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The APL/FA Management Thread


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She should've been booted as soon as she opened her mouth about the subject. Hopefully Stajic takes her and the FFA to the cleaners. This new era of a new board has been nothing short of a disaster, only thing they've got right is the Macarthur FC bid, but they still managed to botch their entry date to appease WSW. Everything else they've touched has been a diabolical fuck up.

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3 hours ago, n i k o said:

Lol means shit now that he's been dragged through the mud. She should be sacked for gross misconduct. But she won't. One because the ffa are incompetent and because she is a woman in power.  

FFA Cant sack her. She has to be voted off the board

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21 hours ago, jw1739 said:

Seems to be part of the legal settlement with Stajcic. The whole thing was a Cluster   ...

i wonder if the truth will ever come out. 

Meanwhile football in this country is looking down the barrel of its sole professional league collapsing and we have the board doing things like this.

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On 03/08/2018 at 11:47 AM, Jovan said:

The FFA and before the Soccer Australia cop alot of stick for mismanagement and basic incompetence and rightly so but the state federations are worse.

They along with the FFA new to be removed and replaced. Its an absolute joke.

The state Federations have held back this game for 50 years. It's about time people wake up and see the real morons.

State federations threatening to vote down the transition to an independently administered A-League have been warned the competition will be “beyond the point of return” unless they back down.

UPDATEDUPDATED 23 HOURS AGO
BY DAVE LEWIS

 

If a deal between the nine state bodies and the A-League clubs on the framework for independence isn’t ratified by the June 30 deadline, the FFA will continue to call the shots for another season.

And that, according to Chris Fong, the vice-chairman of Brisbane Roar and the lobby group representing the clubs, would spell disaster for a league already bleeding on multiple fronts.

“From the owners’ perspective we want to invest but we’ve had enough,” said Fong.

“We’ve been losing so much money over the years (an estimated $350 million combined) that it has come to the point where we don’t want to invest any further until we have control of the asset.

“How can you renovate the house unless you own it?”

The federations have tabled a list of demands including a seat on the board of a new commission, as well as an increased share of the financial pie generated by $346 million of TV revenue from Fox Sports - a deal which still has four seasons to run.

There are also unresolved issues over commercial rights, intellectual property and the relationship between professional clubs and the grassroots.

The federations even want a say in the number of visa players each club is allowed to sign.

While Fong insists the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association (APFCA) wants to work in harmony with the states - and that a deal can still be struck - he’s bewildered by the number of ambit claims.

“For the states to want a say in how the professional game is run, I don’t understand it,” he added.

“I attended the World Leagues Forum which includes the Premier League, all the leagues in Europe, the MLS and everywhere else, and this level of interference is unheard of.

“They work with their federations and partners but they’re not told by them what to do.

“For them to tell us they want to sit on our board and tell us what to do is quite remarkable.”

Fong views as untenable another year of uncertainty in a climate already chilled by the prospect of FoxSports looking to divest itself of “non-marquee sports”.

“If we don’t get over this hump - and I think we will - the game just can’t afford another year of turmoil. It’s a simple as that,” he said.

“The bottom line is we have to do things differently - if we’re sitting here this time next year and it hasn’t changed I can see our game being beyond the point of return.”

Consensus, he believes, is still achievable, with cooperation rather than confrontation the key.

“I see varying views from different states and I’m hearing different things,” he added.

“The problem is you have nine states and I’ve seen this when they’re all in the room together they often have different positions. And those positions change.

“Are they really representing their constituents? I’m not sure at times that they are.

“The states have their own problems and there have been several changes in board leadership of late which have potentially hindered the decision making process.

“There might be some polarized views but I believe the states have been driven so much over the past 15 years plus by the FFA that some of them may not used to the depth that this discussion requires.

“They may not have the resources or the time to fully understand it.

“I want us to have a better and stronger relationship with the states.

“At Brisbane, for example, we are initiating a number of programs with Football Queensland for the benefit of the game. That’s never been seen before and other clubs are doing that.

“On a broader spectrum there are commercial opportunities from working together.

“There’s a huge footprint of players out there and we have sponsors who want to tap into that. There will be financial benefits for all the states.”

But, Fong says, none of this can crystallize unless reform is ratified.

“Our game will be far more entertaining, massive growth in the metrics and the federations will see the benefits,” added Fong.

“We need to work together, there is no other way.

“It’s ridiculous having a small amount of individuals who don’t work full time in the game potentially dictating the future of the professionals. This needs to change.”

“As owners, we just want to cut the losses we’ve suffered and when we have a greater control we will be able to invest more and help the game grow.”

