Few have done more for football than Heather Reid.
Advocacy for gender equality and the promotion of women’s sport are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her considerable achievements.
The promotion of football in the ACT and an active role in the push for both a women’s World Cup and Olympic participation are also notches on her impressive belt.
The establishment and development of Capital Football and the eventual birth of Canberra United also have Reid’s fingerprints on them and, as a nation, her role in the game has been officially recognised.
In 2007 she was added to the Australian Football Roll of Honour and in 2015 Reid was awarded the Member of Australia Medal for her tireless work and commitment as one of the nations’ most respected and effective sports administrators.
It was somewhat logical after 30 years of service to sport and football that Reid would be elected to the FFA board in 2018, filling one of the vacancies created after the departure of former chairman Steven Lowy.
Reid was elected in a canter and assumed the role of deputy chair once the tumult around the elections had settled.
Now, her position and reputation lie in tatters.
If she is feeling rather ashamed and embarrassed after her initial comments on Alen Stajcic’s sacking and the apology which eventuated from it, she should be.
A good man was cast aside by the FFA when Stajcic was removed from his post as Matildas coach. That in itself is fine, football is a business and coaching tenures are far from guaranteed.
However, we now know that the insinuation and suggestion that Reid fuelled in the days after Stajcic’s dismissal had no basis in truth.
Her statement that people “would be shocked” were they armed with all of the reasons behind the decision and her suggestion that Stajcic would never work in women’s football again if those reasons were to ever be made public have now been withdrawn.
Alen Stajcic . (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Rumours surrounding the coach were drip-fed to numerous members of the media, who were taken in hook, line and sinker.
The Matildas themselves appeared stunned, Stajcic kept tight-lipped aside from one emotive statement in regards to the impact the saga was having on his family and no concrete evidence or logical reason was ever provided to support the FFA’s decision.
Reid’s public apology in a statement issued by the FFA on Saturday retracts her original comments, with Reid saying she “was wrong to imply” his sacking had anything to do with misconduct.
She has apologised unreservedly for the “damage, distress and hurt” she caused Stajcic as a professional, as well as referencing his immediate family and the impact her actions have had on them.
My question for Heather Reid is a simple one: why?
It is a question I would like her to answer. To spread such falsehoods with the reasonable expectation they’d gain wider exposure is not something done for kicks.
What was her endgame?
It is logical to think her intention was to justify the FFA’s decision to remove Stajcic, but why exactly did it need to be justified?
Come on Heather, tell us. I am fascinated.
There is no reference to motivation or intention in her statement and, with the FFA distancing itself from Reid’s remarks by stating she acted alone, her personal objective should be something they too seek.
There are plenty of theories around as to why this all transpired yet I am nowhere near silly enough to include them here.
All we can say for certain at this point is that the FFA sacked Stajcic because they wanted someone else to be the coach and that Reid’s position on the FFA board is untenable.
Brendan
Roar Pro
The upside of this debacle is the Central Coast Mariners have appointed a well-respected coach. Alen Stajcic comes across a man with genuine integrity. The sporting fans of Gosford have found a leader.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
“didn’t all the board members want Staj sacked?” Outside of the boardroom, does anybody know? What we now know is that Stajcic was smeared without justification. FFA board digging a hole for itself.
The Ball Bobbled
Roar Rookie
didnt all the board members want Staj sacked? i would like to ask them what have they achieved by it - apart from shame
Stevo
Roar Rookie
I shake my head Stuart. It's the obvious question, 'why?', but I reckon we'll never find out. As you wrote in your article, Heather has done so much for the game but for an inexplicable reason decided to smear someone knowing full well that it would cause their demise. If she has not lost her moral compass just yet she should do the honourable thing and resign. If not, I cannot see how other board members could sit in the same room as someone who has admitted that her comments about Stajic have no basis in fact.
oldpsyco
Guest
FFA will say nothing! Just hoping to ride out the storm till something else takes the news cycle. Stories being put out like, "Matildas take on FIFA over prizemoney" or the "Wellington Phoenix" are timed to distract from this issue! Its time for Fans to boycott the friendlies to send a message to FFA that we will not put up with it anymore! The elections merely changed the deck chairs, we need the structure changed!
