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State of the Game Address - by David Gallop

midfielder

Well-Known Member
from 442

FFA CEO David Gallop will deliver a “State of the Game Address” at 11:00am AEST this Thursday. http://t.co/bJJkjh9BfF

Part of the address was in the smh today

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...or-aleague-20140916-10htfd.html#ixzz3DY56m0iZ

Unity, player development, money top the agenda for A-League

Bringing "old soccer" back into the tent – and making some money – are top of the agenda for the A-League's boss in season 10.

On Thursday Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop will make his annual state of the game address.

He sees the empire he and many others have built finally achieving stability.

After years of excitement and expansion, of establishing the code as a major player in the Australian sporting scene, Gallop believes now is the time for introspection.

He has identified three key challenges for the season: reunifying the top tier with the grassroots, fixing youth development and making some money.

"The development of the A-League was a critical step, but we've now evolved to the point where it was important to go back into the state league system and develop opportunities to make sure that those clubs and the players they develop feel connected to the top tier of the game," the Sydney-based Gallop told Fairfax Media during a whistlestop visit to Melbourne, where he announced the winners of this year's NPL finals series would gain automatic qualification to the FFA Cup.

That announcement, and the Cup – which sees A-League and grassroots teams competing against each other in a knockout format – are important parts of a strategy to heal a 10-year-old wound.

The league's founding in 2004 created bitterness among established clubs in the old National Soccer League.

"A lot of great soccer people become a little bit disengaged with the A-League," says Peter Kokotis, general manager of the NSL's oldest and most successful club, South Melbourne.

"It was quite devastating obviously for most of our fans. It'd be no different for any huge club that's used to playing in the top league and then finds itself in another league."

Through the FFA Cup, Gallop is hoping to bring the disengaged back into his tent.

"I think that disconnection has been there, but certainly in the last couple of months we've seen a really great spirit developing through the FFA Cup.

"It's an important connection point between the grassroots of the game and the professional level."

Bringing the clubs back into the fold is important because, like it or not, the A-League is almost totally reliant on them to develop talent.

The FFA has so far chosen to have its premier competition focus almost solely on winning fans and sponsors, with few clubs putting time and money into operating serious youth development pathways.

That has meant the clubs have had to lean on NPL teams to develop and nurture talent. The lower leagues in effect act as a feeder system for the A-League clubs.

If that is to continue, and the quality of A-League players is to improve, Gallop knows the lower-league feeders need to feel like they're a valued part of the main game.

"It's an important part of developing players. The more high-quality competitions you have the better players you produce. That'll produce better players for the A-League and ultimately for the Socceroos.

"It's recognised by the technical experts that having development pathways from under 12s right through to senior ranks within one club is the right way to go.

"We don't have that across all 10 of our A-League clubs. Those junior pathways at NPL level remain a really important way of bringing players through; and ultimately we want to see those types of development academy systems in our A-League clubs as well."

If Gallop has plans afoot to deal with his first two problems, his third is a little less in his control – how to deal with the A-League's unlikely collection of private owners.

The owners inject the revenue the A-League needs to run – but in exchange, Gallop finds himself captive to the whims of a group that includes mining magnate Nathan Tinkler and Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Gallop surely will be thankful Clive Palmer is no longer involved, but he still has many balls to juggle and many people to keep happy. And the best way to do that is to make sure they realise a return on their investment.

"Our priority at the moment is to continue the commercial consolidation of the competition and making sure that the investment that the owners have already made continues to bear some fruit," Gallop said.

"We will certainly look at expansion down the track but it's not on our current agenda."
 

MrCelery

Well-Known Member
Full speech:

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/...ss-national-plan-football-enters-golden-era-0

Gallop's State of the Game Address: National Plan as football enters golden era

PART 1


Australian football is entering a "golden" era said Football Federation Australia (FFA) chief David Gallop as he announced the game will embark on a National Plan for the Whole of Football.

