The genie is out of the bottle when it comes to the A-League’s fans, players, clubs and media – and it won’t be going back in.
The original newspaper story revealing the identities of banned fans wouldn’t have been designed to have this effect, but what it has done is trigger what promises to be a massive shake-up of the game.
This is not just over the inadequacies of the appeals process for banned fans, but whatever the issues might be that matter.
Whether you like what the fans have done or not, with their boycotts of matches they have established some genuine power.
How else would they manage to get a meeting with the new Football Federation Australia chairman, Steven Lowy, on Wednesday night?
The fans took action and their action had the effect of not only significantly reducing match attendances for the round just gone, but also dramatically affecting the atmosphere.
The A-League thrives on the atmosphere created by the active supporter groups and the FFA knows it.
But the fans are just one part of it. The established football media has shown enormous bite on this issue and shocked the FFA as a result.
It has taken the FFA to task for what was an initially lame response to the story, in the belief that the people who run the game should have been straight-away robust in condemning the nature of the article and defending the game.
The media’s response has begun to have the effect of making the FFA accountable for not only its initial failures on the response to the banned fans front but also a myriad of other issues.
Commentators from Fox Sports and SBS’ The World Game have savaged the FFA and in particular its CEO, David Gallop, but the criticism has come from the print media as well.
I cite the story by David Davutovic and Matt Windley in the Herald Sun on the weekend as a prime example.
The headline, which read “How FFA scored 32 own goals in 18 months and CEO David Gallop still kept his job”, could not have been more provocative.
As you will usually get with a list like this, some of the issues identified were much bigger than others, but the bottom line is that there was plenty of meat on the bone.
And the timing of the ridiculous double stuff-up on Saturday, when the game between Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory was allowed to go ahead on a well below par pitch in Auckland and there was an irritating strip clash to boot, was perfect timing. Or horrible timing for the FFA.
The players, who are usually reticent to be very critical of the governing body in case there is a backlash, really found their voice on the issue of banned fans being regarded as guilty until proven innocent.
Sydney FC defender Sebastian Ryall led the way with an Instagram post ahead of last weekend’s round, which read: “The FFA has made a massive mistake. To have to prove yourself innocent goes against everything we believe in Australia.”
“The FFA think they are above the law, the fans of Australia make the game and without them we are nothing. I hope all fans boycott the games this weekend.
“I don’t care if your [sic] a Melbourne Victory fan or Western Sydney fan, if your [sic] not guilty of a crime you shouldn’t have to prove yourself innocent. This problem has to be fixed and until [sic] so, the FFA should be made to pay.”
Whether you agree with what Ryall had to say or not, it was gutsy of him to come out and say it.
In-between the FFA’s two media conferences last week, the first fronted by Gallop and the second by Lowy and Gallop, Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro spoke at a Victory in Business luncheon and gave the FFA both barrels.
“Football needs its fans,” Di Pietro said. “Fan walkouts for whatever reason must be resolved with actions not rhetoric. There must be a fair and realistic appeals process put in place without delay.”
“How do you resolve problems? You sit at the table and talk about them, you sit with the fans and engage.”
Speaking more generally about issues affecting the game, Di Pietro said: “We say what happens in the next 12 months will determine the success of football in Australia for the next 10 years.
“Now is a time of challenge, as there are matters facing the FFA specific to the A-League that need dedicated attention and resolution.
“At grassroots level, Australian football leads the way. It has the highest participation. At the international level, the Socceroos are going from strength to strength.
“But the A-League is the central pillar of Australian football. The A-League must strive for excellence and market leadership. The A-League cannot be content any more with mediocrity. We are sick of it here.”
Perth Glory CEO Peter Filopoulos has since emerged to say in a long blog piece that there is no strong vision for the A-League.
“What’s our vision for 2020, 2030 and beyond?” Filopoulos said. “What strategies are we implementing to achieve this vision? What are the key strategic pillars which will be the pathway to our vision?”
“What plagues the A-League in my opinion is the absence of a strong and clear strategy for the competition. What’s our vision for the A-League in the next four years, what do we want the competition to look like and more importantly what are the key pillars to the strategy that will help achieve this vision?
“As a new CEO of a club in the A-League and regularly speaking about the game with sponsors, government, fans and the broader community, I am not able to speak with clarity about our vision and strategy as a competition.
“This strategy and vision needs to be developed by all key stakeholders as a one united front. The time to develop this vision and strategy for the A-League is NOW.”
The heat is right on the FFA and it’s coming from all directions.
Let’s see how its meeting with the fan group representatives goes on Wednesday night. The way the FFA approaches it should give a good indication of not only how well it is likely to handle that ongoing issue, but also other issues moving forward.
Tom
Guest
Millions of fans could be watching the sport on fta and pay tv and you would never know! Because of the OzTam ownership model and their media owners business agendas together with the undeniable ratings bias against the game, OzTam's figures will never reflect the sport's true popularity.
