”

It’s a remarkable, and hilarious, line that makes it pretty clear the writer isn’t happy with Mr Buckley one bit.

So why are those in charge of FourFourTwo so upset with Buckley and why is the most monumental task taken on by FFA in the games history only receiving half a page of coverage, three pages from the end of their magazine?

My friend and colleague Tony Harper, who is editor of FourFourTwo’s rival magazine Football+, picked up on the story on his blog last week.

“Their interview with FFA boss Ben Buckley was so predictably dire the only surprise to me is 442 bothered with it at all,” wrote Harper.

“Their dissatisfaction seemed to be that Buckley had nothing to say to them. My belief is Buckley just has nothing to say to any of us.”

It turns out Tony wasn’t far from the truth.

Andy Jackson, Publisher of FourFourTwo Australia, revealed what actually happened as a comment on Tony’s blog.

“Originally we had planned for the interview to span 5 pages and be a major feature – a rallying call to the converted on the home straight to the December decision,” explained Jackson.

“Now the World Cup’s over and in the face of increasing negativity from the mainstream media with vested interests in protecting their respective “footy” patches what can the 100,000 Aussie fans who read 442 mag and web site each month do to help bring the World Cup here.

“Instead of the intended interview, we got what you read. We discussed not running it at all but then people would be none the wiser that we’d even spoke and could have pointed the finger at us asking what we’re doing to help. We tried and have been trying for months to raise the profile of what has to be the lowest key world cup bid I’ve ever seen.”

As it turns out a similar thing happened to Football+, with Harper explaining as much in his aforementioned blog.

“The magazine I edit, Football+, was seeking to do a big feature for our new edition, talking up our World Cup bid with interviews with Buckley and Frank Lowy.

“Our Associate Editor, Matthew Hall, requested some face time with the pair in South Africa. When they belatedly responded we were granted, instead, the opportunity to send in some questions via email which they might reply to if they had time. Judging by the fruits of 442′s 15-minute hard labour, we made the right decision to decline.

“If the two people charged with spending $40 million of government money couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to spruik up their bid and rally hundreds of thousands of committed football fans – those who spent a deal of money buying Football+ and 442 and the other football mags before the World Cup – then why should we be that bothered?”

For my mind, this is a real concern.

I’ve always had a problem with the lack of transparency that FIFA’s World Cup bidding process entails but what does FFA have to hide from magazines like FourFourTwo and Football+?

Surely it’s in their best interests to enjoy as much coverage as possible. Let alone the fact they should be explaining to the football community of Australia exactly what it is they’re spending their time on.

Yet is the problem Ben Buckley’s approach to media management or the culture surrounding FFA?

Yesterday saw the A-League season launch come and go. In the words of one journalist present, there was “lots of corporate hot air, management speak and buzz words being tossed about”.

Hardly inspiring stuff, just like every year.

When it comes to increasing the A-League’s media profile, FFA regularly hits stumbling blocks.

For example, this is the only football competition I’ve attended without a mix zone (an area where the media gets access to interview players after a game) anywhere in the world, and at the moment, my tally is well into double figures.

It’s not just the media who are getting frustrated.

Take a look at comments made yesterday on the A-League’s Facebook page from fans and a glance at some A-League fan blogs sees those same concerns repeated.

Whether it’s the closed book attitude of Australia’s World Cup bid, or the media shy approach of the A-League, the problem is clear.

And Ben Buckley is the leader who isn’t doing enough about it.

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