FFA Governance

I've often thought about this, how we're the only club really being vocal on shafting Lowy and Gallop, but surely they've got more integrity than that..

What a whining piece of daddy’s boy snot SLowy proved himself to be today in the presser. Thank fudge he is gone. Now let’s get on with creating a real football system in this part of the world, built by football people, for the football community. 

Also Australia allowed in Asia on not abandoning us?　fifa may back us too?

Australia was allowed into  Asia on the condition they did not abandoning NZ　FIFA know this! 

Could a New Zealand Team with limited market sponsors survive:   Would Australia survive this if it became reality as many predict as the future?

* Remove the budget cap
* Sign some real player talent
* Proper 10 year development plan for youth
* Allow proper transfer fees between clubs and state league teams
* Expand 2 teams next season and another 2 within 3 years.

What's in the Tea leaves  Opinion from FTBL staff writer

"The FFA board were continuing to oppose the changes right up until the final vote, demanding proof that the signatures on a statement issued over the weekend that backed the proposals were real.

Lowy even gave an impassioned last minute speech to the Congress begging them to keep talking about change with FIFA and AFC, but it was too late."

"The model for the A-League v2.0 is initially expected to follow along similar lines to the English Premier League structure.

In the UK, the EPL is operated as a corporation and is owned by the 20 member clubs. Each club is a shareholder, with one vote each on issues such as rule changes and contracts."

"Its future is uncertain. Melbourne City have been one of the big drivers for these changes and they have made no secret of their desire to scrap the salary cap.

The cap will almost certainly be dumped by the new A-League body - but the timescale is uncertain and whether or not it will be phased in, or how it will affect the smaller clubs with more limited budgets like Central Coast Mariners."

"The issue of A-League expansion however is now in doubt. A decision was originally due to be announced on October 31.

The current FFA board may try to push it through as soon as possible before they are evicted from the decision-making process."

"Several others on the board, with close personal or professional ties with the Lowy family, may also opt to stand down too.

But Head of A-League Greg O'Rourke is likely to stay with the FFA, with high praise coming his way from key figures within the CRWG despite last week's firestorm over the suggestion of music being played at goal kicks and corners.

CEO David Gallop's future may be less certain, although he just re-signed a substantial new two year deal in the midst of the congress row."

I think this gives us substantially more breathing room but doesn't mean we can ease off the need to improve the club and it's performance. Which I am certain Welnix are very aware of.

Football Today - Opinion

FFA Congress

It was more or less the only story on football social media (aka #sokkahtwitter) yesterday.

As eveyrone who reads this will know, the 10-member FFA Congress comprising nine state federations and one A-League representative voted for reform of the Congress (as we have reported and commented upon extensively over years). However, even despite the 11th hour agreement of all parties late on Friday (other than FFA), still two state federations managed to renegue on the Friday Agreement and vote against resolution 1 for an expanded Congress but in favour of resolution 2 for an A-League restructure working group: Northern NSW and Northern Territory. By the way, well done to ACT and Tasmania.

Second, there was the media conference from the 'loser', Steven Lowy and the FFA Board. This could have been SLowy's opportunity to be statesmanlike, but he went out carping to the end, sounding every bit the entitled son of a billionaire that he is and "fearing" for Australian football now that his family is no longer involved.

SLowy said he will not stand for the FFA Presidency next month, and Ray Gatt suggests that close Lowy colleagues ($), Kelly Bayer Rosmarin and Crispin Murray, will also not return. They were both part of the 'global search' conducted by Egon Zehnder, that also suggested SLowy as the only possible successor to his father FLowy. Gatt picks up on social media suggestions that either Stephen Conroy or Mark Arbib, both former Labor Ministers, will be anointed as the new Chairman - or perhaps existing Board members, Chris Nikou or Danny Moulis.

We do hope that's not how this new era of 'democracy' is going to work

As Michael Lynch writes here "no quarter sought, none given" in SLowy's departing media conference in which he reminded us of all that he and his father have done for the game over the past 15 years, and once again speaking of his "fears" about foreign influence - see the video via Fairfax here.

