Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop used the W-League launch to take another swipe over the bitter pay war with the players’ union, saying “PR stunts” and “misinformation” contributed to the Matildas pulling out of their United States tour.
The Matildas went on strike in September and skipped a planned tour of the US as the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) pushed for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which is yet to be ratified even though the A-League is underway.
Last week the FFA announced the national team will tour China later this month as part of their Rio Olympics preparation, after an interim deal was accepted by the PFA.
“I’ve got to say we were totally underwhelmed with the fact that we missed an opportunity to play the world champions, the USA,” Gallop told the audience, which included Matildas World Cup stars Lisa De Vanna, Kyah Simon, Lydia Williams, Katrina Gorry and Caitlin Foord.
“There were a number of PR stunts run around that unfortunate event … we were not happy with what happened, particularly some misinformation where indeed even the subject of motherhood got used against us.
“I can tell you now, we do not cut pregnant players – that was the nonsense that came out in the press.”
Gallop reiterated his views that the women’s national team had been dragged into a dispute surrounding pay in the men’s game, having previously accused the PFA of using the Matildas as a bargaining chip.
After the launch, he said he felt it was important to remind people of what he saw as a largely fruitless boycott.
“Today is the launch of our national club competition,” Gallop said.
“It’s also the flagship for our whole approach to the women’s game, and we missed a big opportunity to play the world champions … it didn’t necessarily lead to any advance in the negotiations that we were in.”
The Matildas stand to be the biggest beneficiaries of the new four-year, whole-of-game CBA that also takes in the A-League and Socceroos, with the new deal set to make them full-time professional players for the first time.
Goalkeeper Williams said the situation had been largely resolved and the team were back in camp, while she was looking forward to kicking off her W-League title defence with Canberra United away to Brisbane Roar on Sunday.
However she added that while the team were on board with the whole-of-game approach, the issues they were pushing were separate to those of male players.
“We had different things that we wanted to work on, but all the girls were really passionate about getting an outcome,” she told AAP.
“It was all 100 per cent our own decision.”
Bogdan the turnip boy
Roar Rookie
Gallop seems to have missed the point about the boycott, to not pay your players for 2 months as part of a negotiating tactic in a pay deal and then expect them to toe the line for less than the minimum wage is a high risk punt to say the least. The players statements all revolve around being treated with respect, Gallop's insistence that the PFA have some kind of Svengali like control over the Matildas is clearly out of touch with the team.
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
Why do you bite Fuss?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"with the longest off-season in the history of soccer, and you reckon they couldn’t get a deal done in time?" Wrong again! The off-season between last season & this, was the SHORTEST since the start of season 2010/11. In fact this off-season was the 2nd shortest in ALeague history. The ALeague is already the longest pro-competition in Australia & all signs are the season will keep expanding until we hit 9 months of football.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
mattq with the longest off-season in the history of soccer, and you reckon they couldn't get a deal done in time? Might be because SBS were wanting to recover at least half their cost and the broadcaster "interested" basically wanted it for nothin a la the new NBL deal (which they have now run with). Actually, not just for nothing, they would have expected someone to pick up the production costs as well.
AR
Guest
Don't be so defensive Fuss. If you think Gallop has performed impressively in the off-season with respect to the ongoing broadcasting situation, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it.
Realfootball
Guest
That assumes the boycott was a good idea, which was in my view certainly not the case. There is no contradiction in her position.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"screening prime Friday night matches on it’s secondary channel." Seven Network screens all its AFL matches into Syd & Brisbane on its TERTIARY channel. Not even the secondary channel (72), but the tertiary channel 7Mate. Even the Friday night prime time, blockbuster matches are on the TERTIARY channel. Most often, this also occurs in Perth - 7Network refuses to waste its primary channel on AFL in Perth, it pushes it off to the tertiary channel. "I’m not even sure if SBS are sending full commentary teams to matches. " Which shows how clueless you are about ALeague. The same commentary team was there last Friday on SBS as has been there for the previous 2 years. You really expose your lack of knowledge when you enter football discussions.
AR
Guest
Agree matt that the ALeague will certainly be on FTA of some sort once the current deal expires. The point, however, was about Gallop publicly lambasting SBS, whilst talking up other suitors which never eventuated. Gallops actions have now led to a situation where the current broadcast partner is giving the FFA the equivalent of the "silent treatment" - reluctantly screening prime Friday night matches on it's secondary channel. I'm not even sure if SBS are sending full commentary teams to matches. To describe that performance as "impressive" (as Fuss did) is either blind or dumb.
