midfielder
Well-Known Member
Article from the age today with Ben Buckley
http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer/big-bucks/2008/04/21/1208742851771.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Michael Lynch
April 22, 2008
Ben Buckley and the round ball that he hopes will conquer Australia.
Ben Buckley shocked many in the AFL when he quit as Andrew Demetriou's No. 2 and moved to Sydney as head of Football Federation Australia. Eighteen months on, he spoke to Michael Lynch about the challenges facing soccer.
MICHAEL LYNCH: The A-League is approaching its fourth season. Are you happy with its progress?
BEN BUCKLEY: On many levels we are delighted. There's a lot to do and a long way to go, but to have established the sort of average crowds we have in three years is a testament to the hard work done by the FFA, the clubs and to the interest in the game To be averaging close to 15,000 and with the level of media interest and TV ratings we are getting has proven that this is a very good formula for the game. We have still got some way to go before it is a water-cooler topic, but I think more and more people are following their team from their town and their region.
The trend line is positive Most clubs are still yet to break even or close to break even. But this is a start-up enterprise and it's only its third year.
ML: Are you satisfied with the financial position of the league and the clubs? Only Melbourne Victory appears to be making a profit.
BB: On an individual basis per club, there might be some strain, but on an aggregate level, it's manageable, Most of the clubs which are losing money are losing less than a million dollars. Close to one third of the clubs will be close to break even or making a small profit.
ML: When will the league be self-sufficient?
BB: It's hard to put a time frame on because things will always come along on which we need to make investments, like the National Youth League this year. That will come at a cost to the clubs of between $200,000 to $300,000, maybe a little bit more But revenues are going up, the trend line is positive and we are attracting more corporate sponsorship. Membership is growing and our gates are growing.
ML: How can you drive growth? Do you have the resources to do so?
BB: The single biggest issue is conversion. There always has in Australia been a very significant playing population and a very significant interest level in the game but it's never been converted into weekly attendance at a national league match or watching on television. We have gone a long way to capturing that already, but there are still a lot of people out there who are playing the game who aren't yet coming to A-League matches, and that's where the upside is.
ML: Gold Coast and Townsville were scheduled to come in next year but were delayed. Will they be the next two teams, and if not, who will be?
BB: We took the decision not to issue the licenses for season four for two reasons. North Queensland didn't want to come in in season four. They felt their success was linked to an entry in season five and we supported their view on that. With the Gold Coast, we felt they, as well as the competition, would benefit greatly from them having an advanced lead-in period.
We have made that known to them that they will not be guaranteed the positions. We are out there actively talking to interested parties from other consortium other than Queensland and Gold Coast.
ML: FFA and the AFL are both looking at western Sydney and the Gold Coast, which are both rugby league domains. Are they the vital battlegrounds?
BB: We did a very extensive analysis of areas of potential growth for the league, and the top four locations, in ranking order, were western Sydney, Melbourne, Townsville and Gold Coast. Therefore that's where our focus is.
ML: Much has been made of the battle for the hearts of Australian fans and the corporate and media sectors. Do you feel like you are in a war zone?
BB: We live in the most competitive sports market in the world. You have four very popular professional sports all aggressively trying to grow their base. I can't think of a country in the world that has that level of competition. We are starting from behind the pack in terms of access of resources. But what we do have going for us is that we are the most global of the sports. We are the most national of the sports, we have very, very strong interest from men and women, with over 100,000 girls playing the sport, and we appeal greatly to a younger generation.
It's not a sport that's foreign to people making Australia their home. Football is an inclusive game in its physical attributes. You don't have to be six (feet) two (inches) and 110 kilos to play the game, so all that helps, too.
ML: Going back to the A-League. The salary cap is around $2.4 million next year. Is it about where it should be?
BB: We have to strike the balance between ensuring that the clubs can operate and build their financial base and become sustainable enterprises in their own right long term.
I know its an anomaly in world football, but we have to find a model that is right for Australia. I think the model at the moment is right. We would like to grow the cap over time for a number of reasons to retain players who feel they have to go overseas to earn more, to attract players back from overseas and to attract international players to improve our competitive depth. Most importantly, we want the game to become an attractive professional career relative to the other professional football codes. Our average salary at the moment is lower than the others.
ML: Should there be a wage minimum for imports to ensure only high-quality foreigners are brought here?
BB: I have seen that argument advanced, but you have got to allow some creativity to the clubs and allow them to go out and search for talented players who can add value to their team. Someone could go out and find a player at a lower wage and he could turn out to be fantastic, like Fred at Melbourne I think keeping that open is a better option, it doesn't create false limits.
ML: The game signed a long-term deal with Fox Sports which earns it around $17 million a year. Is there room for growth in TV rights if the league is expanded?
