SBS has long been known colloquially as the “Soccer Broadcasting Service,” and many of us were introduced to football thanks in part to Les Murray’s wonderful “World Soccer” program. But former SBS columnist Jesse Fink has lifted the lid on a culture of collusion at the mainly taxpayer-funded network, and his allegations are explosive.
In a damning report on the ABC’s “7.30 Report” last night, Fink alleged he felt pressured by Murray – Editorial Supervisor of SBS Sport – to curtail criticism of Football Federation Australia’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Fink goes further in a blog posted on his website overnight, revealing that two of his columns criticising various aspects of Australia’s World Cup bids were not published by “The World Game” website.
Having recently been informed the contract for his widely read “Half Time Orange” blog would not be renewed, there’s a chance some may view Fink as little more than an ex-employee with an axe to grind.
Yet, it’s clear that if “football fans aren’t getting the full story” from SBS, as alleged by “The 7.30 Report,” then supporters are entitled to ask questions.
Indeed, it wasn’t only Fink who revealed he felt pressured to omit critical references to Australia’s World Cup bid, and in particular those pertaining to FFA consultant Peter Hargitay – a personal friend of Murray’s.
The Roar’s very own Davidde Corran revealed an email from Murray to “The 7.30 Report,” in which Murray allegedly accused Corran of discrediting SBS by criticising Hargitay in a Roar column.
“Well, if you have these things to say, we want to keep them in house, you do them through SBS,” Murray is alleged to have written to Corran.
Point 6 of the SBS Charter of Values urges those at the network to “engage with each other” with “honesty, respect and fairness.”
“Fostering honest, trusting and mutually respectful relationships” and “being fair, clear and transparent in the way we interact with each other” are supposedly the hallmarks of those values.
Yet, it hardly seems “fair, clear or honest” if Fink and Corran – both of whom have worked for SBS in various capacities – felt editorial pressure to exclude negative stories about Australia’s World Cup bids.
And as many have already pointed out, the man alleged to have instigated that pressure is also a serving member of the FIFA Ethics Committee.
For the sake of full disclosure, I should point out I know both Fink and Corran personally.
I met both when I moved back to Australia from Japan and the pair are journalists whose work I respect and appreciate.
But I have nothing to gain, professionally or personally, from highlighting their story.
I’m only interested in the truth, and as football fans that’s something many of us assumed a public network was ethically obliged to deliver.
Les Murray is alleged to have threatened the ABC with legal action over last night’s story, although he declined to comment publicly on the matter.
It comes in the wake of a damaging public spat with Socceroos captain Lucas Neill, after Murray was forced to retract allegations in his latest book that Neill lead a “mutiny” against then-Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek at the World Cup in South Africa.
Murray is a man whose passion for football many of us have long admired.
But his personal friendship with Peter Hargitay, his near-defamation of Lucas Neill, and revelations of editorial pressure at SBS have many second-guessing his integrity.
As a media personality, Murray has done more than any other to lift the profile of football in Australia.
But in his pursuit of the “greater good” of Australia hosting the World Cup, he appears to have confined his journalistic ethics to the rubbish bin.
Jon
Guest
I see you were able to list one stadium – Docklands. I have attended an AFL match there and it is a good example of how government and the investment community can work together to build an entertainment facility. Without government concessions on the sale of the land and government investment in road, rail, and pedestrian access this project would never have commenced, so it is a stretch to say this was fully-funded by non-government sources. I am curious as to why the AFL did not insist on this model being used to fund the Gold Coast or Greater Western stadiums? Maybe Jeff Kennett knew something the QLD or NSW governments don’t!
Marcel
Guest
"Tin Foil Hats", "Straw man arguments".....Its not Jesse, Its our old mate the AFL stooge with his latest re-badgeing
Marcel
Guest
So SBS supported the bid...Wow...frankly id consider it more of a story if they didnt....and at the same time as the WC bid, the govt also spent $40 mill to help promote the movie Australia......I dont hear anyone calling for an investigation into that.
mintox
Guest
I know full well who Peter Hargitay is and what his history is, and therein lies the problem. A lot of it is based on hearsay and allegations rather than facts. Not once during or after the bid process have proper figures every been quoted about how much Hargitay was paid. I've read figures like $11 million, $4 million, $1 million and $400,000. Without knowing how much was paid, how can we start throwing around accusations of financial wrong doings by the FFA. Based on what has been said by our own bid officials, Hargitay was paid to get us close to FIFA officials, something that few, if any in Australian football circles would be able to do. The question is does having a shady background make it wrong for Les to befriend Hargitay, to introduce the bid team to Hargitay or for the FFA to hire him to do a job for them? And if he did the job asked of him for a price without any wrong doing, is it wrong for Les to put editorial pressure on journalists to make sure that unproven allegations aren't printed in their own media? Many might argue as you say, that he is a bit of a con man but if SBS is going to report on peoples opinions rather than on fact, they're no better than a tabloid news organisation.
nordozzz
Roar Guru
defending him? ... or just expecting more than weak, poorly substantiated arguments before condemning him?
nordozzz
Roar Guru
no it just sounds like they expect a level of standards from journalism that u don't ...
One win does not make a Series.