Speaking at a State of the Game address in Sydney, Gallop said the time was right for the stakeholders of Australian football to join forces over the challenges and opportunities for the sport.

“Everywhere you look at the moment, you can see that Australian football is enjoying a golden period,” said Gallop. “A lot of our current strength is down to the unity of purpose in the game.

“It’s time for a National Plan for the Whole of Football that will set us on our way towards making football the biggest and most popular game in Australia.

“This is not a plan just for FFA driven by the national body. As the name says, it's a plan for the Whole of Football and everyone in the game will have a role to play.”

The National Plan will cover all facets of football, including;

  • Elite player and coach development
  • National teams
  • Community football
  • Facilities development
  • National competitions
  • Fan connections
  • Commercial revenues
Gallop said FFA would lead a major consultation process with all the game’s stakeholders. The National Plan will be completed by the conclusion of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 in January next year, with implementation set for July, 2015.

“After almost two years as CEO, I’m excited and ambitious for the game,” said Gallop, “but I've come to understand that Australian football suffers from a ‘burden of opportunity’.

“Football in Australia has a huge growth trajectory and massive potential, but we don't always have the capital, the resources and the structures to harvest the opportunity.

“The National Plan will set our sights on making football bigger and stronger much sooner.”

FULL ADDRESS:

Everywhere you look at the moment, you can see that Australian football is enjoying a golden period. And it's about to get better. The months ahead have the making of football's biggest ever summer.

We have an unprecedented run of finals, tournaments and big occasions that will see the game of football in the daily lives of more Australians than ever before.

The game has 1.9 million participants - the biggest of any sport in this country - but we expect to see the football family swell in the months ahead.

We'll have record-numbers of Australian fans in stadiums watching the Socceroos at the Asian Cup, the Hyundai-A-League's momentous Season 10, the Westfield W-League, which is underway right now, and the final stages of the Westfield FFA Cup and PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues finals.

Australian football will be on the TV screens in homes, pubs and clubs, in digital channels and social media - and we expect bigger audiences than ever before.

And because of the game's booming profile, the mainstream media will generate more attention than ever before.

Football has a great story to tell, and I thank all the media here today for their interest in telling it to your readers, listeners and viewers.

You can see there are six trophies up here today... three will be won before Christmas, and three after...

The three before are the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues trophy, the Westfield FFA Cup and the Westfield W-League trophy.

And the Hyundai A-League Premiers Plate, the Hyundai A-League Championship trophy and of course the AFC Asian Cup.

There'll be all sorts of drama, great football and magical moments before the silverware you see here is held aloft by the winners -- but that's just part of the story.

This exciting period for Australian football is book-ended by two major global events ... the FIFA World Cup in Brazil earlier this year and the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada next year.

Having the Socceroos and Westfield Matildas at World Cups creates a wonderful halo around Australian football and showcases what it means for Australia to be a part of the world game.

There are other major factors at play to make this a remarkable time for the game.

Firstly, the convergence on the calendar of so many events - from international to the grassroots - and the way they showcase a sport so full of opportunity, optimism and growth.

Secondly, we're seeing the connection between all the tiers of our game come to life - it's closer and more productive than ever before.

The success of the Westfield FFA Cup is proof. That's an historic development - the football community is moving as one.

Unity of purpose - too often a question posed about us, rather than an affirmation - is now a strength.

That's why today - on behalf of the football community - FFA is making a major statement on the future of Australian football.

It's time for a National Plan for the Whole of Football that will set us on our way to making football the biggest and most popular game in Australia.

This is not a plan just for FFA; it's a plan for the Whole of Football.

From the five year old playing MiniRoos to the heroes playing for the Socceroos.

From the grassroots of community football to the pillars of the professional game.

For all the stakeholders and all the partners at all levels of the game.

It's a plan for all the fans who love this game and those who are on the mission with us.

The need for this plan has become obvious to me after almost two years as CEO of FFA.
 

MrCelery

Well-Known Member
PART 2

I am excited and ambitious for the game, but I've come to understand that Australian football suffers from a "burden of opportunity".

