It looks like it is going to be a tough week for the Football Federation of Australia. First they have to try and find out what was discussed by all of the A-League club owners at the meeting in Abu Dhabi at the weekend, a meeting convened by the City Football Group, owners of Melbourne City. A move that the FFA lauded at the time. Ironically FFA CEO David Gallop said at the time of the takeover “Manchester City and their partners will bring a high level of expertise in football and sports business matters and that can only strengthen the Melbourne Heart and the Hyundai A-League as a whole.” That expertise if sources are correct believes they can run the competition better than the FFA and that this will benefit the A-League as a whole.
If the FFA did not have enough to worry about the news today from the managing director of the ABC, Mark Scott that there will “be a rationalisation of the ABC’s television outside broadcast vans and a scaling-back of television sporting broadcasts,” will be another body blow. The ABC is the broadcast partner of the W-League and is one of the few media outlets to give the women’s game any coverage. The question is will another network pick it up.
Although Mr Scott advised of “an overhaul of ABC TV’s sports coverage,” it would appear that the radio coverage that the ABC gives to the A_league may well be safe. Mr Scott advised of the proposed creation of a new regional division and ABC Digital Network, to begin in mid-2015, and a $20 million digital investment fund. As radio is now broadcast on a digital platform this coverage of the Hyundai A-League would appear to be safe.
This is however a worrying time for the FFA as they fight for media coverage. No doubt many of the radio stations around the country who kept the sport alive during the latter years of the NSL and the early years of the A-League will be wondering if once again they will be required to help promote the game. Some were treated shoddily when the national deal was being put together and it may well be that the station managers will not be so supportive if the clubs or FFA come knocking. Certainly you can guarantee in these tough economic times they will expect financial input in return.
Surely there cannot be any more bad news this week?
