Janek Speight wrote an eloquent, intelligent, factual and insightful article recently called FFA has gone too far in its attempt to de-ethnicise football.
The article said that what the FFA did was wrong when it stopped the Melbourne Knights from displaying Croatian emblems by way of sponsorship during an FFA Cup match against Olympic FC.
Now, I love being critical. Ask the people I work with about how quickly I can point out 73 faults in a three-sentence letter. Criticism flows fast from me.
And when it comes to being an armchair critic, I stand comfortably on the sidelines, happily telling people doing the job how wrong they are. I’ve got the likes of Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho covered in terms of my tactical brilliance and football nous.
Except there’s being critical, and then there’s missing the point about what someone or something is in fact trying to achieve.
While I won’t go to the trouble of re-hashing events that have been entirely well represented in Janek’s article, there is a single problem with one of his conclusions.
Far from de-ethnicising football in Australia, the FFA is unifying football in Australia. To say that they are dividing it misses the point of the FFA, the A-League and their National Club Identity Policy.
The FFA have made it extremely clear from the get-go, right down to the introduction of the FFA and the original launching of the A-League – old soccer in this country should be proud to be representing everyone through the prism of new football.
That previous sentence is crucial in its detail, because, here is what the FFA has never been about.
1. Disenfranchising true football fans
While it is an easy shot to take that the FFA has ignored old soccer entirely at the expense of a new, commercial, marketable brand, the idea that the FFA is about dis-enfranchising true football fans misses the point.
It is entirely interesting that the harshest critics of soccer in this country said that for too long the game was run by a minority, unwilling to allow the game to grow. That minority is not represented by ethnicity, race, religion or creed, but had previously been represented by incompetence.
Rather, what the FFA has always been about was to say that all fans of football should be allowed to come together, enjoy and celebrate the game, independent of race, religion, gender or ethnicity.
The FFA had simply determined that too many fans felt disenfranchised, irrespective of their origin, and that the game should be loved and embraced by all, while introducing a new era of fans to the game.
2. De-ethnicising the game
The delicacy with which turning the game from a minority sport fanatically played by satellite regions and areas into a national brand with global aspirations has probably not been best handled by the FFA.
And, while the first point about combating disenfranchisement certainly has been a motive, it has not necessarily always been the case. Granted, most old NSL fans have never taken to new football.
But wasn’t the idea of the A-League about creating a football identity that Australians in each and every region could relate to and embrace? Wasn’t Sydney F.C. about creating a metropolitan team that the city could support? Wasn’t the Western Wanderers about creating a team that the western region could barrack for?
It is entirely easy to call what the FFA have been doing as removing past national identities, but that is an entirely pejorative way of analysing their motives.
New football was not about removing ethnicity, but ethnically unifying. By creating a brand that everyone could relate to by finding their common threads, rather than separating each other from by being made aware of their differences.
As exemplified by the Socceroos in three consecutive world cups, football in Australia is about Australians enjoying football.
3. Implementing a NCIP that is racist?
For what it’s worth, it is easy to brand the policy as inherently racist. And to be sure, the Human Rights Commission will have their say, one way or the other.
Of course, to understand whether the NCIP is racist, you really have to look further at what the NCIP is trying to implement.
Consider this – the national identity policy does not in fact make it an infringement to do anything with an ethnic flavour or theme. If you consider the policy in its entirety, it is in fact attempting to do that very thing that could potentially occur were one to act as the Melbourne Knights have – remove discrimination.
Is Australia an English speaking nation? Well, yes, we are. That, however, is not to say that other languages should not be embraced. But in creating guidelines that demand universality, you could argue that this is in face attempting to downplay race, and embrace a nation.
After all, isn’t discrimination the act of denying participation to categories of people based on prejudice? Could you not then argue that by branding clubs or insignia for the purpose of promoting an isolated national emblem such as the Croatian flag discriminatory?
Of course it is only one of numerous arguments, and the FFA should be at least confident enough in their own guidelines and policies to implement them, and stand by them when challenged as they will be in the HRC.
