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Australian Football Stuff - not worthy of a thread
- Thread starter Rowdy
- Start date
, should be a good read.
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
A-League coaches 'too scared' to gamble on undiscovered talent:
Risk-averse A-League coaches have been accused of neglecting the hidden gems glittering in Australian football’s National Premier League because they fear taking a punt on talent might cost them their jobs.
Leading player agent Buddy Farah, who has a stable of eight overseas-based Australian players, has also called on Football Federation Australia to move quickly towards a promotion-relegation model to provide a platform for potential new stars to shine and shake-up what he calls the A-League “merry-go-round”.
“There are a lot of NPL players far better than some of those in the A-League, but they just don’t get the opportunity,” claimed Farah, a former Australia under-23 international who went on to represent Lebanon and also spent six seasons in the old NSL with Wollongong Wolves and Marconi Stallions.
“As an agent, you don’t want to take on these players because of the lack of opportunity for them to progress.
"To be frank, a lot of the players running around in the A-League aren’t good enough, and it's time fresh faces were given a chance.
“Look at Sydney United, for example, they have five or six players why are by far capable of playing in the A-League.
“The same goes for the likes of Blacktown City and Green Gully … some of the bigger teams in the NPL have players who could thrive in the A-League, but there's a perception that because they haven’t done that they are not good enough.
“Club coaches are results driven and are too scared to take risks ... they stick with players they are familiar with and who have experience.
"But they are not necessarily the ones who are actually going to get them the results.
“The only coach prepared to take a gamble is Wellington’s Ernie Merrick, and that’s because I don’t think he gives a damn and if he loses his job he’ll back himself to find something else.
“The rest of them are all about holding onto to their jobs because they know how tough I can be to get back into a league with so few cubs."
Referring to FFA’s reluctance to embrace a second tier, Farah said it was time the ruling body "looked at growing the game in this country".
“A lot clubs outside the A-League are calling for a second division, and I can’t see why the FFA won’t give it a crack," he said.
“The way things stand it's is a merry-go-round … the same players are continually getting filtered around the competition.
“The lack of opportunity for lower tier players and second tear clubs is stark, and that’s quite sad."
Farah is a fan of the German model, in particular, explaining: “There are five or six different divisions of football which allow people to sustain a living, beyond playing in the top flight.
“Here, below the A-League the players are all semi-professionals who would be lucky to earn maybe $300 a week, with an elite few on maybe $1000.
“When you look at the crowds some of these NPL sides generate, some are getting attendances of maybe 3000-5000 attendances, you can’t tell me that crowds they can attract won’t sustain a decent product.
“Look at Italy the other day; there was a Serie A game between Sassuolo and Udinese which had only 5000 people in the stadium.
“You are getting that here already in some cases in the NPL and if you add promotion and relegation to the mix you will attract even more.
“Many of these second tier clubs, the likes of South Melbourne for instance, are better financed than some of these A-League clubs, and that's without the salary cap funding.
“There are a lot of successful businessmen backing these teams, and they are committed to continue investing in them.
“The bottom line is that if our competition is really going to take off it's not going to happen with a 10 team league with no promotion or relegation. We need to be different from the other codes.”
Risk-averse A-League coaches have been accused of neglecting the hidden gems glittering in Australian football’s National Premier League because they fear taking a punt on talent might cost them their jobs.
Leading player agent Buddy Farah, who has a stable of eight overseas-based Australian players, has also called on Football Federation Australia to move quickly towards a promotion-relegation model to provide a platform for potential new stars to shine and shake-up what he calls the A-League “merry-go-round”.
“There are a lot of NPL players far better than some of those in the A-League, but they just don’t get the opportunity,” claimed Farah, a former Australia under-23 international who went on to represent Lebanon and also spent six seasons in the old NSL with Wollongong Wolves and Marconi Stallions.
“As an agent, you don’t want to take on these players because of the lack of opportunity for them to progress.
"To be frank, a lot of the players running around in the A-League aren’t good enough, and it's time fresh faces were given a chance.
“Look at Sydney United, for example, they have five or six players why are by far capable of playing in the A-League.
“The same goes for the likes of Blacktown City and Green Gully … some of the bigger teams in the NPL have players who could thrive in the A-League, but there's a perception that because they haven’t done that they are not good enough.
“Club coaches are results driven and are too scared to take risks ... they stick with players they are familiar with and who have experience.
"But they are not necessarily the ones who are actually going to get them the results.
“The only coach prepared to take a gamble is Wellington’s Ernie Merrick, and that’s because I don’t think he gives a damn and if he loses his job he’ll back himself to find something else.
“The rest of them are all about holding onto to their jobs because they know how tough I can be to get back into a league with so few cubs."