It's the reality we see today - the game has a huge growth trajectory and massive potential, but we don't always have the capital, the resources and the structures to harvest the opportunity.

To put it another way, we have many mouths to feed, but rarely do we have enough to go around.

We could sit and wait for things to change, and certainly the game will continue to grow if we were to continue our current course, but leadership demands more of us at FFA.

The National Plan for the Whole of Football will not be an overnight fix, and it will take longer than the next four-year World Cup cycle.

But we need to start and the first step is to galvanise this generation to address this challenge. I will have more to say later on how we intend to proceed.

First, it's important that we celebrate the State of the Game today, because we are in amazing shape for a sport that was on its knees just a decade ago.

This summer, in the middle of the busiest domestic calendar on record, our nation will host the biggest football event we've ever seen.

The AFC Asian Cup is bigger than anything we've seen since the 2000 Olympic Games.

16 nations, 32 matches in 23 days in five cities. That's big enough from a sporting point of view, but beyond the tournament and the matches, football is bringing the Asian Century to life in our own backyard.

Australians will see Asian football and culture on show. And from the outside looking at us, Asian audiences up to 1.3 billion will see Australia on show.

This is nothing new, of course. Our national teams and Hyundai A-League clubs have been building links Asia for years, especially with Western Sydney Wanderers and their fantastic run through to the semi finals of the Asian Champions League.

The Wanderers' 0-0 draw last night in Seoul leaving them tantalisingly close to the Asian Champions League Final.

Football is leading the way for Australia in the people-to-people connections in Asia.

It's another way that football is once again playing a crucial role in nation building.

Our game is inclusive, accessible, multicultural and international - they are the qualities that make Australia such a diverse and successful nation.

Beyond the sporting, cultural and social links, we're now seeing Asian investment driven by football - the $12 million takeover of Melbourne City by the Abu Dhabi interests, the owners of Manchester City, is a snapshot of our future.

I like to say that "as the world gets smaller, football gets bigger" - our game will make sure Australia is always a vibrant player in sport's global community.

The Asian Cup is a festival of football not to be missed. The joyous scenes of Brazil will be coming to your backyard. Tickets are on sale, so let's "Unite for the Asian Cup".

Let me share the insights to the domestic game that have me seeing blue sky for the summer ahead...

The Hyundai A-League is on target to set new benchmarks for attendance, TV viewership, digital engagement and club membership.

The aggregate attendance is set to surpass 2 million for the first time.

We're aiming for a fourth straight year of TV ratings growth, to see a weekly viewership of 660,000.

The boom in digital and social channels shows no signs of slowing, with 2 million web users and 1 million followers on social media.

Across the league, club membership is currently 13% ahead of the same stage as last season and on-course to break the 100,000 mark for the first time.

Thanks to the huge vote of confidence from SBS TV, we'll have unprecedented reach and audiences for the A-League with the move of Harvey Norman Friday Night Football to the primary free-to-air channel SBS ONE.

The same is true internationally. New rights agreements in India and Africa mean the weekly reach of the Hyundai A-League will top 300 million across 30 nations and five continents.

Of course, this season will celebrate 10 years with our primary broadcast partner Fox Sports, a foundation investor in the Hyundai A-League.

Fox Sports has covered every game live since day one - and given millions of Australians world-class coverage of the competition.

Tomorrow, the attention turns to the terraces. The Hyundai A-League National Ticket On-Sale gives fans the chance to secure their seat for the big matches in Season 10.

This week, the pre-sale for Sydney Derby was the hottest ticket in town - Wanderers members bought at a rate that outstripped two finals in another code.

The Sydney Derby will sell out once again - so if you want to sample this incredible event, go to www.a-league.com.au/tickets from 9am tomorrow (Friday).

Another blockbuster on sale tomorrow will be the Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory match at Adelaide Oval in round 2.

The fixture was a sell out at Hindmarsh Stadium last season, and we expect a new record Hyundai A-League crowd for Adelaide.