We've written this so many times before ... but, putting aside the basic grasp of maths, we don't buy the argument that the 'foreign' owned clubs - which the Lowy's attracted to the game in the first place - are stupid enough not to look after (a) their 'supply chain' of the grassroots or (b) their 'shop window' of the national teams. We think SLowy has this wrong.

Emma Kemp refers to it as a "bright new dawn" - which, to be fair, most people said in July 2003 also when FLowy was voted in to the game - and mentions FIFA's well-timed letter to stakeholders of Monday night.

The irony that SLowy would take a shot at 'governance' issues when it was a massive 'governance' issue at stake with his ascendancy to the chairmanship of FFA was not lost on most people in the room.

Both Tom Smithies and Ray Gatt have followed-up with a 'what next?'

Smithies says football is "moving into unchartered waters as the Lowy era ends" with suggestions that there needs to be a "conciliation Board", and that ultimately, there should be more talk about what goes on on-the-field. Amen. Back to groins and hamstrings we say.

Gatt gets it right when he says it's now time for the 'reformers' to "put up or shut up" ($). He writes that "they need to take the game forward, to unite it, find new revenue streams and sort out the A-League." And he notes, in relation to the Lowy family that:

"Their positive influence on the game in the initial stages of their tenure surely cannot be diminished. Yes, they made mistakes — the handling of the World Cup bid, the disenfranchising of “old soccer”, the lack of transparency regarding FFA’s finances and allowing the A-League to fall into disrepair, the biggest of them. But the increased revenues, the record television broadcast deal, the introduction of the A-League and admittance into the Asian Football Confederation are among some of the good things they have done for the game. It’s a shame, however, that in their quest to rule with supreme power they failed to get involved in consensus and to recognise the feelings of the fans. They lost the goodwill of the people who mattered most. And now they have paid the price."

Well said, Ray.

A-League

Expansion

• There is talk that A-League expansion may be delayed due to the governance changes, with the PFA - now with a seat at the Congress table - imploring that doesn't happen, and SLowy saying things will proceed as planned. A very top-level summary of the reforms, for News Corp readers, is also provided in the same piece. 

Would this mean Wellington can play in the Asian Champions League since it was the FFA that said no and not AFC or FIFA? if the league becomes independent.

was it just the FFA I thought AFC didn't want the Nix in the competition - less money for their members if the nix managed to qualify

We are in "Hurry up and Wait Mode"

Rob is a shrewd operator no need to panic.

Powerful football identity Paul Lederer has promised the game will be in a better place and has given an unequivocal assurance that the sport’s grassroots will not suffer as a result of the sweeping Football Federation Australia governance reforms on Tuesday.

One of the key players in the almost three-year battle for power between the Lowy family, state federations and A-League clubs, the successful businessman admitted it was “sad and unfortunate” that the game had to go through such a long period of pain and recriminations” but believes “it is for the best”.

Under the reforms, FFA’s voting congress will move from 10 members to a more inclusive 29, who will carry 100 votes between them while a working group involving all member federations will be formed to sort out a new model for the A-League, which will almost certainly lead to an independent league for the 2019-20 season.

While Lederer, who regularly makes Australia’s rich list and is chairman and co-owner of the Western Sydney Wanderers, said he did not want to get into a personal war, he told The Australian he thought the whole saga could have been handled better.
Under chairman Steven Lowy, FFA fought the reforms, arguing they were not in the best interests of the game, that the A-League clubs would hold the power and that the grassroots would be serious affected.

Lederer, who has strong ties with the Lowy family, found himself on the opposite side of the divide.“I prefer not to go down that road but, yes, it could have been handled differently,” he said. “It should not have been this way, but it is what it is.“What happened yesterday will be good for the sport. Absolutely it is positive, we will be in a good position and it will only get better and better.”

Lederer downplayed his role in the reform process.“I was just one of the boys … no different to anyone else,” he said. “All the clubs supported the process, there were no breakaways. We were all united. We all wanted change and we got it.”

As for the relationship with the Lowys — his uncle, the late Andrew Lederer, was very close to Frank — Lederer said it was a tough position to be in.“To be honest with you, I hope it (the relationship) never changes,” he added. “Unfortunately, football being football, it is what it is.”

