FFA chairman Steven Lowy to quit post, blames 'football politics'

FIFA has just established a Normalisation Committee to run soccer in Ghana. The Presidents of Ghana and FIFA are committed to working together. They've resolved to eradicate corruption and malfeasance and other associated criminal activity. Is Australian soccer in the same boat? Can anyone imagine Malcolm Turnbull working with FIFA to get Australian soccer in tip top shape?

Mark i am not sure if you are aware but the the CEO of Capital Football is the marked man at the moment. He made the call without consulting the ACT clubs to side eithe Lowy and now the NPL clubs in Canberra want him sacked. I am also happy to avail myself of your wise counsel because the subliminal message here is that your research is consistently faultless. It must he lonely on top of that mountain. I now have something to aspire to.

Which season? NPL started in February/March & it's just about to finish. State leagues started in March & just about to finish. FFA Cup started in February/March; ALeague clubs got involved in July/August. NPL National Championships are in September. ALeague & WLeague season starts in October. Football in Australia is a 12 month season.

Martyn 1950s strikes again

Civil war and season has not started yet

AR you are spot on. The A-League is worth nothing and its value is diminishing day by day. But thanks again for stopping by and taking an interest.

@Wise old Elf You Are Wrong. The $356M deal that FFA signed with FoxSports for 6 years content only includes the FFA owned content. AFC Content: WC Qualifiers, ACL, Asian Cup, etc is not part of the deal since FFA does not own these rights. The AFC sold those rights to a company called Lagardère & Lagardère onsold those rights in AUS to FoxSports. This is common knowledge. The only rights the FFA does own for National Teams are the rights to friendlies that are hosted by the FFA - usually played in Australia, but some have been hosted in England.

Facts about FFA TV rights 2013/14-2017/18 - 4 year deal - $160M Rights purchased include: a) FFA Content: ALeague, WLeague, NYL, home friendlies for all AUS National Teams b) AFC Content 2015 Asian Cup, Asian Champions League, 2018 World Cup Qualifiers, All other content owned by Asian Football Confederation 2017/18 - 2023/24 - 6 year deal - $356M Rights purchased include: a) FFA Content: ALeague, WLeague, NYL, home friendlies for all AUS National Teams b) AFC CONTENT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS DEAL.

“I think you might want to double check your facts on the tv rights. Socceroos and A-League are bundled together or Fox Sports wouldn’t want the league” Incorrect. The separation of these rights occurred a few years ago and has been discussed on these pages on numerous occasions. Clearly FoxSports do want the A League and we’re prepared to pay to get it. There are also enough published articles on this as well if you do your research. You’re about 2 years behind the times. “Time will tell if A-League clubs manage to actually develop any talent” Arzani, Maclaren, Borrello, Yeboah, Mooy, Rogic, Ryan, Brillanti, and that’s scratching the surface of a long list. And the rest of your post is just rubbish. Sorry, it just is - you start out factually incorrect and then descend into personal insults.

"FIFA can’t change the constitution unilaterally." No one suggested FIFA could. I specifically said the FFA Congress would have to vote for the changes at the September meeting. There are 3 possibilities: 1) FFA Congress adopts the changes 2) FIFA installs a Normalisation Committee 3) FIFA suspends AUS. As I keep saying: it doesn't matter what the States decide, FIFA will get the outcome that FIFA wants. And, a Normalisation Committee is exactly the most likely outcome IF - as you keep suggesting - the smaller States want to do a bit of bargaining. If the smaller States want to prolong the negotiations to improve their individual voting power, then the ONLY way to prolong negotiations is via the Normalisation Committee. There is no other way. Without a Normalisation Committee it's either "0 or "1" - REJECT the CRWG Report; or ACCEPT the CRWG Report. And, let's be clear, we are talking about the smaller States holding out for 1, or 2 per cent more voting power. They currently have 10% vote each. The CRWG gives them 6% voting power each, presuming all 9 States get equal votes.

Nothing you've said changes the fact that 7 of 9 feds have to vote in favour of the proposed change to the constitution. Even if Australia is suspended, that fact remains. FIFA can't change the constitution unilaterally. The threat of suspension might be enough to get the smaller feds onboard....might. And if you think a Normalisation Committee is still a possibility, then you haven't been following proceedings very closely.

"It may not be that bad a play for 3 or 4 of the smallest feds to hang tough till the very end to extract maximum concessions for themselves" You continue to miss the point - either intentionally (which I'd assume based on your previous behaviour under various guises), or unintentionally due to being totally unable to grasp the core of the issue. The CRWG Report will be either accepted, or rejected, by FIFA. 1) FIFA rejects the CRWG Report (unlikely) a) FIFA will move to take control of the FFA via a Normalisation Committee, or b) FIFA suspends Australia 2) FIFA accepts the CRWG Report a) the FFA Congress meets in September & accepts the CRWG Report in its entirety b) the FFA Congress meets in Sept & does not accept CRWG Report in its entirety If 2(b), then a) FIFA will move to take control of the FFA via a Normalisation Committee, or b) FIFA suspends Australia So, to summarise. FFA will either do what FIFA demands, or Australia will be suspended from participating as a Member of FIFA

Lionheart It will be the loss of power for some, and the gaining of power for others, depending on what voting bloc emerges. From the outside, it looks like the professional game has a very solid voting bloc, and they only need to be joined by two state feds (and two of them already look like they are closely aligned) for the professional game to have full control of the board. Now I repeat, I am not saying that is a good or bad thing, but I am saying that the different state feds might have a different opinion on whether that is a good or bad thing. It may not be that bad a play for 3 or 4 of the smallest feds to hang tough till the very end to extract maximum concessions for themselves (they will never again have the opportunity to get anything out of HQ).

yes, I see your point, either way the State federations will lose much of the power they have at present. Impotent might be a bit strong, but vastly weakened, yes.

Waz - Archie is no fool and I respect his opinions but what he should never forget it is that it took one man , Frank Lowy,, to raise the "phoenix" (the HAL) from the ashes that were the remains of the NSL. What has transpired since those days 2005-2010 is another chapter in football history all together. As you say ,although Archie specifies what should never happen again it was actually a scenario that he describes as "never to happen again" that saved the game in 2005. What is the alternative????? Cheers jb.

And, as I said, it does not matter one iota what the State Feds decide to do. They can do as they please. No matter what the State Feds decide, the governance of AUS football under FIFA will never be the same as it is today. End of story.

As I said, the state feds have to vote for the change (7 of 9 need to do so, to be exact). They might be swayed by the threat of Australia being suspended. It only needs two to not be swayed by such a threat. It only needs two feds to believe that the future of the game being run by the professional game is actually worse than the threat of suspension, afterall, for the moment it remains only a threat. It only needs two feds to want to push this all the way to the brink. Who knows, such a course of action might win them some concessions. That might be the smart play rather than just meekly falling in line.

No. The States become impotent because that's what FIFA has demanded. Either the States become impotent because: 1) they vote for the Reforms recommended by the CRWG, or 2) they don't vote for the Reforms & AUS is suspended by FIFA Either way, the States have become impotent. They can choose to pretend they are not, or they can choose to embrace the future.

His actual tweet though jb hits the nail on the head. What it doesn’t answer of course is how this can be achieved. Which is what I assume you are alluding too? The perpetual crisis in Australian football is a national embarrassment, it’s actually not that hard to sort out. But we can’t do it for some reason ... when other countries can?

The states become impotent only if they choose to vote in favour of becoming impotent.