Sydney FC's opening round match against the new Melbourne City outfit is also selling strongly, no doubt driven by the expectation of seeing the Spanish World Cup star David Villa.

It's really pleasing to see so many great Australian players choosing to stay in the competition - it's notable that Mark Milligan, a starting X1 player at the World Cup in Brazil, has chosen to stay with Melbourne Victory.

This is a dividend of the growing stature of the Hyundai A-League.

It's the fastest growing professional competition in Australia because it gives us fantastic football, star players and the best atmosphere you'll experience. I can't wait for the kick off.

Last weekend the Westfield W-League started -- again with live TV coverage on ABC TV -- and is heading for a Grand Final on 21 December.

Our finest female players are also on the mission of making the Matildas squad for FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada next May.

One of our top priorities is to appoint a new Head Coach of the Matildas, and that's now just days away.

There's a renewed mission for women's football thanks to a $500,000 development grant from FIFA and we're building stronger player pathways for our rising talent.

The FIFA grant will partly fund nine development officers into the community across Australia.

Females already make up more than 20% of our participation base and we are forecasting the numbers to grow strongly in the years ahead. It's our big point of difference in the Australian context and we intend to make the most of it.

Right now, we are in the midst of the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 16 and can I say I've never seen a new competition make such an impact on the Australian sporting landscape.

It's not just the romance and upsets of cup football - this is a festival of the Australian game.

From the self-titled "pub team" of South Springvale to the national champions Brisbane Roar, we have a great mix of clubs from across the country.

One of my favourite moments was the Thomas Love goal for Adelaide City that knocked out the Wanderers - whatever else he achieves, Thomas will go down in folklore for that goal.

The magic of the Cup has captured the imagination of sports fans everywhere.

If I may say, I'm so proud of the way FFA has rolled out the Cup in conjunction with the Member Federations, commercial partners in Westfield, NAB, Harvey Norman and Umbro and our broadcast partner Fox Sports.

We talk a lot about the strategic objective to connect the grassroots to the professional tier - well; here it is, alive and kicking.

Best of all, we have a countdown of dramatic mid-week matches still to come before we reach the inaugural FFA Cup final on Tuesday 16 December.

I can tell you now, other sports would love to have this sort of opportunity, but it can only happen in a game based primarily on skill, not those based on collisions.

In the first week of October, the Grand Final of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues will be another chance to elevate the semi-pro tier to the national stage.

This year we have clubs from eight state and territory member federations in the play-offs to be crowned NPL champions.

The NPL is the engine room of our player development pathways and - again - a vital connection between local clubs and the national tier.

So far that's three glittering occasions - the Westfield W-League Grand Final, Westfield FFA Cup final and PS4 NPL Grand Final - all before Christmas.
 

MrCelery

Well-Known Member
PART 3

That's an entree to our national team the Socceroos to take centre stage and seek to become champions of Asia.

Without doubt, Socceroo coach Ange Postecoglou has transformed the team - on and off the pitch - in a matter of months.

The FIFA World Cup showed his strategy of bringing the best young players into the team is quickly delivering results - our team played really attractive football in Brazil.

Already, some of the young guns - like Jason Davidson, Adam Taggart and Josh Brillante - have moved to bigger clubs in Europe.

This is a key part of Ange's plan to rebuild our national team, by fast-tracking our best young players and having more Aussies playing against the world's best, week-in, week-out.

Next month we travel to the Gulf to face the UAE and Qatar and in November we travel to Japan.

Each step advances the cause of the Socceroos and their rebuilding as a national team that truly unites the nation. We saw the journey commence in Brazil, just wait till you see it at home.

What happens on the pitch is the rightfully the main focus of fans and media. What happens behind the scenes is my responsibility.

It's fair to say that the game's governance structures have been a work-in-progress since the reform process of the Crawford report in 2003, and the inauguration of the FFA under the leadership of Frank Lowy in 2004.

