Broadcast on the Australian Community Radio Network, 2xxfm, 98.3mhz on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 and podcast around the world!
The program is given to an extended interview with Heather Reid, CEO Capital Football. This part of the interview comes at a time when clouds are rising on the Football Club front here in the ACT toward Capital Football. There appears to be some good reasons for some clubs (if not all) to be aggrieved at the manner in which Capital Football has made and advised some very recent decisions which decisively affect Clubs going forward in 2010 and beyond. Club anxiety seems to be directed at the Capital Football Board.
Against this background, the CEO has agreed to speak to the NPL. After all, there is a lot going on in Football in the ACT region and neither the CEO nor her staff have the luxury of admiring problems. They must of necessity get on with the job. And this is a big job!
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Heather speaks to the current position on two issues which have got Clubs offside, in one way or another - the continuation of playing squads from the Football HPP in our local competition, the vexatious issue of the ACTAS playing arrangements for this season, and all the factors which appear to have influenced decision makers up to this point. One thing is clear, the CEO has a comprehensive grasp of all the facts of the matter and that’s as it should be. We are fortunate the Heather is willing to communicate and assis us to understand Capital Football’s position.
There has been a “call to arms” by one of the North Zone representatives who is also the president of a Premier League club. A meeting is to be held Tuesday. This meeting was initiated by the Member, one of our most well credentialed club officials. The meeting is correct and proper and has been requested in accordance with the appropriate constitution rules and by-laws. It seems the Football Zone representatives and Chairs of the Standing Committees (making up the Members) as well as Clubs will meet with the Capital Football Board members, for the purpose of seeking some understanding / discussion / consultation / review of decision(s) on issues of importance to clubs, including those covered by Heather Reid in this interview. Apparently there is some explaining to done in the wake of decision(s) which Clubs say are contrary to previous advice and have been changed with little amount of consultation. This goes beyond the operational activity and responsibilities of Capital Football staff. It seems we may be talking about operational decisions made by the CF Board. That makes it a very interesting meeting – particularly for the Board members – I hope they attend and speak. There will be more to this of course, but that seems to be the essence of it. Not something to be taken lightly. Perhaps its a Capital Football Board moment of truth!
Where does governance finish and operational management begin? Interesting question. The two issues covered in tonight’s interview seem to illustrate the problem. The CEO gives no hint that this is so. Heather is a “rock solid central defender”!
What is of concern is that these matters appear to be such a small proportion of the entire Capital Football portfolio of activities. At a technical / operational level they seem to be so very easy to resolve, particularly with more direction and leadership coming from the national Technical Director, Han Berger at Football Federation Australia. In this case, it seems they are not resolved to the satisfaction of the Clubs and that is important. A CEO and staff would know just how time consuming and distracting these matters can be, while they must continue to advance with everything for the year ahead. Clubs are not happy, because they seem to feel these matters undermine their capacity to support and grow the game at Club and premier league level. Now this is serious. What matters at Club matters to the game!
Any right and fair minded person would have to acknowledge that the CEO and staff manage every day, seven days a week for most weeks of the year, a large, never ending operation, in a complex external environment, on balance, generally with skill, insight and good judgement. They service the needs of 18,000 plus participants and heaven knows how many officials (most voluntary), spectators, parents, sponsors, government interests and other stakeholders. It’s massive. Keeping everyone happy is not possible – football is too emotional and its participants too passionate for that to be an achievable outcome.
One thing is certain, the Board doesn’t take the heat in the community when clubs are unhappy. That dubious honour seems to be directed in the first instance to the CEO and staff. Is that fair ? And is it correct to do so. When things go well critics say “it’s just your job and when they don’t go so well – for whatever reason – “it’s all your fault”. We are hard markers in football!
I can say this, you would be very hard pressed to find a more accessible CEO and staff of a large organisation than Heather Reid and Co, always willing to speak about Capital Football’s intentions and explain why things are as they are in our football region. That’s good leadership at the CEO level and a damn good work ethic at the staff level!
Which seems to bring us full circle back to the CF Board. So let the meeting begin and where the weight of operational and technical argument by the Clubs evidences in favour of change to particular Board endorsed or initiated decisions and it is possible to make it so, let’s hope they in turn take the leadership role and undertake to direct the CEO to make the necessary changes immediately. Then on with the season.
When do Board positions become vacant? Anyone out there interested?
The NPL will report the outcomes next week.
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