Today this writer was asked if he supported Football West’s campaign for a Home of Football. The short answer is a resounding “yes.”
However the timing of this push and the direction it has taken is hard to support. If the games governing body in the West wished to influence Government why wait until the election campaign to do it? I love football, but seriously is it more important than Hospitals, education and other sectors that affect the day to day running of this state? By trying to make football a part of the political debate appears totally misguided and ill timed. It is also just as likely to get politicians off side with the game, because it appears the game feels that it is a Political issue that warrants discussion.
The sad thing is most parties have already put in place their proposed budgetary spends should they win office, so lobbying should have been done months ago prior to the election date being announced.
Then there are a number of questions that no one seems to want to ask. In November 2012 Football West was in the papers saying that a Home of Football would cost $10-15 million, now just three months later they are saying it will cost $20million. Which is it? Can the price really have gone up that much in three months?
Where is the Home of Football to be based? Â That too is yet to be determined. Several of the councils at the end of last year took it off their agenda when they were given a deadline by Football West CEO Peter Hugg for Expressions of Interest, the two councils being the City of Bayswater and the City of Stirling. Surely the game has a better chance of receiving funding if it has a location on which the home is to be built? Which then raises the question as to what the former Chairman of Football West has been doing during his time on the board. Bob Kucera was appointed to the Board in 2009 with the main purpose of finding a location that Football could call home. Four years later the game is still looking.
The other concern in relation to the games governing body requesting funding is that there has been no plan released in relation to a funding model and how those funds will be spent. If such a model exists then only a very select few are privy to it. If one does not exist then this campaign is doomed from the get go.
Finally, there is the video clip that was produced to stir the emotions and get people to sign up to the petition. A great concept and well put together but all that good work was pretty much undone by headlining it “For F%&*#$ sake !” This has now been changed after understandably many people took offence.
Yesterday Football West CEO Peter Hugg was forced to come out and state that ‘F%&*#$’ was supposed to mean “Football.” Something that most people knew, but to have the opening voice in the clip, that of Glory Legend Bobby Despotovski bleeped out as if he was swearing rather than saying “Football” did not help matters. It was a good idea in principal but back fired terribly. I for one cringed the minute I saw it. It was a very risky approach to take, and when children and their parents make up such a huge percentage of your stakeholders it was foolish.
Football West’s intentions are honorable, they are for the good of the game in the long term, but one cannot help feeling at this point in time that this push for funding was not thought through thoroughly in terms of the creative clip and its promotion and it is also ill timed, with far more pressing issues on the political agenda. Find a location and build a budgetary plan around your design and then you will find more Politicians will listen as it will be crystal clear what is being achieved for their investment.
Ashley Morrison
Have to say I read this article twice after reading Nigel’s comment, have you done something to upset him? I do no see this as bashing at all just reasonable questioning. Nigel I think you have issues you need to resolve.
I will tell you why I have not signed up to this and it is not for any of the reasons above. It is because they are undoubtedly going to build a data base from all who sign up and then bombard me with updates on the proposed Home of football. I get enough junk emails without having more unwanted ones from Football west. Sorry but if there was another way to support without having to give my email I would.
Finally, Is it just me but has Peter Hugg gone to the Colin Barnett school of leadership? They seem to have a similar approach to getting things done, and both love to be in a photo.
Nigel, I feel really sorry for you! You are no doubt one of the sheep who blindly follow the game and fail to see anything apart from what the likes of the FFA and FW want you to see.
If it wasn’t for the likes of Ashley, Don Evans, Bill Macallister and people like them questioning things and the way things are done, the administrators who have all failed to cut it in other sports, would completely stuff it up.
Ashley ignore him and keep keeping the bastards honest! I don’t always agree with what you write but it stops and makes me think of alternative views, and that is what the game needs
(This comment was edited and an expletive removed- Sorry Super Sub but we do not tolerate swearing- NTFS)
Nigel, thank you for taking the time to comment. I am sorry that you feel I am ‘bashing’ Football West. If you read the story prior to this one I was actually praising them for being ahead of the FFA by a number of years.
As I stated I support a home of Football 100%. I do not care one iota if I am involved or not. I have in the past been asked for my thoughts and if asked again would give them, if not I will certainly not lose any sleep over the matter.
I do feel thought that if you are going to push for the sums of money that the game is requesting you have to have a lot more in place than it currently appears that there is – although there may be information which I am not privy to.
Football over the years has shot itself in the foot, and the World Cup bid did not help the game when so many millions of dollars were squandered to gain one vote. In order to gain trust in the public’s eye and the game win back respect, I personally believe that we have to cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i’ before we start putting our hand out.
As I said an increase in the amount requested of $5million from November 2012 to February 2013 is a question that needs to be addressed. Why do we require another $5million? Are you telling me that no one else has noticed the change in amount requested?
Everyone involved in the game now is a custodian for the future, and has a responsibility to do things properly to safeguard that future. If my raising concerns is in your opinion ‘bashing’ those running the game, then so be it. I see it as raising pertinent questions. In this instant I do not think that this particular campaign was thought through.
I say again, despite what you think, I want Football to have a home and a museum. The offices at Gibbney Reserve are nothing short of a disgrace and definitely hold the game back, so the sooner the staff can move the better.
Yet another ‘bash Football West’ story! What is wrong Ashley, didnt they involve you ? This is one of the best things that Football West has done and yet again you dig the boot in. Call yourself a football supporter ! I am sure you will smile if they dont get any funding and have pleasure in telling them ‘I told you so’.
All black, thanks for your comment. You raise some good points. On many levels, Governments promising funds without a concrete plan in place, and the fact that there is no good time to campaign.
Personally I believe it is better to have everything covered off so when people ask questions you have all the answers, even politicians like that as they do not then get caught out.
All White as All Black says it has now been confirmed he wasn’t swearing, which I think we all knew but the impression was that he was, it was a joke that backfired, that was obvious when they changed it and explained he said Football.
Some will argue it has put Football in the spot light and helped teh cause, others may feel the other way. Time will tell.
Bobby didn’t swear, did he? I thought he was saying for football’s sake? That’s what he said at the end? Didn’t they release another video to confirm he didn’t swear at the start? I thought that was the point of it? Is sport ever as important as hospitals and nurses? Is there ever a good time to campaign for funds? How can an organisation like footballwest, which is responsible to thousands of stakeholders, spend many thousands on a business plan without funding to start with? Haven’t they had initial costings and designs done on a shoestring? Didn’t the government commit more than a billion to the new perth stadium before the location was confirmed? Has the location really been confirmed? Will it go back to Subiaco if Labor win the election?
I have to say that is superbly put. What a ridiculous time to launch such a campaign, if I was a politician I would dismiss the game completely, as you say if the game thinks it is on a par with public transport, health education etc then we have the wrong people running it.
As for the clip agree 100% great that they got all these people to do it – although do not think Glory should be involved but then again Mr Hugg loves them – but the headline and Bobby swearing made me go ‘Oh Dear!’ Someone should be held accountable for this, I have not met anyone who has not been appalled that this was actually put out in the first place, A major foot(ball) in mouth moment!