Football Federation Australia coped a fair bit a while back – and many argued that it was deserved. The A-League was in free fall. Frank Lowy’s role was being questioned, with some suggesting football would be better off without him.
Ben Buckley was seen as the worst sports administrators in Australia’s history.
A-League season six saw crowds drop for the third year. Lyall Gorman was drafted from the Mariners to head the A-League for season seven. Gorman set about holding fans forums after which he made changes to the A-League.
The biggest change was developing a new season start and draw. It’s history now that crowds in A-League season seven increased by a third and TV rating increased by 42 percent. Was it Harry and Emmo returning, FFA’s new management, or a combination of both?
FFA failed badly under Buckley with North Queensland Fury. This failure was added to by Clive Palmer’s Gold Coast in and out until Frank Lowy stepped in and said Clive is out.
The Newcastle Jets left and came back under the ownership of Nathan Tinkler, Perth Glory came close to leaving as Tony Sage’s nerves were broken by taunting fans, and even the Central Coast Mariners were battling close to the win.
Exacerbating the issues in the A-League were national teams failing to qualify for major tournaments.
The FFA started a team in Western Sydney to replace the loss of Gold Coast United. Gorman was again drafted into the head role.
Gorman held fans forums and the ‘Wanderers’ name were created out of the forums. Most believe the Western Sydney Wanderers are now going well and ticking most boxes as the FFA learn from previous mistakes. Some even suggest the old NSL folk are getting behind the Wanderers as the engagement activities from the FFA start to work.
A national talent identification program has been established. The top players have been identified and coached. New coaching standards have been established.
In 2015, the Asia Cup will be played in Australia and to date the organisation of it appears to be well done. Recently Mike Cockerill wrote how FFA and Buckley were fighting for access to fields and stadiums. Mike’s article indicates FFA are supporting Sydney Olympic in their fight with the Canterbury Bulldogs over Belmore Oval. Is FFA fighting for the rights of a former NSL club a turning point?
Every football forum and every fan understands the importance of the next media deal, both for financial stability and to grow the game outside football’s few heartlands. Have FFA rebuilt the A-League to a high value sports for media outlets?
Have FFA clawed their way back into favour?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I assume it will just be the Match of the Round broadcast live & with 1 highlights each week.
Griffo
Roar Guru
LIVE streaming, now that is interesting. All games or match of the round? I found out last weekend that the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) has ramped up their live streaming efforts (fan led initially - interesting story right there) in the absence of a media deal. Fans are lapping it up both here and overseas. The W-League is a niche competition in a similar sense to the AIHL but I am hoping that both the FFA and ABC's initiative is a good means of both cutting their teeth in this media delivery sense (well, for FFA at any rate) and that this might be a sign of things to come for the A-League to be streamed at some point in the future.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Kasey & Bondy I've also just found out there will still be LIVE W-League matches broadcast every week using 21st century online platforms. The ABC & FFA websites will BOTH be streaming games LIVE - this means every person connected to the internet around the globe can watch W-League live whenever they have an internet connection! So, we now have W-League: a) 1 hour highlights package on FTA TV in prime-time on Saturday PLUS b) LIVE matches via 21st century online technology Absolutely shocking news for Football :-)
Bondy.
Guest
This is a little confusing I agree with Fussballs theory,there was market demand for it in the first place.I watched it at 3.00 pm and I maybe be wrong but it sounds like a new and improved highlights pkge but I may be wrong.I enjoy watching women play and not in a sexist way.
Kasey
Guest
I was more concerned about the lack of football on FTA TV that I never considered that possibility. Since SBS lost the rights to domestic football we have really struggled to get our sport on FTATV unless we throw a bin at someone..oops, too soon? I think as more money enters the game here and thus as we get more professional in the HAL we will all get exposed to the odd-kick off changed to suit TV.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Kasey This may be a blessing. If I'm reading the media release properly, it seems ABC wants to show W-League at 5pm b/c it is prime-time & rates higher than it does at 3 pm? I can't see this as a major issue. If more people are watching highlights at 5pm than watch live matches at 3pm, then the market has spoken Perhaps, the W-League should consider moving the ABC Match of the Week to a 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. kick-off?
