The basket case that is Australian federal politics is a stark reminder of how quickly change can happen – even to regimes that least expect it.
I can’t be the only person fed up with politics. And I’m not talking about the sandpit that is Canberra, but rather football’s interminable Congress impasse.
No wonder there was so much interest in APIA Leichhardt’s sensational 3-2 win over defending A-League champions Melbourne Victory in the FFA Cup last week. It gave us some actual football to talk about.
I couldn’t agree more with Fox Sports commentator Simon Hill that the FFA Cup is the best thing Football Federation Australia has done in the past few years, and he’s absolutely right that our football desperately needs a narrative.
It’s also interesting to read that the powers-that-be have put together a 100-page report called ‘Vision 2020’ which reportedly lays out a detailed plan for the game’s future.
But at this stage of the game it’s a bit like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
It’s all well and good for the FFA to author a report that should probably have been written five years ago, but the stark reality is that we honestly have no idea what the football landscape is going to look like in a month or two.
And Steven Lowy’s protestations that he was only trying to do what’s best for the game were noteworthy for all the things he didn’t say.
“We cannot allow our game to be controlled by private and largely foreign interests,” Lowy said via a media statement – conveniently neglecting the fact the FFA has encouraged those same foreign interests to invest millions of dollars in A-League clubs for years.
And the idea that only the FFA has the best interests of the game at heart has been a recurrent theme throughout this Congress fiasco.
FFA Chairman Steven Lowy (Photo by Don Arnold/Getty Images)
But do they? Because there was one aspect of APIA’s win last week that didn’t generate much debate.
If the FFA are so adept at running football and none of these other stakeholders know what they’re doing, then why did a team from the New South Wales Premier League beat the A-League champions?
That’s not intended as a glib statement, although I suspect some won’t appreciate my train of thought.
What I mean is this. If only clubs run under the auspices of the FFA are deemed worthy of elite status, then why was a semi-professional team like APIA able to beat a bunch of full-time pros either side of two vital state league fixtures, in an unfamiliar venue, with an unheralded Japanese import like Tasuku Sekiya playing the starring role?
How come clubs like APIA can play such exciting football – they smashed Rockdale City 8-2 in their NSWPL semi-final on Saturday night – despite having their access to the top tier of the game and the financial rewards it might bring blocked by the very organisation entrusted to run it?
Apia Leichhardt Tigers players celebrate after Tasuku Sekiya scores. (AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)
Could it be that instead of helping the game, the FFA has been actively hindering it? I think we all know how I feel.
And it’s telling that in so many of the statements handed down from executives like Lowy junior, one group almost never seems to get a mention – fans.
Having already alienated fans of traditional clubs like APIA by denying them the chance to ever play top-flight football, the FFA lost the backing of the majority of A-League fans years a couple of years ago.
Yet they didn’t notice until it was too late, because frankly they were too busy looking out for themselves to bother worrying about the constituents they were supposed to be serving.
A bit like our politicians.
The FFA in its current guise should be applauded for all the good things they’ve done for our game, but now it’s time to reset.
Whatever happens from here on in, the next chapter in our football narrative needs to be much more inclusive than in the past few years.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Waz that was inspired! Football is going places have no fear about that!
Bingo Bango
Roar Rookie
Nice article Mike
Griffo
Roar Guru
The FFA Cup is a lot of things FIL. A lot of positive things.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
I'm digging the new look.