Frank Lowy and his board have done so much - starting new national competitions, qualifying for World Cups and joining Asia.

Our chairman's energy and commitment is a source of inspiration to so many people and I want to personally acknowledge his guidance and wisdom.

FFA could not have done this in a decade without the support of so many companies, broadcasters and governments.

There are too many to name individually, so you'll see our acknowledgement on the video screens.

I personally thank the leaders of these organisations. They see the opportunity that football presents and we applaud their vision.

Let me return to our major announcement - a National Plan for the Whole of Football.

It's a sign of our confidence in the future and our determination to build on today's foundations - to turn the "burden of opportunity" into an institutional strength and prosperity.

The plan will put the football community at the heart of everything that's important.

If you are a player, a fan, a volunteer, an avid TV watcher - if you are among those who love this game - you are incredibly important to this plan.

And the plan will be critically important to your future enjoyment of the beautiful game.

The scope of the National Plan and some of the key questions for the football community look like this;
* In elite player and coach development, I have no doubt we need to overhaul the way we do things. Do we want to see others in Asia setting the standards, or do we want to be the leader?
* For our national teams, qualifying for World Cups is fantastic, but do we want to be a contender and challenge the elite nations?
* Community football is currently a strength in the participation base and our collaboration with our Member Federations. But is it enough to have a model primarily based on clubs and outdoor football when so many people want to play indoor, at schools or just for fun in parks?
* Facilities are at the heart of our game, but how can we thrive as a sport when the space to play remains a critical shortage?
* Our national competitions, the Hyundai A-League, Westfield W-League, PS4 NPL and Westfield FFA Cup provide us with a 12-month of the year calendar, but structures, connections and expansion are big questions for our future.
* Fan Engagement is the life-blood of everything we do, whether it's in the community, with our major brands or through the many channels where you find football content. But we need to stay ahead of the trend in this digital world if the football family is to remain strong.
* Commercial revenues are the dividends of a successful sport, but we know we need to do a better job telling corporate Australia about the massive potential if we are to have the resources to deliver on the game's promise.
* And our governance structures need to be aligned, efficient and ready for the challenge. Every stakeholder needs to know their role and have the trust in others, and that's the starting point of our ambitious thinking.

The first phase of the National Plan is to listen to the game's key stakeholders - clubs at all levels and their members, our state and territory Member Federations, sponsors, broadcast partners, governments and stadium managers.

We'll consult individual participants and fans via an online portal that will capture the voice of the people.

The outcome of this national plan will be a road map to guide all the key stakeholders in the game.

To achieve that, we need to align all the game's stakeholders - without unity of purpose, we can't make a difference.

There's no time to waste. We aim to publish the National Plan at the conclusion of the Asian Cup.

We need to capture the momentum and make the most of our biggest ever summer.

We want to see this simple, skilful and safe game played in every backyard, every school ground and every suburban pitch.

We'll do that by ensuring our sport is always inclusive, accessible and multicultural.

This summer, the vision will come into focus. We'll see opportunities starting to turn into tangible achievements.

We'll see the enormous promise take shape in our competitions week-in, week-out.

We will see football looking forward with dreams that can become reality.

We will unite people in the joy of football -- especially this summer

I just know you can't wait to be a part of it.

We Are Football. Thank you.
 

MrCelery

Well-Known Member
What a huge smoke screen for this:

http://mumbrella.com.au/anti-siphoning-252109


Sport codes join Foxtel in fresh bid to relax anti-siphoning list

Free TV networks are facing the greatest threat to their exclusive broadcast rights for key sporting events after Australia’s major codes joined forces with subscription TV in urging the government to reform the anti-siphoning list. Sports rights are becoming an increasingly fraught battle ground for broadcasters as one of the last bastions of live TV, as audiences fragment. Foxtel is keen to get more exclusive sporting content on the network as a means to increase its market penetration, which has been stalled at about 30 per cent of Australian households, following the model set by Sky in the UK which saw penetration rocket after securing the English Premier League rights.