Referring to FFA’s reluctance to embrace a second tier, Farah said it was time the ruling body "looked at growing the game in this country".
“A lot clubs outside the A-League are calling for a second division, and I can’t see why the FFA won’t give it a crack," he said.
“The way things stand it's is a merry-go-round … the same players are continually getting filtered around the competition.
“The lack of opportunity for lower tier players and second tear clubs is stark, and that’s quite sad."
Farah is a fan of the German model, in particular, explaining: “There are five or six different divisions of football which allow people to sustain a living, beyond playing in the top flight.
“Here, below the A-League the players are all semi-professionals who would be lucky to earn maybe $300 a week, with an elite few on maybe $1000.
“When you look at the crowds some of these NPL sides generate, some are getting attendances of maybe 3000-5000 attendances, you can’t tell me that crowds they can attract won’t sustain a decent product.
“Look at Italy the other day; there was a Serie A game between Sassuolo and Udinese which had only 5000 people in the stadium.
“You are getting that here already in some cases in the NPL and if you add promotion and relegation to the mix you will attract even more.
“Many of these second tier clubs, the likes of South Melbourne for instance, are better financed than some of these A-League clubs, and that's without the salary cap funding.
“There are a lot of successful businessmen backing these teams, and they are committed to continue investing in them.
“The bottom line is that if our competition is really going to take off it's not going to happen with a 10 team league with no promotion or relegation. We need to be different from the other codes.”
Forum Phoenix
Well-Known Member
See you guys are better than me at translating, I don't speak agent very well.
All I could seem to make out was a few jumbled words and phrases...
"Money money... dickhead...dickhead... whinge whinge ..give me... give me..."
An agent virtue signalling about 'fairness'. Give me a break.
All I could seem to make out was a few jumbled words and phrases...
"Money money... dickhead...dickhead... whinge whinge ..give me... give me..."
An agent virtue signalling about 'fairness'. Give me a break.
VicMariner
Well-Known Member
The thing is though, there does seem to be some great talent running around the NPL.
A national 2nd division, with or without pro/rel would be great.
A national 2nd division, with or without pro/rel would be great.
pjennings
Well-Known Member
“As an agent, you don’t want to take on these players because of the lack of opportunity for them to progress.
"To be frank, a lot of the players running around in the A-League aren’t good enough, and it's time fresh faces were given a chance.
“Look at Sydney United, for example, they have five or six players why are by far capable of playing in the A-League.
Sydney United have six or seven players that have played in the A-League and where deemed by the managers as not good enough. They have been given the opportunity at the higher level and failed to take it.
One of arguments for a second division is that it would bring the better players from the NPL teams across the country into a more concentrated competition. This would have two benefits. HAL managers would seem the cream of the emerging talent in a second division making recruitment easier. Secondly, by concentrating maybe 120 teams into 12 or 14 teams at the level below the HAL the standards of competition should rise and help develop the players for entry into the HAL.
"To be frank, a lot of the players running around in the A-League aren’t good enough, and it's time fresh faces were given a chance.
“Look at Sydney United, for example, they have five or six players why are by far capable of playing in the A-League.
Sydney United have six or seven players that have played in the A-League and where deemed by the managers as not good enough. They have been given the opportunity at the higher level and failed to take it.
One of arguments for a second division is that it would bring the better players from the NPL teams across the country into a more concentrated competition. This would have two benefits. HAL managers would seem the cream of the emerging talent in a second division making recruitment easier. Secondly, by concentrating maybe 120 teams into 12 or 14 teams at the level below the HAL the standards of competition should rise and help develop the players for entry into the HAL.
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
Former A-League stars amazed at football passion in Indonesia:
Persib Bandung is a name that will mean nothing to most people in Australia, but in Indonesia it’s another story altogether.
Persib, from the West Javan city of Bandung, about three hours drive south east of Jakarta, is one of Indonesia’s most decorated and popular clubs, with seven titles to their name dating back to 1937 and an army of supporters that would be the envy of clubs the world over, with up to five million fans in Indonesia alone.
A check of social media shows they have over 2.3 million followers on twitter and a staggering 8.6 million fans on Facebook.
And Maung Bandung is now home to a collection of former A-League stars, with Sergio van Dijk, Marcos Flores and Diogo Ferreira all now donning their famous blue kit.
“I knew it was quite a big club here in Indonesia but I probably never really knew the extent of that,” Ferreira told The World Game.
“It’s crazy, there’s a lot of fans, and the club is run pretty well, really well actually, so I’ve been quite surprised.”
And it’s their fanatical supporters that have most surprised Ferreira in his first few weeks at the club.
“It’s just completely on a different level,” the 26-year-old said. “I’ve played in the Melbourne Derby and all that and two hours before the game you can still drive on the streets. Here, two or three hours before the game you can’t even get close to the stadium.