MQ
Guest
I agree, no problems, although the professional game only needs 2 states onside to have full control of the board. I repeat, I'm not saying that is good or bad, I pass no value judgement on that eventuality, I merely say that the probability is very high that the professional game will get full control of the board.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
That would be a fair and reasonable summation, Mid.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
Yeah there is an attitude issue. Part of it is perhaps it is deep pre-season? A good way IMO is to that out of the 2.5 ACL spots, we give one to the FptP Premiers, one to the GF Champs and give the half spot to the FFA Cup which will help a little bit I've wondered if a Group stage may help too, back end of NPL season + pre-season of HAL, a way to shorten the off-season. And of course some Prize Money
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
Nice article FFA should have brought the FFA Cup in 5 years into the A-League around 2010, they had done their "New Football Old Soccer" thing as a way to distinguish the HAL from the old NSL era but then they needed to soothe any ruffled feathers by bringing the "Old Soccer" back into the fold I recall as an MV fan enthusiasm around the time or just before it was that pre-season friendlies would get a fair few people to them, eg 2000 at Richmond and even about 7000 against SMFC. On top of that they should have allowed transfer fees. Both of these combined would have meant good $ filtering through each level of the game and made the fraternity more robust while preventing Old Soccer politics from having too much influence Instead they focused on wining and dining FIFA Execs while having nowhere near the Networking ability developed having been in "Backwater Oceania" and in the AFC since only 2006. Starting with the Asian Cup is the way to go, focus on youth and women tournaments and build up nice record And that's without going into the fact they over-corrected, from going from Football people with no Sports Business savvy but then swinging the pendulum too far and then having too many Sports Business career types with no passion or understanding of football More recently, I thought they had a nice proposal before the FFA scuppered it, shows they are just interesting in power and nepotism
Midfielder
Guest
Waz Don't even read these guys.... you are 100% right ..and if say the clubs PFA & 3 State Feds agree that is sotra 70% of the vote or are the smaller states saying ... we want the right to veto anything we wish.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“it’s a pretty strong probability that they fall in line with the A-League clubs and PFA to create a voting bloc which will control the board” Well, if they do, they do. That’s democracy for you. But no one will control the board and everyone will need alliances. Plus you will find for example that Brisbane will be close to FQ and likewise Perth/Adelaide to their State Federations and will be sympathetic to each other’s needs on some issues, but not all. The blocs won’t be as clear cut as you think. Then the A League clubs are not united in what they want so don’t expect their votes to be cast the same way all the time. CFG are disliked by several clubs and will get opposed. And here’s the counter to your (and Steven Lowy’s) argument - if there is concern that the professional game will “run the board” why do you (and Steven) not express the same concern that the amateur game could run the board? It’s hypocritical. The answer of course is to separate out certain bodies (ie the HAL) so there’s no bun fighting over things that don’t concern people eg the States have no concern with the running of the HAL. Then everyone’s vote needs to get further diluted by adding in more stakeholders eg AAFC, coaches, Fans, which the CRWG has made account of and even says the structure should be reviewed every 4 years with the continued addition of more stakeholders ... that will make it harder for voting blocs to appear. It’s funny how 200+ FIFA countries can work with a congress exceeding 50+ members but Australia struggles ... it says something about this country with its history of two supermarkets, two airlines, two telcos, media moguls etc ... we look like a third world country with a dictator clinging on to power for the sake of power lol.
Nemesis
Guest
Well, we'll never know the answer to that because no one - not FIFA, not the PFA, not the State Feds, not even the professional clubs ... have asked for 100% control of the sport as they have in Ozzie Rules, nor have the ALeague clubs asked for 89% control as they get in RL.
Goalsonly
Guest
Aussie Soccer should be bold and build on Postecoglou's football revolution. Positive play should be rewarded. Scoring systems are being explored as a way of ensuring positive play without losing drama, media, ratings... Goalsonly replacing the antiquated 3 point system that promotes much soft negative football.... Goalsohly is all positive, All the numbers say that rewarding goals on the ladder is the future. It's the chance to get the jump on others. It just takes a bit of imagination.
MR Thomas
Guest
Apia is a dodgy club always has been always will be. If Apia ever make it in the A-League then you know the league has failed.
Midfielder
Guest
good post Football is life
MQ
Guest
The interesting thing is that the congress currently comprises the 9 state feds and one vote is controlled by the A-League clubs. In other words, the nine clubs, if they were a voting bloc would have the capacity to agree almost any structure, as long as it complies with the FIFA statutes relating to representative democracy and gender equality. The key point is that they are no longer a voting bloc, the two larger states broke away a long time ago, and with most of the professional clubs coming from those states (will soon be 8 of 11 Australian clubs), and with those two states likely to dominate the B-League, it's a pretty strong probability that they fall in line with the A-League clubs and PFA to create a voting bloc which will control the board (and thus also ensuring that the smaller states don't get more funding than their share of activity warrants).
MQ
Guest
So maybe it will turn out ok when the professional game controls soccer in Australia as well?
Nemesis
Guest
Can't stop laughing when people gravely issue the ridiculous warning: Be Careful What You Wish For. What? Be careful wishing for democracy? Be careful wishing for transparency? Be careful wishing for diversity? Can someone from the "Be careful what you wish for" lobby group please tell us what they want from an FFA Congress. Just broadly speaking. 1) Which stakeholders do you want represented on the FFA Congress; and 2) How much voting power should each stakeholder get. Or, are you happy with the current structure of 10 members; 10 votes?
punter
Guest
Best post, cannot agree more, just give me some football..
Football is Life
Guest
Griffo Couldn't you say that to get up to speed, from an A-League perspective the Cup is an excellent opportunity and from an NPL perspective the Cup is a great learning experience against the next level. From a supporter perspective it's the first step to uniting new and old football?
Lionheart
Guest
I think your CCM to Glory comparison of crowds is a bit unfair Nick. Largely because CCM benefits from its proximity to Newcastle and the two Sydney clubs, whereas Perth's isolation works against it for away crowds. For a fair comparison I think you'd have to remove away attendance, and think you'll find Perth does ok.