Free TV Australia chairman Harold Mitchell declined to comment. But the body has previously lobbied the government not to cave in to the mounting pressure for reform.

Mitchell said in April that reform would only serve the interests of subscription TV and would force millions of Australians to pay to watch their favourite sports.

“Pay TV is trying to trick the public and policy makers with a call for the current system to be replaced with a ‘dual rights’ scheme where free-to-air and pay TV rights for listed sports are sold separately,” he said. “It’s nonsense to suggest that a dual rights scheme would deliver the same amount of quality of sport on free-to-air television. This is a ploy to force Australians to pay to watch their favourite sport on television.”

We all know what the outcome will be, with the recent refusal to televise FFA Cup matches and banning of online streaming. I'm sure FFA will say it will bring more money to the game. But lets not forget it's not Rupert's money, it is ultimately the TV subscribers who are forced to pay. I suppose the pubs and clubs will benefit, and it might get extra people to the game who would normally watch Free-to-air. But all this talk from Gallop about 'inclusiveness' Pah!
 

midfielder

Well-Known Member
Frank Lowy address.... well worth reading...

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/article/chairmans-address-at-ffa-agm/1xflxqe25vgn1086d6ceow5rh

This year at the FFA Annual General Meeting we celebrate 10 years of real hard work. It has not been easy and it has not all been smooth sailing, but the fruits of our labour can be seen every day.
Football in this country has never been in a better position.

Not even in 2006 when the Socceroos did so well in Germany was there so much recognition and excitement about the game.

And the reason for that is there has been wholesale transformation across every aspect of the game.

It can be seen week in week out across the fields, school grounds, on television sets and digital devices across Australia.

The Socceroos and the Westfield Matildas remain critical to our success as a footballing nation. They are our flagships on the international stage.

But what marks the success of the last decade is how football is engaging Australians in so many ways - the MiniRoos program, the Skills Acquisition Programs, the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues, the Westfield FFA Cup, the Westfield W-League, the Hyundai A-League and the AFC Champions League.

Football has become part of mainstream Australia. And in turn football is putting Australia on the map particularly within Asia.

The phenomenal success of the Western Sydney Wanderers in winning the AFC Champions League is one example. And of course the AFC Asian Cup will see all eyes on Australia for the month of January.

Of all the things that have taken place in the last 10 years, I think we will look back at the entry into Asia as an absolute game-changer.

But there are many achievements in the past decade we should acknowledge.

Here is a selection of the top ten of the last 10 years

1. Financial stability. It has taken time but based on the cornerstones of broadcast revenues, commercial partnerships plus the sale of the Western Sydney Wanderers we now have a solid members’ equity We are no longer surviving on government grants.

2. Qualification for three successive FIFA World Cups and our first Asian Championship victory by the Matildas winning the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2010.

3. The Hyundai A-League – a national competition with full-time professional players, played in top class stadia, with every game broadcast live, sold out derbies and fans that are the envy of the other codes.

4. Our entry into Asia resulting in our hosting of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 and the opportunity to raise the profile of our clubs and country in the fastest growing football and economic region in the world.

5.. Our commitment to technical excellence in the area of football development and the elite player pathways for men and women – including the National Curriculum, the roll out of Small-Sided Football, the Skills Acquisition Program and the Foxtel National Youth League.

6. The PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues which I will talk more about later.

7. The Westfield FFA Cup. Something that is unique to football and through its stories of human drama and the romance of knock out competition between clubs big and small has the power to capture the imagination and attention of all sports lovers. It can only get bigger.

8. MyFootballClub. This online national registration system is another landmark achievement. Not only is it a significant administrative tool, with over 550,000 on the system, it also represents a compelling commercial proposition.

9. The development of our first Women’s Football Strategy and commitment to attaining true professional status for our best players through the Matildas program and the W-League.

10. Transformation of the governance of the game through a truly independent board and unity of purpose among our members.

While it is important to stop at key milestones and celebrate success it is important also to acknowledge the challenges.