Newie
Guest
Thanks for this timely article Stuart. The question absolutely needs answering. It now looks like Stajcic's sacking was a vindictive and spiteful attack driven by Reid. If not, she should really explain herself. But FFA, as always, will hide behind a lack of transparency.
Mark
Guest
There are no questions to answer. We have all the information we need. Just resign already!
Midfielder
Roar Guru
its a good question Stewart and would also like to know why the board backed her in his sacking.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I know how Stajcic feels. I was sacked because I 'bashed' a 13 year old at school. The feminist mother bayed for my blood and the feminist principless sacked me. The fact that I hadn't bashed anyone was immaterial. Despite the teacher's aid, in a witness statement, said I had done nothing wrong. No other students corroborated his / their maliscious lies. I was banned from teaching work in Australia, PNG & NZ. I couldn't get the dole for 3 months because I was sacked for a criminal activity. 5.5 months later I was cleared with no case to answer. ---- How does Reid lie in bed at night? Oh, that's right, she lies standing up.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
She should go. Replace her with Raelene Castle. Or perhaps not a good idea.
Blubber
Guest
It might be simple case of letting your emotions get in the way of logical reasoning.
johnnoo
Roar Pro
I believe it was a smear campaign in order to try and and make sure Alan doesn't get his contract paid out or set up road blocks to make it difficult for him to get his severance pay etc.
oldpsyco
Guest
What about a "Motion of NO Confidence" ? Gallop should be gone to, he's either complicit or incompetent take your pick!
Bfc
Guest
Ms Reid should resign...she has admitted her own complicity is propagating lies that led to the sacking of the most successful Matildas coach ever, and the damage to Stajic's personal reputation. Her falsehoods were libelous/slanderous. Her position is untenable.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Yeah but not this fair away from the Women's World Cup. And about equality in football, is that about pay??????
BLACKTOWN
Roar Rookie
Its time all womens sports branch off independently of the men .This would end the arguments for equal pay as they will have to survive off their own revenue as does the W.T.A (except majors) and womens golf tour.It would also benefit those women who believe they are being exploited it some way or another.
Franko
Guest
She can't/won't be sacked but the right thing for her to do is resign. Her lack of integrity after this saga makes her position difficult to maintain. Maybe after the Matilda's world cup.
Nemesis
Guest
"I would prefer she was SACKED but the gutless mob at FFA don’t have the balls to do it!" Nothing to do with lack of testicles, but rather it's to do with not having any legal power to sack a director.
oldpsyco
Guest
The ONLY thing I want to hear from Heather Reid is her RESIGNATION. I would prefer she was SACKED but the gutless mob at FFA don't have the balls to do it! I am totally disgusted in the administration of a sport I have loved since my childhood, I have played, and volunteered and followed it for over 60 years, well I'm DONE. Unless this disgusting individual is removed and at least one or two others resign, I like many others want nothing more to do with the sport in Australia. At a very minimum, Gallop's position is untenable! And Chris Nikou has proven he neither has the authority to stop this kind of thing nor the or the Leadership to stand against it when it does!
jbinnie
Guest
Stu - All I can say to you is "Don't hold your breath". Since the introduction into "play for pay footballers" the administrative history of our game has continually thrown up scandal and innuendo so that this latest episode has added nothing new to what is in fact a dismal past that even saw a government of the day forced to come into our game and sort out what had become in fact a "disaster area" You list this lady's accomplishments as being measurable in various awards and this too is extremely dangerous for an examination of these "hall of fame" awards would leave any knowing individual wondering as to how many of the listed recipients were ever nominated in the first place!!!!!. Unfortunately this lady has created the means to her own downfall , and it is a sad reflection on how,once again, the ruling parties are desperately distancing themselves from her. That "distancing" is in itself a sad,sad reflection on how our game is being run today. jb.