Jerry & Zachsta
Yep Lowy says lots of things and many don’t come to past.
However he has taken Australian Football from a basketcase
nay bankrupt, corrupt, in-would looking, internally divided, no media aside
from the riot, code with many tribes to the point to where it is today. So bad
the old NSL could not afford to pay players air fares to return for national
games. NZ Football was streets ahead of Australian Football in administrative terms
10 to 12 years ago.
Today Australia sits in Asia and are involved in Asian
competitions, have a FFA Cup, a National Premier League, a W-League with
increasing sponsors, media and revenues.
As to Zachsta question about a link sorry don’t have one but
he said it more than once and it was about the time of the Nix’s coming in and also
when the AFC did its number when FIFA had to step in.
In a broader sense and to answer Jerzy implied question,
without Frank Lowy there would be no A-League. Beyond this he said when he was
appointed as chairman to oversee the rebirth of Football in Australia that he
wanted to leave the game in a position where Football could look after itself
and we everyone needs to grow and develop. Lowy made it clear he was not going
to help anyone other than on a temporary basic. My take on this is everyone
involved in Football be they old NSL clubs, park teams, state associations,
parent bodies etc had to develop and grow.
The Nix’s without doubt have succeeded and pasted all tests…
a question for NZ football is how to grow revenues and keep pace with the
growth of the FFA. NZF appear to be just hanging on and in need of some assistance.
The old chestnut of folding Oceania into Asia [assuming Asia wants Oceania]
often comes up for discussion. It would solve a lot of revenue issues if
nothing else.
Back to Jerzy re Lowy, I think he would like a team in
Auckland if they measured up across his want that it help and develop Football,
but can stand on its own feet. What and how NZF is going IMO is the unknown in
Lowy’s mind.