Last season’s controversial grand final, the introduction and success of the Western Sydney Wanderers, and the high-profile signings of Alessandro Del Piero, Emile Heskey and Shinji Ono have all been front-page news for Australian football.
The arrival of David Gallop as the new CEO of the FFA, and the announcement that the Socceroos and the A-League would return to free-to-air television next year, were both considerable achievements for football.
However, I would argue that the most important moment came off the field, through the release of the FFA’s ‘Multicultural Audit.’
The report, conducted by consulting company Red Elephant Projects, is part of Football Federation Australia’s so-called ‘multicultural fan engagement campaign.’ After some questionable attempts to engage with the football community over the past decade, full credit must go to the FFA for officially recognising what we’ve all known for the past forty years – that football’s greatest strength is in its diversity.
With the A-League boasting players ‘from all continents with 56 ancestries represented’, football administrators have been quick to claim that football is “the face of Australia.”
The release went largely unnoticed in the middle of a busy A-League season. But in truth, the tone of the report represents a profound change in the relationship between the game’s governing body and its multi-ethnic constituents.
Almost 25 years ago, as the National Soccer League (NSL) entered the 1990s, the Australian Soccer Federation (ASF) commissioned the Bradley Report into the Organisation of Australian Soccer. Like most reports into football during the NSL era, Sydney academic Graeme Bradley blamed the game’s “ethnic image” for the National Soccer League’s lack of penetration.
“In the long term”, Bradley concluded, “the ASF needs to create the image that soccer is not ethnic.” Indeed, according the the report, one of the five major problems facing football was that “it is seen as a game for ethnics.”
The report followed calls by commentators and columnists for the game to be Australianised. In early 1990, Frank Scicluna of Australian Soccer Weekly criticised the NSL as “nothing more than a bigger version of the off-season Ethnic Cup.”
Indeed, the Bradley Report became a blueprint for the reform administration of David Hill and George Negus, who looked to develop franchised, district-based clubs like Perth Glory and Northern Spirit as a way to offset ‘ethnic’ clubs such as Marconi Stallions, Melbourne Knights (née Croatia) and Adelaide City Zebras (née Juventus).
As we now know, some of these new franchised sides provided the genesis for the A-League, which has separated itself entirely from the so-called ethnic NSL clubs.
The Bradley Report, however, was no isolated voice. In fact, for the best part of its 28-year history, NSL administrators blamed poor crowds and media coverage on displays of visible ethnicity, and on the image that football was a game for foreigners.
Making the game ‘Australian’ became something of an obsession. As early as 1978, teams were ordered to remove symbols of ethnic allegiance from their names and badges, often causing enormous conflict between the governing body and the clubs.
Indeed, the de-ethnicisation of Australian football even drew the ‘father of multiculturalism’, Al Grassby, into the debate. According to Grassby, de-ethnicising the image of Australian football was “a very serious subject”, with “far-reaching effects, not only for those involved in soccer.”
Later, politicians Mike Rann and Morris Iemma also weighed into the debate, condemning the the game’s administration for distancing themselves from their perceived ethnic image.
Similarly, in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald in December 1987, the former editor of Soccer World , Andrew Dettre, criticised the governing body’s “periodic crusades to cleanse soccer’s image.” According to Dettre, football was destined to be “deeply ethnicised.”
More than two decades later, the A-League has few of these problems. Frank Lowy, John Singleton and John O’Neill laid the foundations for football to become ‘Australian’ in a way that the NSL and the ASF never could.
Ensuring that catch-all clubs are politically ‘neutral’ and representative of their geographical area has ensured, as John O’Neill once predicted, that “everyone would be pitched together.”
In truth, the A-League has triumphed by assimilating Australia’s diverse football family.
It is with some irony then, that the FFA has begun to positively conflate football and multiculturalism. The report proudly states the game’s cultural and linguistic diversity.
The question that has to be asked, surely, is why now? Why is it suddenly acceptable for the game to celebrate diversity?
Following World Cup qualification back in 2005, commentators began to celebrate the multicultural Socceroos. Michael Cockerill – who in 1983 lamented “the destructive spiral of a stubbornly ethnic game” – suddenly waxed lyrical about the rich tapestry of the Socceroos.
22 years after telling the game’s ethnic constituents to “lump it”, Cockerill was now singing the praises of the multicultural nation.
Similarly, Nick Giannopolous commented in 2006 that the “culturally integrated” Socceroos would silence critics of multiculturalism. Australia’s footballers were, according to Giannopolous, “the microcosm of our community.”
It has taken longer, however, for the governing body to get on the multicultural bandwagon.
Considering the Socceroos and the A-League’s ‘mainstream’ appeal, the FFA are currently operating from a position of strength, not marginalisation. Success had bred a new appreciation of the game’s diversity.
Or perhaps football administrators – having banned all displays of ethnic nationalism at A-League games, including the waving of foreign flags – feel that they have the ethnic element under control.
In any event, football should be proud to boast its multicultural credentials. As Craig Foster commented in late October, “Australia needs football as much as football needs Australia.”