Kasey
Guest
ABC TV has scrapped its live coverage of the W-League in a major blow for the women’s national soccer competition. Canberra United’s title defence will be seen on delay, a one-hour highlights package replacing the live broadcast, which has been in place for the W-League’s first four seasons. The ABC had shown the match of the round live at 3pm Saturday, but its coverage for the 2012/13 season will now consist of a one-hour highlights package of one game at 6pm. The Canberra Times understands increased ratings for the primetime timeslot played a significant role in the decision. Highlights packages have only been shown when there has been a clash with another sport. That happened last season when Canberra United’s semi-final with Melbourne Victory coincided with the Australian Open women’s golf. ***The ABC’s decision means there will be no Australian soccer shown live on free to air television.** Every A-League game is broadcast live on Fox Sports, while the Socceroos are also exclusively on the pay television provider. The draw for the upcoming W-League season hasn’t been released, but it’s understood Canberra United will open the season with a grand final rematch against the Brisbane Roar at McKellar Park on October 20. Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/football/abc-dumps-live-wleague-coverage-20120816-24aa6.html#ixzz23fotNsGK
Kasey
Guest
A couple of very interesting points raised in this article: - Effective immediately HAL clubs will pocket 100% of any transfer fees generated up from the previous 80% with 20% to FFA – a $3mil hit to FFA's bottom line based on last season) - The clubs(JALSC) expect/hope the New TV rights deal to be concluded by October of 2012!!…Now THAT would give a huge boost to the start of the HAL season! - Clubs are pushing for a travelling party of 21 – currently funded by FFA to 18(points to an increased bench in the future.) Clubs currently take 23. - FFA to Club distribution is currently $1.9mil/club – the salary cap is $2.5mil. PG boss Tony Sage's view on that: "It's not really FFA's fault - you can't really squeeze blood out of a stone. source: http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1116356/Sage-the-lone-wolf-as-owners-battle-FFA
Rob
Guest
Try telling that to channel 7 or news limited and see if they will believe you?
Rob
Guest
Cris Ikonomides is now playing for Atalanta in Italy actually.
Franko
Guest
Been watching since the early 1980s actually. So I am about 10 years off your good self. What you say is very true and I agree. But, the rest of the world has moved on, improved and the money required now is so, so much more than you did need back in the day. My concern is not about the grassroots, that seems to be growing exponentially. The top level here is failing. And that needs money, which is the old chicken and egg situation. Personally, I think soccer followers are their own worst enemies. They watch the Euro leagues and expect it to be like that here or they snub it. They are a large chunk of the problem.
Kasey
Guest
If you read the article you'd notice that of the 6 things the owners asked for, they have received commitments to all 6 from the FFA, this hissy fit is the football equivalent of the National Emquirer/New Idea muckraking a photo of a celebrity who had a large lunch into a "Baby Bump?" The consternation appears to come from the time frame of events. Given the bigger TV deal on the horizon, I'm not particularly worried. I did email the CEO of my club this morning (and received a nice reply) asking them to think of the game and conduct these sorts of things behind closed doors in the future.
Bondy.
Guest
Gwils
Guest
Owners at loggerheads with FFA again, as I said, it's a case of walking around the block, just when you think you've turned the corner, you remember that you've actually seen this house before.
Bondy.
Guest
Interesting read (http://www.marca.com/2012/08/09/en/football/barcelona/1344531076.html). Night owls.
Midfielder
Guest
Just a little survey I have taken .... { I am sure others are as well but in much greater detail than mine] ... First a simple reason of how I have done this and how easy it is... I have opened a new practice on the Central Coast with the view of moving what clients I can from my Northern Districts [of Sydney] to the CC and build a practice in the area I plan to retire in [advice I often give so tho I would take my own advice]... So to reduce costs... my net connection is tho my mobile and has limits before you need to buy more down load time... To reduce the downloads I reduce some sites I use to mobile view ... i.e. no pictures and big heading etc... Now to my stat ... the phone site gives a summary of the most read stories for the day ... in sport over the last two weeks football in the off season has been the most read and sometimes two or three articles in the top five each day .. today as I post this football is 1 , 2 & 5 ...
Timber Tim
Guest
Doesn't help when you have the highest stadium rental fee by a country mile compared to other A-League clubs? Interesting to know what crowds you get at Subiaco (cough Pattersons)?
Sports Candy
Roar Pro
Fair enough, but its the coaching staff's responsibility to spot talent and get in touch with them, not the FFA - they don't pick the teams. I thought that Holger and the FFA have made an effort recently to improve communications with players and their agents because there is so many of them now. Player agents and the players themselves should also make contact with the FFA, if they are serious about it. An "international" player (and his agent) should get more money when they are bought and sold, so its in their best interests to keep up contact with the national team managers and the FFA.
Nephilim
Roar Rookie
The German media and public understandably have been very happy over the last 10 years, everything has been very positive, especially since getting more spots in champions league and so forth. Neither should you see any club fold through miss management, as every club must adhear to strict guidelines, submitting financial statements to the DFB each year. So you will never hear complaints on the financial side of things and the pragmatism of the German people accept it and like it.
Griffo
Roar Guru
I agree with you both, but often it appears to me that some players are just raising their hand up in the crowd of Aussie footballers around the world going 'Oi! Over here! I'm available to play if I'm good enough...' merely because there is no contact from their home federation from Oz but other eligible countries are sniffing around. One thing the FFA may need to improve on (or let us plebs know so we can stop speculating) is their contacts of overseas-based footballers, particularly youth players learning outside Australia. Sometimes it seems that only those young footballes learning their trade here via AIS are the ones considered as future Socceroos but the sentiment in general is right: work hard, be patient and you will be noticed.