Whether or not you believe that the FFA’s NCIP is discriminatory, actions will speak louder than words. The FFA will not only be judged by the rules they implement, but in how they play by those rules.
The point is this: it is hard to argue against the position that football in this country was a basket-case before the FFA was created. You don’t initiate the wide-ranging Crawford review unless there are serious, systemic and fundamental flaws in something.
But to accuse the FFA of de-ethnicising football in Australia misses the point. The grand finals in Brisbane and the creation of the Western Sydney Wanderers are surely proof that all peoples are being embraced by new football.
In fact, to accuse the FFA of anglicising football in this country is just simply without foundation.
The excitement and anticipation generated by Alessandro Del Piero, the atmosphere created at the grand final, the interest generated by a visiting Serie A champion, even the park I attended to watch the Jets play Perth at suburban Broadmeadow were far from anglicising the game.
The FFA Cup is very much proof that the FFA want a unified football in this country.
As the FFA themselves said: “We want clubs that stand for uniting people through the joy of football.”
The key word there is ‘unified’.
The FFA is far from perfect. And whatever the outcome in the HRC, they would be wise to take note of the mistakes that have very much been made, such as waiting as long as they did to even implement a nation-wide knockout tournament.
There have been mistakes. No doubt, there will be many more.
But mistaking attempted unification as de-ethnicising is incorrect. There’s nothing discriminatory about trying to bring everyone together to simply enjoy a game of football.
matt on football
Guest
Its not a policy, the NCIP.... it reflex a financial reality ...Teams like this it effect the other teams, in term of publicity, gate etc to have a team like this in ... Fact the NSL went bust ..
matt on football
Guest
The new football that gets more to one match than the old NSL got to a round, is not an Anglicisation...its succeful inclusion I was an NSL(Apia) Lambert Park regular ... FACT The clubs failed to broaden their base to the wider community ,,, AND many football lovers from the very ethnic group they were from rejected them as well for this ... A lot of ethnics who loved football found the NSL too exclusive As an ethic myself, think the FFA has now got the balance right, and is being generous as hsitory records that the ols clubs ended the NSL in failure .. So please face that fact.. The FFA Cup is the perfect thing to bring back the best of the old traditions and leave the bad behind...
Socrates
Guest
He played for Sunshine George Cross, as a junior and then a senior. He's more local than most of the Knights supports are.
MelbCro
Guest
Of course I do what? I didn't mention chanting Melbourne Croatia in my post. So I'm a tad confused mate. Regardless in terms of chanting Croatia, I can understand that word not having an emotional resonance with a non-Croat but to say it would make the average Australian feel uncomfortable? I don't see how. Its not a derogative word or a negative word. Like I mentioned it would not have the emotional resonance with them, but again that does not equate to being uncomfortable. Honestly I think a lot of people throw words around in these topics without really thinking too deeply about the actual meaning of those words. And when you talk about reaching out, I mentioned how we do just that in the post you've responded to. You know we've compromised on hell of a lot over the years when comes displays of our ethnic identity. What else would people like us to do? In terms of being like Olympic, why would we do that? We are two different clubs in two different states. We have different histories, cater for different communities, and we've both had different trials and tribulations to get to the points where we are in 2014. Each club has a different story. There is no blanket definition for what a club should or should not be, so to say we should be like Olympic is silly to be honest. We are a club that has been around for 61 years, a club which actually owns its own ground which has a 15k capacity, a club that has a rich history of success winning titles at the state and national level, a club with a history of producing countless players that have gone on to have successful professional careers. Why would we look to other clubs? We are who we are, and we are proud of that.
Paul
Guest
Of course you do, but would non-Croatian Australians be comfortable chanting "Melbourne Croatia!"? Yet few would have any problems screaming, "Come on Olympic." The answer to the question of how to reach out to the wider community without whitewashing your club's history is not an easy one. We must never forget what clubs like Knights did for the game, keeping it alive back when it was not so fashionable, when eggball codes monopolised media exposure and thought, racism in society was far more rife than it is today and the game's governing bodies were characterised by self-interest and ineptitude. With time, I'm sure the Knights will be where clubs like Olympic of Brisbane are today.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
Mate, that's what they did when they started the FFA Cup, tried to bridge the gap. But those cheeky Melbourne Croatians just spat on the FFA's hand when they tried to extend their hand in friendship.