“If we don’t get a police escort to the stadium we won’t make it there in time because there are people everywhere, fans everywhere.”
And despite hailing from Argentina, where passion for football knows no bounds, Flores was equally taken aback by the fanatical support.
____________________________
“I came from Argentina where obviously we are passionate also, but I think this is a different level of passion.”
____________________________
“There’s not any place you can go where there won’t be people saying hi to you.
“It happened to me that I ordered a coffee, a skinny latte, and there were three guys around the cup and I was thinking ‘what are they doing?’ and they were drawing the badge of the club in my coffee.
“And the funny thing is when I got it I said ‘thank you guys its lovely, but it’s already cold (laughs)’. So it’s pretty awesome. They are lovely, lovely, lovely fans and really, really passionate.”
For Ferreira and Flores, who signed within two weeks of each other, having a familiar face around the club in van Dijk was a massive help as they adjusted to life in a new country.
“He’s been a massive help with everything, how everything is run here, what to expect, what not to expect,” Ferreira said of van Dijk, who is in his second stint with Persib. “In terms of translation every time the coach speaks I stand next to him and he’s translating for me.”
But according to Flores, van Dijk’s help does have its downsides.
“He’s a big, big star here,” he explained. “He was translating everything for me, helping me with the supermarket with buying stuff and its incredible, we do ten steps in the shopping mall and (there’s) ten guys asking him for a photo.
“Something that should take 20 minutes we do it in two hours and it made me realise the difficult life Messi has. As much as I love him [van Dijk], I will never, ever invite him to go to the supermarket with me (laughs).”
For van Dijk it’s a simple case of passing it forward.
“I appreciated the people who helped me in the past when I went to other clubs and had to find my way and the least I could do was do something like that and help them here as well,” he told The World Game.
“I already knew the culture even before I got here in 2013 because half of my family is from Indonesia, so I knew what to expect. But I can imagine for people who have never been to Indonesia and now come here to play and live it can be a culture shock.”
And yet despite being the new kid on the block, Ferreira has managed to help van Dijk discover some hidden gems in Bandung.
“Funnily enough I’ve actually helped him because I’ve opened his eyes to how many good cafés and restaurants there actually is in Bandung,” the former Olyroo said.
“I’ve searched them all and he said, ‘geez lucky you came cos I didn’t know any of these places existed’. Honestly it’s unbelievable, there’s certain cafés you walk into where I feel like I’m in Melbourne - it’s a great city.”
Flores and van Dijk spent just the one season together at Adelaide United in 2010-2011 and Flores is excited at the prospect of rekindling their partnership 4500km away at Persib.
____________________________
“I remember in Adelaide we got to play 27 games together and we connected like we played all our lives together.”
____________________________
“After I left Adelaide I was missing playing with a number nine with his characteristics, with his quality, so I was looking forward to joining this team.”
As it turns out it was van Dijk who helped get Flores to the club.
After a pre-season tour in 2013 with Central Coast, during which he scored twice in a friendly against Persib, Flores was a player Persib management kept tabs on.
“I called him to see if he was interested,” van Dijk joked. “The people here remember him from a tournament in 2013 with Central Coast and often people ask me if he is available and is he free, and at this point in time he was free and they were looking for a player.
“One thing lead to another and now we’re playing on the same team again.”
And as Flores and Ferreira are quickly finding out, Persib is no ordinary team.
Persib Bandung is a name that will mean nothing to most people in Australia, but in Indonesia it’s another story altogether.
Persib, from the West Javan city of Bandung, about three hours drive south east of Jakarta, is one of Indonesia’s most decorated and popular clubs, with seven titles to their name dating back to 1937 and an army of supporters that would be the envy of clubs the world over, with up to five million fans in Indonesia alone.
A check of social media shows they have over 2.3 million followers on twitter and a staggering 8.6 million fans on Facebook.
And Maung Bandung is now home to a collection of former A-League stars, with Sergio van Dijk, Marcos Flores and Diogo Ferreira all now donning their famous blue kit.
“I knew it was quite a big club here in Indonesia but I probably never really knew the extent of that,” Ferreira told The World Game.
“It’s crazy, there’s a lot of fans, and the club is run pretty well, really well actually, so I’ve been quite surprised.”
And it’s their fanatical supporters that have most surprised Ferreira in his first few weeks at the club.
“It’s just completely on a different level,” the 26-year-old said. “I’ve played in the Melbourne Derby and all that and two hours before the game you can still drive on the streets. Here, two or three hours before the game you can’t even get close to the stadium.
“If we don’t get a police escort to the stadium we won’t make it there in time because there are people everywhere, fans everywhere.”
