If only Simon Hill were Football Federation Australia CEO. The commentator’s passionate retort to Rebecca Wilson’s article articulated the perfect amount of distain felt by fans, supported by evidence and discussed in context.
The rebuttal offered a stirring defence of a sport hit from pillar to post in the News Corp press, and unfortunately David Gallop’s statement on Wednesday paled in comparison.
The only quarrel Gallop seemed to have with the piece was the notion that the FFA was complicit in the bans by withholding the information to the public.
“What part of banning 198 people supports the allegation that FFA is in denial?” he asked himself.
A genuine argument nonetheless, but for this point of conjecture to be Gallop’s singular objection demonstrates why the CEO struggles to gain any public support.
Four days after the fact, Gallop finally confirmed the leak did not come from the FFA.
He continued to provide platitudes about how the organisation works with police and authorities to weed out troublemakers, before filling everyone in on his dalliances with the AFC in New Delhi.
While hundreds of online outlets put forward their response, Fox Sports’ headline football program was essentially gagged on the issue.
The ailing Shootout show, one of only two of its kind in the country, could not bring the topic up. This is in spite of working on a panelist format with some of the most opinionated identities in the game – Mark Bosnich, Ned Zelic and John Kosmina.
When the game is blindsided like it was on Sunday, the response must be swift and emphatic.
Speaking on the Fox Sports Football podcast, presenter Adam Peacock explained they had invited Rebecca Wilson onto the program to discuss the issue in more detail. Her predictable and cowardly refusal to do so came at no one’s surprise, eventually turning up in the more friendly surrounds of Sky News’ Sports Night program.
Wilson’s subsequent interview with Alan Jones was an exercise in fanning the flames. Rather than opening the article up to genuine scrutiny from those with far superior knowledge and expertise on the sport, she hid away to find solace with a shock jock.
The FFA cannot control the bigotry coming from these News Corp identities, but they can manage the situation in a far more proactive manner.
For Gallop to take four days to dead bat the issue is simply unacceptable.
The Wanderers and Victory will be voting with their feet this weekend, using the weapon of the walkout to voice their disillusionment with the inaction at head office.
The North Terrace and Red and Black Bloc are two of the biggest active supporter bases in the country and their collective protest will be felt at the matches and on television.
Various commentators made the valid argument that this will provide satisfaction for the likes of Wilson, emptying the stands and damaging the game at a vulnerable moment. However, fans clicking through the turnstiles in big numbers before staging the protest appears the best course of action.
If the FFA is going to stand idly by, then it’s up to the real stakeholders of the game to make an impact.
Gallop’s response to the leaks only confirmed why the walkout has to happen. Until the game has a dog with sharper teeth ready to fight the A-League’s corner, these protests are likely to continue.
If only Simon Hill could be CEO.
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