In terms of what Tuesday’s events means for the grassroots, Lederer rejected suggestions from the FFA that lower levels would suffer through diminishing finances because the A-League clubs would want to take a bigger cut.

“No chance … no, no, no,” Lederer fired back.

“I am well aware of the importance of the grassroots. For me, it is everything. It is even more important than the A-League.“You only have to look at what I am doing with the Wanderers. Look at my actions and not my words.“Without the grassroots we have nothing.”

Lederer has done wonders at the Wanderers as he positions them to not just become the biggest club in the A-League but one of the biggest in Australian sport.

“If people don’t believe what I say about the grassroots then come out to Blacktown (where the Wanderers are based) and have a look at what we are building,” he says.“We are going to invest an absolute fortune in the grassroots because they are the future.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/football/soccer-will-thrive-under-new-regime-says-paul-lederer/news-story/f4c688a374043097f910e5243513afaa  Pay Walled

So the Faustian bit seems to be no celery cap in the near future. Not sure how we'd compete in that situation.

Removal of the salary cap would be a disaster for us, and I think negative for the league as a whole.

But Fraser, who was the A-League's boss between 2009 and 2010 believes the revolution that is taking place in Australian football could finally see the Sleeping Giant wake from its slumber.

Asian Riches may finally flow into Australian Football with the changes in the FFA 

Get Tony Pignata in to be the CEO of the A League ver 2. It will get a proper and fit person in a place where everyone needs one.

I like the idea but rules prevent it (2 year stand down from Football involvement) which is ludicrous. 

It would turn the league into a European-type league. And it's not hard to see why the Melbournes and the Sydneys would love it, I mentioned that on this thread a few months ago.

Would it - however - have any effect on the overall success of the league or the Nix's place in it? People still watch La Liga or the SPL even though two teams absolutely dominate.

Hard to tell. For the league, if the competition is dominated by 3-4 clubs, that could make it difficult to grow interest and the audience. Europe is different in that respect because clubs are well established with long-term fan bases, etc, which is not the case with the A-league.

For the Nix, it would largely depend on how the league revenue is shared out by the clubs under the new governance model (whatever it turns out to be), and the level of investement into the squad.  

If you believe some rumours, at least one of those clubs doesn't operate to a salary cap anyway.

I haven't heard those rumours. Any chance you could name names and give us a few more detail? 

I think that long term, the salary cap needs to be scrapped - but the league is nowhere near ready. The problem we have now is that there are so many loopholes that the league has divided in haves and have nots anyway; so we might as well scrap it as I don't think it'd make much difference at this point.

You don't think some of the bigger clubs could throw a lot more money at wages if there was no salary cap? 

I get confused by this type of argument: A) We need to scrap it, then B) It won't make much difference. If scrapping it won't make much difference then why is it imperative for it to be scrapped?

I do think the system needs to be made clearer, more transparent, less of these seeming loopholes etc

My belief is  Pro/Relegation in 2 to 3 years must happen before any Cap scrapping could be concidered!  

Opinion Piece - This translated to 241,408 fewer fans from one season to the next.

From my experience living here in Europe, people only care about those four and a couple of others and generally think they are not as good as other leagues because of it (EPL, Bundesliga etc).

I think we just gave one of those teams a wee fright.

A lot of football fans in Wellington and in other places wont go to Nix games simply because they are expecting to see EPL playing standard or still live on the day that Bobby Moore was England captain. They need to get over it and realise that fan numbers can make or break a decent crowd atmosphere and get along. I don't expect any standard other than 11 guys trying to give their best for the Nix.

Simon Hill - The Briefs

Breakdown of the Struggle

History Never Repats

2017 Kamasz

2018 Kamasz

All Aboard the exit Train

Joseph Healy advised of his resignation from the Board to take effect at the conclusion of this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), and the terms of the other Appointed Directors, Simon Hepworth and Chris Nikou, expired on 16 October 20

Only 40% Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy HAL

In the media conference following the vote of FFA Congress, outgoing FFA Chairman Steven Lowy once again spoke of his ‘fears’ regarding “foreign interests” in football. It is a familiar theme. He wrote about it in 2017 and has returned to it regularly ever since.