And despite hailing from Argentina, where passion for football knows no bounds, Flores was equally taken aback by the fanatical support.
____________________________
“I came from Argentina where obviously we are passionate also, but I think this is a different level of passion.”
____________________________
“There’s not any place you can go where there won’t be people saying hi to you.
“It happened to me that I ordered a coffee, a skinny latte, and there were three guys around the cup and I was thinking ‘what are they doing?’ and they were drawing the badge of the club in my coffee.
“And the funny thing is when I got it I said ‘thank you guys its lovely, but it’s already cold (laughs)’. So it’s pretty awesome. They are lovely, lovely, lovely fans and really, really passionate.”
For Ferreira and Flores, who signed within two weeks of each other, having a familiar face around the club in van Dijk was a massive help as they adjusted to life in a new country.
“He’s been a massive help with everything, how everything is run here, what to expect, what not to expect,” Ferreira said of van Dijk, who is in his second stint with Persib. “In terms of translation every time the coach speaks I stand next to him and he’s translating for me.”
But according to Flores, van Dijk’s help does have its downsides.
“He’s a big, big star here,” he explained. “He was translating everything for me, helping me with the supermarket with buying stuff and its incredible, we do ten steps in the shopping mall and (there’s) ten guys asking him for a photo.
“Something that should take 20 minutes we do it in two hours and it made me realise the difficult life Messi has. As much as I love him [van Dijk], I will never, ever invite him to go to the supermarket with me (laughs).”
For van Dijk it’s a simple case of passing it forward.
“I appreciated the people who helped me in the past when I went to other clubs and had to find my way and the least I could do was do something like that and help them here as well,” he told The World Game.
“I already knew the culture even before I got here in 2013 because half of my family is from Indonesia, so I knew what to expect. But I can imagine for people who have never been to Indonesia and now come here to play and live it can be a culture shock.”
And yet despite being the new kid on the block, Ferreira has managed to help van Dijk discover some hidden gems in Bandung.
“Funnily enough I’ve actually helped him because I’ve opened his eyes to how many good cafés and restaurants there actually is in Bandung,” the former Olyroo said.
“I’ve searched them all and he said, ‘geez lucky you came cos I didn’t know any of these places existed’. Honestly it’s unbelievable, there’s certain cafés you walk into where I feel like I’m in Melbourne - it’s a great city.”
Flores and van Dijk spent just the one season together at Adelaide United in 2010-2011 and Flores is excited at the prospect of rekindling their partnership 4500km away at Persib.
____________________________
“I remember in Adelaide we got to play 27 games together and we connected like we played all our lives together.”
____________________________
“After I left Adelaide I was missing playing with a number nine with his characteristics, with his quality, so I was looking forward to joining this team.”
As it turns out it was van Dijk who helped get Flores to the club.
After a pre-season tour in 2013 with Central Coast, during which he scored twice in a friendly against Persib, Flores was a player Persib management kept tabs on.
“I called him to see if he was interested,” van Dijk joked. “The people here remember him from a tournament in 2013 with Central Coast and often people ask me if he is available and is he free, and at this point in time he was free and they were looking for a player.
“One thing lead to another and now we’re playing on the same team again.”
And as Flores and Ferreira are quickly finding out, Persib is no ordinary team.
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
Gallop pours cold water on promotion and relegation:
The A-League could be expanded within four years but a system of promotion and relegation will only be introduced when the time is right, Football Federation Australia chief David Gallop said.
The FFA chief executive used the launch of the 12th A-League to clarify the governing body's position on the future of the competition.
It was the first time the FFA spoke at length about a topic that has divided public opinion.
Fans wanting a 12-team competition could have their wish granted "sooner rather than later" but those clamouring for promotion and relegation that would put Australian football in line with most countries in the world will have to wait indefinitely ... and that's coming from the horse's mouth.
"There are steps along the way and we need to take a disciplined approach to that but certainly 10 teams is too few," Gallop said.
"We want to move to 12 teams relatively quickly. But the first step in that is some big commercial deals that the game is looking to do.
"The ultimate prize of promotion and relegation will happen in Australian football but there is lot more that needs to happen before we could sensibly move to it.
"With the introduction of the National Premier League system and the FFA Cup you can see that deliberate steps have been made to close the gap between the A-League and the rest of the game.
"Football occasionally has a restlessness to it and it is right that we are ambitious but it is also right that we take a disciplined approach to those things.
"Importantly, people need to know that promotion and relegation are on the horizon. They are not being dismissed and I think the groundwork that is being done at the moment will put us in a good position to make those things successful when they do happen.
"So, pushing sustainability into the existing 10 clubs, moving to a 12-team competition, investing in the tier below such as the NPL and the FFA Cup and then ultimately moving to a situation where promotion and relegation can happen (are the steps to be taken).
