Australian football’s peak body says it was protecting the image of the game by lobbying to remove a Football Australia (FA) logo from Adelaide United’s playing strip.
Adelaide United players were to have worn a logo of FA, headed by businessman Clive Palmer, on their shirts in Wednesday night’s Asian Champions League fixture at Hindmarsh Stadium.
But Football Federation Australia (FFA) asked Asian authorities to review the decision to permit the logo.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) subsequently ordered the logo be removed, prompting FA to threaten legal action.
“This is a case of third party interference in a contract,” Palmer said in a statement on Wednesday.
“And they (the FFA) should be held accountable as to why they have breached Australian contract law.”
FA director Clive Mensink said preliminary investigations had started into legal action against the FFA over its role in breaking the sponsorship contract with Adelaide United.
“Adelaide was the only team in its AFC Champions League group without a sponsor,” Mensink said in a statement.
“The Asian Champions League is an expensive exercise and this stab in the back from the FFA would be a financial blow to Adelaide United.”
A FFA spokesman said the peak organisation sought a review of the decision to allow the logo “when it became clear not all the relevant information was fully considered”.
“Once AFC was fully appraised of the situation, the approval was overturned,” the spokesman said.
“As the governing body of football in Australia, FFA has a duty and responsibility to protect the image and reputation of the game.
“That is what we were doing in this case.”
Damo Baresi
Guest
Clive Palmer needs to grow up and stop behaving like a spoilt child who was told "no".
David Heidelberg
Guest
The AFL don't play football, they engage in some little cultural oddity that takes place in certain parts of one country.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Towards the end of the article, a good quote from Simon: Colosimo added that the relationship with FFA has been challenging. “But it should be. It should also be effective and it has been. “That is all Brendan. He is the ultimate professional." As the HAL rolls on, it's evolving along the lines of the model proposed by the PFA in their document of 2002. It was probably ignored by Lowy and O'Neil because it was a PFA initiative. http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/APL_For_the_Fans1.pdf I hope Schwab remains involved in Australian football.
whiskeymac
Guest
less cancerous to the game
Steve
Guest
Maybe the FFA should allow cigarette advertising as well...
Lucan
And, oddly, we're not hearing the cries in the comments that clubs should be able to find their own sponsors without FFA restriction. ;)
Kasey
Guest
Oh dear, another court loss for Cartman?
Lucan
This is actually pretty amusing. CP is acting like a jilted ex, skuking and stalking. Time for a restraining order?
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
No doubt GCU could have done with a fly over or two (thousand) promoting their games.
Kasey
Guest
rob: The very questions our fearless Craig Foster neglected to ask in his fawning appearance on TWG a few weeks back:(
Australian Rules
Guest
Exactly rob. What a petulant brat this fat bully is. Expect more efforts from Clive to disrupt the GF at Suncorp...
rob
Guest
Why didn't Clive spent that amount of time and money in promoting GCU and connecting with the community. Where was the helicopter to advertise GCU games?
ManInBlack
Guest
I thought that Australian football's peak body was the AFL? Okay, granted, the small 'f' is the giveaway he. However, we then enter into the FFA and the FA and gawd......it's just getting more and more complicated all the time!!!!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Bonita Mersiades has written a terrific article on the career of the ex PFA CEO Brendan Schwab: http://sportbizinsider.com.au/news/category/hr-and-appointments/analysis-schwab-got-under-ffas-skin-but-won-the-players-respect/