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Everyone involved in soccer across Australia will play a part in making the sport the country’s No.1 under an ambitious new “whole of game” plan.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) boss David Gallop on Thursday announced the start of a four-month consultation process with all stakeholders – from the grassroots to national level – to help layout a blueprint for the game’s future.
Gallop said soccer had massive potential, but didn’t have the money, resources or structures to harvest the opportunity.
“We have many mouths to feed, but rarely do we have enough to go around,” he said.
“We could sit and wait for things to change – and certainly the game will continue to grow if we were to continue our current course – but leadership demands more of us at FFA.”
The chief executive conceded the so-called ‘national plan’ would not be an overnight fix and would take longer than the next four-year World Cup cycle.
“But we need to start and the first step is to galvanise this generation to address this challenge,” Gallop added.
He dismissed suggestions it was an acknowledgement that there was still an element of mistrust towards the FFA from sections of the soccer community, particularly from active fan groups.
“I think it’s actually the opposite,” Gallop said.
“We’re starting to build momentum. Let’s make the most of that momentum.
“I think it’s part of the evolution when you’re a relatively young organisation, only 10-years-old, that you need to continually reassess where you’re at.
“We sense that this is the right time to undertake this exercise.
“There is a unity of purpose and that’s the time to take this opportunity to actually bring everybody onto one track.”
A-League expansion will be one of many topics addressed, as will issues around the shortage of facilities, engagement with fans, player and coach development, and governance.
The consultation process will be completed by the end of the Asian Cup in January next year, and will be rolled out from July.
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