In the words of the late Les Murray, football is the world game, and if statistics are anything to go by, it should be Australia’s game.
There are more people playing football in Australia than any other sport. The game should be booming on every level here. Football people, however, have forever resented how mainstream Australia and particularly the media have neglected it.
They are right to an extent. Until the Socceroos started making World Cups, most Australians didn’t care about the game, and consequently the media focused on the other major codes, such as AFL and NRL.
However, football in Australia must accept some of the blame, mostly for its exclusivity element. Ange Postecoglou might know a thing or two about it now he isn’t going to Russia.
It is human nature for those who are passionate about football and who have kept the game alive to want an element of control. However, these wonderful servants to the game need to start letting go to allow fresh blood to come in and grow the game – perhaps even those on the ‘outside’.
The power struggle between the FFA and the A-League owners is but one example.
(Don Arnold/Getty Images)
If we look at the old NSL, each club had an ethnic element, and as much as many of those clubs publicly stated that fans from all backgrounds were welcome, it was very clear there was a level of exclusivity there. Most Melbourne Knights fans were Croatian, Marconi fans were generally Italian, South Melbourne fans were predominately Greek and so on.
Growing up a Sydney Olympic fan, a few times I’d get the odd – though light-hearted – comment about me not being Greek, which didn’t worry me one bit but which showed the mentality of some fans.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with acknowledging the ethnic background of these clubs – after all, it was an important part of their history and that of Australian football – but this was a classic example of the exclusiveness of the game here.
Part of this was driven by inherent racism faced by Europeans when they first arrived in Australia. Have a read of Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters by Johnny Warren to gain an understanding of this.
However, this is not a reason for clubs at high levels to have ethnic-based exclusion, and although many will deny it, there is no doubt this happened. Thankfully the game and clubs had to evolve and hence the old NSL was scrapped for the new inclusive A-League in 2005.
(Chris / Flickr)
If we look at the NPL level, slowly but surely the old NSL clubs have welcomed fans from all backgrounds, but you can’t help but feel the ethnic element is still there. Personally I don’t have a problem with this – after all, I love the tradition of football clubs, which is what ignites passion – but the reality is that many still feel that ethnic divisions among those clubs are an issue, which is why the NPL here has not really demonstrated itself as a realistic option for a genuine second-tier competition.
These clubs will get the best players from all types of backgrounds, but when it comes to the people in charge, they predominately come from the ethnic background of each particular club. This is not necessarily wrong, but the question must be asked: are they the best people for the job? They are the ones making important decisions.
If we look at lower levels of football in Australia, even the suburban or regional leagues, there are plenty of examples of committees who refuse to think outside the box and who are reluctant to let others get involved. It is human nature for people to go on power trips and think they know everything, but this will alienate new people and stop new ideas. The irony is that these committee members then whinge that no-one else wants to help and use that to justify the fact they are in charge of everything.
How about making people feel welcome rather than ostracised? The FFA is a classic example of this: the A-League owners, who are forking out millions and losing money in the process, should definitely have a bigger say in what happens. After all, it is their money and they have a right to have a say what happens with it. If they don’t, we will lose these owners, who are investors of the game, and we will have financially struggling clubs. This would take football backwards.
If we look at the A-League, some of the decisions made in recent times have been absolutely bewildering. Why on earth were North Queensland and Gold Coast brought in before Western Sydney, apart from the exclusive rights Sydney FC had to the region? Why is Wellington Phoenix, an A-League basket case, being allowed to stay in the league and Southern Sydney, with their huge Chinese investment, being stopped or suppressed?
Southern Expansion have plans to build a privately-funded football stadium as well as bring in rich foreign investment, yet they have not been given a clear indication of how welcome they are. They had plans to bring in a W-League team already this season but were firmly rejected when everything was ready to go.
The FFA will blame governance issues, but in is it possible that they saw foreign investors as a threat? The game could suffer as we don’t want these Chinese investors to lose interest and take their money elsewhere. The game here needs it.
Speaking of the W-League, women’s sport is hot right now, so why has there been minimal talk of expansion? The FFA will brag about the new pay deal and the new TV deal, but in reality there should be far more done.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
The W-League has existed for ten years and only this year has it really attracted any TV interest. Why isn’t every game being covered? The FFA should be willing to accept any deal to cover W-League games. Why aren’t W-League games played before and/or after A-League games? There would be bigger crowds, TV cameras are already there, and it would lead to more support for the women.