AR
Guest
Oh gawd more that nonsense. A drop in tv ratings, attendances and memberships and he's still shouting "SMELL THE FEAR" to everyone. I follow soccer as closely as I follow many sports. I can discuss it like I can many sports. Fuss proves with every post that he's incapable of rationally discussing any topic around soccer other than via hyper-defensive, militant gushing praise. Ok. Everything's perfect. Whatever suits.
mattq
Guest
A-League will be on a major FTA network next season. All parties could not agree to a deal in time for this season (FFA, FOX, SBS on-selling existing rights and FTA major). Relegation to SBS2 reflects this scenario.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"With commercial FTAs not wanting to spend a cent on the A-League" More nonsense from the Egg Ballers. On Sunday, one of Australia's most respected sports journos (who made his name as an AFL journo) stated on ABC Offsiders that Ch 9 was ready to take over the SBS broadcast of ALeague. He said the deal failed because Foxtel & Ch9 are currently in a very frosty relationship (due to the NRL deal) and Foxtel now refuses to sell ALeague product to Ch9. Hinds also said Ch10 is interested & would be an ideal fit. A lot will depend on how the ACCC rules on Foxtel's acquisition of Ten Network shares. Hinds concluded Ch9 will also be back in the mix for ALeague broadcasts once things settle between Nine Network & Foxtel. But, we're meant to believe the ramblings of 2 anonymous guys who post nothing but negative stuff about ALeague every day for the past 5 years? SMELL THE FEAR.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
AR makes a good point. With commercial FTAs not wanting to spend a cent on the A-League, we have a dirt-poor fringe publicly funded broadcaster willing to pay millions per annum for one game per week. Gallop should have been kissing their feet for being stupid enough to pay an exorbitant sum rather than lambasting them.
AR
Guest
Murdoch's the CEO of a sporting organisation..?? Forget it. You're right. It was beautifully handled by Gallop. Flawless execution.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"In all my years, I have never seen the CEO of a sporting organization seek to embarrass and publicly criticise the broadcast partner of that organization, the way Gallop did to SBS." You're kidding? You're living in a sheltered world if you actually beileve that. Did you miss the Murdoch comments about NRL a few weeks ago? If you ever get exposed to the big end of town negotiating major contracts, you'll see blood on the carpet .. and, when the deal is done, they'll sit around the banquet table & cheer for a long & mutually beneficial relationship.
AR
Guest
In all my years, I have never seen the CEO of a sporting organization seek to embarrass and publicly criticise the broadcast partner of that organization, the way Gallop did to SBS. Not only that, he then taunted SBS by claiming the FFA would terminate their contract early because there were other FTA networks lining up. Obviously, that never happened. And after crawling back to SBS, he criticised it again for relegating ALeague games to SBS2. If this is the style and message-selling that's impressing you so much, ok then.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@AR "Translation: me and my buddies think Gallop’s awesome. " If you can get a bunch of people whose general views on workplace relations is pretty close to that of Karl Marx to take the side of the boss in a dispute with workers, you've won the PR war in an industrial relations dispute. That's the sign of a CEO who knows how to frame the argument & bring people with him. So, yes, your translation is an accurate reflection of the football industry I'm engaging with via social media & in real life. Of course, the translation for your views on David Gallop is: "me & other Egg Ball clowns think Gallop is incompetent."
AR
Guest
"And, the evidence that he’s done a fantastic job? He’s got every football person I know taking the side of the employer against the employee." Translation: me and my buddies think Gallop's awesome. Great *evidence*. Topping the PR war against the shambolic PFA is hardly giant slaying.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@AR David Gallop has handled this tricky workplace dispute beautifully. No other sporting administrator in AUS would ever face such complex workplace issues as David Gallop is currently facing. And, the evidence that he's done a fantastic job? He's got every football person I know taking the side of the employer against the employee. If anyone suggests "Gallop has had an absolute stinker, especially on front of the media" it becomes obvious that the person making such a ridiculous assessment is completely clueless about how to win hearts & minds during a workplace dispute.
MarkfromCroydon
Guest
I think it's fair enough that David Gallop took another swipe at the PFA. I think the PFA has handled the whole affair terribly and they have come out of this off-season with their reputation in tatters. Every time I read a quote from Adam Vivian it seems like he's put his foot in his mouth again. I just hope that the CBA can be settled asap and we can all move on and focus on what's happening on-field.
marcel
Guest
The previous 2 articles here on the Roar that were about the Matildas didn't draw a single comment to either of them.....I think that's a pretty reasonable barometer of interest in the women's game outside of WCs....so I just don't see where the PFA expects these pay increases to come from.