Ignoring Clive Palmer might be hard but the outspoken billionaire’s calls for reform have fallen on deaf ears at Football Federation Australia (FFA).
The mining magnate was at his dramatic best in Brisbane on Friday when he launched the findings of an “independent national public inquiry” on the state of Australian soccer that he had commissioned.
But it seemed no one at FFA was listening.
That’s no mean feat – Palmer quoted the bible and drew parallels with his quest for change in Australian soccer with the plight of relatives who had fought in world wars.
He even appeared to offer an olive branch to FFA.
Palmer all but withdrew a threat he had made after being stripped of the Gold Coast A-League licence to sue the FFA for $20 million.
And he claimed there was an “open offer” to pump as much as $50 million into a Gold Coast A-League club if the FFA returned the licence.
However, the FFA had no interest in the findings, released by Palmer’s Football Australia (FA), which included concerns over junior football costs, Australia’s failed London Olympic campaign and the A-League not being run by an independent commission.
“We are aware of Clive Palmer’s report into football. We have not received it,” a FFA spokesperson said.
“FFA does not believe it is independent or has any standing or authority.
“Nor is it representative of the community as only a handful of people turned out to forums.”
Indeed, in the inquiry’s report, only 49 people gave their names to independent commissioner Gary Collis despite forums being held nationwide over a month.
However, Collis said many more spoke anonymously because they feared repercussions from FFA.
Collis even claimed a FFA employee organised secret talks with him at a cafe in a bid to share his concerns about the governing body.
“We spoke for 20 minutes when suddenly he jumped up to run out of the coffee shop because he thought someone from the FFA had just walked past – that was the kind of environment that I was working in,” Collis said.
“One guy said to me ‘why would you speak out? – we saw what happened to Clive Palmer’.”
But FFA claimed they were already tackling the issues with the recent release of a five-year strategic plan and the Joint A-League Strategic Committee’s formation.
“FFA is working with A-League clubs, member federations, fans and grassroots members and implementing its Strategic Plan 2015 which provides a focus for growing the game,” the spokesperson said.
But Palmer took credit for the recent FFA changes.
“The FFA has already adopted many recommendations I had made over a long period of time while I was with Gold Coast United,” he said.
“I understand the FFA is beginning a process of listening to the view of A-League club owners who invest millions of dollars into the sport and this principle should also be extended to the wider football community.”
Australian Rules
Guest
Some Australian Football fans get upset when people call the sport: "AFL". I personally couldn't care less. And I understand that it just makes the sport easier to identify amidst a crowded sports market... (there's potentially 4 "football's" in Australia!) Those "football" fans who claim to be affronted by the use of "soccer" are just hyper-sensitive European-wannabes. In Australia, the game is called "soccer"...just like our national team.
oly09
Guest
Having read this report, it isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Examples of how the FFA is poorly run include a "web contributor" approaching Buckley at a game about an idea he had earlier discussed and Buckley saying "Who are you?" Wow - explosive stuff! It also quotes from many negative articles written about the FFA, such as an article from the Northern Star quoting Craig Moore. How is that even relevant? I feel sorry for the guy who had to write this report. I don't think it will be something highlighted in his CV in the future.
Mark Roth
Guest
Why? The sport's name is Association Football--and soccer is a longstanding and widely used abbreviation.
whiskeymac
Guest
saw that. Neal eh.... must be a karma thing.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Maybe you should. You are just as entitled to do so as Palmer. Perhaps more so, if you truly love soccer. Palmer seems to think that because he's a billionaire, people should care what he thinks. He's completely wrong.
The Bear
Guest
Maybe I should write my own report. Then email it to FFA. Gee... I wonder if they'll read it?
Midfielder
Guest
TC I hope so we have two directors being sued by the ATO for unpaid taxes by the club...
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Don't forget CCM must be very close to signing up new Russian investors.
Roarfan
Guest
Fussball. I like your comments. The tide certainly has turned and the criticism (often unwarranted) of the FFA is getting less and less. Onwards and upwards for football in Australia.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
So, 2 months ago, the Football haters in AUS gleefully reported about the potential demise of professional club football in AUS. But, the FFA remained calm & didn't panic. The FFA quietly went about the job of running the only global team sport we have in Australia and, now, 2 months later the FFA is exactly where it wanted to be: a) Palmer is gone b) Tinkler is back c) our NTs (senior, u17 & u20) are all about to embark on important World Cup Qualifiers d) all indications are that this HAL season will attract more fans in the stands than we've ever had in Australia's Football history; heck, even e) our Women's football league is part of the "water-cooler discussion" - and, it's the off-season! See ya, Clive - thanks for the $18m & good luck with the Titanic!
Midfielder
Guest
Clive will not sue... [read Frank had him] ... Tinkler and Sage back in ... the new committee ... a new Western Sydney team... SFC getting's it act together ...MV with a decent coach... technical developments developed by FFA receiving praise from everyone ... best juniors being kept... creditability of FA in free-fall... Clive Plamer this time met his match, if a boxing match it would be stopped... having said all that it is still a sad state of affairs ... someone with CP's money would was good for football... meaning in an indirect way he propped FFA up by forcing a choice between himself and his FA and Frank and the FFA .... he was and will never win that battle...
Bondy
Guest
+ 1 .
nordster
Guest
What rubbish, fear of repercussions ...if there's one thing Clive does well its hyperbole. His guy there makes it sound like a spy novel. Far from being this forward thinking review or watchdog, it's just seeking to take "soccer" back to the good old politicking days. No thank u !!! While the are issues with the league, and it needs to evolve ...his review process never seemed at all like the grassroots thing they paint it as. And to suggest the lack of support is based on fear ...
Kasey
Guest
Good point. If the man was a true believer he'd get the name of the sport right wouldn't he? just saying.
Titus
Guest
I would ignore anything that was called a "soccer" report.
Kasey
Guest
Gee its got the right amount of delusional paranoia in it to be a Clive Product, remember this is the guy who accused the CIA of funding the greens. I was particularly taken by this line in the report: "We had APIA (Leichhardt), South Melbourne, Heidelberg (United), we had Marconi, all these clubs had the infrastructure there, they had the supporters, had the crowds. Why am I not surprised that a bloke who ran GCU thinks 2-5000 is an acceptable crowd? So Clive's answer is to return to the NSL days? Fail. Must have interviewed a very wide bunch of interested parties before compiling this report then. Football has moved on. It is much more professional and in all aspects open and poised for expansion into the mainstream. Piss off Clive, you are not interested in football nor are we in your blowhard antics.
Roarsome
Guest
+1 -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Hear, hear....
Johnno
Guest
The FFA really have to change there business models and image, they are seen as too bossy and make it clear they are the boss. Where is the democracy from the FFA and free speech in others being allowed to give the FFA advice on how football is run in Australia. The FFA need to listen to the fans more and listen too old football who they have marginalised and isolated. The same teams who have produced so many soccer's, like sydney olympic, marconi eg harry Kewell, bozza, and Swarcher, and sydney united jason culling. And clive palmer rocked the FFA boat and his momentum should not be stopped, the FFA should make peace with clive palmer for the better of football.