Gallop was asked if FFA would entertain the idea of establishing a second division before expanding the existing league.
"I would say expansion will come first. We are always cognisant of the important development role that the NPL clubs play in the ecosystem of the game," Gallop said.
"But I would have thought that the first step is to get beyond the 10 teams that we've got.
"Expansion could happen in the next four years. Yet again, let's get a some commercial deals in place, have a look at the size of the pie and then assess the suitability of moving quicker to an enlarged competition."
Gallop steadfastly refused to put a time frame on the proposals to expand the competition and it was suggested to him that unless FFA did so his views would be seen as nothing more than hot air and a blatant attempt to get critics off the governing body's back.
"Not at all. I think it is more about just making people realise that it is on the horizon but let's get some deals down, let's get beyond the10 teams then let's assess what needs to be done to sensibly move to promotion and relegation because at the moment we all accept that there is a lot more that will have to happen first."
Gallop was also asked to comment on reports that frustrated A-League clubs and their owners, who have been at loggerheads with the governing body for several years, might move away from the FFA and set up an independent league.
"A fully separated A-League is not on our agenda," Gallop said.
"We are certainly putting more resources into the competition, which is the engine room for the whole game. We need to be careful not to upset our commercial partners who seek a connection between the top of the game and the kids.
"There is a range of contractual and other arrangements in place carefully structured to protect the various investments. We've moved to a 20-year licence in 2014 to encourage investors and add value to their investments."
The A-League could be expanded within four years but a system of promotion and relegation will only be introduced when the time is right, Football Federation Australia chief David Gallop said.
The FFA chief executive used the launch of the 12th A-League to clarify the governing body's position on the future of the competition.
It was the first time the FFA spoke at length about a topic that has divided public opinion.
Fans wanting a 12-team competition could have their wish granted "sooner rather than later" but those clamouring for promotion and relegation that would put Australian football in line with most countries in the world will have to wait indefinitely ... and that's coming from the horse's mouth.
"There are steps along the way and we need to take a disciplined approach to that but certainly 10 teams is too few," Gallop said.
"We want to move to 12 teams relatively quickly. But the first step in that is some big commercial deals that the game is looking to do.
"The ultimate prize of promotion and relegation will happen in Australian football but there is lot more that needs to happen before we could sensibly move to it.
"With the introduction of the National Premier League system and the FFA Cup you can see that deliberate steps have been made to close the gap between the A-League and the rest of the game.
"Football occasionally has a restlessness to it and it is right that we are ambitious but it is also right that we take a disciplined approach to those things.
"Importantly, people need to know that promotion and relegation are on the horizon. They are not being dismissed and I think the groundwork that is being done at the moment will put us in a good position to make those things successful when they do happen.
"So, pushing sustainability into the existing 10 clubs, moving to a 12-team competition, investing in the tier below such as the NPL and the FFA Cup and then ultimately moving to a situation where promotion and relegation can happen (are the steps to be taken).
Gallop was asked if FFA would entertain the idea of establishing a second division before expanding the existing league.
"I would say expansion will come first. We are always cognisant of the important development role that the NPL clubs play in the ecosystem of the game," Gallop said.
"But I would have thought that the first step is to get beyond the 10 teams that we've got.
"Expansion could happen in the next four years. Yet again, let's get a some commercial deals in place, have a look at the size of the pie and then assess the suitability of moving quicker to an enlarged competition."
Gallop steadfastly refused to put a time frame on the proposals to expand the competition and it was suggested to him that unless FFA did so his views would be seen as nothing more than hot air and a blatant attempt to get critics off the governing body's back.
"Not at all. I think it is more about just making people realise that it is on the horizon but let's get some deals down, let's get beyond the10 teams then let's assess what needs to be done to sensibly move to promotion and relegation because at the moment we all accept that there is a lot more that will have to happen first."
Gallop was also asked to comment on reports that frustrated A-League clubs and their owners, who have been at loggerheads with the governing body for several years, might move away from the FFA and set up an independent league.
"A fully separated A-League is not on our agenda," Gallop said.
"We are certainly putting more resources into the competition, which is the engine room for the whole game. We need to be careful not to upset our commercial partners who seek a connection between the top of the game and the kids.
"There is a range of contractual and other arrangements in place carefully structured to protect the various investments. We've moved to a 20-year licence in 2014 to encourage investors and add value to their investments."
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
More than happy with all of that.
Ahhhhh the last word or final paragraph in so many media statements/news articles more often than not outlines the true intent..
"There is a range of contractual and other arrangements (written in stone!) in place carefully structured to protect the various investments.(the FFA's also, not only the owners) We've moved to a 20-year licence in 2014 to encourage investors (lock them in till 2034) and add value to their (&our) investments."
