On Tuesday, during one of the most extraordinary press conferences, the Chairman of the FFA board expressed his intention to step away from the game.
They were the words longed for by so many for so long and the governance of Australian football will now be democratically restructured. Theoretically, the changes will see broader representation with a voice given to all participants and stakeholders.
It was a press conference lacking in dignity, grace and humility all at the same time and Steven Lowy possesses a rare gift in being able to achieve all three simultaneously. While briefly alluding to his hopes for the game in Australia, his main thrust became the bitter concerns and fears he has for its future, after the agreement to restructure it in a manner he loathes.
No doubt Lowy would fear the change. It is a democratic system and one where stakeholders in the game will need to compromise, debate and at times, give ground.
The Chairman hasn’t taken that approach in his tenure and it is little wonder it scares the heck out of him. In the end, two comments he made during the presser revealed the selfish truths in which his reign was rooted.
FFA Chairman Steven Lowy addresses media during a press conference. (Photo by Don Arnold/Getty Images)
His rather Freudian admission that he was ‘appointed unanimously’ before quickly backtracking and adjusting the phrase to ‘elected unanimously’ had many of us that were following the action live via social media in absolute stitches.
There was a collective, ‘Did he just say that?’.
More alarming was his comment in regards to those who have fought passionately against him in pursuit of change. A rather childish, ‘Good luck to them’, gave the impressive of utter disinterest in the future and potentially validated the question around Lowy’s care for the game right from the very beginning.
It reeked of a man able to talk the talk – feigning interest in and concern for the game – yet when deposed, one whose true ambivalence towards it bubbled to the surface.
The toys were well and truly launched from the cot, yet there appeared very little sympathy if social media commentary was an accurate reflection of people’s sentiments.
The FFA will soon appoint a new Chairperson. It will also announce the final decision on the successful expansion clubs and begin work on nutting out the new structures, hopefully encouraging a smooth and practical transition in as timely a manner as possible.
As a poorly paid writer that battles away on the breadline from week to week, I wondered if the position of Chairman was within my reach. My darling wife assured me it was. She rather succinctly said, “We’ll you’ve got some nice suits, you talk too much and all you ever bloody do is watch football, so you are probably just what they are looking for”.
It got me thinking about the kind of people required at the arrowhead of the game during such a crucial time of growth, expansion and popularity.
Rawboned passion is never enough. However business acumen alone can also be more of a hindrance than a help. The risk adverse approach of Chief Executive David Gallop is clear evidence of that fact.
An intricate knowledge of the A and W-League clubs, as well as a profound awareness of their history and current concerns is vital, as is an astute and detailed understanding of the NPL structures across the country.
First hand engagement with the formative, local and community clubs that are the roots of the NPL competition can never be underestimated.
Successful applicants must have an appreciation of the role that women’s football will play in the short to medium term and an understanding that the Socceroos and Matildas are not merely cash cows that exist to keep the FFA’s financial heads above water.
Sam Kerr of the Matildas. (Photo by Zak Kaczmarek/Getty Images)
Quality coaching, player development and the effective use of pathways should be at the forefront of any thinking around the national teams; to ensure that both continue what have been steady climbs up the world rankings since their formative years.
Having a genuine foothold in grass roots football, whether it be as a coach, referee or active volunteer, might seem somewhat simplistic, yet all board members should have it.
The natural byproduct of that involvement is an acute awareness of the myriad issues in the game: the interconnectedness between park football, futsal, local and community clubs, the women’s game, access to fields, academy structures, development squads, as well as registration fees and associated costs.
Armed with that knowledge, background and skillset, an FFA board should be well equipped to attack the ever present issue of morphing the game at a junior, community, NPL and professional level.
Those currently in power have lacked those attributes and failed to implement effective change. In essence, it is about making football a ‘whole’ being and not a fragmented creature where people engage at certain points yet rarely across all aspects of the game.
Put simply, much of the above correlates to the definition of a ‘football person’. Someone passionate about and involved in the game on numerous levels and capable of mapping an improved path for the future.
That is what the new board needs to be if real progress is to be made. Perhaps I’ll pull out one of those nice suits and give it a shot! It would be hard to do any worse.
Baz
Guest
Don't quote me on this, but i'm pretty sure when Sol Trujillo was CEO of Telstra, he had no connection to Australia in terms of residency and was also a board member for a number of companies in multiple countries.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I would have thought that Gatt is referring more to Lowy snr's political connections, afterall, it was the then PM who implored him to re-establish Australian soccer administration. On the sponsorship and revenue front, have people forgotten that by 2003 the former Soccer Australia was absolutely bankrupt, didn't have two cents to rub together, and on occasion, European based socceroos would have to pay their own way to get back to Australia for an international fixture. So at a minimum, would could agree that our current sponsorship arrangements are miles ahead of where they were 15 years ago.
