Clive Palmer’s Football Australia enquiry came to Perth last week, and as usual many of those vocal in their complaints of the game were conspicuous by their absence.
As Inquiry Commissioner Gary Collis stated on “Not The Footy Show” last Wednesday, maybe that was because of fears of retribution if they spoke out against the FFA or Football West.
It was very sad to hear that all around Australia this fear is very real throughout the game. How can the game ever possibly hope to move forward if there is such strong censorship? There have been very obvious examples of the media being censured for stating their opinions, even when those opinions are backed up with facts. However why should a referee, a player, a coach or a parent not be allowed to air their views? Football is after all a passionate game, yet it appears that passionate debate is not welcome within the game in Australia.
It was a shame that more people did not attend the open forum, as they would have learned a great deal about the game as a whole in Australia, and the misinformation that is being distributed.
Mr. Collis has yet to compile his finished report, and one feels it will uncover a great deal. One main finding will be that those followers and lovers of the game feel that the birth of the FFA and the new state bodies has in fact not progressed the game as much as was promised and everyone hoped.
One question that has cropped up is what is the role of the state bodies around the country? Are they there to administer the game or are they there to become revenue raisers to cover costs?
It is a valid point, and one that Football lovers have every right to be concerned about. If their focus is on revenue raising, then the administrative side is bound to suffer, as let us not forget they are managing all facets of the game, not just the State League, or the Juniors, or the Amateurs; Although in some states it transpires that these are still run independently.
The State’s Governing Bodies should be there to assist all clubs in saving on their costs, but they should not be operating as a wholesaler or middleman when it comes to suppliers. Equally no supplier should be given a ‘preferred supplier’ status unless they actually make a financial contribution to the game.
The report will no doubt upset many; it will also definitely surprise most. It is a shame that more people did not care enough to make appointments for private hearings or attend the public one, but let us all hope that this report proves the catalyst to change.
At least CEO of the FFA Ben Buckley can see the merit in it, as he knows that such an enquiry would cost tens of thousands of dollars and he is going to get this for free, it is just a shame that according to Mr. Collis, the Chairman of the FFA, Frank Lowy has already dismissed it.
Maybe I am ever the optimist and I hope the findings are released, the only concern I have is when they are, what is going to happen. From my understanding they are pretty damning on a national basis of the FFA and the state bodies.
As a former employee of Fox Sports let me simply say that I was told that “we are partners in promoting the game.”
However there are other journalists who you will note rarely raise their fingers over the keyboard when the FFA make a mistake.
Sadly too many in the media today have been “bought,” by that i mean that their outlets are aligned to certain organisations and therefore their stories are skewed; rather than giving the facts and simply letting the reader decide for themselves.
Thank you once again for your interest and comments, shame we are not discussing this over a wine or beer!
I wasn’t sure what quote you were referring to because Martin Niemöller said lots of things. But his relevancy is bound in the blood of Dachau. Niemoller and Nie Wieder are inextricably linked. I have no doubt about the integrity of the reviewer, who is being paid by Palmer to conduct it, but I don’t think the true contents of the report will be released because of Palmer. I share your sentiment about Buckley and co. We do need strong leadership, which is in short supply. It seems to me that the Foxtel commentators are happy just to promote the sport and don’t question much. Is that what you meant about the media being cosy with FFA?
Harry, you obviously did not read the quote, because if you had you would understand the context and know that there was no comparison to the holocaust, I was referring to the “she’ll be right” attitude of many. That is by the by.
I am not a supporter of Clive Palmer, however I am a supporter of his review, being compiled independently by a man who has the integrity to carry out such a task and the football knowledge required to make it relevant.
To my mind Lowy, and Buckley both have to go. Lowy has had his day and is the cause of many of our problems and failures, and if Buckley as CEO is not a big enough man to stand up and be counted rather than pander to his Chairman’s wishes then it is time he moved on.
The game needs strong leadership at every level, and from the FFA down that is where the problems lies. We have too many mediocre people in key positions and a dictatorial leader at the top.
Dachau?? Really? However bad soccer gets, I don’t think we should make comparisons with the holocaust. I’ll never believe that Clive Palmer cares about the game. In my opinion, he cares about getting one over Frank Lowy and that’s fair enough. But I’m not an FFA supporter and we only have to look at the grand final to realise how horribly wrong they get things. The saving grace was the big turnout. Without that we were left with an average game, a hometown referee and a medal mess up. I’m all for unified support but not behind a man who can be trusted no more than those in charge. Just an (informed) opinion…
Harry, thank you of your comment. I too am not so sure about Mr Palmer at times, but had you and others attended you would have heard some interesting things about Gold Coast United that may well have been mis-reported in the press; as let us not forget that certain people in the media are very cosy with the FFA. Certainly I do not believe that he was without fault, but neither were the FFA.
If you listen to the podcast of last week’s show the Inquiry Commissioner Gary Collis, who is well respected, sat down with Clive Palmer before accepting the role as he wanted to be sure that he genuinely cared about the game.
Personally I do not think it was a case of legitimising a rival, when else will there be an inquiry into the running of the game? There won’t be one, because the FFA will not pay for it, and the Government are hardly likely to pay for one while they keep handing over money to keep the FFA afloat.
Surely therefore it is beneficial to air your views and have them on the record? Football fans in WA and in other parts of Australia would do well to remember the famous quote from pastor Martin Niemöller who was imprisoned in Dachau during the second World War. If you are unfamiliar with it I suggest you google his name.
For too long too many people in football are happy to moan but not prepared to stand up and be counted, and that is partly why the game is in a mess. Only a show of unified support can change the direction we are currently headed.
Interesting piece that highlights the perilous state of the game. But I would think a lot of people aren’t interested in the public inquiry because they have as much trust in Palmer as the FFA, not because they fear FFA. What can FFA do if a parent wanders in to express their concerns about the cost of playing the game? Nothing at all. And let’s not forget that Palmer’s actions as owner of Gold Coast have been nothing short of disgraceful. Since then, we’ve had his claims about CIA links to the Greens. Bizarre. Please don’t do football fans a disservice. We might not like the FFA but that doesn’t mean we would automatically legitimise a rival just because that rival has the money to set up an inquiry.