- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Well, North Queensland Fury certainly lived up to their name when their advisory board fronted the media on Wednesday.
Following the club’s axing from the A-League, board member Peter Brine demanded a full independent investigation into not just the Fury’s demise but also Football Federation Australia’s running of the league.
One of the biggest issues being raised is the “we’ll just make it up as we go along” attitude FFA has had towards growing the game in Australia.
It’s worth noting that this ad hoc approach has roots dating back to the launch of the A-League in 2005.
Back then, FFA and then CEO John O’Neill had a list of essentials (TV deal, kit manufacturer etc) to put in place before the league could get started.
So O’Neill cobbled together the foundations for a new professional competition as quickly as possible, occasionally doing so without considering the long-term ramifications.
At the time, many felt it was necessary for such deals to be rushed through so the A-League could get off the ground.
Six years on, this approach appears to still be the dominant way of thinking at College St, despite being something of an anachronism, and I hold it responsible for the financial black hole looming in front of a number of A-League sides.
Think how much worse the situation would be if the Newcastle Jets hadn’t found a saviour at the last minute in the form of Nathan Tinkler.
It’s only a matter of time before another club is in similar situation and when that happens, I doubt there will be a fresh coal tycoon to come in and act as the game’s latest knight in shining armour.
So questions now need to be asked about the ownership model FFA has instituted within the A-League.
For example, why were licenses given out to regions that weren’t absolutely necessary (Far North Queensland and Gold Coast) when Australia’s most under-saturated markets (Sydney and Melbourne) hadn’t been fully developed?
Or why was Don Matheson allowed to take sole ownership of a club without any penalties or assurances he wouldn’t simply walk away 12 months later?
And what makes FFA think reshuffling the owner of one failing club to another is the solution the competition needs?
Startlingly, FFA are at risk of making a similarly disastrous decision once again with controversial Indian businessman, Ahsan Ali Syed, set to become the latest owner of an A-League club.
According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald this week, Ali’s company Western Gulf Advisory, has been involved in taking sums of up to AU$1 million from Australian businesses and investors in return for massive loans that never show up.
Now, the latest person to knock on Ali’s door asking for money is Wellington Phoenix owner Tony Serepisos with an offer of a 50% stake in his A-League club as part of a multi-million dollar loan.
Despite these concerns being widely publicised in the Australian and New Zealand media this week, yesterday a spokesperson for the Phoenix told The Roar that Serepisos is “still very confident” of a deal going through with Ali.
It’s scary stuff and has left me pondering whether the North Queensland Fury advisory board’s calls for an independent investigation might be a good start.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.