The game’s governing body, Football Federation Australia (FFA), is beset by an array of challenges from the A-League clubs, the aspirant clubs in various state federations, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the Asian Football Confederation, and FIFA, the international football federation.
The FFA has brought some of the current problems on itself by its heavy-handed – some would say dictatorial – behaviour. However, it’s worth defending the principle that the national governing body, not the clubs and not the states, should run the game.
The numbers game
The battle is largely being waged over the composition of the FFA Congress.
At present, the Congress consists of ten members: nine representing the state federations and one for the A-League. There is general agreement that this model needs to be replaced by a larger, more representative one.
FFA’s argument to FIFA is that all the other groups in the game – referees, players, women, coaches, clubs, futsal – have virtual representation through their state federations.
FIFA says these special interest groups should have direct representation in the Congress. FFA counters that some of these groups have not yet established governing national bodies to represent them independently, and therefore have not reached the point at which they can be considered for separate membership.
The A-League clubs, which are privately owned commercial organisations in possession of an FFA licence for a place in the league, have formed the Association of Professional Football Clubs to advance their case for greater representation. Their preferred model is to expand Congress to 17 members, with nine positions for the state federations, six for the A-League clubs, and two for the PFA (one for the men and one for the women).
Meantwhile, the aspirational clubs currently playing in the second tier – the various state-based National Premier Leagues – have banded together to from the Association of Australian Football Clubs. Their aim is for separate representation in an expanded Congress.
Meantime, the state federations have been considering their preferred model. New South Wales and Victoria have agreed on a nine-five-one structure, with five places for the A-League clubs and one for the PFA. The FFA’s proposal, which has the support of all the other states, is for a nine-three-one model.
Lessons from history
In 1962, the principle of club control was enshrined in the governance of the Australian Soccer Federation, just when its focus began to shift from local to national and international levels.
The result was that the tail wagged the dog at a critical period in football’s history. This should not be allowed to happen again. The self-interest of the clubs needs to be curbed for the good of the game.
In 2003, the Howard government stepped in to insist that any government investment in football depended on a root-and-branch reform of Soccer Australia (the FFA’s immediate predecessor).
All three reports from that time on the game’s future – David Crawford’s, the Professional Footballers’ Association’s, and the one chaired by Andrew Kemenyi (specifically on the organisation of a national league) – came down in favour of a structural separation between the league and Soccer Australia.
But Frank Lowy, the only man who had the experience of running the National Soccer League and who had stood unsuccessfully for the presidency of the Australian Soccer Federation, would not have a bar of that.
He insisted on a unitary model, with what became the FFA having effective control of the A-League. The interests of the two bodies were bound to diverge at times, so he wanted to ensure that those of the FFA were paramount.
While Lowy senior started with the moral authority to carry the game with him, his disastrous attempt to win hosting rights to the World Cup undermined that. His son Steven, who succeeded him as FFA chairman, has found it hard to gain parity of esteem. His strongly-worded media release restating the FFA’s case was a somewhat belated attempt to regain the initiative ahead of the FIFA delegation’s visit.
Should we copy Europe?
In other countries, the top leagues are often entirely separate bodies.
The English Premier League may be the world’s most-watched and most competitive league, but its effect on the game in England has been problematic. For example:
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The English national team suffers from only a tiny minority of the players in the Premier League being eligible to play for it.
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Some of the top clubs have fielded teams without a single English player in their ranks.
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Clubs outside the top tier have seen attendances stagnate or dwindle, while their share of TV and sponsorship revenues are a small fraction of those in the Premier League.
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Clubs relegated from that league receive a “parachute payment” to enable them to renegotiate contracts and attract new players, and thus there is not a level playing field in the Championship (the league below the Premier League).
In most countries where leagues or clubs dominate, there tends to be a duopoly at the top that skews the whole structure of the national game. This is reinforced by the inflow of private foreign money into the game from the Middle East and parts of Asia – including China.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated Spanish football for generations, and a political division reinforces their rivalry. In Germany, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have had similar success even though they are touted as membership clubs rather than the offshoots of commercial concerns.
Roy Hay, Honorary Fellow, Deakin University
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
mwm
Guest
With everything that is going on in our game and the glacial pace of reform there is no possible way a 2nd division could be up and running by next year. The FFA wouldn't have the competence to organise this fast... remember this is an organisation that gave a aleague licence to Townsville before western Sydney .