BB: We have a contract that we signed two years ago, which is very clear and precise about the payments and the tenure. We have to live by it. Without that agreement with Premier Media Group, there would be no A-League today. Even if we thought the rights might be worth more today, we should be thankful as an industry and as a sport that a company like Premier Media was prepared to take the punt and make the investment. They are positive about expansion If we continue to grow and invest in the game the way we are now, more people will be interested in it, more people will be watching it and you can expect that the rights will be worth more than they are today.
ML: Are you happy with investment and sponsorship levels?
BB: There is room for growth. All the contracts we are renewing have seen substantial growth. We raise about $20 million a year (not including Fox money). The Rudd Government and the previous government have been big supporters. There is $32 million over four years from the Rudd Government Our costs are significantly higher than the other major codes. We have nine national teams competing annually all across the world it's close to a $30 million a year cost that the AFL or the NRL doesn't have. Rugby and cricket have something but they don't have nine teams.
ML: There was a lot of excitement generated by the announcement for the bid for the 2018 World Cup. How is that progressing?
BB: We will have to find additional funding for that. A lot of work is going on, with a major audit taking place about the national infrastructure needed to support hosting a World Cup stadia, accommodation, transport, training facilities, security In addition to that, we are analysing the cost of putting a bid forward and of hosting the competition, as well as looking at the economic impact for Australia.
ML: Is Australia finding its way as a member of the Asian Football Confederation? What does Australia offer?
BB: We are learning all the time. On the field, we have developed a very healthy level of respect for the football played in Asia. We are not under any illusions about that. I think Australia has a rich and successful history in sports management, the presentation of events, running events and building elite pathway programs for professional sportspeople. If we can use that knowledge to enhance the game across Asia, we will be happy to do so. We have also expressed an interest in hosting the Asian Cup in 2015 and we are hosting the FIFA Congress in Sydney.
ML: Appointing Pim Verbeek as Socceroo coach was the first really big decision you were involved in. Happy with your choice?
BB: Yes, Pim has taken on a very challenging role, he's immersed himself in the country and he's proved that he can play different styles with different team formats and players in different environments. He's got a very strong work ethic, strong values about what he wants from his team. He's very confident in his approach
ML: Are you happy in your work? You were a senior player in the AFL and admitted that you didn't know much about soccer when you took the job on.
BB: I love what I do. It's an exciting role with so many dimensions to it. The game is growing, there's so much to do every day, it's so rewarding and stimulating. I have got a lot to learn about the game. I don't profess to know the technical ins and outs, but as long as you have got a good management team, you can do a good job.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer/big-bucks/2008/04/21/1208742851771.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Michael Lynch
April 22, 2008
Ben Buckley and the round ball that he hopes will conquer Australia.
Ben Buckley shocked many in the AFL when he quit as Andrew Demetriou's No. 2 and moved to Sydney as head of Football Federation Australia. Eighteen months on, he spoke to Michael Lynch about the challenges facing soccer.
MICHAEL LYNCH: The A-League is approaching its fourth season. Are you happy with its progress?
BEN BUCKLEY: On many levels we are delighted. There's a lot to do and a long way to go, but to have established the sort of average crowds we have in three years is a testament to the hard work done by the FFA, the clubs and to the interest in the game To be averaging close to 15,000 and with the level of media interest and TV ratings we are getting has proven that this is a very good formula for the game. We have still got some way to go before it is a water-cooler topic, but I think more and more people are following their team from their town and their region.
The trend line is positive Most clubs are still yet to break even or close to break even. But this is a start-up enterprise and it's only its third year.
ML: Are you satisfied with the financial position of the league and the clubs? Only Melbourne Victory appears to be making a profit.
BB: On an individual basis per club, there might be some strain, but on an aggregate level, it's manageable, Most of the clubs which are losing money are losing less than a million dollars. Close to one third of the clubs will be close to break even or making a small profit.
ML: When will the league be self-sufficient?
BB: It's hard to put a time frame on because things will always come along on which we need to make investments, like the National Youth League this year. That will come at a cost to the clubs of between $200,000 to $300,000, maybe a little bit more But revenues are going up, the trend line is positive and we are attracting more corporate sponsorship. Membership is growing and our gates are growing.
ML: How can you drive growth? Do you have the resources to do so?
BB: The single biggest issue is conversion. There always has in Australia been a very significant playing population and a very significant interest level in the game but it's never been converted into weekly attendance at a national league match or watching on television. We have gone a long way to capturing that already, but there are still a lot of people out there who are playing the game who aren't yet coming to A-League matches, and that's where the upside is.
ML: Gold Coast and Townsville were scheduled to come in next year but were delayed. Will they be the next two teams, and if not, who will be?
BB: We took the decision not to issue the licenses for season four for two reasons. North Queensland didn't want to come in in season four. They felt their success was linked to an entry in season five and we supported their view on that. With the Gold Coast, we felt they, as well as the competition, would benefit greatly from them having an advanced lead-in period.
