Embattled FFA chairman Steven Lowy is set to remain in his position following reports that consensus on a new congress was reached overnight.
Fairfax Media is reporting a new congress model was settled on last night, likely sparing Lowy and the rest of the FFA’s board the ignominy of being replaced by a FIFA normalising committee.
After being told by FIFA to reform their ten-member congress – which includes nine votes for each of the FFA’s state associations and one for all A-League clubs – to a more democratic model by November 30, it seems a new model comprising 15 voting members has been reached in time to prevent intervention by football’s global governing body.
According to Fairfax Media, nine of those votes will still be held by the states, while an extra three will be allocated to A-League clubs, bringing their total votes up to four. The remaining two votes will be split at one apiece between the Professional Footballer’s Association and women’s football.
While the new model is still some way from being officially introduced – there is yet to be any announcement from the FFA and any new congress will require FIFA approval prior to its introduction – it is a welcome change from the seemingly constant stumbling blocks of earlier this year.
A new consensus congress was reportedly close twice in August during talks that were overseen by a FIFA delegation, only for them to fall through twice amid allegations Lowy interfered in the process. That same delegation left Australian shores without an agreement in place and with FIFA’s axe looming over the FFA’s board.
That a consensus has reportedly been reached, while slightly surprising, is no doubt positive news for football fans and the FFA as the A-League season draws closer.
It is also the second bit of positive football news this week, after a significant pay rise for female footballers plying their trade in the A-League was announced on Monday.
That pay raise will see W-League players all paid a minimum retainer of at least $10,000 for the season, and the salary cap for each club doubled to $300,000 per season.
UPDATE: It has now emerged that a complete consensus is yet to be struck, meaning the new congress model is still some way off from being introduced.
Newie
Guest
Agree with this completely. What's their problem with being open?
Waz
Guest
Thankfully we're no more than two months away from a resolution here but it seems obvious that no sensible solution will be found domestically, the people involved are just incapable of finding one.
Waz
Guest
The request for financials is NOT about the WC bid which seems to be the fascination of anyone not involved in football. The request for financials is about this year, last year, and next year - the fact Lowy is refusing to release financials is a disgrace, the fact the ffa has never release financials is unacceptable and, if there is something wrong with the WC bid money, it's this cloak of secrecy that allowed it to happen.
Ken Spacey
Guest
The late Rebecca Wilson tried to make mileage out of the WC bid costs saying that dough should have been spent on juniors, academies etc, which overlooks the fact that most of the bid money was put up by the feds for that one specific purpose and not taken from other funds for other purposes. So Griffo's implication is that FFA went over and above the allocated funds to push the bid harder. That bid was a disaster but if the FFA only spent the allocated funds they have not denied any club or group any funds to which they were entitled. For the FFA to spend fed bid money on anything else would be malfeasance.
Waz
Guest
In there somewhere there's a Pirate from the ACT texting updates to Lowy ...
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Brilliant! Look at Lowy throw that guy across the table!
Nick Symonds
Guest
Exclusive inside video from the governance talks in August has just emerged - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BC_X1M1wAU
Waz
Guest
I think you had enough firepower on their Stuart lol. It is turning into a farce. My belief is the clubs want to run into a normalisation period seeing it as the best way to get the changes they want. Given what's going on at State level I can't say I blame them. We need an end to this though
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Waz, I apologise for not including you in the ticket. You have to be on there as well. I'm really losing hope that a positive result will ever be achieved.
Waz
Guest
They're represented by the State Federations. That's why they won't be allowed a vote - it's unfair to give them influence on a state vote plus their own vote.
Mark
Guest
I hope not. Hopefully this outcome sends the AAFC and its entitled members, who drove football in this country into the ground, back to the abyss in which they belong.
Nick Symonds
Guest
"As members of AAFC, the clubs will set its aims and priorities. Already, however, the overwhelming message from the clubs to AAFC has been that their priority is to secure formal representation, as a special interest group, at the forthcoming FFA General Congress as well as a permanent seat." And this - "Goal reported on Saturday that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) backs the AAFC's bid to be included in FFA's voting structure. It is understood the AFC considers the AAFC to be as significant as the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association, which represents the 10 A-League clubs." http://www.goal.com/en-au/news/npl-clubs-tell-ffa-we-want-a-vote/qd67ylhsjl6a19dsdasi0cnm0
Waz
Guest
Under the FFAs constitution they are supposed to release the financials - by not doing it all they are doing is raising suspicions
Waz
Guest
Correct. AAFC can be no more than a lobby group otherwise they would effectively get two votes
Waz
Guest
So the poster on 442 was wrong about consensus being reached between the FFA and clubs then, good chance the rest is wrong as well then?
Nick Symonds
Guest
Just came across this - "Meanwhile, FFA is still at risk from court action from the A-League clubs, who are demanding to see the sport's full financial records - including those relating to Australia's failed bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It's believed FFA has proposed only a partial disclosure of their finances, an offer that was turned down in a letter written by Griffin on behalf of the clubs on Tuesday." http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/09/13/no-consensus-reached-ffa-congress-war
Waz
Guest
Bizarrely this same offer was rejected out of hand by both the clubs and PFA and worse still, apparently even FIFA said it was unacceptable... so how on earth did it surface again?
Nick Symonds
Guest
"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Democracy simply doesn't work" - Kent Brockman A-League fans are just spectators who have no say in what happens and all they can do for now is do what Grimsby Town fans did - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-LMGSSXpbE I'm with them on this matter.
Nemesis
Guest
Sounds good, Stuart. But, unless one or more of: Caltex, Punter, Middy or Nick is female ... we may be struggling to meet even the most basic FIFA selection criterion. :-)
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Here we go again.....why don't they give one vote to TheRoar football tab? Between me, Caltex, Punter, Midfielder, Nemesis and Nick Symonds we could sort this thing out! Surely?