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
I would agree that CFG is at the heart of it. They are the ones with the clout.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
We definitely lack a Vice President for Social Politics and Socio-Politics. It's critical being able to cover off both forms of politics.
punter
Guest
Surely there is room for you & Jobe on the Essendon anti drug board.
matt jones
Guest
surely there is a place for both Fuss and Nemesis on the FFA board?
Paul
Guest
Gallopand Lowy out now
R King
Guest
You obviously don't know Greg Griffin very well. Unfortunately I have no insight into the how, when and where's of this situation. But let me put an idea forward for further thought. If the A League clubs are to run the HAL and to generate the funds to run the FFA do we honestly think that they will institute a national NPL 2nd Division and then further down the track implement P/R. Regardless of what the FIFA and the AFC would like to see happen, if the HAL is run independently of the FFA and doesn't answer to them, then the A League clubs are not required to listen to them. I keep seeing and hearing about how certain sections of the game do not have a seat at 'the table' ie Futsal, Beach Soccer etc etc etc but don't these guys get a seat via the local state Federations? Looking at the German model, I don't see any mention of other 'Federations' or Futsal, Beach Soccer etc etc.....so if we are using them as an ideal model to move to, how is it any different to what we have now. I think the German model is great for Germany but wouldn't work here, unless you are suggesting that the whole game is run from a central organisation. Good luck with that one.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
I'd say it was the entry of CFG that kicked things off. Their financial weight and international clout and connections is more formidable than anything that the FFA have had to deal with. Just pick back through the media stories about the HAL clubs and their relationship with the FFA in recent years and you'll find CFG in there. Greg Griffin is a local proxy because you can't have CFG overtly connected to the current machinations.
Lionheart
Guest
Midfielder, I have absolutely idea and no insight into any of this. I just want it solved and the whistle blown for the game to start. But that aside, as an observer it did seem to me that the landscape started to change after City Group bought in to our league. You might recall that they did call a meeting of owners which they held at their expense in the Middle East just a short while after they bought Heart/City. Here's the SBS report, in 2014 http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2014/11/24/ffa-unfazed-league-owners-only-meeting-abu-dhabi Certainly they, and Bakrie, bring a lot of clout to football in Australia that we've never seen before.
Midfielder
Guest
In all the debate across the A-League clubs V FFA one think has puzzled me a tad and I wonder if anyone has some light to shed on the reasons... This is the largely undiscussed issue which in many ways has allowed the current mess... Frank Lowy snr, had the full and total support of SFC, WSW via the owners he hand picked into these clubs and a very close relationship also with MV... MV changed owners but Frank Lowy snr kept a close contact with MV and enjoyed their support. The SFC, WSW and arguably MV support for the Lowy's continued well into Steven Lowy's appointment. Then somewhere by my guessing 6 to 9 months ago, these clubs switched their allegiance from Steven Lowy, to the Tony Saga, Greg Griffin group and they also talked Mike Charlesworth and the Nix folk... Does anyone have any idea why former A-League clubs very friendly to the Lowy's suddenly switched sides.
AR
Guest
The weirdest part of Lowy's 2000-worder was his criticism of all those foreign owners in the game. Did he forget accepting cash millions from the CFG, the Bakries, the sale of SFC by his dad etc etc... Unbelievable really.
northerner
Guest
Redondo - if I recall, the participation funding grants are capped, so the biggest sports are getting the max, and it goes down from there. Football, basketball and netball are all big sports (no argument that football is the biggest overall, but netball is much bigger for women than football is, and basketball isn't that far behind so that's a factor as well.) I think the allocations on that level aren't too bad, really. Most of the funding for participation is going to come from sources other than the AIS - professional sports bodies, states, schools, volunteers, etc etc. The amounts the AIS hands out for participation are really fairly small potatoes. On elite sports, I have to agree that the objectives of the AIS are at odds with themselves, especially in sailing and the equestrian events. And maybe shooting as well. On rowing and canoeing, I've got a different viewpoint: I grew up in Canada, where both sports were/are pretty popular, and you didn't need to own a boat or a canoe to participate in either at the entry level. You joined a club and used the club boats (and sold cookies door to door to help finance the club!) In any case, I agree that the funding of some of the sports looks pretty odd, if improving participation is the name of the game (which I don't think for a minute is actually the case), so I don't disagree a rethink might be in order. But so long as it's all about numbers of medals, swimming, cycling and athletics are always going to get more money than football.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Northerner - the amount of direct 'participation' funding for football doesn't properly reflect it's huge number of participants. It's also way less than the elite funding directed to other sports. Also, one of the arguments used to justify funding elite athletes is that winning medals promotes sport and drives sports participation. I'm buggered if I can see how winning a medal in equestrian would promote broader participation in sport. Who can afford a horse? Ditto to a lesser extent for canoeing and rowing.
