What is The Legacy?

There is a warning that comes when you take a top job in any industry, and that is when you leave you are soon forgotten.

Those who were constantly seeking to win favour or receive favours no longer have a need for what you had to offer them. So the phone stops ringing, and the invitations to catch up become less. They have soon turned their attention to your replacement.

Of course when some senior management leave a position there is much fanfare for the legacy that they have left behind. For some it is almost as if they have left via the backdoor, while no one was watching.

At the start of November there was a rumour that the CEO of the International Hockey Federation, Thierry Weil had resigned. To this day there has been no official press release from the FIH confirming this fact. Yet Mr Weil has indeed left Lausanne and the FIH. The reason given for his sudden resignation has been quoted as “personal reasons.”

Mr Weil was appointed as the CEO in March 2018. When appointed the press release stated that he came to hockey having “spent over 25 years working for Adidas and held the position of ‘Vice President, Global Football Sports’ between 2003 and 2007, before enjoying a ten-year spell as the ‘Director of Marketing’ with FIFA at their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.”

According to FIFA Mr Weil was employed for nine years. He left in October 2016, and was a victim of FIFA’s clear-out of top executives who served the football body under ex-president Sepp Blatter. “Thierry Weil decided to pursue his career elsewhere after nine successful years at FIFA,” a spokesman for the group was quoted as saying at the time.

It was also reported when he resigned that FIFA had “struggled to attract sponsorship since U.S. authorities in May 2015 charged several senior soccer officials with ties to the organization on corruption charges. That ultimately led to Blatter’s fall and demands from sponsors for change.”

While his appointment looked on paper to be a good one that would bring in new and fresh sponsors for the sport, there were some who were a little more cautious about his recruitment, being aware of the close relationship that has existed between FIFA and Adidas for decades, but more because at FIFA sponsors are queuing up to come onboard, you do not have to sell them as to why they should be involved. This was evidenced despite the claim above when following the arrest of members of the FIFA Executive Board major sponsors withdrew their association with FIFA, within the blink of an eye others happily took their place.

After the brief reign of Jason McCracken as CEO, Hockey really needed a strong dynamic leader to carry it forward, especially with the launch of their ambitious global league the FIH Pro League. Many hoped that Mr Weil was the man.

Coming into the role, and with the Pro League having already been announced as a ‘game-changer’ Mr Weil was left very little choice but to buy into what we had been told was “five years in the making.” How he must regret some of the comments he made in those early days.

“What we need to do is bring hockey to people and bring hockey to people at home.” He boldly stated. He then added that the “FIHProLeague means there will be home games, away games over six months which will completely change the picture for our broadcasters and our commercial partners. That’s what they asked for to get a longer period of hockey on TV on a worldwide basis and definitely to get these attractive home games. Every game which is played is a home game and that makes it extremely attractive.”

He went on to confirm that “The scale of the TV production is something which was never done before in FIH. So, in the last four years we had 17 venues to set-up and to manage and only in 2019 we will have 31 venues where we will have to manage and set-up. Therefore the TV production will be massive. We will be around in 135 countries around the world with the FIHProLeague, with a lot of live games, which is not that often in hockey that you have that many live games. So that all brings it up to a completely different level.”

Sadly despite being talked up in Season one of the FIH Pro League the crowds that the broadcasters were promised did not eventuate in many countries. One of the reasons being that there was not a marketing campaign to underpin the competition, and let people now what it was, and how it worked, or more importantly when games were being played. Some National Associations did their bit to promote it, but with hindsight it needed a unified approach globally.

With season one not even half way through the FIH looked to cut back on television production costs. This instantly had an impact on the quality of what viewers were watching in their homes.

One of the biggest issues that the Pro League faced was the fact that there were not fixtures every week as one expects with a league competition. This made it a difficult competition to follow. To make it even more confusing in that first year it was decided that positions in the league would be decided by percentages, something that would end up biting the FIH. (The Dawn Of A New Rivalry)

The FIH also launched at the same time a streaming service for fans in countries where games were not being shown, FIH Live. This again did the sport no favours being unable to cope with the volume of viewers and games constantly buffering. The arrangement with mycujoo who were behind FIH Live was short-lived.

The second season of the Pro League saw it heavily impacted by the Covid Pandemic. Teams were forced to withdraw due to travel restrictions and replacements were found. While many believed the league should have been stopped for that year due to the Pandemic, a decision was made to continue with it. ( A PRObable Record Breaker) Some will argue that this did more damage than good. The FIH it was said needed it to continue due to the agreements they had in place with broadcasters and sponsors, but there can be no doubt that the league was now struggling.