Here, Gallop reminds all, including the A-League owners co-op, that all of them signed contracts/paid monies to obtain 'A-League Licences' to then participate in a competition created by and to be run by the games governing body ... THEM .... the FFA.
He also reminds all, that the FFA also afforded the owners 'insurance' of longevity in 2014 by offering the 20 year guarantees to A-League Licence holder's, which again effectively means that they agree to all participate in the FFA controlled competition until 2034.
It was their (A-League owners) choice to renew the new deal on licences & THEY ALL TOOK IT !
After the old guard had ran the sport into the ground, killed the NSL & had everything had to be totally re-built or to use another term ....re-born.
12 years later, the A-League could still be considered to be in its infancy.
- OK were out of the nappies, still prone to shitting itself periodically but only recently NOW just starting to stand on its own 2 feet.
Gallop's spot-on in his assesment of 'restlessness' being normal and being borne from ambition BUT again he is also right in that they (the FFA) need to be taking decisive steps in moving the game forward in Australia, NOT because 'this is how its done' in other countries Federations.
Especially with the cries for promotion & relegation. LONG WAY OFF imo.
Ahhhhh the last word or final paragraph in so many media statements/news articles more often than not outlines the true intent..
"There is a range of contractual and other arrangements (written in stone!) in place carefully structured to protect the various investments.(the FFA's also, not only the owners) We've moved to a 20-year licence in 2014 to encourage investors (lock them in till 2034) and add value to their (&our) investments."
Here, Gallop reminds all, including the A-League owners co-op, that all of them signed contracts/paid monies to obtain 'A-League Licences' to then participate in a competition created by and to be run by the games governing body ... THEM .... the FFA.
He also reminds all, that the FFA also afforded the owners 'insurance' of longevity in 2014 by offering the 20 year guarantees to A-League Licence holder's, which again effectively means that they agree to all participate in the FFA controlled competition until 2034.
It was their (A-League owners) choice to renew the new deal on licences & THEY ALL TOOK IT !
After the old guard had ran the sport into the ground, killed the NSL & had everything had to be totally re-built or to use another term ....re-born.
12 years later, the A-League could still be considered to be in its infancy.
- OK were out of the nappies, still prone to shitting itself periodically but only recently NOW just starting to stand on its own 2 feet.
Gallop's spot-on in his assesment of 'restlessness' being normal and being borne from ambition BUT again he is also right in that they (the FFA) need to be taking decisive steps in moving the game forward in Australia, NOT because 'this is how its done' in other countries Federations.
Especially with the cries for promotion & relegation. LONG WAY OFF imo.
Last edited:
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
FFA reveals A-League commission not on agenda:
Football Federation Australia could be in for a bumpy meeting with A-League clubs after chief executive David Gallop rejected a push to make the competition fully independent.
Aggrieved club owners reportedly want the concept of a commission to run the league placed on the agenda for their next chairmen's meeting on October 12.
But Gallop quickly and categorically hosed down talk of the A-League being controlled by a separate entity, in the same way as the English Premier League.
"A fully separated A-League is not on our agenda at the moment," Gallop said.
"We are certainly putting more resources into the A-League, we fully recognise that it's the engine room for the whole game.
"We're in a competitive environment, and we need to be careful not to upset our commercial relationships, because it's tough to get people to back you in Australian sport when there's so much choice."
The clubs' drive is the result of a long-term desire to be allowed more control over how the domestic league is handled.
It also follows concerns over a leaked letter from Gallop to FIFA, in which he wrote that clubs do not act in the interests of the Australian game as a whole.
FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation were in Australia two weeks ago to address concerns that FFA's constitution does not allow for various stakeholders to have a stronger voice in the running of the sport.
FFA has subsequently agreed to an in-principle expansion of its congress to include a broader representation of stakeholders.
Football Federation Australia could be in for a bumpy meeting with A-League clubs after chief executive David Gallop rejected a push to make the competition fully independent.
Aggrieved club owners reportedly want the concept of a commission to run the league placed on the agenda for their next chairmen's meeting on October 12.
But Gallop quickly and categorically hosed down talk of the A-League being controlled by a separate entity, in the same way as the English Premier League.
"A fully separated A-League is not on our agenda at the moment," Gallop said.
"We are certainly putting more resources into the A-League, we fully recognise that it's the engine room for the whole game.
"We're in a competitive environment, and we need to be careful not to upset our commercial relationships, because it's tough to get people to back you in Australian sport when there's so much choice."
The clubs' drive is the result of a long-term desire to be allowed more control over how the domestic league is handled.
It also follows concerns over a leaked letter from Gallop to FIFA, in which he wrote that clubs do not act in the interests of the Australian game as a whole.
FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation were in Australia two weeks ago to address concerns that FFA's constitution does not allow for various stakeholders to have a stronger voice in the running of the sport.
FFA has subsequently agreed to an in-principle expansion of its congress to include a broader representation of stakeholders.
sydmariner
Well-Known Member
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
Lowy views football in Australia as 'fragile':
FFA chairman Steven Lowy is optimistic about the future of football in Australia but he maintains the game must be treated as fragile in order to strike the balance between short-term success and long-term sustainability.
With Tim Cahill among the latest cohort of former and current Australia representatives signing with A-League clubs and Saturday evening's Sydney derby at ANZ Stadium likely to break the national attendance record for a club match, Lowy said he was taking nothing for granted.
"We should all look at the game as being fragile ... if you think like that, it makes you incredibly focused," Lowy said at Sydney FC's season launch.
"I think with all the success that's been achieved, you should think about it as being fragile, because it could go off the precipice quickly.
One of the pressing issues that has gained momentum during his tenure with the FFA has been the expansion of the A-League, and while agreeing with Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou's demand for up to six new teams, he declined to provide a specific time frame as to when it would happen, instead championing a long-term approach.
"The FFA board is bringing a long-term focus to a strategy and execution and financing plan, one that is sustainable," Lowy said.
"But at the same time, you've got to be entrepreneurial and push the limits (in the) early days as well.
"One of those things we are focused on is growing the league. We need more than 10 teams.
"Ange's book came out and he's calling for 15 or 16 teams. I think he's right.
"But it's a matter of time to get there in a way that we don't have some of the stumblings of the past, that we build sustainable plans going forward.
"Those teams are going to butt up against existing teams and existing clubs won't like that.
"But we have to look past that, not be influenced by the politics of that, but by the ultimate growth of the game itself."
FFA chairman Steven Lowy is optimistic about the future of football in Australia but he maintains the game must be treated as fragile in order to strike the balance between short-term success and long-term sustainability.
With Tim Cahill among the latest cohort of former and current Australia representatives signing with A-League clubs and Saturday evening's Sydney derby at ANZ Stadium likely to break the national attendance record for a club match, Lowy said he was taking nothing for granted.
"We should all look at the game as being fragile ... if you think like that, it makes you incredibly focused," Lowy said at Sydney FC's season launch.
"I think with all the success that's been achieved, you should think about it as being fragile, because it could go off the precipice quickly.
One of the pressing issues that has gained momentum during his tenure with the FFA has been the expansion of the A-League, and while agreeing with Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou's demand for up to six new teams, he declined to provide a specific time frame as to when it would happen, instead championing a long-term approach.
"The FFA board is bringing a long-term focus to a strategy and execution and financing plan, one that is sustainable," Lowy said.
"But at the same time, you've got to be entrepreneurial and push the limits (in the) early days as well.
"One of those things we are focused on is growing the league. We need more than 10 teams.
"Ange's book came out and he's calling for 15 or 16 teams. I think he's right.
"But it's a matter of time to get there in a way that we don't have some of the stumblings of the past, that we build sustainable plans going forward.
"Those teams are going to butt up against existing teams and existing clubs won't like that.
"But we have to look past that, not be influenced by the politics of that, but by the ultimate growth of the game itself."
JoyfulPenguin
Well-Known Member
Please, please Fox get rid of Archie Thompson has no insight and just waffles about himself
Capn Gus Bloodbeard
Well-Known Member
That, and he's an OH&S claim waiting to happen, given he just constantly falls over for no reason.
VicMariner
Well-Known Member
Not sure where to post this?
Rebecca Wilson has passed away:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-...ts-journalist-dies-from-breast-cancer/7911736
Rebecca Wilson has passed away:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-...ts-journalist-dies-from-breast-cancer/7911736
JoyfulPenguin
Well-Known Member
While I didn't agree with her views any loss of human life is a sad one, may she rest in peace.
sydmariner
Well-Known Member
Austin just scored
Rowdy
Well-Known Member
Sage tips FIFA to order independent A-League:
The introduction of an independently run A-League is likely to be the long-term outcome of FIFA investigations into the FFA’s governance of the game in Australia, according to Perth Glory chief Tony Sage.
FIFA will release its findings early next year after expressing its concerns over the FFA's constitution and statutes in last month's summit meeting with Australia's peak body and the Asian Football Confederation in Sydney.
Sage will not be surprised if one of their edicts is that FFA is ultimately stripped of its over-arching autonomy of the national competition.
A leading member of the recently formed A-League club's representative body, the Australasian Professional Football Clubs Association (APFCA), Sage will happily accept whatever findings FIFA delivers in its probe into the way the game is governed in Australia.
While stressing that his views do not necessarily represent those of APFCA, Sage said: "Every league in the world is not run by the FA, and I think FIFA want an independent body to run the competition here, just as elsewhere.