Bondy
Guest
Fussball I'm just reading my in tray this bloke's been arguing with you for a couple of years now he just changes his name every few weeks ,weird, his argument/s are as regular as coffee or tea ....
MelbCro
Guest
Musky played for South Melbourne. He has no friends in North Sunshine lol
Socrates
Guest
This is what happens when new football puts out its hand to old soccer. What did people expect.
Socrates
Guest
Musky's a local, grow up in St Albans, should know some faces in the crowd on the hills in North Sunshine (Somers St).
Socrates
Guest
@bryan So, if you cant pay, you don't play. Kids that are good enough in the AFL to represent their states or regions don't pay, yet its ok in football?
Grandma
Guest
The CCM have big sauce bottles, can the AFL beat that.
ciudadmarron
Guest
So, presumeably, the lack of advertising on the jersey will stop this? I rather think it will make it more prevalent to be honest.
bryan
Guest
Now that is also true
bryan
Guest
AFL doesn't have something like 20 junior rep teams to pay for.... teams like U19 Aussies. They don't pay their own way to go overseas.
bryan
Guest
Yeah it was a pretty good game. Right center back in the first half had a blinder. The 5-3-1-1 they were playing in the first half was working well against the Adelaide spread, but because there was no switches of play, the NT offense was shut down a little too easily. Iman had a fair bit of space, but either the ball didn't come to him, or when it someone looked that way, he was out of puff and didn't push up. 2nd half had too many subs, which broke up the team. They also went to a 4-4-2, which was exploited badly especially out wide on the wing backs, and their lack of pace. When the wing backs pushed wider to shut it down, there was gaping holes through the middle. Too many through balls, the strikers didn't come and collect the ball/ hold it up for support. Adelaide keepers were playing very similar to Germany's in the WC. You need to push the through balls to wingers in the corners when the Goalkeeper plays as a sweeper. Too many NT players used to being able to easily hold the ball were being pushed off. Everyone started to get in each other's way.... I saw a throw in with 6 player trying to be legitimate options. But in saying that, for an all stars team, they did ok. Michael really should of finished that last attempt off for a 6-1, which i think would of been a more accurate scoreline. Crowd was great, very supportive of any NT player with the ball. There was some club rivalries shown towards the end, but nothing major.
MelbCro
Guest
compromise have been made. We've had names changed, emblems changed, ethnic clubs are no longer part of the national league etc. All these things happened years ago. Honestly what else would like us to do?
MelbCro
Guest
who are ya champ, and what have you done with the real Kasey
c
Guest
ok well here is my take on this matter many of our fathers and grandfathers came from overseas including in my case and these guys put in a lot of energy into our game but we are here in 2014 and need to find a compromise retaining some of the old and incorporate into the current so that we can move forward into the future
Kasey
Guest
"Why didn’t the FFA introduce the NCIP back in 2004 after the NS[L] disbanded? Surely such a policy would have been more relevant then, when the actual reform of the games was taking place. Yet, they introduce it a decade later, at a time when the FFA’s reform has long been completed and its A-League is well established and successful. The introduction of the NCIP was completely unnecessary in 2014," For the most part I agree. The FFA have failed to realise that the 'war' has been 'won' football has its broadbased League that is open to anybody and everybody who wants to support their hometown in the local football competition. All barriers (perceived and otherwise) have been removed. This living in the past policy wouldn't have been out of place coming from SoccerAustralia, the fact that FFA shot itself in the foot by releasing this on the eve of the FFA Cup shows a worrying lack of Situational Awareness of the football landscape and the sensibilities involved in this very touchy subject. The only part of the NCIP that was probably needed relates to club names and emblems should they re-brand in the middle of a season IMHO If the club emblems are satisfactory for the state federations who administer the various NPLs, why are FFA getting involved? I think another poster elsewhere has hit on what this is really about. FFA and its level of control in the game.