  "Rob Morrison owns 100% of Investnix."   fact or fiction?

First chairwoman, Foster on board for potential new FFA hierarchy

DOMINIC BOSSI OCTOBER 25, 201871% of original size (was 711x400) - Click to enlarge

New ground: Judith Griggs is a chance to become the first female chair of Australian football.Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

The quartet are among the names submitted before the close of deadline for the nominations for the FFA board, which must replace four outgoing members including the chair to be vacated by Lowy.

Fairfax Media understands former Capital Football chair Reid was nominated, alongside Griggs, who oversaw the Congress Review Working Group and was the first chief executive of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

The FFA’s membership will vote for its new board and chairman at its annual general meeting in early November. Nogarotto has been touted for a possible return to Australian football administration as chairman - a position he previously held before stepping down in 2003 when he was replaced by Frank Lowy. Nogarotto was a former chairman of NSL clubs Marconi, Northern Spirit as well as a director of Newcastle Jets. After football, he became a senior advisor to the NSW Liberal Party and managing director of advisory firm Crosby Textor.

Reid has been a pioneer in women's football for more than 30 years and was the first female to be appointed as the head of a state football federation when she became chair of Capital Football.

Griggs is a lawyer and business executive who first made a name for in sports administration through motor sports, working with Formula One for five years in the early 1990s before being named Australian business woman of the year in 1996. More recently, Griggs oversaw the Congress Review Working Group that broke the bitter impasse of the FFA crisis that previously ground Australian football governance to a halt.

71% of original size (was 711x400) - Click to enlarge It remains to be seen whether Craig Foster's nomination is for a position on the board or for the role of chairman.

There remained a chance on Thursday that Foster’s voice could become all the more influential throughout Australian football, with the former Socceroo and media personality understood to have been among up to a dozen nominees put forward for the vacant board positions.Fairfax Media understands there was a significant move from stakeholders led by the players' union, the PFA, to have Foster nominated for the FFA board.

It remains to be seen, however, whether Foster's nomination is for a position on the board or for the role of chairman. He will likely have to forego several other employment commitments if he was to pursue a position on the organisation’s board.Due to a potential conflict of interest, it is highly likely Foster would have to step down from his role as technical director with A-League expansion hopeful Southern Expansion. Foster’s employment with SBS as a pundit and commentator would also be cast into doubt in the event he was elected to the FFA board.

https://dailyfootballshow.com/the-future-of-the-game-in-the-eyes-of-the-boss/

FFA CEO David Gallop expects the A-League’s new operating model to have a view towards the implementation of a new national second division and promotion and relegation.

The New Leagues Working Group (NLWG) was installed after a resolution calling for its creation was unanimously passed at head office’s recent extraordinary general meeting in October.

It is tasked with the creation of a new operating model that will see the A-League, W-League and National Youth Leagues run separately from FFA in time for the 2019-20 campaigns
That group will be made up of the presidents of the nine member federations, five A-League club chairs, two members of the PFA executive, two members of the Women’s Football Council, two FFA directors, members of the FFA management as required and an independent, non-voting chair.

Gallop told Thursday’s Daily Football Show a new operating model for Australian national leagues must have an eye to the future, including relegation and promotion, as well as a potential national second tier.

“When that group settles down to talk about what the operating model for the A-League should look like, how the huge agenda that the game has got and the huge funding requirements of that agenda, it will have to pick up the issues of a national second division and for the game to move towards promotion and relegation,” Gallop said.“All of those things, it’s not going to be a matter of just looking at the operating model for the A-League.“The future will have to be considered as well and that’s a pretty complicated task for that group to get its arms around.”

The NLWG is to hand down a proposal by 31 March 2019.

The National Premier League representative body working on a proposal for a national second division, the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC), has signalled its intention to have a second tier up and running by 2021.

It has been earmarked ‘The Championship’ and their view is to introduce promotion and relegation to and from the A-League by 2024.

For the time being, attentions are firmly fixed on A-League expansion and which two new clubs or franchises will enter the competition in the 2019-20 season.