Similarly, incoming CEO David Gallop recently argued that “no other sport can truly reflect the unique multiculturalism of our country.”
However, while patting ourselves on the back in this multicultural moment, the football community should also remember that ‘ethnics’ have too often also been made the scapegoat for the failings of the game in Australia. Football has been perhaps the most willing of all Australian sports to savage its own support base.
For now, congratulations to the FFA. It can only be positive that, in the space of just a few decades, the way in which we speak about football has transformed from “a game for ethnics”, to “the face of the nation.”
Hopefully, we can continue to celebrate diversity in the bad times as well as the good.
Nick Hatzoglou
Guest
Daryl, you make some terrific points. The challenge remains for Rugby League / AFL to be more reflective of contemporary Australia and increase its multicultural engagement, not only in the playing ranks at the highest level but across coaching, administration & umpiring. The Indigenous component whilst it has recently leveled is something the AFL can be proud of but should not get complacent about. Still no Indigenous coaches, umpires or administrators at the highest level. The Pacific Islander foray into League is outstanding, but this is only a small sliver of the multicultural sector, where are the others? I think the FFA understands the importance of the multicultural history of football in Australia and are taking careful steps to engage it more meaningfully. Nonetheless the A-League has a promising reflection of Australia’s current population but lots of work to do with engaging the first Australian’s (good signs Mark Williams and Travis Dodd) With respect to Cricket, the quicker they get Usman Khawaja into the test team the better. Cricket, whilst an international sport is too skewed in Australia to the dominant demographic when it comes to elite level players. Are there no players of culturally diverse backgrounds coming through the pathways? Can the system be strengthened to get this flow through? To secure its future as one of Australia’s premier sports cricket must connect more strongly with the other 50% of the population. Will require change agents with the necessary skills, allocated adequate budget and strongest support from the CA commission. Indigenous, little progress since the first touring team to the UK. Very disappointing. Although CV and other states are doing some good work around the Imparja Cup. In summary, lots to do for everyone. Must maintain appetite for progress and inclusion. Regards Nick
Daryl Adair
Guest
Hi Nick, I think that, in actuality, these three sports all have considerable ethnocultural diversity, though with variations. The AFL and the NRL are very strong in terms of Indigenous participation - about 10-12% of contracted players. The NRL is particularly strong in terms of Maori and Pacific Islander participation - about 36% from memory. Together with NRL Indigenous players, they make up nearly half of the playing group! HAL features a number of international players, which certainly adds to its ethnocultural mix. Unlike, say, cricket each of these three codes has strong participation from across Australia's multicultural communities, though there are variations. I think the "appeal to Australians" argument around ethnicity "should" be an issue of the past. Where bridges need to be built, in my view, is between the former NSL clubs that have a strong ethnic lineage and still feel marginalised by the restructure of football under the A-League. It is all well and good for the FFA to trumpet its multicultural playing base, but they need to be careful of hubris. After all, the A-League was born, at least in part, by a spurning of ethnic clubs. Cheers, Daryl
Nick Hatzoglou
Guest
Interesting how AFL & Rugby League needed to become more multicultural and World Football needed to be less multicukltural in order to appeal to more Australians.
Kasey
Guest
+1million
mahonjt
Guest
My problem with MelbCro is rarely his point - but the way he makes it. Rarely do I get a sense that he is genuinely interested in untiing football. I hope I am wrong.
mahonjt
Guest
Yep - it says a lot about Australia - not necessarily football here. A big difference, and the elephant in the room. My son and I feel very welcome at South Melbourne FC who I have been passively and now actively following since moving to Melbourne a decade ago. I made a choice to support them and it doesn’t seem to matter that I and my son are a couple of 'skips'. We just love football and this club has sent a very clear message of inclusiveness and a family friendly atmosphere. Anyway, I didn’t have a NSL club in Sydney as a wee boy, and my three Canberra region clubs all died on me in the 80's and 90's (anyone even remember the great Inter Monaro team?) so it is great to be supporting a club that I know I can support until I die, regardless of a few nutters who hope to exclude me, I know the club does not. I hope more A-League fans see the "two way street" and embrace a State league club regardless of their State division or particular footballing history. I love winter football, and the arrival of the APL in the next couple of years will make it even more interesting.