Trust me, there is no room for complacency or sitting still.

We know what the challenges are. – We have many many mouths and too few resources to go around. But that is also our strength as a game – our key selling point.

Our current broadcast deal was an important step in achieving sustainability. The next one has to take us to another level.

For that to happen we need stability and the promise of more and more growth.

We are selling a story - our story - and it has to be one of unity of purpose.

That is why the Whole of Football Plan is such an important initiative.

As we have gone around the country talking and listening to the people who are the heart and soul of the game some things have become very clear:

  • People do remember what the past was like and recognise how far we’ve come
  • There is a shared pride in the collective achievements of the last 10 years
  • While there is healthy debate about our future direction, there is much that we all agree upon
  • There is a shared aspiration to get bigger and better in all areas of the game – the grassroots, the national competitions and our national representative teams.
The Whole of Football Plan is an unprecedented initiative. It is the first time that we will have a long term plan that is for the whole of the game.

It will ensure that all parts of the game are pulling in the same direction and importantly it will provide clarification on our respective roles and responsibilities. Or as it has been simply put - “who does what and who pays for it”. The contribution and input of our State and Territory Member Federations to the plan is essential and much valued.

I listed before a top ten of the last decade. It’s also worth noting progress on current issues in the past twelve months.

Since last year’s AGM we have together scored some important goals:

  • As mentioned before the Westfield FFA Cup has commenced and more than delivered on its promise of uniting Australians through the joy of football.
  • The increasing stability and value of the Hyundai A-League has been shown with the sale of the Wanderers, the license sale that paved the way for Melbourne City and the recent positive sale of 35% of the shares in Melbourne Victory.
  • The Matildas have qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and were runners-up in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
  • We have comprehensively embarked on the necessary regeneration of the Socceroos and were proudly competitive against the best in the world in Brazil. There obviously have been mixed results during this rebuilding process as it takes time. But we are expecting a good showing at the Asian Cup.
  • Preparations for the AFC Asian Cup have gone to plan both in terms of the tournament itself but more importantly ensuring there is a long term legacy for the game in Australia.
  • We have moved to the SBS main channel to drive greater ratings in the lead up to the next broadcast deal and the quality and appeal of the competition has continued to grow.
Finally there are two achievements of the past year I would like to single out

  • Firstly the National Premier Leagues have been introduced across the whole country. This reform will also emerge in the future as a major game-changer.
  • Secondly all federations have now confirmed the entry of the National Youth League teams into the National Premier Leagues in every state. This secures a critical component of the player pathway.
  • These two initiatives, along with the Westfield FFA Cup, will bring the tiers of football closer together and set the foundation for our long term success as a football nation.
I commend the federations for their critical role in bringing about these initiatives. We recognise the demands they have placed on federation resources, but we are also excited at what they bring in terms of the development of our players and forging greater connections between the elite and grassroots.

In particular there will be established an Advisory Committee comprising the federation presidents to meet with FFA on a structured basis.

This will provide an invaluable forum for federations to represent to FFA the interests of the football people and communities.

In closing I would like to extend my personal thanks to my fellow directors for their support and hard work throughout the year.

Thank you also to David Gallop and the FFA management team for their professional and relentless dedication.

Most of all on behalf of the board and management we would like to extend our thanks for the time, effort and belief demonstrated day in day out across the country by football people.

You are the lifeblood of the game.
 

nearlyyellow

Well-Known Member
Article by Michael Cockerill in the SMH
Frank Lowy's successor at FFA likely to be his son
This quote is indicative in part of my support for football:

"Old-timers remain scarred by years of in-fighting. Newcomers simply aren't interested in the game's politics."
It's true, I have noticed in some of your writings that a lot of you fans are scarred by the pre HAL days, but don't ask me to quote quotes, or name names, I'm not going to search for them, you'll just have to believe my assertion, or not. The article is here:
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...ffa-likely-to-be-his-son-20141219-12a3qk.html
 

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