Sometimes the truth isn’t what football fans want to hear.
A recent article by SBS World Game writer Adrian Arciuli pondered whether football fans could handle the truth in a brilliant article last week, suggesting that, “Honesty and transparency is something which has been severely lacking in Australian football for a long time”.
Yet when FFA chair Chris Nikou provided his honest opinion that existing licences are in place and guaranteed until 2034, meaning its difficult to introduce promotion and relegation before then, football social media went into meltdown.
Nikou was simply telling the truth, and as a group, me included, the reaction was huge. Within three hours FFA and other directors were saying this is not FFA policy.
Arciuli raised what I believe was a genuine question. Can we handle the truth?
FFA chairman Chris Nikou (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Adrian then suggested that it might be better to take our time to get the model right. He contended that 2034 was too far away and that 2029 might be time enough to implement a new structure comprising three tiers.
Both Division 1 and Divison 2 would feature 16 teams apiece, while Division 3 would essentially be the current state clubs.
Further, Arciuli recommended the season play from February to November for the above 3 tiers, with association games to be played from March to September.
Its not a bad model and, as is detailed in the article, it’s up for discussion.
What I like is that the article attempts to find consensus. Let’s work out how to develop the model and get it up and running. It’s something I have been suggesting for a while.
We don’t need to determine ground sizes, capital bases et cetera. We simply say that this is where we want to go. Once we agree on a model we can unite behind it and determine the best way forward.
But the conclusion is that the footballing public can handle the truth.
Over recent years the angst towards David Gallop and Steven Lowy has morphed and attached itself to FFA. The FFA, for want of a better description, is an ASIC certificate and a company seal. The FFA should reflect football, fans, clubs, national sides et cetera.
FFA CEO Dave Gallop. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
It’s not the fault of the FFA; it’s the systems of the people we place in charge that need to be managed.
Recently some fans seem to be openly cheering every failing of the A-League, taking pleasure in every negative thing that happens, very often cheering the latest metric and pointing and waving the finger saying, ‘I told you so’.
If the A-League fails, what will take its place and who will pay for it? If it fails, I cannot see owners, broadcasters or sponsors rushing to put money into a new league.
The A-League has to work if we want football to work in Australia. No-one is suggesting we don’t need a second division and promotion and relegation in time. The question is how we get there, what journey or path we take.
Very simply, we can’t things change overnight and we have to make the A-League work, so lets simply agree on a model an allow time to make it work.
As a post-script, I very much the three-tier model suggested by Arciuli. It makes a lot of sense, and I suggest you read his article.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I remember they had a good local player, my memory is a bit fuzzy now, something like Baz Giampaolo
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
L0ved going to Inter Monaro (Queanbeyan) games as a kid. My brother got on the bench one game. Relegation killed us. Be careful what you wish for.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
It's a fair question. I think the tendency from many sections of Australian football has been to project an answer to any specific question out of thin air, then try and build a case around it. And I feel like that's a bit of what we're seeing with the debate around promotion and relegation right now. That said, this notion of Australian exceptionalism isn't working. The A-League has gone backwards, our national teams have regressed and top tier of the game is teetering on the brink. Will promotion and relegation help that? Not in the short term. Does Australian football need it? Yes. I think the truth of how we get to all these critical junctures in the meantime is what certain parties will find unpalatable.
Maximus Insight
Guest
Right. Now, uh, item four: attainment of world supremacy within the next five years. Uh, Nem, you've been doing some work on this. Yeah. Thank you, Reg. Well, quite frankly, siblings, I think five years is optimistic, unless we can smash the Roman empire within the next twelve months.
Maximus Insight
Guest
"so lets simply agree on a model" I think this may be where things get difficult rather than simple
Loïc A
Guest
If there is to be a three years gap between the introduction of a second div and pro/rel, it might be a good idea to manage pro/rel like the South American leagues and use the mean points per match over a few years for it: such a system favours the incumbents over the newly-promoted, so would help blunt fears of "if WSW has a bad year, what happens to their sparkling new stadium".
Mister Football
Roar Guru
And there shall in that time be rumours of things going astray, and there will be a great confusion as to where things really are, and nobody will really know where lieth those little things with the sort of raffia work base, that has an attachment…at this time, a friend shall lose his friend’s hammer and the young shall not know where lieth the things possessed by their fathers that their fathers put there only just the night before around eight o’clock...
Midfielder
Roar Guru
I think that is kinda right... But the trick if trick is the right word is to agree on a model.. Then get it completed bit by bit...
Waz
Roar Rookie
We have plans ...
Evan Askew
Guest
I'm pissed off that it will take so long but I will also say this. At least they have given a time in which promotion and relegation can happen which means that their is an intention to put it in place which was unimaginable 10 years ago. Hell back then I would have said that promotion and relegation was a bad idea. What is more. People who are fans of an NSL club who are pissed off about not being in the A league and who want their club to be in the A league, your clubs now have a lot of time to prepare themselves for the demands required to compete in a national 2nd division. And once you are in the second division and there is promotion and relegation it is on you to get yourselves into the A league.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Thanks
Jordan
Guest
Where are Brisbane moving to?
Nick Symonds
Guest
Punter - I think one of our biggest issues is within football with all our agendas causing us the most problems. Midfielder - Agree and also some expectations of whats achievable in the short term need to be rained in … equally those suggesting very slow change need to be also moved aside… Punter - Yes Mid I totally agree, there are some actions that need drastic actions & quick & there are others that will take time & we need patience. You can see many here who are true football fans who are totally disenchanted with what is happening with football in the country, but there are also others who are driven by their own agendas. Like you said in your note, it’s the A-League that we need to make work, once that works, the Socceroos, Matildas & youth teams will follow. Midfielder - Yep fully agree - Nick Symonds I agree with all points above. Everybody's talking about themselves and putting their own agendas before the best interest of the sport. I think we can all agree that as far as football codes go, this is the big one. But at the moment we can't move forward until we can all agree on a model which we can then move towards. Somehow this reminds me of something... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW9_GqShJPg
AJ Mithen
Expert
Nice piece Mid.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The early years of the A-League had mid to late Aug starts (from memory), seemed to work quite well and in fact some of our largest average attendances were during this period.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The truth?? You can't handle the truth!!
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Pun Yep fully agree
Punter
Roar Rookie
Yes Mid I totally agree, there are some actions that need drastic actions & quick & there are others that will take time & we need patience. You can see many here who are true football fans who are totally disenchanted with what is happening with football in the country, but there are also others who are driven by their own agendas. Like you said in your note, it's the A-League that we need to make work, once that works, the Socceroos, Matildas & youth teams will follow.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Alignment is a funny thing. Align with east Asia and we’re out of step with someone else right, does it really matter if we’re not aligned. The best argument I’ve seen is AFC comps are nidmally January so we could take a break then or start after then. But then we have a WC every 4 years disrupting our season. It’s all personal opinion but I still think a September start works best.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Yeah, and it’s actuslly the “when” part that’s causing all the angst lol