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51 minutes ago, Jovan said:

The state Federations have held back this game for 50 years. It's about time people wake up and see the real morons.

 

State federations threatening to vote down the transition to an independently administered A-League have been warned the competition will be “beyond the point of return” unless they back down.

UPDATEDUPDATED 23 HOURS AGO
BY DAVE LEWIS

 

If a deal between the nine state bodies and the A-League clubs on the framework for independence isn’t ratified by the June 30 deadline, the FFA will continue to call the shots for another season.

And that, according to Chris Fong, the vice-chairman of Brisbane Roar and the lobby group representing the clubs, would spell disaster for a league already bleeding on multiple fronts.

“From the owners’ perspective we want to invest but we’ve had enough,” said Fong.

“We’ve been losing so much money over the years (an estimated $350 million combined) that it has come to the point where we don’t want to invest any further until we have control of the asset.

“How can you renovate the house unless you own it?”

The federations have tabled a list of demands including a seat on the board of a new commission, as well as an increased share of the financial pie generated by $346 million of TV revenue from Fox Sports - a deal which still has four seasons to run.

There are also unresolved issues over commercial rights, intellectual property and the relationship between professional clubs and the grassroots.

The federations even want a say in the number of visa players each club is allowed to sign.

While Fong insists the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association (APFCA) wants to work in harmony with the states - and that a deal can still be struck - he’s bewildered by the number of ambit claims.

“For the states to want a say in how the professional game is run, I don’t understand it,” he added.

“I attended the World Leagues Forum which includes the Premier League, all the leagues in Europe, the MLS and everywhere else, and this level of interference is unheard of.

“They work with their federations and partners but they’re not told by them what to do.

“For them to tell us they want to sit on our board and tell us what to do is quite remarkable.”

Fong views as untenable another year of uncertainty in a climate already chilled by the prospect of FoxSports looking to divest itself of “non-marquee sports”.

“If we don’t get over this hump - and I think we will - the game just can’t afford another year of turmoil. It’s a simple as that,” he said.

“The bottom line is we have to do things differently - if we’re sitting here this time next year and it hasn’t changed I can see our game being beyond the point of return.”

Consensus, he believes, is still achievable, with cooperation rather than confrontation the key.

“I see varying views from different states and I’m hearing different things,” he added.

“The problem is you have nine states and I’ve seen this when they’re all in the room together they often have different positions. And those positions change.

“Are they really representing their constituents? I’m not sure at times that they are.

“The states have their own problems and there have been several changes in board leadership of late which have potentially hindered the decision making process.

“There might be some polarized views but I believe the states have been driven so much over the past 15 years plus by the FFA that some of them may not used to the depth that this discussion requires.

“They may not have the resources or the time to fully understand it.

“I want us to have a better and stronger relationship with the states.

“At Brisbane, for example, we are initiating a number of programs with Football Queensland for the benefit of the game. That’s never been seen before and other clubs are doing that.

“On a broader spectrum there are commercial opportunities from working together.

“There’s a huge footprint of players out there and we have sponsors who want to tap into that. There will be financial benefits for all the states.”

But, Fong says, none of this can crystallize unless reform is ratified.

“Our game will be far more entertaining, massive growth in the metrics and the federations will see the benefits,” added Fong.

“We need to work together, there is no other way.

“It’s ridiculous having a small amount of individuals who don’t work full time in the game potentially dictating the future of the professionals. This needs to change.”

“As owners, we just want to cut the losses we’ve suffered and when we have a greater control we will be able to invest more and help the game grow.”

Exactly this.

its the state feds that can all operate control in the background because no one has any idea who runs them as they have no profile.

you will also find that the smaller states have a hugely disproportionate amount of power and that effectively how Lowy kept control for so long.

they need to be abolished but fat chance of that happening. 

All we can hope for is that the football journalists and football public don’t take the lazy option and just blaming the FFA. Blowtorch needs to be directed elsewhere. They are effectively holding the Aleague and the owners to ransom.

Edited by Dylan
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51 minutes ago, Dylan said:

Exactly this.

its the state feds that can all operate control in the background because no one has any idea who runs them as they have no profile.

you will also find that the smaller states have a hugely disproportionate amount of power and that effectively how Lowy kept control for so long.

they need to be abolished but fat chance of that happening. 

All we can hope for is that the football journalists and football public don’t take the lazy option and just blaming the FFA. Blowtorch needs to be directed elsewhere. They are effectively holding the Aleague and the owners to ransom.