Ken Spacey
Guest
Yet the connection between the HAL and the semi pro W-League has produced fabulous results. The FFA Cup has been largely a success and has no obvious example in other sports in oz. Several HAL clubs just held matches at NPL venues giving hose clubs revenue and the venue exposure. its up to the NPL clubs to make use of that.How is that a disconnect? Super Rugby is taking from grass roots. The Crows are flying and even after they and Port both ran teams in the SANFL, the crowds in that traditionally strong League have never been lower. This is a fact of life in Oz, big pro leagues and much smaller second tiers.
northerner
Guest
Redondo - If you look over at the right hand side of the chart, football gets as much for participation funding as any other sport, and more than most. I doubt anyone has any difficulty with that. The problem comes with financing "elite" sports which are the ones, as you point out, with World, Olympic or Commonwealth medals up for grabs. The funding is quite clearly and explicitly directed towards athletes and sports with the potential to achieve podium finishes. And obviously, there are a lot more medals available in sports like swimming and even rowing than in football. And of course, sailing and rowing in particular require expensive equipment, so getting people onto the podium on those sports adds up pretty quickly. Now whether the taxpayer should be funding elite sports, and how, is arguable (I like the British lottery system myself) but we shouldn't confuse what the "elite sports" funding is for - it's not for participation, and it's not for funding of domestic professional competitions (the AFL gets zilch), it's for winning medals.
Midfielder
Guest
Double post mods took my post away... The Elephants cried every man for themselves as they danced among the chickens… I have wanted the removal of Steven Lowy for almost since his appointment. We have two [I know a lot more] but two pressing issues as I see them both related and intertwined. Issue one is the governance of FFA.. Issue two is the A-League…. or more specifically A-League revenue. For me the answer has always been simple… the A-League becomes a separate operating structure controlling itself with the establishment of revenue systems to fully fund FFA for its functions. It would appear to me anyway we have a couple of huge ego’s not willing to give an inch which will if they are not careful force FIFA to act … and that IMO is in no ones interest… Ray Gatt suggested earlier the week .. how did it all get to this … can’t we put them in a room close the door and say don’t come out until we have a solution.
Midfielder
Guest
The Elephants cried every man for themselves as they danced among the chickens... I have wanted the removal of Steven Lowy for almost since his appointment. We have two [I know a lot more] but two pressing issues as I see them both related and intertwined. Issue one is the governance of FFA.. Issue two is the A-League.... or more specifically A-League revenue. For me the answer has always been simple... the A-League becomes a separate operating structure controlling itself with the establishment of revenue systems to fully fund FFA for its functions. It would appear to me anyway we have a couple of huge ego's not willing to give an inch which will if they are not careful force FIFA to act ... and that IMO is in no ones interest... Ray Gatt suggested earlier the week .. how did it all get to this ... can't we put them in a room close the door and say don't come out until we have a solution.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
I said 2 to 3 times more - it's closer to 4 times more funding for a few. AFL, NRL, cricket and tennis don't get any elite funding because the funding criteria excludes sports with revenue over $250mill.
chris
Guest
Wow some amazing numbers for canoe, rowing and sailing
Stevo
Roar Rookie
While we're at it, here is a list of members of the board of the German Football Association (DFB) President: First Vice President (Amateur Football, Legal and Constitutional Matters): First Vice President (President of the League Association): Treasurer: Vice President (CEO of the Executive Board of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH): Vice President (Vice President of the League Association): Vice President (Vice President of the League Association): Vice President League Operations and Football Development: Vice President Grassroots: Vice President Referees and Qualification: Vice President Youth Football: Vice President Women's and Girls’ Football: Vice President Social Politics and Socio-politics: General Secretary: Sporting Director : General Manager of the National Team: Honorary President: And DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH is an independent company that runs the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga leagues. Compare that to the FFA if you wish.