Year three and four saw the format change again. Which once again made it hard for fans to work out what was going on. Many by now had simply given up. Those participating were finding the financial burden to be huge, and many were resorting to withdraw money from their youth development programs to be able to support their participation in the Pro League. Some when asked why their Association had not withdrawn in order to stablise their financial situation claimed they were worried they would face an international suspension if they did. This argument sadly held little weight as Pakistan pulled out in season one, and despite what was written in the Participation agreement, were not suspended. (Is the Pro-League Heading in The Right Direction?)

Not only that, but the lengthened tournament suddenly started to force players in professional leagues to have to decide whether to play for the clubs who paid them or their country. Leaving their clubs has caused a great deal of angst to the domestic competitions in those countries. Some have been forced to use the Pro League as a vehicle to blood young up and coming talent; but that goes against what the League was supposed to represent.

While Mr Weil inherited the Pro League, and when he came into the role would have understandably believed that after five years of planning it would have only had minor teething problems, he will unfortunately for him be judged on whether he made the right decision to persist with it, as each season it limped along a little slower. Hopefully whoever succeeds him brings the curtain down on the League which is close to bankrupting many participating nations.

“It has caused untold and unnecessary stress to National Associations. The concern is the promotional effect on our game across the globe. Those inside the Pro league seem frustrated with the cost, while those outside are frustrated by very little international exposure,” is the view of former Australian international and coach Terry Walsh.

Also during Mr Weil’s tenure as CEO the FIH opted to bring an end to the Champions Trophy. Whoever was advising on this decision clearly did not read the feelings within the sport. There was a great deal of unhappiness amongst players, past players, and fans alike that what had become an historical competition amongst the best in the world at that point in time was suddenly brought to a halt. There is talk that it will be revived, which is good, but once again work will need to be done to restore its prestige. With the World’s governing body having stopped the tradition, the messaging was they did not believe in the event. So now they have to change that perception if it is to return to the heights of the past.

In July 2018 Mr Weil announced the Hockey Series Open, which was to replace the Hockey World League. A competition for the nations not participating in the FIH Pro League. It was disbanded after one edition. The Intercontinental Cups were due to replace this competition.

Also in 2018 following the success of Hockey Fives at the Youth Olympic Games, the FIH announced that they were going to start pushing hockey fives which had proved popular in their development work. (At Sixes and Sevens? Or Should that Be Sixes and Fives?)

With the International Olympic Committee putting pressure on International Federations to reduce athlete quotas at the Olympic Games there were many that were concerned that this version of the game would replace the traditional eleven a side format. In November 2018 Mr Weil gave assurances that this would not be the case following discussions with the IOC.

In June 2022 the FIH held a test event in Lausanne for the new format. Then they announced a World Cup would be hosted by Oman in 2024. Fans of hockey had concerns. T20 cricket was supposed to be just a bit of fun when it was introduced, more entertainment than sport. (High Fives – If Used Properly) T20 has taken over the sport now, some would say it has cannibalised it. It has completely swamped all other formats. Is there a chance that Fives will do the same to hockey? Did Hockey really need another format?

“If we are clever we can increase the number of medal events” with both formats included,” Weil told the Associated Press. He believed that there was a place for both formats at the Olympic Games. “We need to make it cool for the younger generation,” he said leading up to the event in Lausanne. Implying that eleven a side was uncool. Once again is that because it has not been marketed properly if at all?

Hockey Fives again would appear to have not been thought through properly. It was we were told “designed to be easier and cheaper to develop than the 11-a-side game, which must be played on high-quality turf and grass fields.” So why have countries like India and Oman build specialist turf five a side pitches at a huge cost? Hockey5s we were told was designed to be “played on school yards, tennis courts and parking lots.” So why such a huge investment for these nations to build specialist turf pitches?

The Times of India quoted Mr Weil as saying that the bigger picture is to woo countries who don’t play the sport at all — by way of low cost infrastructure, smaller duration games, fewer players and minimal to no logistical nightmares. Surely creating turf pitches for fives is still a logistical nightmare for a small nation?

This format we were told would be an opportunity for those non-traditional eleven a side teams to thrive. Yet at the promotional event in Lausanne India defeated Poland in the final. At the recent World Cup in Oman, the Netherlands beat Malaysia in the final of the men’s competition and the Netherlands beat India in the women’s event. With the exception of Poland and Oman claiming the bronze all are “traditional hockey nations.”

Surely if Fives is truly about development the established nations should not be taking part in this format. Should it not be played by all nations ranked below the top 15 or 20 in the World?

