- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
While the Socceroos are busy stealing headlines on their road to the 2018 World Cup and Football Federation Australia’s bout with the PFA rolls on, in the background a certain succession plan that has significant implications for Australian football is nearing completion.
Come November FFA chairman Frank Lowy and his two closest allies – Brian Schwartz and Phillip Wolanski – will step down from the FFA board, adhering to the sporting body’s constitution.
Lowy’s son, Steven, has long been mooted as the heir to his father’s chairman seat, though FFA have refused to confirm his nomination until recently. Frank Lowy has removed himself from the succession discussion, quite wisely.
It has almost been accepted that Steven Lowy will be the next FFA chairman, and there are even fans that are either nonplussed, unaware or simply accepting of the planned succession. FFA has not exactly helped fans remain in the loop, staying reasonably quiet throughout the process.
The FFA hired consultancy firm Egon Zehnder in 2013 to conduct a search for new directors, which identified 70 candidates, 50 of which were interviewed, according to The Daily Telegraph‘s Tom Smithies.
Three “preferred candidates” were recently put forward, one of them unsurprisingly Steven Lowy.
Lowy’s credentials do appear promising, despite the obvious accusations of nepotism that could be made. He is an avid football lover, with ties to Hakoah Sydney City East alongside his father. As a football man, he ticks all the boxes. His business acumen is also apparent from his role as co-CEO with Westfield Corporation.
Frank Lowy’s role as FFA chairman has been crucial to the development of football. One man ruling with an iron fist was essential to propel football forward after the troubled end of Soccer Australia and the NSL.
Is it now time to move on from the Lowy influence, however? If Steven ticks the boxes – both football and business wise – then there is no reason to look too deeply into the succession plan. After all, the nine regional bodies will vote on the new board members, with A-League clubs holding one collective vote. They will ultimately decide who joins the board, thought why A-League clubs don’t have a larger say is a mystery.
Another 10 years of Lowy influence is not necessarily a bad option, even if conspiracy theorists may reject its legitimacy. The FFA’s other two preferred candidates, however, deserve more scrutiny.
Smithies identified them as BIT Investment Management banker Crispin Murray and Commonwealth Bank executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin. FFA have not revealed what connections, if any, either person has with football, or indeed sport. Business experience is important, but you can find that in sports lovers too.
The regional bodies have probably been briefed, and it appears they do not like what they see.
After a two-year process FFA have left it a little late to put forward their preferred candidates, but now that they have been announced the state and territory federations are finally in a position to nominate their own.
Former Socceroos Australia chairman Remo Nogarotto has reportedly been nominated, as well as former Sydney Olympics CEO Mal Hemmerling, both men with experience in sport.
Egon Zehnder will likely assess the candidates and then the nominations committee will decide whether to drop one or two of their three preferred candidates, or to accept the nominations and head to an election. If they reject the candidates, that is where it could get messy.
Even if Nogarotto and Hemmerling do not meet the nominations committee’s criteria, three regional bodies can unite and put them forward for election regardless.
Nominations have to be submitted by September 30, so there is still time for the regional bodies to identify new candidates, though FFA are likely keen to avoid any kind of election. It would be ideal for the governing body if their three preferred candidates were just accepted, but thankfully that won’t be the case.
November’s AGM will be an interesting occasion, and will be significant in football’s continued development. Hopefully more candidates emerge in order to give football the best chance of moving forward, and increase the discussion. Steven Lowy may end up as the new FFA chairman, but at least he will have been elevated after all possible alternatives were considered.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.