Daryl Adair
Guest
Thanks so much Fussball and Andyroo. This is terrific information. I will follow up and use it in my Sport Management classes. The students will love this. All the best to you and have a happy new year.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Andyroo is 100% correct. I, too, have read the same version of events re: Kerry Packer approached the ASF with the proposal to bankroll a soccer competition in AUS, provided Channel 9 was given exclusive TV broadcasting rights. Packer was willing to pay much more than Channel 7 paid for the NSL broadcast rights, however, Packer wanted control over the administration of the competition and the ASF administrators didn't want to lose their power. Here is what Midfielder, posted on this website in 2009: http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/07/11/packers-70s-vision-for-football-applicable-to-rugby/ "The full details of the Packer offer was as follows… Kerry Packer had shaken hand with Sir Aurthur George on a TV / Radio national broadcast deal.. the deal was in part sponsored by News limited via ..”The Australian”… The Australian was to have the naming rights to the new league.. essentially Kerry Packer & Rupert Murdock backing football…Packer via TV / Radio Murdock via the Australian. (The Australia was also in start up mode as well) Now it must be understood the media at this point in time… 2UE had John Laws .. who is without doubt the most influential media person in Australia over the last 40 or so years.. 2UE broadcast over all of regional Australia and Laws had a daily audience of close to two million people.. Four things that where present then that are not present now…1) AM radio was still the king of radio, 2) TV had a much bigger viewership& influence than today, 3) No one else had established a national competition..4) there is no John Laws out there anymore in radio land. Part of what excited Kerry was the broad spread of the player base … RU does not have this .. as we have often discussed Sheek RU is more areas and towns of influence not nationally broadbased. Sheek you are right in your endeavors as without a broad based national domestic competition .. it is difficult to see RU competing at the same level it does today in another 20 years.. "
Andyroo
Guest
Unfortunately I can't remember the exact names as I have read a lot (too many) books about Soccer and what was in what escapes me. I'm surprised I couldn't find anything with google and the Arthur George Bio on Wikipedia was incredibly short. I can't recall the timing of the offer and wether it was before or after the NSL started. But basically he went to the federation (no talk of a breakaway league) willing to sponser a mainstream competition but either Arthur George said no or it was just too hard (this was when the ethnic clubs were at their strongest). Not sure if they actually said no or they just dithered for too long and Kerry Packer moved on. Many years later Channel 7 approached Siccer Australia about doing the same thing, handed over their money and then got dudded when Soccer Australia did nothing. They get painted as the bad guy but that deal was two parties treating each other badly. I am sure some of the other posters on the roar would have better access to the details (being overseas makes it hard for me) but they probably aren't paying attention to this old thread.
Daryl Adair
Guest
G'day Andy, I am intrigued by this. Do you happen to remember any of the three books? Would love to follow up any discussions Packer had with Australian soccer officials. Cheers, Daryl
Andyroo
Guest
I have seen it written in at least 3 books. Arthur George was in charge of Soccer at the time.
db swannie
Guest
I call straight out lying/BS . Where is proof of theclaim about KP?
Daryl Adair
Guest
Jimmy, I don't see any particular reason why other countries will want to watch any of our sports. The only ones that feature on the international stage - in terms of viewership - are the Australian Open Tennis, the Formula 1 grand prix, and (to a lesser degree) the Melbourne Cup. The NRL has some following in the north of England and NZ, while Super 15 is watched in three countries particularly. The A-League has traction in NZ. It is tempting - but very naive - to assume that because there are millions of people in Asia (our region) and the rest of the world - all hooked up by TV and the Internet - they will watch sports played in Australia. They either don't have global appeal (as with the AFL), or the standard is modest, such as the NBL, ABL and the A-League.
Jimmy
Guest
[comment deleted]
Daryl Adair
Guest
Jimmy, I will follow this up once I can get to a library. Maybe it is a myth. Midfielder, can you help? Packer was a friend of any sport he thought could help him drive his television network. He had his critics, for sure. But for you to "love" the thought of him "burning in hell" is perverse. Take a good look in the mirror, mate. The Roar isn't a space for hate and vitriol. Daryl
Jimmy
Guest
[comment deleted]
Jimmy
Guest
[comment deleted]
Bondy.
Guest
If you admit to being TC, i'll never return to this website for you.
Anon
Guest
No 'ethnic' club at AFL/VFL level necessarily, although, interestingly, where the NSL and soccer's ethnic based clubs became something to move away from, at lower levels in Australian Football we've seen Box Hill North FC assist the growth of the Southern Dragons Asian based club (Chinese/Vietnamese) in Melbourne in recent years and now the Indian ethnic based Masala footy club is being established. These are aimed at specific ethnicities that in some respects need a bit of a helping hand in accessing the game. Soccer normally doesn't have that problem.
bryan
Guest
I like your sample size-----"I went to an aussie rules game once". In WA,Aussie Rules crowds have been multicultural for as long as I've been around--which is an excessively long time. If you go to any AFL game in this State,you get the same mix of ages & Ethnicities which you get at a "Football" game. Hell!-----A lot of times they ARE the same people!! And players- If you look at a roll call of Aussie Rules greats,Croatian, Italian & other ethnic groups abound. Many of the "Anglo" names belong to Aboriginal players. My brother-in-law,who is German by birth,but whose Stepdad was Polish (what ethnic team should he play in?) played "Soccer","Footy",Basketball (at State level),& Hockey as a young bloke living in Collie WA. His mates came from all over----the reality of ethnicity in a country town! Even before that,my Dad,working in the Railway workshops in the 1950s, had mates from Italy,Croatia, Serbia,Lithuania,& various other places,many of whom followed or played "Soccer" or "Aussie Rules" on the weekend. Of course,in those days,blokes worked a full day in a normal job,went to footy practice,got home late,back to work next day,& played on the weekend. Cricket?-------I just finished watching the Boxing Day Test--try telling all those Sri Lankan supporters that they are not ethnic!