There were an average of 10.56 goals scored per game in the men’s competition and 8.71 in the women’s game. Hopefully the powers that be will not be fooled by marketing people who believe that more goals equals more entertainment, because that is not the case. In most cases scorelines of 10-0 and 14-1, as witnessed are extremely boring to watch as the contest is soon over, and rarely do they make good television viewing.

The FIH will no doubt push on with Fives, when many believe they would have been wiser to invest in indoor hockey. Whether it is a success or not Fives will forever be linked to Thierry Weil and his time at the FIH.

Also will be his desire to see Hockey aired via its own OTT platform. The Watch Hockey app was created on his watch after the failure of FIH Live. Questions were raised when this partnership with NAGRA was announced as to the figures that were used. (Away From The Numbers) Did hockey really have a big enough following to be able to sustain and see a dedicated platform drive revenue? The big concern was that only those who follow the game would go there, and the sport would be lost elsewhere, so how would it grow participation, the very thing on which many government funding grants are based?

This was Weil’s vision for the future. Digital engagement was going to generate much needed funds and followers. The platform was to deliver “live content, not just live content, interviews of players and the next step now will definitely be having an engagement, a direct engagement and chat function on our OTT and our websites.”

Yet as Brand expert David Mitchell stated when he was a guest on our podcast (Podcast #58 – around the 28 minute mark)) to have these chat functions and be able to maintain consistent messaging takes a large number of staff and a great deal of money. The vision was there for the FIH but the necessary investment was not.

This was a bold move and one that has witnessed a drop in the quality of television production, which in turn has hurt viewing figures. It is interesting to note that since Mr Weil’s departure the FIH is looking to re-establish broadcast agreements in numerous countries. This can only be a good move for the sport. Sadly, some of the bigger name broadcasters have been scared off the sport due to diminished viewing figures on the Pro League. So these agreements are not with the big broadcasters, however it gives these new players an opportunity to establish themselves as the ‘home of hockey’ in that country. However, in the situations where the FIH or the National Association is in charge of production it is vital that there is a greater investment to restore the sport to the standards of the past.

Also on his watch the FIH changed the way that World Ranking points were awarded. They would now be available to teams in every match played, which automatically hampered some teams looking to blood young players. The fear was that this new system could have an impact on funding, as many nations have benchmarks which determine the amount of investment they receive from their Government based on their world ranking. Australia may well be the first nation to fall victim to this new system, with the Kookaburras finding themselves without a shirt sponsor heading into an Olympic year. However, it could also be that Hockey Australia lack the experience and expertise to be able to sell this prime sponsorship. (Perceptions Must Not Define You)

One thing that has been disappointing during his tenure is that despite constant assurances that a Calendar of events will be set down that dovetails with domestic competitions, and causes the least disruption to these competitions, after five years this has still not happened.

It is interesting to read back and watch interviews given by Weil during his tenure as CEO to try and assess his time at the helm based on what he said. Hearing him say that he wanted fan engagement, was intriguing because he was extremely sensitive to criticism from fans and those in the media. Maybe it was the pressure of the role; but if you are going to sit at the top of the tree and take the plaudits you have to also be able to take the brickbats.

There will be differing opinions as to Mr Weil’s time within the sport. Many may feel that decisions were made that have set the sport back, only time will tell. What is his legacy? Fives and the Watch Hockey app may be the two that he will be most remembered for, and with both we will have to wait and see if they are innovations that will benefit the game.

Now it is time to find a successor.

The FIH will no doubt advertise the role, but one can’t help feeling that they would be better off identifying a short list of people that they feel would be ideal in the role, and then approach them and try and entice them to Switzerland, rather than having candidates apply.

Hockey has a habit of recruiting from within, which in certain roles is wise. However sometimes it can appear incestuous, and restricts the vision moving forward. Some will say that the sport went outside of hockey when they appointed Thierry Weil, which is true. He was it was hoped going to bring in much needed sponsorship dollars, but sadly that did not eventuate. Ultimately the decision lies with the board, and they may in fact opt for a restructure of the management of the game, but a quote from the great cricket writer CLR James springs to mind, which may well be sage advice, “what do they know of cricket who only cricket know?” Meaning, the person most devoted and experienced in a sport, as a player an official, coach or commentator, doesn’t, without other knowledge, know what that sport is.

Whoever is appointed must understand the positive value of the sport and its history, but also bring to the table other knowledge that will benefit the game in the long term. Knowledge that will result in some things being done better, and raising the level of professionalism within the sport.