TBH i think its highly likely that the reason FFA have been so incompetent over the past decade or so is due to the shit the state feds put them through and the power broking that goes on at that level.

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1 hour ago, bt50 said:

TBH i think its highly likely that the reason FFA have been so incompetent over the past decade or so is due to the shit the state feds put them through and the power broking that goes on at that level.

Oh this is absolutely the case. The state feds effectively control the board. It really is the elephant in the room and the only thing I could think of that would change it was FIFA blowing everything up.

I mean if that one point, in the article above, where states want to have a say on how many Visa spots on Aleague rosters? How utterly ridiculous is that? In fact, even the states thinking this was even a feasible proposition shows that they have way too much control now.

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We're all going to suffer from this. I'd say it's the underlying reason why CFG have declined to put extra resources into City until it's sorted out - if it ever will be. The State Federations are so entrenched in the power positions in FFA that I can't see too much change coming very quickly.

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Surprise Surprise

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/state-federations-hire-pr-spin-doctors-as-they-prepare-to-veto-independent-a-league

 

Quote

Australia’s nine state member federations have hired a Melbourne-based PR firm to spruik their message as they edge towards vetoing the transition to an independent A-League next season.

 

The federations, whose public image took a battering during the interminable wars over the formation of a new Congress, will be in the firing line once more if the June 30 deadline for the decoupling of the A-League from FFA control is reached without resolution.

The states - who have a raft of unresolved issues and expectations in how a league run by the clubs should look - are playing hardball in what has become the A-League’s version of Brexit.

The worst possible outcome for the clubs would see the states use their voting power to stymie the transition - leaving FFA to administer the A-League for possibly another season.

FoxSports has already flagged that it will slash its support of “non-marquee sports” with former Socceroo turned pay-tv analyst Mark Bosnich detailing how viewership figures have “dropped off a cliff”.

Such an outcome would only fan fears of impending A-League Armageddon.

A highly-placed state federations source told The World Game that the two sides were still far apart with the clock ticking.

“A consensus is looking increasingly unlikely given the deadline,” said the source.

“They’re going to really struggle to get there.

“The sides are still at odds and the federations are looking to a public relations firm to manage their messaging, which was badly handed during the Congress Review Working Group deliberations.

“They don’t want to see a repeat of that.”

The federations, who claim to be in deficit in their existing financial arrangements with FFA, are seeking at least parity.

But they are also seeking to leverage a seat on the board of the new commission which runs the game, as well as an increased share of the financial cake generated by 346 million of TV revenue from Fox Sports - a deal which still has four seasons to run.

There are also issues over commercial rights, intellectual property and the relationship between professional clubs and the game’s grassroots.

The federations even want a say in how many visa spots should be allotted to the clubs.

But, despite the catalogue of ambit claims, the source said that it “ultimately all comes down to money”.

“At the moment we’re a net contributor to FFA,” he added.

“Our state contributes around $15 million and we get back about $12 million.

“We’d like to see that number reach parity. We don’t want to be to any worse off.

“The way things stand right now the states are not satisfied that we won’t be worse off.

“We want to use our funding to develop A-League and W-League players and create a scenario where it’s football for everyone.

“The sort of support required might not simply be about cash, it might encompass development programs, training facilities or access to players to coach academy kids.”

The owners, who have suffered $350 million in losses since the A-League’s inception in 2005, believe their pledge - through the New Leagues Working Group - to continue backing the states is more than fair.

And they believe their business know-how can drive more advantageous sponsorship and broadcast agreements which will ultimately trickle down to the game as a whole.

For once, the clubs and the FFA appear largely aligned, with the former claiming the competition can’t afford another year treading water.

 

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2 hours ago, Bob Latchford said:

The FFA are clinging onto the A-League by their fingernails. They have no plan other than hold on for dear life and hope that a few of the clubs sign big players and grow the league themselves. 

The sooner this goes independent the better. 

Which the A-League clubs are not going to do until the League is independent. I'm sure they've contemplated setting up a rebel league,  but that would produce problems for any player wishing to represent Australia at any level, and also preclude participation in the ACL. The clubs are between a rock and a hard place.

Trouble is FFA is in the pockets of the State Federations.

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3 hours ago, jw1739 said:

Which the A-League clubs are not going to do until the League is independent. I'm sure they've contemplated setting up a rebel league,  but that would produce problems for any player wishing to represent Australia at any level, and also preclude participation in the ACL. The clubs are between a rock and a hard place.

Trouble is FFA is in the pockets of the State Federations.

Lol. It could also mean we dont have to pay transfer fees ;) Bring on the rebel league!!!!

