Just Watched the Bob Kucera address following the March Board meeting of Football West, and have to say what a complete and utter waste of time these clips are. Why not simply publish the minutes of the board meeting for all to see?
The first two and a half minutes are all about the Perth Glory Review, which really has very little to do with Football West. Perth Glory is a private enterprise, whereas Football West is Government funded. Mr Kucera also pulled out his political spin implying that he had actually seen more of the report, than anyone else who has read what was released publically, nice try.
He waxed lyrical about the contributions of Paul Kelly on the board of Football West. “He also has a passion for the game unequalled… of anyone I know.” On this issue Mr Kucera, it is time you actually went out into the Football Family that you keep referring to and you will find plenty of people as passionate and qualified as Mr Kelly, some even more so. Mr Kelly undoubtedly contributed to Football West, but should not have remained on the board once he accepted the position of CEO of Perth Glory, an issue on which we wrote to Mr Kucera about prior to the February board meeting and are still awaiting a reply!
Mr Kucera then states his disappointment at the number of people who nominated for the standing committees and Zone Rep positions. There is a simple reason for this and that is the “Football Family” does not believe that they are being listened to. “They are the key decision makers for the game itself, “Mr. Kucera states, “The board works and decides on the business of football, but the actual sport of football is run by our standing committees and Zone representatives.” Sadly that is not the perception amongst the football family.
What is a major concern is that Mr Kucera states that they will continue the election process and “others they will look for to support” the women’s and juniors groups. This is not good news fro football as now people who will never question the direction that the board is taking the game can potentially be elected giving them carte blanche to do as they see fit. History has shown that some decisions over the past 8-9 years have not been for the good of the game.
We then hear about the brief visit of the CEO of the FFA, Ben Buckley. Mr. Kucera assures us that Mr Buckley will be back in Perth and not only will a dinner be hosted at which Mr Buckley will speak but that also a forum for the fans to quiz Mr Buckley. Don’t hold your breath! We requested Mr Buckley come on the show only to be told that he does not do one on one interviews, even though we had already submitted the questions. Is he really likely to front the football public and face questions that he honestly has no idea how to answer? If the lunch does come off, once again the football family will probably be asked to put their hands in their pockets to attend, and will probably be forced to listen to an MC who has no feel for the game and is in fact involved with another code of Football, just so that no hard questions are asked.
Quite simply this video clip opens up more frustrations than it does appease anyone. As stated previously by just publishing the minutes of the board meetings those who care can get a better understanding of what is happening behind the scenes and whether the game is in the right hands. With the video clips we get to see Mr Kucera exercise his political experience waffling on, but actually saying very little of any consequence.
Thanks for the reply
I agree with you that Lethargy plays a big part, but i feel deep down that it is also (probably to a greater degree) greed / vested interests that keep us all at bay.
Each individual SC or club President (especially the SL) are fearful of standing against the current board and set-up as they may lose some ground or standing.
At the moment, the elite side of our game gets a very big slice of the pie (way to much in my opinion). Most of this big slice is being absolutley wasted. Communication and grass roots education is all but non existant, and FW couldn’t give a rats as long as they get young Jimmy Tarbuck (or Smith) playing for Australia in the next world cup.
What everyone needs to realise is that the sport belongs to us all. We all contribute both financially and voluntarily.
This being the case, why then should we not all get a say ?
I urge you all to drop the fear and get rid of this so called Company / Board or what ever it is and set up a round table where all the ZR’s and SC’s can sit face to face and start at the begining. Create and build the pathway together.
This can then be repeated at national level
Now who’s dreaming ….LOL…..and by the way, i agree with you about the two Chairman.
I have read your post with both sadness and also joy. Joy that you are still so passionate and sadness as it is as I thought a game not fulfilling its potential because the general lethargy of those involved has allowed the wrong people control.
The state league clubs – and they will hate me for this have way too much power for the product that they deliver. The future is in the youth and if we bring through talent and administer properly we will have a sound foundation on which to build.
If we could get a group of like-minded individuals together maybe we can speak with numbers?
Maybe I am dreamer, but the former Chairman was not the right man and neither is this one.
“They are the key decision makers for the game itself, “Mr. Kucera states……..What a load of ol Cods Wallop ! (pardon the expression)
It is true what you say in your reply that the people have given up trying to assist in uniting our sport (FW) and i take my hat off to people like Sex Eyes who are willing to give it one last go, but sadly i don’t see a change happening. All the while FW is set up as it is, where by our game is run by a board who quite frankly have no idea. They are not the people who should be in charge of uniting our code.
I agree that the Standing Committee’s and Zone Reps should be the decision makers but until such time as they are holding minuted meetings with one another regarding major decisions, we are doomed.
Even if the Standing committee’s do get their act together and start holding regular minuted meetings with the members (clubs), they do not take the next important step of meeting one another……and FW and FFA like this very fact. Divide and Conquer !
