David Gallop's two-year report card

Two years ago this week, David Gallop arrived into the position as the Football Federation of Australia’s new chief executive, replacing the much criticised reign of Ben Buckley.

Tasked with bringing the A-League into a new era and strengthening ties with Asia, just how has Gallop performed during his short time in charge?

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Gallop’s history as NRL chief executive for 10 years saw him help steer rugby league into a more business-driven direction, capable of attracting vast sums of sponsorship and television rights revenue.

Yet most of the time he was dealing with scandals, and not given a lot of time to enforce revolutionary changes.

His corporate skills, marketing experience and connections were seen as frontrunners to get football to the top of the Australian sporting landscape, and Frank Lowy pounced.

Upon his appointment, Gallop talked about “striking the right balance” between sport and business, aware of the unique passion associated with the world game but also conscious of the need to apply logic and business sense to the equation.

Gallop’s main aim was to bring football into the mainstream, with a belief that the game would eventually rise to the top. He also targeted increasing our influence in Asia and bringing grassroots football in line with the professional game.

Expansion plans were immediately put on the backburner, and Gallop put a 10-team moratorium on the league for five years. Consolidation was the key.

Next year, with the release of the National Plan for the Whole of Football, will be a defining one for David Gallop.

Media
Gallop’s first significant act as chief executive was announcing the FFA’s bumper TV deal, worth $160 million over four years, which doubled the previous agreement with Fox Sports.

It was a chance for Gallop to revel in limelight for work he had nothing to do with. For all his faults, Ben Buckley deserves the bulk of the credit for getting such a good deal for football, and allowing some financial stability for A-League clubs.

Gallop’s only experience dealing with television rights did not go down too well, the $500 million negotiated for the NRL in 2005 seen as a failure in light of the AFL securing $750 million shortly after. He left talks for the NRL’s next deal, which eventually secured $1 billion, when he quit his role as chief executive in June, 2012.

It’s therefore an area in which Gallop still has a lot to prove, and his efforts in the next round of negotiations for 2017 will be pivotal for the growth of football. Fail again, and his credibility in that department would lie in tatters.

Yet while Buckley succeeded in grabbing a huge paycheck for the game, he failed in an area that football fans find mightily important – championing the game.

If there’s one department Gallop is excelling in, it’s his work in the media.

Gallop has continually declared that football will eventually be the country’s number one sport and he’s been aggressive in promoting the game. While his tendency to stick it to other football codes comes across as petty and childish, for many fans it’s exactly what they want to hear.

I’m still yet to hear a valid argument as to what it actually achieves but, regardless, you can’t fault Gallop’s ability to generate media interest.

He has the contacts and friends in the right places, and he holds significant respect among the media. With the aim to go mainstream, Gallop’s connections will be a great asset and we’ve already seen interest peak since his arrival.

It’s a refreshing change from Buckley’s awkward tendencies and defensive demeanor.

Gallop also conceived the idea for the A-League All-Stars and the tour of Manchester United. The All-Stars game certainly isn’t one for the purists but it’s a great bit of business, and crucial to expanding the game’s reach and our relations with powerhouse clubs.

It must be said that negotiations with Channel Seven for the rights also made good business sense and was yet another grab at extra exposure on free-to-air.

Gallop’s foray into the media is near faultless, I just hope he slows down on the jibes before the masses start getting weary of his antics.

Uniting football
The key component of the National Plan for the Whole of Football will be how the FFA tackle the governance of grassroots football and uniting the entire football community.

It will be another defining aspect of Gallop’s reign and is arguably the most important development in Australia’s football history, as well as the most daunting.

The introduction of the FFA Cup is just the start, and it’s been an undeniable success, surprising even Gallop and the FFA with its popularity. Its introduction will go some of the way to healing old wounds, but there’s still a lot to do.

The small matter of the National Club Identity Policy hasn’t helped and presenting the initiative on the eve of the FFA Cup announcement was a poor piece of judgement.

The policy is provocative, as well as entirely unnecessary, and the ongoing dispute with Melbourne Knights is a messy saga that football doesn’t need. If it goes to the courts, it will reflect badly on Gallop and the FFA as they attempt to reconnect with castaways from the National Soccer League.

Another issue was the FFA’s introduction of new measures for Active Support, which didn’t go down too well with a number of supporter groups. At the time I criticised the policy for its one-size-fits-all solution, outlining its lack of awareness that clubs’ active support operate on different levels.

But credit where it’s due, the FFA have loosened their restrictions for the Newcastle Jets’ Squadron after months of negotiations, an important sign that the governing body are more willing to engage in discussion.

