An open letter to the FFA: Act on the name and shame file

David Gallop recently penned an article on The Roar titled “Football needs to talk directly to the fans”. Well here is a response I wrote to Steve Lowy, Gallop and Damian de Bohun.

Unfortunately I had to send the letter to “reception@footballaustralia.com.au” and “privacy@footballaustralia.com.au”, because despite Gallop’s promising headline it seems that only ‘reception’ and ‘privacy’ are actually prepared to accept an email from the fans.

DAVID GALLOP STATEMENT ON LEAKED LIST

I couldn’t find Gallop’s email anywhere. I guess he and the others at FFA headquarters are happy to ‘talk the talk’ and too busy to ‘walk the walk’.

Good morning,

It’s disappointing that I have to send this email to an anonymous ‘reception’ or ‘privacy’ address because the FFA refuse to list the real contact details of any senior people with responsibility for football matters. I trust my email makes its way into the right inbox.

The right inbox should be Steven Lowy’s and he should be demanding answers of David Gallop and Damien de Bohun as to what happened on the weekend.

I am a 10-year member of Melbourne Victory. I’m not a yahoo or hooligan and I don’t often sit behind the goals, although I have on several occasions – and do almost always when I travel interstate.

In fact, I have mostly been a premium ticket holder. I’m a 56-year-old, educated, world-travelling businessman. So without any personal reason to ‘bang a drum’ I wish to say that the FFA’s silence on the Rebecca Wilson story, and the subsequent comment from Alan Jones, has been rather sickening.

From the very first minute that this story went to press the FFA should have condemned Wilson for publishing such a list and the FFA should have demanded that she tell the FFA how she came across it.

From the very first minute the FFA should have announced an inquiry into how these names have been leaked from the FFA. Only the FFA would have access to the names and they should only be issued to those with the right to know; those who come under the same strict confidentiality rules that apply to the FFA itself.

The release is surely a breach of FFA privacy policy. I have read the policy and I couldn’t find a clause that gave any indication that personal details would be given to the press in order to produce outlandish media coverage to the detriment of individuals and the game itself. If there is such a loophole clause, please advise and I’ll stand corrected.

I know there are hooligans at football games. I know there are some people who look for and create trouble. I also know that not all of them wear club colours. Some wear security vests and I have seen it with my own eyes.

Regardless of this, the release of these names is a blatant breach of confidentiality between the FFA, club members and general spectators. It is offensive to publish the names of minors without their consent. It is offensive to publish a list of names and brand them all hooligans when the FFA knows that many, if not most, have never been charged with an offence and none have had the right of appeal. Their guilt or otherwise has never been tested – it has only been assumed.

Further it is offensive for Jones to link terrorism to louts who have attended A-League matches. It is insulting to Parisians to suggest that burying a dead loved one can be equated to a drunken lout abusing a police officer and being banned from a football match. The FFA should condemn Jones as an insensitive, ignorant, uninformed fool for such an outlandish comment.

The FFA have an appalling record over the years of using the massed voices of the large member groups to promote the game while at the same time doing many things to alienate this same supporter group. This is just one more example.

In addition, this latest episode says quite a bit about how the FFA feels in regards to its own ethics and standards of integrity and it is failing badly right now.

I wonder if I can trust the FFA with my details?

Lowy, Gallop or at the very least de Bohun should issue a strong statement that makes it clear that they condemn this leak and will act immediately to find and sanction the person or organisation that is responsible. In addition they will strengthen their privacy policies to make sure it does not happen again.

Yours sincerely,

Philip J Coates

After this letter was sent I did wish to add the following:

The words ‘We Are Football’ should not be an empty slogan. Mr Gallop. Seeing you sign off your message with, “We want to put fans first. We Are Football” makes me cringe. It is obviously an empty statement as you refuse to live up to the slogan when given the opportunity.

If you want to say ‘We Are Football’ you have to live it and breathe it. I’d believe most members of the North End, South End or Red and Black Bloc if they told me ‘We Are Football’, I’ve seen their passion for the game week in, week out. But I regret that I don’t currently believe you.