Punter
Roar Rookie
More from Bonita, same article. 'The scare mongering that sponsors will leave football because a Lowy isn't in charge, and their hand-picked Board is no longer in place, also suggests that corporate Australia (or international companies operating in Australia) do not have an understanding of the actual and potential football market. If that is the case, then it simply underscores why we needed the change that was agreed to yesterday.'
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Latest offering from Bonita: Will FFA lose three major sponsors with the 'exodus' of Steven Lowy and most, if not all, of the FFA Board? http://footballtoday.news/features/fact-check-sponsor-exodus
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Stuart Great article The beyond sad thing about Lowy as you and others have posted is he could have lead the way and created pathways instead he opposed even the slightest change until it was forced on him. IMO he is up there with Tony Lab, worst than Hill ... I can only hope enough common sense takes over and we create a new system. Steven Lowy needs to hang his head in shame in the state he left the game.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Nem Waz Pun +999999999999999
Punter
Roar Rookie
AD, Wasn't directing any of the subversive comments towards you.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Mr F Interesting you thought it was “a good piece”? Heres an analysis of some of the claims made in that article: http://footballtoday.news/features/fact-check-sponsor-exodus
Waz
Roar Rookie
Mr F So did Ray Gatt give an example of the influence Lowy brought over Givernment and what benefits that brought to our game? (I can’t think of any) And did Ray Gatt give an example of the influence Lowy had on corporate sponsorship? (We’re not exactly over flowing with corporates sponsoring us lol) Lowy is not a fool, but the way he behaved locked the potential for the sport down instead of releasing it. Had he have done the opposite, he’d still be there.
Waz
Roar Rookie
AD I wasn’t addressing my remarks to you, sorry if they came across that way. Over the history of this site it has differed, more so than any other ROTC site from tro!l activity and the mods have been slow to deal with it. That is the basis for mine, and others, frustration. That’s all.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“The era of Australian exceptionalism for football will need to end and we will need to show how we fit with the global model” Exactly. We are not unique. The NRL/AFL models are fine for their purposes, they do not meet the needs of football that’s for sure.
feedthegoat
Roar Rookie
hi churchman, its good to read you here. ive enjoyed your thoughts - and striking pic - on the guardian.. may the kilbey be with you.
feedthegoat
Roar Rookie
hi AD, i welcome your thoughts and the thoughts of other well meaning general sports fans. the angst should be -and generally is- aimed at the blatant trolls which infest the football tab and additionally the more subtle ones such as mister football. i look forward to your contributions. FTG
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Dead right Brendo51. You don't have to have a plumber in charge of the dam, nor a doctor in charge of the hospital. In fact, often times they make the worst chief execs or chairmen. But you need someone who will listen and understand, grasp and act. Statistically, so it's rumoured, about 12% of people make competent managers or CEOs. The trick is in selecting someone in that 12% - many of the 88% are pretending they do, but don't and they must be avoided at all costs.
Barca4life
Guest
Great read, well said
Mister Football
Roar Guru
You're not the one who is way out of line. A few others need to take a long hard look at themselves and stop pretending that they are somehow official spokesmen who have greater rights to an opinion than anyone else. They are the ones keeping others from expressing an opinion for fear that they will be ganged up on and ridiculed.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
New D-Day set for A-League expansion https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/new-d-day-set-for-a-league-expansion-513494/page2 Football Federation Australia board will decide the future of A-League expansion on October 16 after the coup that swept chairman Stephen Lowy out of office. But the massive shift has now put the planned expansion of the A-League in doubt. A decision on the winning bids was set to be announced on October 31 - but in the immediate wake of the FFA Congress vote, A-League clubs privately admitted the announcement or even expansion itself could now be delayed. According to sources close to the A-League clubs, a delay in the decision looks almost inevitable...which may then leave the successful bids with limited time to assemble a quality squad, forcing a further decision to push back expansion for yet another season to 2020/21.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Waz, I wasn't trying to do any of those things? Ugh.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
I’ll concede the irony that I was a bit antagonistic in my reply to Nem, but this ain’t the first time he’s taken a subtle shot at me for posting on this forum without addressing me directly. I know what he’s talking about, but it’s frustrating that he feels the need to grumble about me or take a silly little shot about another sport that wasn’t even mentioned here. Besides, I wasn’t trying to be subversive or annoying or anything. Literally came on here to ask a question about a topic I wasn’t entirely sure about.
Nemesis
Guest
Such a statement is utterly meaningless unless we know how much money the Federal Government has given FFA each year over the past 13 years? I can counter such vague comments by saying: without Lowy's baggage from World Cup 2022, Federal & State Governments will be more willing to invest in football. The World Cup bid doesn't count because that's a bid for an event, just like a bid for the Olympics, or Comm Games is not a grant to the sport for use by the sport. It's an investment by Governments to try to win a big event.