"In the end it’s not up to the owners or the FFA, it's up down to what FIFA dictates. If they dictate an independently run league, I don’t know FFA will do.
"That’s more a question for David Gallop and the board. I would certainly not want to go against the wishes of FIFA; otherwise you would no longer be affiliated.
“FIFA won’t report back until next year ... they may be happy with the structure here. I am sure FFA have put their case forward, and decisions are outside the control of FFA and the owners."
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s meeting between the clubs and FFA in Melbourne, Sage insisted there was no acrimony between the parties and that he expected no fireworks.
“The FFA do acknowledge now that the A-League is the pinnacle - at the top of the tree in getting bums on seats in our sport," he said.
“They haven’t admitted taking their eye off the ball with the A-League but they have acknowledged how important the competition is.
"Hopefully that will translate into an increase in funds allocated to marketing and promotion and the amount of money available to distribute to the clubs (from a looming new TV deal)."
Sage is expecting the clubs to receive substantially more than the existing $2.6 million annual allocation, with the current rights deal set to rise significantly from its current $40 million valuation.
But he is reluctant to put a figure on what the clubs want until it becomes clear how big the financial pie is.
“The current system of salary cap of 23 players and five visa suits everybody … we need to focus all the energy now on how future funds are allocated," he said.
"It’s too early to say how much the clubs would want moving forward because until a new TV deal is signed we don’t know how much will be on the table.
"It needs to be a lot more than it is now … the owners have put in $210 million in the 11 years of the A-League … that’s the combined loss of the all the clubs.
"That’s not sustainable... that’s an average of $20 million a year over those 11 seasons. The owners’ contribution to football in this country should not be underestimated and it is by a lot of people.
"If that money had not been put into football by private owners what would football as a whole in this country look like, forget the A-League?"
The introduction of an independently run A-League is likely to be the long-term outcome of FIFA investigations into the FFA’s governance of the game in Australia, according to Perth Glory chief Tony Sage.
FIFA will release its findings early next year after expressing its concerns over the FFA's constitution and statutes in last month's summit meeting with Australia's peak body and the Asian Football Confederation in Sydney.
Sage will not be surprised if one of their edicts is that FFA is ultimately stripped of its over-arching autonomy of the national competition.
A leading member of the recently formed A-League club's representative body, the Australasian Professional Football Clubs Association (APFCA), Sage will happily accept whatever findings FIFA delivers in its probe into the way the game is governed in Australia.
While stressing that his views do not necessarily represent those of APFCA, Sage said: "Every league in the world is not run by the FA, and I think FIFA want an independent body to run the competition here, just as elsewhere.
"In the end it’s not up to the owners or the FFA, it's up down to what FIFA dictates. If they dictate an independently run league, I don’t know FFA will do.
"That’s more a question for David Gallop and the board. I would certainly not want to go against the wishes of FIFA; otherwise you would no longer be affiliated.
“FIFA won’t report back until next year ... they may be happy with the structure here. I am sure FFA have put their case forward, and decisions are outside the control of FFA and the owners."
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s meeting between the clubs and FFA in Melbourne, Sage insisted there was no acrimony between the parties and that he expected no fireworks.
“The FFA do acknowledge now that the A-League is the pinnacle - at the top of the tree in getting bums on seats in our sport," he said.
“They haven’t admitted taking their eye off the ball with the A-League but they have acknowledged how important the competition is.
"Hopefully that will translate into an increase in funds allocated to marketing and promotion and the amount of money available to distribute to the clubs (from a looming new TV deal)."
Sage is expecting the clubs to receive substantially more than the existing $2.6 million annual allocation, with the current rights deal set to rise significantly from its current $40 million valuation.
But he is reluctant to put a figure on what the clubs want until it becomes clear how big the financial pie is.
“The current system of salary cap of 23 players and five visa suits everybody … we need to focus all the energy now on how future funds are allocated," he said.
"It’s too early to say how much the clubs would want moving forward because until a new TV deal is signed we don’t know how much will be on the table.
"It needs to be a lot more than it is now … the owners have put in $210 million in the 11 years of the A-League … that’s the combined loss of the all the clubs.
"That’s not sustainable... that’s an average of $20 million a year over those 11 seasons. The owners’ contribution to football in this country should not be underestimated and it is by a lot of people.
"If that money had not been put into football by private owners what would football as a whole in this country look like, forget the A-League?"
BrisRecky
I'm an idiot savant without the pesky savant bit
So, Rebecca Wilson passed away during the week, now I'm certain her brother Jim loved her dearly...but I have to say I'm not going to wax poetic about her now, dying does not absolve her of the absolute contempt she held for any and all things soccer related....that is all
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