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Thank you Rebecca Wilson. It’s obvious Rebecca Wilson knows very little about football.
Nonetheless she takes it upon herself to have a go at football every time we make any progress.
It goes back to the days when we qualified for Germany 2006, when a lot of people in other sports media empires were worried that football might actually take off in a big way in this country and cause them some loss of revenues.
The recent criticism of football fans as ‘Paris terrorists’ taking over the country was not only very uninformed and meant to do damage, but in many ways it was insulting criticism to the vast majority of genuine Australian football fans.
Taking criticism can be a difficult thing, especially from someone who is not an expert in the field and you know has a hidden agenda behind their comments.
And let’s be honest, most genuine sports followers in Australia don’t take Rebecca Wilson very seriously anyway.
At some point in this world so dependent on reviews and opinions and ‘likes’, you will encounter a customer or audience member – maybe even a so called sports journalist – who wants to tell you how bad you are. It can be hard to deal with; after all, nobody likes to be told they’re wrong.
But it’s not all bad news because you can use criticism to give you a competitive edge.
Criticism is a form of flattery.
If someone has a criticism of you it means they want to communicate with you and give you feedback on what you’re doing. It means that football is not an insignificant sport in this country at all and actually carries some importance. Otherwise why would the Sunday Telegraph give the A-League so much valuable tabloid space. This is a compliment to the A-League and how far it has come in just over a decade.
It’s also an opportunity to find out more about the person who is working against you and how to convert people like them into satisfied A-League customers or audience members.
Take a moment to think before you respond to what Wilson is saying – in business, working with someone who is patient and able to receive and act on criticism means both parties can work towards a better outcome.
For football, it has lead to fans and administrators getting to know more about exactly what the issues are and what the fans and the A-League audience actually want.
Feedback will help make the A-League stronger.
If you always think you’re right you won’t listen to feedback from anyone else. How do you know for sure that the A-League is any good? Whether you’re selling tickets or performing on the field, whether it’s the A-League product or customer service, listening and acting on those views will tell you precisely what’s good and what can be done better.
Let’s use that information to change our performance, administration, service or product. It may make for uncomfortable listening but it can make football and the A-League stronger as a result.
The more we improve the less people like Wilson will have to criticise and if they just keep criticising for criticism’s sake, then they continue to lose credibility.
Criticism forces you to think about how you think.
Constructive criticism can guide you away from bad practices and towards good ones. Try to be objective and look at what you’re providing as though the A-League competition is your own.
This can be particularly difficult when you’re deeply involved as a fan of one particular team but, if you can take a step back, look at the big picture, understand the way other people and the football haters think.
Be to your own self true and express yourself as a football fan, but at the same time be mindful of what other people may be thinking. We don’t live and act in isolation.
Listen to them, even if it hurts. See how to improve yourself, personally and as a football supporter. Act now to avoid more negative outcomes and criticism down the road.
The right kind of criticism will give you an advantage.
Think about it. If you can get an opponent to tell you and share with you what the issues are then being receptive, adaptable and flexible will lead you to a better A-League product.
Irrespective of what nonsense Wilson has written, it has given football fans the courage and unifying force to confront the FFA and say exactly what’s bothering them and what the FFA has to do to make things better.
That puts you at an advantage over your competition, who enjoy a cosy relationship with their comfortably over-fed media backers and will never be subject to the same scrutiny.
Let’s find ways to all work together with clubs, fans, backers and the FFA to resolve the differences and move on to a stronger A-League. Wilson has given us that opportunity. The FFA itself is now forced to change.
Use positive language to elicit a workable solution.
The language you use in response to criticism is vitally important. Try to avoid getting into an argument focusing on personal or superficial issues. The deeper significant issues will give us the greater rewards when resolved.
Instead, turn the exchange into a discussion about how to work together to resolve the problems of fan behaviours and about being given a fair and just hearing. That’s the least we expect in a modern, open and inclusive society.
Let’s not allow ourselves to get pulled down to the lowest levels of Wilson, Rupert Murdoch and Alan Jones.
Let’s have conversations along the lines of : “OK, so you’d like to see the A-League change – what would you say are the main things that ought to be different?”
“I can see why you say that. Let me explain to you why we did it this way.”
“I’ve thought about what you said and we agree that what we’re going to do is…”
Turn our thoughts into actions and constructive discussion to show that we have listened to feedback and positive suggestions and we will respond in the best possible way to get a better outcome for football and the A-League in the end.
It takes leadership from the FFA, the football clubs and the fan groups to get the job done properly.
Don’t take it personally.
Don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t like football or the A-League. There are people in the world, believe it or not, who don’t like sex.
Even if you feel we’re being criticised unfairly, don’t retaliate with any extreme knee-jerk reaction or else you can irreparably damage your relationships with your own club, fan-base, FFA or even your friends.
There are people out there who are the potential audience for the A-League and may be sitting alongside you one day in the stands.
Arguing among ourselves, the football family, is exactly what the detractors want and will ultimately harm our reputation and the reputation of football and the A-League.
There will be occasions when you feel the criticism is personal and now and then you’ll be right. People have agendas. We are fallible.
It’s important to remember to not be offended by someone’s remarks.
Like any great professional footballer, take criticism on board and make it work to your advantage.
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