Socceroos screwed over by FIFA, again

 
Melanie Dinjaski Columnist

By , 4 Feb 2012 Melanie Dinjaski is a Roar Expert

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Socceroos screwed over by FIFA, again + enlarge image

Are we being too tough on the Socceroos? (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

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Of all the half-brained ideas Sepp Blatter has been behind, the plan by FIFA to delay the upcoming Socceroos World Cup Qualifier in Melbourne to a 9.30pm kick-off definitely takes the cake and confirms Australia as the chump of Asian football.

You see, of the 20,000 tickets already sold for the clash on 29 February, I hold two of them. They’ve been on sale for months, but only now are we hearing of this catastrophic amendment.

I’m just one of many flying down to Melbourne for the match originally scheduled to kick-off at 7.30pm.

Luckily the change doesn’t affect my flight itinerary, but with the game likely to conclude just before midnight, it’s not really ideal is it? After two decades of watching live team sports, I’ve never, ever attended a game that late. Wandering out of AAMI Park in a town I’m not familiar with in the early hours of Thursday morning certainly doesn’t appeal to me.

And I’m sure I won’t be the only one.

If the proposed FIFA plan goes ahead, Football Federation Australia can say goodbye to the family contingent of fans, at the very least.
Commercially, the ramifications for the late kick-off are huge.

For starters TV schedules, which had already been locked in for the 7.30pm timeslot will somehow have to be shuffled at the last minute to accommodate the change.

Then of course, what are the chances of television broadcasters getting what they paid for in terms of ratings? Thanks to Australia progressing, the match was already a dead rubber. Now at a later time, would you stay up to watch it?

The FIFA plan issued just days ago, stipulates that the last two Group D matches must be played simultaneously in accordance with FIFA’s attempt to prevent the possibility of match-fixing. Oman, Saudi Arabia and Thailand are all still eligible to snatch second spot behind Australia.

But with the Oman vs Thailand game happening at 3.30pm Muscat time, why was the Melbourne fixture the one made to adjust its kick-off time, knowing how illogical such a change would be for players, coaches, organisers, sponsors and fans?

The FFA said they have issued an immediate call to FIFA to re-think the proposal. Knowing FIFA however, what’s done is done, and I do believe there’s little to nothing we can do about it now.

Such is the power those dimwits hold.

And such is the lack of respect shown to the Australian football community.

You can follow Melanie Dinjaski on Twitter @MelanieDinjaski.
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