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https://www.a-league.com.au/news/ffa-and-pfa-announce-extension-collective-bargaining-agreements-westfield-w-league-and-hyundai

One year extension of the CBA. 

Salary cap now at $3.2 million and they’ve removed the Homegrown and Loyalty Player caps which were $200000. That effectively means that Atkinson, Metcalfe, Iannucci and Genreau are ‘free’, which is probably why we’ve contracted all of them to the senior squad. 

It’ll allow us to bring in better quality foreigners though, and might help us in retaining Bart. 

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1 hour ago, Harrison said:

https://www.a-league.com.au/news/ffa-and-pfa-announce-extension-collective-bargaining-agreements-westfield-w-league-and-hyundai

One year extension of the CBA. 

Salary cap now at $3.2 million and they’ve removed the Homegrown and Loyalty Player caps which were $200000. That effectively means that Atkinson, Metcalfe, Iannucci and Genreau are ‘free’, which is probably why we’ve contracted all of them to the senior squad. 

It’ll allow us to bring in better quality foreigners though, and might help us in retaining Bart. 

Also number of Scholarship players increased to nine. That's almost a complete team!

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  • 1 month later...
23 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

The timing shits me. Half-way though an A-League season. Should go now if he's going. Probable reason is that by December he's completed another year of service and gets a bigger payout...

Its independent by then so shouldn't matter. I'd say he's simply seeing the transition process through.

Edited by bt50
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33 minutes ago, bt50 said:

Its independent by then so shouldn't matter. I'd say he's simply seeing the transition process through.

I'm not convinced that independence will be achieved by then. If it is, it will be in name only. Real change will occur after the end of 2019/20.

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  • 5 months later...
30 minutes ago, Tommykins said:

Interesting! I always thought he was actually taking the piss out of #sokkahtwitter itself, but can definitely see what you mean.

Tbh i actually think both are true in this case. Sokkah Twitter is a bit of a weird self-deprecating phenomenon imo. It seems to hate itself and the game down here, but deals with the hate with humour.
I feel that they make the stick for everyone else to beat us with with the constant negativity, and it ends up being a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy. Hard to sell the product to people when its biggest fans are constantly ragging on it.

I pretty well view Squires as one of the Sokkah Twitter mob.

Edited by bt50
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  • 1 month later...

Watching CCM v Brisbane playing in extremely humid conditions in the late afternoon, both midfields have been walking from the 70th minute and all subs used from both teams before the 80th minute. A 4th sub would be a good option on days like this, particularly if it was mandated that if you used 4 subs 1 had to be an u20 player. Would have to run by FIFA but it'd help the standard and our younger players get more minutes.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting piece here. Set to lose $15m of their roughly $30m in sponsorships but it doesn't seem to be stressing them too much, at least publicly. Might be different behind closed doors but they're confident of keeping a few of them and they're close to bringing on a new corporate partner. We're in a bit of a holding pattern with independence, which doesn't make it easy. It's 'operationally finalised' but won't legally occur until the Fox broadcast deal expires in 2023, which is somewhat fortunate as it gives us a bit of time to fix the issues. 

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/ffa-faces-15m-shortfall-but-experts-say-it-s-not-panic-stations-20200204-p53xrg.html

Edited by Harrison
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6 hours ago, Harrison said:

Interesting piece here. Set to lose $15m of their roughly $30m in sponsorships but it doesn't seem to be stressing them too much, at least publicly. Might be different behind closed doors but they're confident of keeping a few of them and they're close to bringing on a new corporate partner. We're in a bit of a holding pattern with independence, which doesn't make it easy. It's 'operationally finalised' but won't legally occur until the Fox broadcast deal expires in 2023, which is somewhat fortunate as it gives us a bit of time to fix the issues. 

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/ffa-faces-15m-shortfall-but-experts-say-it-s-not-panic-stations-20200204-p53xrg.html

Thanks for posting that. My big fear is that FFA is going to drift over the next couple of seasons and that we're going to see a continuing decline in interest in the game at the national level - both in the various national teams and the A-League. Perhaps it's just me, but there doesn't seem to be any excitement factor in the game at the moment.

Edited by jw1739
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46 minutes ago, Dylan said:

IMO the Aleauge will end up on Optus next.

Perhaps that's a good thing.

Fox Sports has been such a double-edged sword for the A-League. Yes, the windfall from the broadcast deals are probably what's kept the league afloat financially but at the same time, they've held the league to ransom with regards to kick-off dates and times, season length and club expansion. 

All I know is, something has to change (several things realistically) to rejuvenate the A-League and breathe new life into it again before it's too late.

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