Guest
And Macdonalds, while being the most popular fast food in the world, is not the best meal over all, is it?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@ mds1970 Football goes from strength-to-strength in Australia ... less than 6 months from that failed WC Bid and even our Women's National Football team members are the most significant and recognisable Aussie sportswomen on the planet! In fact ... the names and faces of our Women's National Football team would more recognisable across the planet than any single, or group of, AFL or NRL players. Yeah ... football is really paying a heavy price! The fact that you and The Cattery - 2 staunch AFL fans, who post more negative comments about football than positive - are here tonight discussing a Football issue when several AFL games are being played indicates just how far football continues to infiltrate and control the minds of the non-believers. The fact that every level of Government - in every corner of Australia - jumped on the WC2022 bandwagon indicates just how much Fußball ist unser leben now in Australia ... and it pleases me greatly that the bid has outraged and annoyed so many non-football people.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
He doesn't need to defend himself - others are more than willing to risk their reputations by doing the defending on his behalf - all very peculiar.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Sums it up well. People continuing to defend Hargitay, including many soccer fans right here on the Roar. Why?
mds1970
Roar Guru
Davidde Corran questions Hargitay on The Roar and gets a dressing down from Les Murray. Bonita Mersiades questions Hargitay, and gets sacked. The Age journalists Baker & McKenzie question Hargitay, and the FFA runs off to the court to intimidate them into silence. Jesse Fink questions Hargitay, and gets censored. Why the protection of Hargitay? Whatever you thought of the World Cup bid (and I always believed the bid was a massive mistake, one that football is paying dearly for; and that it would have been better for football had the bid never happened) - it does seem very strange that Hargitay was given such extraordinary protection, and that he was allowed to work away at a cost of so much taxpayer money for a bid that Blind Freddie could see was unwinnable.
nordozzz
Roar Guru
yes and i'd think you'd need more mud to stick than what Fink managed with his columns. Remember Hargitay works in PR and is well versed in defending others, and can probably manage quite well for himself, if given the opportunity.
Futbanous
Guest
241 posts & still counting most unusual for a football only related article. Just saw the 7.30 report . Nothing new that I see. No revelations for football fans. Pretty old hat really. Questions to be answered by many people on the WC bid & in a democracy suppressing the truth is not on. In reality though most people have moved on & the general public never gave a toss anyway. I defend the right of Jesse Fink to speak the truth as he sees it. I also as a football fan have the right to state that most of his articles were in reality unadulterated crap. Sensational,unbalanced whingefests against the FFA in particular.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Yes, except, the tenant is at the negotiation table in terms of raising funds, planning the construction, and doing the deal to have long term rights to the stadium - and without the deal - the stadium would not be built. The so-called "tenant" is the most important detail in this particular case. The FFA is welcome to take the same approach: get private funding of $500 million to build a new stadium, and to pay it off. You and Jon can put together an organising committee, rather then complaining that Government hasn't built you a "stand alone" stadium (which was the comment that started this particular sub-discussion). It's a free country - get to it.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@ The Cattery ... so, a landlord has a property that needs renovation. He uses debt facilities to pay for the renovations and now, the landlord is using the tenant's money to pay back his debt obligations! Fancy that ... what a novel concept; which financial whiz engineered such a complex transaction? I honestly couldn't give a stuff if the MCG was 50k capacity ... it would provide better atmosphere, since a capacity greater than 50k is needed for fewer than 10% of days each calendar year. I'm not an architectural expert but, having visited some great stadia around the world, I find the MCG to be a pretty ugly construction. By contrast, the new AAMI Park is very aesthetically appealing to me.
dasilva
Guest
If you follow SBS blog in TWG website. Every article is a criticism of FFA on them not doing enough for the game. It got so ridiculous petty that during the les murray Neill sage. fink started to criticised FFA for the wording of their statement in denouncing the rumour. It also seem so personal like he is upset of FFA because they sacked his friend Bonita Mersiades Now people wouldn't mind it if he actually write either a) positive articles) or b) just cover the game in general as well but during the last two years that didn't happen. So during Brisbane roar record breaking season, the only time he mentions them is when combined the articel with criticism of FFA. During the Asian cup where socceroos did Australia proud and reach the final. Absolutely nothing throughout 2008-2009, Jesse Fink did write articles about the socceroos and the a-league etc. In 2010-11, it became almost an exclusive FFA bashing. ____ hell Davidde Corran also had a go at Hartigay but I rate him as a writer far more than Jesse Fink because he doesn't sound like a broken record
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Yes - the people own the MCG - and have earned that right by attending many AFL games per annum over many decades. I can only repeat: the MCG has been rebuilt from the ground up, 90% of that has come from private funds - and about 90% of that is repaid by hosting AFL games. If the AFL walks from the MCG - you'd be lucky to have a 50,000 seater remain - very lucky.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Why even mention the MCG ... the State Government of Victoria (i.e. we the people of this State) own the MCG? The AFL is simply a long-term tenant at the MCG and, as all residential tenants would know, their annual rent does NOT bestow any "equity ownership" in the property. And, like every tenancy agreement, if/when the AFL's lease agreement with the MCG terminates, the AFL will depart with ZERO equity in the MCG.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
You are free to make that choice. Let us assume we know nothing about him, if the FFA was willing to plonk millions of taxpayer dollars directly into the pocket of an unknown individual (to receive one solitary vote), then you'd think we have a right to find out something about him - don't you think? Many argue that he's a bit of a con man - on the face of it - it's hard to argue with that!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Jon I have some knowledge of a few AFL stadiums (someone else will have to speak for the NRL): 1. Etihad (or Docklands) was built by the AFL with zero Government assistance, funded by the sale of the wholly owned VFL Park, which was also build with zero Government assistance. The AFL will take over full ownership of Etihad in 2025. 2. The MCG has been rebuilt from the ground up in the last 18 years, 90% through private funding, and 10% through Government funding. It's regular AFL games that pays back the substantial debt on the MCG. 3. I'm not sure here, but I believe AAMI stadium was built by the SANFL. In any event, the fact remains that I am not aware of one single stadium that has been built solely for the AFL's use with 100% Government money - not one. That's the key point I was wishing to make, so it seems over the top that you would expect the Government would build a stand alone stadium solely for soccer.