Gallop has also overseen the creation of the National Premier Leagues, another vital step in aligning semi-professional football with the professional game. It’s bringing grassroots into the picture and the next aim should be getting every A-League club an NPL team.

If we’re to see the incorporation of a promotion-relegation system, which Frank Lowy has flagged, then embracing our football history and improving relations with the grassroots will be crucial. Gallop has some room for improvement in that department so far, and the National Plan for the Whole of Football will give us a better indication of where he’s heading.

Asia
Improving our standing in the Asian Football Confederation is another key goal Gallop must aim for, and he’s well on track to doing so. His arrival as chief executive saw our Asian Champions League spot increase back to three, after the AFC took one away in 2012.

Gallop realises just how big of an opportunity this is, a market that no other football code in Australia has extensive access to. Football is Asia’s biggest sport, and therefore the possibilities are almost endless.

“They’re an important part of the total picture of Australian football,” he said earlier this year.

“In simple terms football is important to the nation and can be a social, political and economical link to Asia.”

Gallop’s ability to build relations with AFC members is imperative and the success of the Western Sydney Wanderers in the ACL will definitely help him out. Next January’s Asian Cup is also a huge chance to impress off the field, as well as on it, and Gallop will need to be on form.

“It’s an opportunity for the nation to use football as a bridge to Asia politically, socially and economically,” he told the Financial Review.

“There are extensive plans in place to provide networking opportunities… to build closer business links with Asian companies. I think that will be an eye-opener for Australians.”

“It’s a massive opportunity for the sport. I don’t think we quite realise how big football is in Asia.”

Through Asia, increased pathways can open up for both our players and coaches, as well as the possibilities of sponsorship and improving Australia football’s credibility on a global stage.

Gallop is well aware of the potential and a lot of his work will be more long-term, but in the immediate future there should be a push to get the FFA Cup winner a spot in the Asian Champions League.

Expansion and consolidation
Buckley failed in expansion and Gallop can’t afford to make the same mistakes. He wasn’t responsible for the introduction of the Western Sydney Wanderers and it was essentially Buckley’s television deal that allowed clubs’ a degree of financial security through covering the salary cap.

The World Cup bid meant Buckley took his eye off the A-League, however, and it was a disaster. Football was at a low when North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United followed each other down the gurgler.

During the Buckley era club owners were also incessantly complaining, however there has been hardly a whimper since Gallop’s arrival, save for the usual complaints from Central Coast Mariners boss Mike Charlesworth.

Gallop secured a good deal for everyone involved with the sale of Western Sydney Wanderers and he now faces a challenge ensuring the futures of the Mariners and the Newcastle Jets are secured. For the first time in the A-League’s history the same 10 teams are competing for a third consecutive year, upheaval would be a huge dent in the mission to grow the game.

The next round of expansion will also be a big test for Gallop. Buckley got it wrong going to the Gold Coast and Gallop must make the correct decisions. Wollongong and Canberra appear the obvious choices, with a second Brisbane team a close third.

How and when Gallop introduces the next two teams will have a massive influence on football in Australia, and will be yet another defining moment in his role as chief executive.

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Socceroos and national youth teams
A sponsor would be good to start with. The fact that our national team doesn’t have a major sponsor after Qantas pulled out is a major concern, and a bit of a farce.

For the team to play at the 2014 Brazil World Cup without a sponsor is a joke. That’s not entirely Gallop’s responsibility, but it’s his job to oversee the process and it’s a big blip on his reign to date.

The FFA had more than 12 months to act following Qantas’ decision not to renew their nine-year partnership, and it’s a big failure that nothing has been secured.

With Young Socceroos coach Paul Okon recently lamenting the lack of funds available for the national youth teams, such sponsorship money could help to improve our scouting networks and organise more training camps and fixtures for our young boys.

As for the Socceroos, Gallop oversaw the sacking of Holger Osieck and arrival of Ange Postecoglou. But it was a reactionary decision and one that needed to be made much earlier. It takes a brave man to make tough decisions and Gallop and the FFA failed on that count.

But the team qualified for the World Cup and handled themselves well against high quality opposition. Nothing to do with Gallop, but indication that the future looks promising.

It’s only been two years, but so far Gallop has handled himself well and has been far more impressive than Buckley. The release of the National Plan for the Whole of Football will give fans a better idea of what we can expect from the FFA and their chief executive in the future.

Short-term goals should be getting all A-League teams involved in the NPL, securing a major sponsor for the Socceroos, consolidating the Mariners and the Jets and improving ties with Asia. Longer term, we need to see a sensible and effective approach to expansion, connecting grassroots to the professional game, improving football facilities and improving the support networks for our national youth teams.

Where you you think Gallop has excelled, and which areas has he failed to impress in? What do you want to see achieved within the next two years and beyond?