We have made that known to them that they will not be guaranteed the positions. We are out there actively talking to interested parties from other consortium other than Queensland and Gold Coast.
ML: FFA and the AFL are both looking at western Sydney and the Gold Coast, which are both rugby league domains. Are they the vital battlegrounds?
BB: We did a very extensive analysis of areas of potential growth for the league, and the top four locations, in ranking order, were western Sydney, Melbourne, Townsville and Gold Coast. Therefore that's where our focus is.
ML: Much has been made of the battle for the hearts of Australian fans and the corporate and media sectors. Do you feel like you are in a war zone?
BB: We live in the most competitive sports market in the world. You have four very popular professional sports all aggressively trying to grow their base. I can't think of a country in the world that has that level of competition. We are starting from behind the pack in terms of access of resources. But what we do have going for us is that we are the most global of the sports. We are the most national of the sports, we have very, very strong interest from men and women, with over 100,000 girls playing the sport, and we appeal greatly to a younger generation.
It's not a sport that's foreign to people making Australia their home. Football is an inclusive game in its physical attributes. You don't have to be six (feet) two (inches) and 110 kilos to play the game, so all that helps, too.
ML: Going back to the A-League. The salary cap is around $2.4 million next year. Is it about where it should be?
BB: We have to strike the balance between ensuring that the clubs can operate and build their financial base and become sustainable enterprises in their own right long term.
I know its an anomaly in world football, but we have to find a model that is right for Australia. I think the model at the moment is right. We would like to grow the cap over time for a number of reasons to retain players who feel they have to go overseas to earn more, to attract players back from overseas and to attract international players to improve our competitive depth. Most importantly, we want the game to become an attractive professional career relative to the other professional football codes. Our average salary at the moment is lower than the others.
ML: Should there be a wage minimum for imports to ensure only high-quality foreigners are brought here?
BB: I have seen that argument advanced, but you have got to allow some creativity to the clubs and allow them to go out and search for talented players who can add value to their team. Someone could go out and find a player at a lower wage and he could turn out to be fantastic, like Fred at Melbourne I think keeping that open is a better option, it doesn't create false limits.
ML: The game signed a long-term deal with Fox Sports which earns it around $17 million a year. Is there room for growth in TV rights if the league is expanded?
BB: We have a contract that we signed two years ago, which is very clear and precise about the payments and the tenure. We have to live by it. Without that agreement with Premier Media Group, there would be no A-League today. Even if we thought the rights might be worth more today, we should be thankful as an industry and as a sport that a company like Premier Media was prepared to take the punt and make the investment. They are positive about expansion If we continue to grow and invest in the game the way we are now, more people will be interested in it, more people will be watching it and you can expect that the rights will be worth more than they are today.
ML: Are you happy with investment and sponsorship levels?
BB: There is room for growth. All the contracts we are renewing have seen substantial growth. We raise about $20 million a year (not including Fox money). The Rudd Government and the previous government have been big supporters. There is $32 million over four years from the Rudd Government Our costs are significantly higher than the other major codes. We have nine national teams competing annually all across the world it's close to a $30 million a year cost that the AFL or the NRL doesn't have. Rugby and cricket have something but they don't have nine teams.
ML: There was a lot of excitement generated by the announcement for the bid for the 2018 World Cup. How is that progressing?
BB: We will have to find additional funding for that. A lot of work is going on, with a major audit taking place about the national infrastructure needed to support hosting a World Cup stadia, accommodation, transport, training facilities, security In addition to that, we are analysing the cost of putting a bid forward and of hosting the competition, as well as looking at the economic impact for Australia.
ML: Is Australia finding its way as a member of the Asian Football Confederation? What does Australia offer?
BB: We are learning all the time. On the field, we have developed a very healthy level of respect for the football played in Asia. We are not under any illusions about that. I think Australia has a rich and successful history in sports management, the presentation of events, running events and building elite pathway programs for professional sportspeople. If we can use that knowledge to enhance the game across Asia, we will be happy to do so. We have also expressed an interest in hosting the Asian Cup in 2015 and we are hosting the FIFA Congress in Sydney.
ML: Appointing Pim Verbeek as Socceroo coach was the first really big decision you were involved in. Happy with your choice?
BB: Yes, Pim has taken on a very challenging role, he's immersed himself in the country and he's proved that he can play different styles with different team formats and players in different environments. He's got a very strong work ethic, strong values about what he wants from his team. He's very confident in his approach
ML: Are you happy in your work? You were a senior player in the AFL and admitted that you didn't know much about soccer when you took the job on.
BB: I love what I do. It's an exciting role with so many dimensions to it. The game is growing, there's so much to do every day, it's so rewarding and stimulating. I have got a lot to learn about the game. I don't profess to know the technical ins and outs, but as long as you have got a good management team, you can do a good job.