Women in football have always been neglected in the past. There was very much an old boys mentality that existed and still does, to an extent. Football people will argue this exists in the AFL and NRL and in society in general – and they would be right – but let’s look at our own house.
This mentality is a huge reason why the Matildas and the W-League have always been neglected. In recent times football is thankfully evolving, and the Matildas are gaining a huge fan base as the new generation of football fans come through.
The W-League is attracting world-class players. However, we can only realise its full potential if we get rid of the old-school mentality that still exists in football from grassroots to the top level.
All in all, football people in Australia can blame everyone else for their failures, but perhaps it’s time for them to look at themselves. Football cannot afford to be exclusive anymore – there is far too much at stake.
Midfielder
Guest
I agree with the general tenor of the article ... it especially applies to our media...
Ken
Guest
True but what's good for Gallop and the Chinese consortium is not good for the game and that's a real problem for the game ,NSW third largest city deserves its own team the south coast region is flushed with junior talent going to waste /other codes once they reach their teens .
Janakan
Guest
Newsflash Rolly the Chinese group care about themselves not the game in Australia. They are not going to invest in a regional team who Bring little financial reward. They will go where they will make money and who can blame them. South coast may survive on their own but southern Sydney is far more financially lucrative and the game needs money
Rolly
Guest
You talk about exclusivity in our game yet you are in favour of a third Sydney team over a new entrant to grow the game outside of Sydney . A stand alone south coast team like a Wollongong wolves who have the stadium the juniors yet are always ignored why is this .yet all this support by media types like yourself for a third Sydney team based in Sydney fc heartland is like going to be fantastic for the game .yet you are happy to ignore the fact that Sydney fc and wsw can not fill their stadiums the fact that a Cronulla based Chinese backed team will canabilise the Sydney fc fan base is completely ignored by this author .why .how can a team based in Cronulla claiming to represent south Sydney and the south coast of nsw some many many km away work do you seriously think that the people of the south coast will travel for hours on end to Sydney to watch a Cronulla based team with a fancy name like southern expansion what the hell does this name even mean with a proposed new stadium in Cronulla which will be thirty mins away from Sydney fc home ground SFS does anyone seriously think the support will be their for Sydney fc and southern Sydney fc .has any one even bothered to ask the fans on the south coast if we want to be part of this south Sydney team NOT.we on the south coast are just lumped in with this Sydney franchise because it suits the powers that be not because it makes logical sense ,hell the south coast is a bigger geographic region / area than the central coast with a much bigger population yet the CCM are in the A league and the south coast has no stand alone team why but for the powers that be in charge and the politics .the exclusivity you talk about in our game is so true the FFA have alienated our sport and turned it into some exclusive club for the very few . for all the bad talk about the NSL one thing for sure it was a truely national competition and it was inclusive not so the A league and this then flows through to the national teams. If these Chinese backers really care about growing our game then the FFA should guide them to invest in teams outside of Sydney to grow the game the FFA are not why one needs to ask .
TR
Roar Rookie
Cricket u19 world cup is on fox and they show the whole game.
Kangajets
Guest
J b I’ve heard nothing from the southern Sydney group at all . You think if they wanted in , they would be banging down the door . At the moment, it’s still pie in the sky.
j,binnie
Guest
Janakan = I've been around football for a long time so you'll forgive me if I appear a bit cynical when it comes to believing what I term to be "forecast articles" in newspapers However ,if what you spell out is true, and comes to pass, I would certainly not conceive the "idea" as a "threat", I think I would welcome the identity with wide open arms. Cheers jb..
steve
Guest
As keeps getting pointed out to you and which you continue to ignore, all of these people that support the game that you keep talking about, more than 80% of these football fans, couldn't care less about the country's top level competition. They don't watch, it, they don't attend the games. They don't engage. They simply don't care. And this is the group of people you keep telling everyone that makes the game the most popular team sport in the country. Source - The FFA's own report into the game. If the large majority of the games own supporters don't care about the top competition in the country then it really isn't looking too good, no matter how much you preach about it. Maybe it wouldn't be wise to keep slamming the Casual Sports Fan. The game might need them. But we all know you will keep doing it.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
Hi JB I dont agree there has been no advancement. Look at this: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/southern-expansion-gains-council-approval-for-30000seat-stadium-in-loftus-20171018-gz3k8j.html That is a $300M investment. More than any of the other owners are putting in? They were ready to bring a W league team in this year. They have people with football credentials backing them. They have a base of around 40-60000 registered footballers in the St George/Sutherland/South Coast region. They obviously will make a huge dent into Australian football including grabbing Asian fans. Sounds like a major threat to me.
