Positive news for Football in Western Australia is the news that the board has three new members, all three with creditable backgrounds.
The one thing that football has lacked is a board with professional backgrounds. We have had people who may be keen to do what is best for football but do not have the necessary expertise.
Mr. Bob Kucera, Mr Joe Claudio and Ms Anna Liscia have accepted positions as Directors of the Company and serve on the board until the 2010 financial year Annual General Meeting.
It may be an eye-opener for them but it is definitely a step in the right direction and follows on from the appointment of Liam Twigger late last year. Mr Twigger having an accounting background.
For those who are not aware Mr Kucera was formerly Assistant Commissioner for the WA Police, and then was elected to the State Government with the Australian Labor Party. One thing that will be hoped is that he doesn’t make the gaffe he made when the Olyroos played South Korea in Perth when he was Sports Minister. The Koreans all immaculately turned out for the official ceremony is suits and ties, Mr Kucera did not even have a jacket just an open necked shirt!
Mr Claudio was Chairman of the Perth Kangaroos Soccer Club, which participated in the 2004 season of the Singapore, based S-League, and won the league at a canter. He holds life membership with the Western Australian Amateur and Social Soccer Association (WAASSA). He is currently the Chairman of the Disciplinary & Grievance Committee for Football West, a position one would expect him to resign.
Ms Liscia is an experienced legal expert and member of the Legal Practice Board of WA, and has been the Chair since 2007.
One area that they will hopefully look at and re-instate into the constitution is that no board member should be involved with, by way of holding a position – which is in the constitution – or by way of sponsorship, with any club. Life memberships excepted.
As for some reason this was taken out of the constitution, and it opens the board up for accusations when you go to certain clubs and witness their businesses as sponsors. Our board needs to be squeaky clean if football is to move forward again in this state, rather than stagnate as it has done for the past two years after the boom of the World Cup subsided.
What you mentioned about board members having to declare their interests is absolutely spot on! 😉