A-League clubs have repeated their call for Football Federation Australia to scrap plans for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) and “butt out” of talks to reform the sport’s governance.
The EGM was to have been held on Wednesday, but was postponed until November 27 after FFA discovered it would not have enough votes to pass its preferred model for a new congress.
However, that hasn’t satisfied the clubs, who never wanted it to happen in the first place – and still don’t.
“We want the whole EGM process discontinued,” Adelaide United chairman Greg Griffin, also the head of the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association (AFPCA), told AAP.
“To the extent that FFA can say they were reacting to the wishes of stakeholders, each of the PFA and APFCA did not ask for it to be postponed.
“We asked that it be withdrawn, and that’s a very fundamental difference.
“Our position is unequivocally that they need to butt out and let the stakeholders, as FIFA has instructed, to reach consensus without interference.”
The nine state federation heads are believed to be locked in talks with FFA chairman Steven Lowy.
FFA essentially has until Monday – 21 days before the EGM – to determine what structure it will put up for a vote, making the next few days of negotiations pivotal.
The new EGM date is three days before the FIFA-imposed deadline for governance reform, with the prospect of a normalisation committee running the sport in Australia looming large.
The current congress, the body that selects the FFA board, is the smallest and least democratic of any FIFA member nation.
As it stands, it is a 10-vote electorate – one each for the state federations, plus one representing the A-League clubs.
While Professional Footballers Australia will get a seat at the table in an expanded congress, along with a representative of women’s football, the crux of the saga is whether the clubs should receive either four or five votes.
The clubs want five, which would ensure state federations no longer have majority power to choose FFA’s board.
It’s understood the latest compromise suggestion from FFA is for a 9-4-1-2 split, which would give two votes to women’s football.
However, there are arguments over who should choose the women’s representatives.
Griffin said the second women’s vote was a “smokescreen” put forward by FFA, designed to maintain control over board appointments.
“The (FFA) board does not want any party other than it or the federations to appoint the women’s member,” he said.
“That is a fundamental issue for both the PFA and APFCA upon which neither of us will give one millimetre of ground.
“The women’s vote will be determined, as was agreed in August in Sydney, by collaboration between the three stakeholders – the APFCA, the PFA and the state federations.”
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
WE are in a holding pattern until the Normalisation committee steps in.
Midfielder
Guest
Agree with you Real
Realfootball
Guest
He's only stating the bleeding obvious, Mid. Nothing new there.
Square Nostrils
Guest
Lowy Jr is conservative he wont change. Is he conservative because after running a high demand business, there's not much energy left to devote to football, so he takes the easy road, we dont know. However regardless the last few years football has been evolving at a rapid rate, he's not the right man for the next stage , contrasting with his father who was the right man in 2005. The next stage "Wimps exit via the chicken gate" , think small, crawl into the hermit crab shell, be small. Think like a football nation and grow some, set a target of being one of the top 5 leagues in Asia, open up the doors. The Bakries, Martin Lee are IMO just the tip of the iceberg regarding Asian investors and that is where the growth will come from. The FFA opened up their own can of worms with the FFA Cup. Does anybody really think that the non A-League clubs competing in the cup were going to be satisfied with just that. In order to improve to win the cup, they know that they will have to compete with the A-League clubs week in week out, hence the push for a second division and eventually P/R. Since the A-Leagues closed shop, the rest of football in Australia has turned into a load of limbo dancers " How low(y) can you go", open up the game and lets see "How high can you fly". If "You flop like a fop " in the end well at least the game gave it the best shot, had a go.
Midfielder
Guest
Roar editors In the Football world today in Australia there is a lot going on regarding our future, pertaining to things like governance, should the A-League run itself, expansion and P & R. It seems you are either totally out of touch, or just don't want too talk about it.... with few articles and those that are published on the fans area are mostly wrong in detail .... This is NOT good for your business .... A great article on TWG site today with Craig Moore's thoughts... this is the kinda stuff you need to be putting up as well... http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/11/02/league-clubs-must-break-away-ffa-moore-says
R King
Guest
Now that would be an impressive line up. Not sure where they would get the money from to pay the two, but it would be good for football.
jamesb
Guest
Lyall Gorman- CEO Archie Fraser- Chairman Fraser did talk so much sense in that interview the other day. While Gorman has left the Sharks.
R King
Guest
Lyall Gorman as Chairman or the CEO? I wonder if Archie Fraser could be enticed back into a position within the FFA?
Bob
Guest
+999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
R King
Guest
Waz, "The biggest problem in football is the FFA." I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion? I think it would be fair to say that "The biggest problem in football is how the FFA Board will be elected". A subtle difference but an important one. The FFA as a complete organisation is not a problem, the staff inside the FFA are not the problem, it's just the Board or maybe just the Chair that is the problem. As it stands now there is no agreement in place that will allow Steve Lowy to remain in a position to determine who will sit on the board and hence will become Chair. With what has been reported in the past couple of days, it is extremely unlikely that there will be an agreement between the parties before the FIFA imposed deadline. If neither party is prepared to give at all, and according to the reports today, the APFCA and the PFA are not, then the only thing we are waiting on is the deadline to pass. So all the sport needs atm is to remain patient.
Realfootball
Guest
My disappointment with Stephen Lowy is beyond words. He could have done so much, and this is what we get. As for Gallop,his time is up. He has no ideas, and no rapport with the stakeholders. He has to go with SL. Lyall Gorman for the job, please.
jamesb
Guest
I think Stevo has the best comment of the day. The FFA have really distracted the attention from the field, to themselves.
Lionheart
Guest
Could not agree more Stevo. Sucking the air from the league is exactly what FFA are doing.
Waz
Guest
The biggest problem in football is the FFA. Not until they change do we stand a chance. Right now it looks as if Lowy is prepared to sink football just to stay in power.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
When Frank Lowy went on his flight of fancy and committed the FFA to spend time, energy and tax payers money on the WC bid it lost sight of the HAL and it consequently suffered low attendances and a malaise. Now a new Lowy is repeating the same 'disaster' by fighting with stakeholders while the game needs all hands to the pump. Is it any wonder we now have a new malaise afflicting the game. Where is the promotion of the game? This conflict is a huge distraction that's sucking the air from what's developing into a fascinating year of football on the pitch. Shame on FFA.
League table speaks
Guest
If only the Lowys had put this much effort into reforming governance earlier. The attitude to FFA board appointments has always been about maintaining control. Remember the executive recruitment firm they used a few years back? In the end, the power of future FFA boards will be diluted once the Aleague is independent. That's the bigger picture reform that FIFA can assist with. A dispassionate outside player would be a benefit to the discussion. They have seen these sorts of scenarios elsewhere.