Post_hoc
Guest
Mate, I was here before you, will be here long after you have reached pubity and moved out of mums garage
j,binnie
Guest
Janakan - In answer to your question as to whether the FFA are frightened by the potential financial clout of Southern Expansion,would that identity have any more financial clout (up front) than the Bakrie Group from Indonesia.(Brisbane Roar)?. My own thoughts are that Southern Expansion seems to have been around for at least a year now, with little or no advancement apparent to the everyday football fan. Know why??? Re . your reference to what I had written before I don't think anywhere in my thinking did I class any Sydney Rugby League Club as "ethnic", whereas in those days one had just to look at the name of a football club to get an "ethnic connection". Cheers jb.
Kangajets
Guest
Janskan I watch every A league game and follow Edgeworth eagles in winter I also follow North Melbourne in the afl and go to gws games when they send me free tickets . I’m getting to the age where I can’t play contact sport now , I think I know my sport .
Kangajets
Guest
Randy My mistake Actually I think it’s 6 th biggest But the hunter region is quite huge actually.
Janakan
Guest
@Nemesis thank you so you agree with me then? Your right people aren’t interested which is exactly what I have been saying in my articles. So what issue do you have? The three things you have mentioned are exactly what I have said in my articles previously so what is the issue you have? So in the end you agree with me???
Janakan
Guest
Nope won’t be going away :) plenty more articles coming. You go away if you don’t like this. No one is forcing you to read. Be careful too, you may have a breakdown judging by your posts that contribute nothing.
Janakan
Guest
@Post Hoc grow up mate. Ask what these owners think of the FFA? We have FIFA stepping in to sort out issues beteeen owners and FFa? What does that prove? Exactly what I am saying. SO what is your issue? I never said there are no foreign owners in the A league? I feel southern expansion who have a great business plan and money and offered to privately build a stadium were knocked back cause the a league and ffa finds them a threat to their control just like the current a league owners are. So with no respect back to you, grow up and smell the roses and wake up to the reality. Unless you can explain why ffa and the a league owners are at loggerheads? It’s not anything to do with control? What are they arguing over? THe food at the annual dinner? If you can’t handle what I say it’s weak.
Post_hoc
Guest
Clearly you do, because you are throwing one of the biggest hissy fits I have seen on here
Post_hoc
Guest
But YOU don't have any new ideas, what you talk about are the opposite of ideas, your posts are devoid of logic and anything resembling a functional idea. in short your articles are pointless. Go away
Post_hoc
Guest
You asked the question are the powers that be, I assume you mean the FFA afraid of foreign owners with financial clout, I gave you a list of 4 foreign owners already in the league with MASSIVE financial clout, and now you say, no no not those ones, i mean new ones. Mate, I say this with absolutely NO respect go away, you don't have a clue about football you don't care for it, please spare us anymore of your stupid, and I honestly mean this, STUPID contributions
Nemesis
Guest
"Why hasn’t the 65% translated to success at the top level?" Simple. They aren't interested. I was involved with grassroots football for around 20 years, but never was interested in NSL. Doesn't mean a thing, other than at that stage in my life, NSL clubs didn't appeal to me & the NSL competition didn't appeal to me. There is nothing the NSL could do to attract me, other than have a club that I wanted to engage with. So, if we want more people to engage with Aleague we must simply ask: What do people tell us they want to get them engaging with ALeague. A significant section of the football community tell us: 1) More ALeague teams (makes sense, if I didn't live in a city with an ALeague team, I probably wouldn't be watching much, or any, ALeague 2) Promotion & relegation 3) More youth players, rather than recycling the same older players who fail at other clubs Many more things. Above 3 are critical.