No Time For Freebies

Who is sport for?

Surely, it belongs to those who pay to play each week in leagues and competitions around the world, the same people who then pay their hard-earned cash to go and watch the professionals play.

The game belongs to those players and the fans, and to a certain extent the professional players too.

Yet in the past 30 years there has been a real shift in so many sports. Maybe even 20 years ago most fans had no idea who was the CEO of the club they supported let alone the head of the association that ran the competition that they played in.

In the past few decades those in these roles have wanted to be centre stage too. Today we see the CEO having photos with a player when they sign for a club rather than the coach, the CEO is quoted on such signings when truthfully who cares what they think about the player? Fans want to hear what the coach sees in the player and how they plan to use him or her.

In fact, the CEOs are quoted on everything these days. There is hardly a press release that comes out in which these individuals are not quoted. As one media manager advised they have been instructed that they must not publish anything without a quote from the man at the top.

The trouble with this is the club or sport loses credibility, as their words just become fluff, and on some topics, they really do not have the expertise to be quoted.

Another CEO of a sporting association actually said, “there is not a decision made in this state about -said sport – that is made without my approval.” A quote that was truly laughable, but these are the sort of egos sport must deal with today. 

In some clubs and associations, it is even worse as you witness a battle for the limelight between the CEO and the Chairman, and the only outcome then is one must go.

One Chairman who had invested heavily into a club loved being the front person of the club, but when results weren’t going well on the pitch was surprised that the love for him from the fans had dwindled. So, he brought in an expert for some advice. He did not like the advice he was given. “Stay out of the spotlight and away from the media, because you are not very good in that space,” was the advice given.

To be fair despite being offended by the suggestion, this individual did take heed of the advice and noticeably withdrew from public view.

At the recent Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, many of the medals were presented by members of the various sports federations. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. However, this is not their moment. It is a special moment for the athletes that is the result of no doubt a lot of hard work, heartache, sacrifice and commitment.

It was embarrassing to witness how these individuals happily stood in front of the medalists and even when asked to move by not just the photographers but also the organizers simply refused to until they were virtually manhandled out of the way.

Not at this event but a previous one, this writer even witnessed one dignitary climb onto the podium and join the gold medalists from their country. Apart from being embarrassing, this should never have been allowed to happen. It showed a lack of respect for the athletes and revealed an ego that was out of control.

It also showed that the Board member in question failed to understand their boundaries. This is not unusual today. On another occasion once the event had finished a board member came down from their seat and celebrated with the victorious athletes. Again, is this the behaviour expected of a board member? The other question that needs to be asked is who allowed them that access?

If these individuals cannot be trusted to hand over the medals and step aside, they simply should not be afforded that privilege.

It is scary how many staff from the various organizations feel that they have a right to be at these events. In Lausanne where many of the International Federations are based if staff from an International Sporting body are not taken to the Olympic Games many resign and move to another sport in the hope that in four years’ time they will be taken.

The athletes must earn the right, so should everyone else.

Why is it board members and CEOs of sporting bodies get free tickets to Olympic Games and World Cups? These same organisations espouse supporting the lifeblood of community sport, the volunteers, but how many are prepared to give those free tickets and airfares to one of those dedicated volunteers?

The question often asked is why are certain individuals there in the first place? Why does the CEO of a National Association have to be at some tournaments? If they are there for business how many days does that business really take? The National Association can pick the tab up for two days, but if they stay on beyond that meeting should not this time be taken as annual leave and they be responsible for paying their own accommodation and other expenses?

There was a recent case of a CEO attending a major sporting event to supposedly see how the event was run, in case they happened to host the same event in four years’ time. With no decision made at this time on who will host the next event, was there really a need for this money to be spent, and if it was deemed a good investment surely it would have been more beneficial to have someone from the Events department go rather than the CEO? Yet this expense was supposedly signed off by the Board.

As was suggested at the Asian Games there need to be restrictions put on the number of representatives from the various sports governing bodies who are permitted to attend, and the same with the National Sporting Associations.