We need to break down all the vested interests that exist within our sport
I dare say that the State League guys do not want to meet the grass roots for fear of losing their monopoly (or the boards ear)
When FW was first formed, the first port of call should have been to unite all aspects of the code, lock them all in a room and not let them out until a united decision had been made. Unfortunately this will not happen under the current set-up and i don’t believe it will change from within……So time for a new start is the only option !
I was a Zone Rep until recently and i can tell you that it is farcical the way things run.
When i was first appointed ZR i asked the office if i could view minutes or receive instructions etc so as to get up to speed with how things worked. This was followed by deafness ! I then tried getting in touch with other Zone reps to ask for their advise. More deafness was heard ! In the couple of years i was involved, there would have been one or two meetings (very few in attendance), plus a couple of Board member interviews). It was in the carpark after my first meeting that i met two other zone reps who shared my concerns. One of them even breathed a big sigh of relief (or breath of fresh air). This gave me a bit of hope that maybe things were still in their infancy and could be worked on.
My opinion has now changed !
I felt i did the right thing by holding meetings within my Zone of all stake holders of the game. Juniors and Seniors, all five different Associations, all sat around the same table. One United voice.
This made no difference to FW what so ever, in fact a previous CEO even told me that he feared such a group. This was after me informing him of my intentions at the start, and him giving his blessing.
I then met with a Board member to share my concerns. He agreed with our approach at uniting a zone and even admired it. Unfortunately he did not stand beside us.
I encourage more of you to stand beside the likes of Sexy Eyes and show this Muppet show (FW and FFA) that it is simply not good enough
It is the peoples game and should be run by the people
Sorry if i have waffled, but my passion lies in a united code
Sexy-eyes, it is indeed very sad when people like yourself offer to help and are treated in such a way.
I now have to question the selection of the board, if they do not have the skill set required to cover all issues and create a Strategic plan and this has been dragged out for two years then we have the wrong people on the board, and it is time to change that board.
The appointment of Mr Kucera to the chair is in my eyes disasterous. He is a bumbler. He does not even give off the professionalism we need, at least Kevin Campbell always wore a jacket and tie and looked presentable, rather than the casual look we endure now. Sorry, I digress but I was brought up that appearances mean a great deal.
As one of those people who is passionate about the game enough to be willing to give up inordinate numbers of hours every month and then not be listened to I have to say enough is enough.
I have once again put my hand up for positions in the current election process but struggled to get others to do the same: We have a great number of highly passionate and qualified people at the grass roots level of the sport but you are spot on when you say that the “football family” does not believe they are being listened to. Mr Kucera should see that as a message and a catalyst to instigate change if the current board is to have any credibility at all.
I offered 2 years ago, when the current strategic plan was coming to an end, to run a workshop of all the existing zone and standing committee members to gain their input into a new strategic direction (free of charge). I was told this would be taken on by the board and it was not my place to be doing this. I was refused access to any information about how FW had performed against the existing KPI’s to conduct an analysis of where we were performing well and what areas still needed work.
If I am re-elected this time it will by my “last stand” unless something drastic changes. I really hope I don’t have MUG written all over me!!
Charlex, good name.
Icumac, this is what is a concern, if you cannot get the little things right how are you going to get the big ones right.
I have to say I question why minutes are not available. I asked in the past when Kevin Campbell was Chairman and was refused a copy. Yet most organistaions will give you one without the financials. In fact most of the other football bodies will let the stakeholders read them.
all white your opening sentance says it all. Hence the reason I coined the phrase “CIRCUSWEST”
Have taken the opportunity to post this http on the Baysie forum..
I believe the Only reason His Address it is on FW video only and Not in Print is so that people like me cannot decimate it cut it and and post on this forum (The Baysie)here
PS FW cannot even ensure their Rules re Entry for Pensioners and youths is adhered to – as late as Sunday at Macies they were still charging $5 .. I informed the president a few weeks ago nothing has changed and he Don Evans is obviously not interested in complying with the FW letter or the Rules
FW I informed last season and they replied ” we have written to the clubs ” ..LOL
No control and the very basic level of the game the Entry Gate where your business will prospers or folds .
All White,
It is soul destroying watching the game disintergrate. I do not believe that Bob Kucera is the man to lead us to the promised land and personally believe his appointment is regressive. We need a younger chairman who has the nergy to carry the game forward.
As for the lady you mention I have no idea what they are paying and as a board member with Wheelchair Sports WA I can tell you we were responsible for the strategic plan. Maybe Football West do not have people on the board qualified to set up a strategic plan, in which cas ethey should not be on the board.
It is all very worrying, but so too is the apathy from those who can force change.
Kucera is a clown. He has no passion for football and why we ever elected him to the board is unfathomable.
Paul Kelly has dragged the Glory down to its lowest point with Tony Sage, so no great loss there.
To make these video would cost time and money as you say why not just publish the minutes.
How much ar ethey paying this Juric woman he mentions? Surely the board are responsible for the strategic plan not an outside consultant who will make moeny from the exercise?
Both Glory and Football West get what they deserve, you employ weak leaders you get no where.