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With failed A-League expansion, small thinking, authoritarian rule, and wasted time on a pointless World Cup bid, the FFA are holding football back in Australia. I join the ever-growing group of people calling for football-people in a progressive Football Federation Australia.
The FFA team seem to have been well-suited for most of their actions in this first wave of growth and reforms but they have shown that they are absolutely incapable of working in a deeper-football world, where further insight and knowledge of the game are needed.
They are completely attached to total power but won’t use that power anymore to progress the game, rather only focusing on very narrow-minded issues that they seem to think are the only things football is concerned with, when football operates in a grand world related to everything from stadiums, to business, culture and philosophy.
Focusing on the World Cup bid seemed to be the FFA’s highest priority, but was destined to failure because we did not cheat and bribe our way to success. The FFA have neglected our domestic issues in favour of the chance to secure the 2022 World Cup, and now we are left with nothing.
With Frank Lowy wanting to secure his own legacy and not the legacy of football in Australia, the FFA have in the meantime avoided the most important domestic issues of football and failed the public.
The FFA say they have a big job ahead of them but I doubt they should consider their jobs secure as they have failed time and time again to have any real foresight and plan, and seem unable to take football forward any more.
Constantly comparing themselves with Australia’s other codes, which couldn’t be further from the unique world of football, and responding to every bit of criticism from the media, the FFA at the moment aren’t leaders but are moving backwards with the people who do not feel passionate for the game in Australia.
There needs to be some sort of government intervention, similar to what is happening in England at the moment with a government intervention and review of all things English football after their failed World Cup bid. So changes can happen in terms of the FFA’s management as well as their powers and how un-involved all the A-League clubs seem to be in terms of decision making and ideas.
Why isn’t there a board with representation from each of the A-League clubs?
I also have to ask why the FFA are so scared of installing a body that is directly focused on the professional league(s) in Australia. Like the LFP in Spain and France or The Football League in England and Scotland, as well as their independent break away Premier League competitions.
Devoted management to these counties professional league’s is the only format for success, accountability and long-term plans and achievements.
People say that the A-League is too small to have a separate commission from the FFA and it wouldn’t work, but obviously what we have isn’t working at the moment in the set up of the FFA.
Wouldn’t it be logical to say the A-League has a lot of issues currently and with the FFA so focused on things like the national team’s, youth development, hosting international events, managing the state federations and so on, there should be more being done about securing the long-term prosperity of our domestic professional league in Australia.
There is no reason why the A-League should be neglected by being thrown in with all these other parts of the game when it is so important to the growth of football in Australia. When you can have an organisation with devoted people only thinking about the league, I think that would benefit the A-League and football, and help further reform and progress as it only can get bigger and better from here.
The A-League might be too small to some to have its own regulatory body but it is not too small in terms of its current issues and barriers.
One could argue that it is more vital to be focusing on the league now, with a devoted management body when it is small and struggling, than when it is developed and popular in all areas.
You can’t say the A-League is over-managed or too focused on currently, it is neglected by the FFA and devoid of any plans, ideas or long-term strategy. These things would only come in the current football environment of Australia, when a devoted league body is established, under license from the FFA, but still independent in terms of management and ideas.
With many articles on The Roar talking of these very issues of FFA inadequacy and much more talk across the media, I hope the public start asking more questions and some changes are made to the management of the FFA.
A group of passionate football-people who care for the game and Australia will secure football in the hearts of the public.
Until then, we will constantly be let down.
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