Many have asked what some of them are doing while they are there, and within some national associations the individuals in question have no qualifications to hold the position that they are attending under. This again undermines the athletes who have worked so hard to get there; to see people just given a free trip.

What is incredible and galling to many fans is that these individuals just seem to want to keep taking from the sports they have worked in even when they have left.

Many years ago, a former airline manager shared a piece of wisdom that he had discovered upon retiring, ‘you find out who your real friends are.’

For years ‘friends’ had called asking for free tickets, cheap tickets and upgrades to business class and when they could they would often assist. As soon as he retired, he never heard from most of those people.

This is the brutal world we live in.

It is similar when you leave any job. You are no longer required, relevant or important. No longer do you have access to the perks that you enjoyed that came with that role.

Although when it comes to the world of sport that is not always the case, and understandably there are many within several sports who are becoming more than a little annoyed about this trend.

For example, in one sport a CEO who was sacked for failing to achieve the goals set by the board was seen enjoying free hospitality at an event from his former employer.

Another CEO who was forced to resign due to inappropriate behaviour which could have resulted in a court case, was also welcomed back with open arms and enjoyed the hospitality of their former employer.

Then there was the former board member in another sport whose time on the board had expired but continues to turn up at events not expecting to pay for their place and enjoy the food, wine, and hospitality.

Who is allowing these situations to happen? Are the Boards even aware that they are? They should be, as often Board members are there. Is this really a good look for the sports in question?

It is not just the freebies but the gall of some of these individuals. Another individual who held a senior management role in a sport, that their qualifications and work experience said they should never have held in the first place, was fired from that position after four years was recently posting about how the sport must always come first. Had they put the sport first and not rashly spent the sport’s money, it has been alleged they spent $1000 on bottles of champagne, they may well still have had that job and would be in a stronger position to make such claims.

One thing is glaringly obvious those allowing these former employees and board members access to these privileges are simply not reading the room.

Just as was claimed by one individual that in their sport two individuals both of whom had been allegedly accused of a misappropriation of funds were part of a VIP group presenting prizes.

Players, coaches, officials and fans are beginning to start speaking out about the amount of travel, most of it unnecessary that administrative staff and board members are making attending meetings that could be done on-line, or attending tournaments and events with the Federation, Confederation or National Association picking up the tab.

As one coach pointed out, is it right that national under 21 and under 18 representatives have to crowd-fund or rely on their parents to pay for them to attend international competitions, and not only that, but are expected to pay for their national tracksuits, and polo shirts while representing their country?

Is it fair to keep asking parents to pay? This is another example of sport witnessing the best payers being selected over the best players. Something that this coach said was very much the case in their sport. “Some representing their country would never get that opportunity if the association was paying for everything,” they admitted. 

In their opinion the National association should not be flying staff or board members to these tournaments if they are not prepared to fund the athletes, and coaches. “It is not a good look.”

There are few who would disagree with this comment.

One thing is clear; fans and players are sick of the freeloading. Those who make up the majority within sport, those who play week-in and week-out for local clubs are sick of seeing their costs go up every year and board members and staff being given a free ride.

As a wise man said if you work in sports administration you work in customer service. You are there to serve everyone in the sport, to try and keep them happy.

In the world of football in recent months there have been clear examples of where those at the top have lost sight of that simple rule and let’s be honest, they are not alone in not reading the room. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is clearly not listening to what his customers are saying and neither are others within the game in relation to him or the Manchester City situation.

This is a pervading feeling in many countries and many sports.  Yet will any of those at the top with the power to make the necessary changes implement change?

Probably not, as they are the ones who will miss out. If they were truly there for the sports they claim to love, then they would. It would be an easy decision to make.

Sadly, we live in a selfish world today where it is more about what people can gain for themselves than benefit the sport in the long term. Their actions speak louder than words. 

But is it time that the expenditure was made public and also the reasons for travelling and what work was done over what period of time?