Midfielder
Guest
I liked this from the Perth CEO... http://peterfilopoulos.com/2015/12/06/they-know-we-are-coming/
Midfielder
Guest
Punter Very true
FIUL
Guest
Only last week, Anthony DiPietro was specifically asked about a move to an independent ALeague. His answer was: he doesn’t feel now is the right time to implement such a change and added "We need to firstly deal with facts and understand what is the maximum value proposition we can get from the existing constitutional structure. This is step No.1"
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Of course he did - while giving the very clear message that he wants junior's fingers out of the A-League.
Punter
Guest
You could not be more wrong. Every competition in Australia has it's less stable clubs & struggle financially, what the A-League lacks is money coming from the FFA via TV rights, sponsorship. Even in the powerful AFL & NRL competition, their are clubs that with monies from head office they too wouldn't be financially stable. The difference is that the FFA doesn't have the cash flow of the NRL & the AFL & they too have to look after a lot more national teams then these other 2 organisations. It's money that is lacking in the A-League.
Tom
Guest
International Football? If I were you, I wouldn't be bragging about the way the junior national teams have performed since the overhaul of the national curriculum. They have been bloodly woeful. A) Grassroots 8/10 - Ummm you seem to be giving credit to an organisation that contributed almost nothing to this success. A more realistic rating would be 5/10 B) A League 5/10 - a more realistic rating, certainly they deserve no higher rating as they have been very mediocre for most the league's history C) International 8/10 - I would say a fairer rating would be 6/10. It was the players who qualified and performed on the international stage and not the FFA
Griffo
Roar Guru
My $0.05... The FFA could provide more information and toolkits on how clubs can apply for community funds and scholarships. The FFA couldn't buy fields outright but making some clubs more proactive would help to alieviate some poor facilities out there. Still expensive to improve drainage, especailly for community clubs that have to do it for council owned facilites then be told they can't use the grounds for half the year. Still unless more fields can be provided in some capacity then clubs and neighbouring clubs are capping numbers and turning kids away, from the game itself in some instances. I believe a rethink on football at grassroots is needed as an interim solution at least: there is more than just field football, futsal is an alternative that isn't being explored enough. More can be made or short field football (not just talking small sided games) for age groups U12 - U16 imo. This won't solve all issues but in the short term will accomodate more players.
jbinnie
Guest
Waz - Don't disagree.jb
Justin Thighm
Roar Guru
Good pat on the back!
AR
Guest
"You have poor understanding of the role of the CEO of an organisation in relation to day-to-day operations of a business unit & risk management in a crisis." Dear oh dear. I thought Gallop and de Bohun were good...but I must say, I'm more and more impressed with Fuss everytime he opens his mouth.
Punter
Guest
I think you know I'm talking about about a small sample of the media!!!! FIUL says it all above as well!!!!
Tom
Guest
How did they #&*k it up on countless occasions? As I have said on numerous occasions on this forum, the main issue for Football was appointing an all powerful Chairman, to rule over the game with the powers of an autocrat, who because of his questionable activities in the running of his shopping centre company left himself wide open to being blackmailed by another billionaire autocrat from the media industry, whose sole objective has always been to acquire the pay and fta tv rights to the sport for a fraction of their true market value and because of his aforesaid activities, our shopping centre billionaire was unable to refuse.
Tom
Guest
ummm
Rick
Guest
"Time has come where the FFA really needs to start getting out of the way a bit more" No, they should get right out of the way
FIUL
Guest
Football news moves on... BREAKING... EPL giants Arsenal will play 2 matches in Sydney - against SydFC & WSW - in late July/early August 2016 prior to the start of the 2016/17 EPL season. Full story: http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/english-premier-league-giants-arsenal-to-play-two-pre-season-games-in-australia/story-e6frf423-1227638159793
FIUL
Guest
You have poor understanding of the role of the CEO of an organisation in relation to day-to-day operations of a business unit & risk management in a crisis. So, when the Samarco mine disaster occurred a few weeks ago, the CEO of BHP Biliton addressed the media; not the CEO of Samarco mine, or the business unit of BHP that is co-owner of Samarco mine. But, you are deluded if you think the CEO of BHP Biliton is involved with the day-to-day operations of Samarco mine .. or any mine owned by BHP Biliton. That's not the role of the CEO. Of course Gallop fronted the media when things got out of control; but you're deluded if you think David Gallop has anything to do with day-to-day operations of the A-League. CEO of the ALeague is Damien De Bohun. Now, his performance, I'm not at all impressed.
AR
Guest
Good post.
AR
Guest
"And, as CEO of the FFA, David Gallop would have virtually nothing to do with the day-to-day management of the A-League." Wow. I must have been imagining David Gallop fronting those shambolic press conferences (2 in 3 days) about the current state of the ALeague. Sounds like someone needs to educate themselves about the org structure of the FFA or learn more about the real duties of the CEO of the FFA.
AR
Guest
Woah. Way to prove my point Fussball.