A revamped FFA board has seen the announcement of two successful bidders pushed back, originally scheduled for 31 October.

Gallop did not confirm a new confirmation date, but stressed the governing body was keeping its “foot on the pedal” to complete expansion.

“We have got some good bids; all of them have strengths and weaknesses and we’re in phase at the moment where we’re talking to those bid teams about things we’re attracted to and things we think could be improved to putt heir best foot forward,” Gallop added.

“Over the top of that is the fact that the board is facing some big changes and therefore, there’ll be a number of new directors come onto the board.

“It was felt at the last board meeting a week or so ago that it’s appropriate for things to be pushed out until things are in place.

“That is a range of factors that have meant that some of the timelines have pushed out a bit, but we are hopeful still that we can keep our foot on the pedal still in relation to expansion.”

Big names of Australian football and business are set to go head to head with a field of eight candidates likely to contest an election next month for a spot on a new-look Football Federation Australia board.

Accounting and Advisory firm PwC managing partner Joseph Carrozzi.

former Socceroo Danny Moulis

former Soccer Australia chairman Remo Nogarotto, who has a storied history with Soccer Australia, the NSL and A-League, revealed he had ruled himself out of the race for chairman.

former Socceroo Craig Foster, 

former Capital Football boss Heather Reid 

former CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation Judith Griggs.

Chris Nikou is expected to run for another term on the board, intentions of fellow members Kelly Bayer Rosmarin and Crispin Murray are not clear.

Former Senator Stephen Conroy 

Lachlan Murdoch CFO Linda Norquay added to the list of nominees for FFA Board

http://footballtoday.news/football-media-watch/ffa-board-w-league-a-league-ffa-cup

Final FFA board nominees named:

• Morry BAILES
• Joseph CARROZZI
• Stephen CONROY
• Craig FOSTER
• Judith GRIGGS
• Daniel MOULIS
• Chris NIKOU
• Remo NOGAROTTO
• Linda NORQUAY
• Heather REID
• Mark RENDELL
• Mark SHIELD

AGM November 19.

— Kevin Airs (@KevinAirs) October 27, 2018

The current nominations committee has over seen the process and the current FFA Congress appoints the Independent member/Chair? and The Chair of the Women's council 

https://www.ffa.com.au/news/football-federation-australia-notice-annual-general-meeting

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has today issued the Notice of the Fifteenth Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will be held at 2:15pm on Monday, 19 November, 2018.

The purpose of the AGM is to receive and consider the Annual Financial Report of FFA, report on the Annual activities of FFA, inform the members of the FFA annual budget and elect up to four directors to the FFA Board.

The members will consider, and if thought fit, pass resolutions to grant qualifying member status to Football Coaches Australia (FCA) and the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) under the FFA constitution.

Further the members will consider, and if thought fit, pass a special resolution to amend the FFA constitution in relation to the qualifying member status of AAFC to give effect to a recommendation of the Congress Review Working Group.

In relation to the election of Directors at the FFA AGM, the FFA Nominations Committee, consisting of Joseph Healy, Simon Pearce, Stuart Kenny and John Didulica met today (Saturday 27 October) to review the nominations received by FFA for the positions of FFA Director. The FFA Nominations Committee has confirmed the following candidates as eligible for election:

• Morry BAILES
• Joseph CARROZZI
• Stephen CONROY
• Craig FOSTER
• Judith GRIGGS
• Daniel MOULIS
• Chris NIKOU
• Remo NOGAROTTO
• Linda NORQUAY
• Heather REID
• Mark RENDELL
• Mark SHIELD

In addition, a General Meeting will be held at 2:00pm on Monday, 19 November, 2018 to consider and vote on the resolution to ratify the person elected by the Nominations Committee as the independent member and chair of the Women’s Football Council of the Company.

FFA Board: the nominees, their nominators and their seconders | https://t.co/EwhTNj4qNJ Down to the nitty gritty. More great work from ⁦@bonitamersiades⁩ https://t.co/fMMzlMFUB2

— Ray Gatt (@Gatty54) October 29, 2018