We have precious little in the way of dedicated Futsal and Football playing facilities in the ACT, after so many years of running these sports. The difficulties this imposes on both games, at every level of the games, constitutes a major threat to the competitive viability of both games. Our flexibility to change how we organise Football and Futsal is very much limited by a lack of playing facilities, which we can control to effect change. The pressure from other sports on ACT Government public facilities drives what can be done for football. For futsal, we are int he hands of private owners who also service other sports. This must change if things are to improve.
Futsal has no home in the ACT. Nor does Football. We have no Futsal and Football complex in the ACT and our circumstances would indictae that this is the most obvious infrastructure development to be undertalen by Capital Football. The small but commendable introduction of a FIFA standard artificial surface at Hawker Enclosed is a step in the right direction, a beginning!
The Kambah 3 field is so often touted as the Capital Football centre for High Performance football - no one believes that! Not in its present confiuration. Not even close. However, there is no doubt that the Kambah fields area would make a fantastic multi playing surface hub for Football and Futsal. That's one view that has been around for a long time - and yet nothing has happened. Just talk! Same for the vacant space at Woden, near the Mawson playing fields. So much talk about it being a site for a FIFA standard playing surface (like Hawker enclosed) on the South Side of Canberra. Talk, talk, talk, inspection and wait, wait , wait. What's the plan, when and what will be done and where does the money come from? Is the ACT Government with us. We control nothing, we just wait for "crumbs from the master's table"! The artificial playing surfaces at Gold Creek High School are a terrific playing facility, alas, you need to take a long trek to a neighbouring field get to the toilets, as the school facilties are made available outside school hours.
We cannot rely on the good grace of the ACT Government. Nor should we. We should expect the ACT Government to be willing to make investments in the sport with the highest participation rate in the ACT. The tourism dollars generated by the Futsal Nationals and the Kanga Cup in the ACT, must be worth preserving and investing in. The AFL don't do anywhere near as much, nor are they likely too, but the sum contribution of nothing in the past and a bit in the future saw the ACt Government Minsters, Mr Barr, liberate $26 million over ten years ($2.6m per annum) from the Tourism and Chief Ministers respective buckets of public funds. So there is obvioulsy money around, just not much for Football or Futsal! And we accept it?
Alas, the departure of $26 million to the AFL, seems to have left Futsal and Football investment (in terms of ACT Government expenditure), high and dry! There has been no explanation from the CF Board as to the reason Football and Futsal missed a cut of this cake, nor did they go on the front foot and make a noise about it in the media. Its a subject that should be visited at the CF AGM. So, what's the plan now?
I know that Capital Football liaises with the ACT Government. So they should, as we are almost entirely dependent on the ACT Government for access to playing surfaces all over the ACT. The limitations on access to ACT Government playing surfaces (they are for they sports), menas that we are severely limited in how we can manage Football. As for Futsal, we hire facilties becasue we own nothing of our own - the wonderful "MPower Dome" facility is a good example of what can be done, but its not being by us!
The two ACT Football powerhouses of Belconnen United and Canberra FC own their playing surfaces and have developed good supporting infrastructure around them, while Capital Football, after all these years has established next nothing by way of a supporting playing infrastruture. Hawker Enclosed, as I have said, is a step in the right direction. It seems very unlikely that in the medium term, other ACT Football Clubs will do as Belco and CFC have done.
As to Futsal, we have three clubs in the ACT. The North and South Canberra Clubs are instruments of Capital Football, staffed by hard working volunteers, but in the contxt of this subject, little more than competition managers and venue co-ordinators. We shouldn't expect them by anything else. They don't raise and train teams. They are not like Belco or CFC. They have no capacity to do as say Vikings Futsal does when confronted with the same facilities issues. So its back to Capital Football. The other Club is Boomerangs FS and given the wonderful successes in the NSW Supa League, populated by creative, passionate, determined and business savvy people, they may turn out to be the savour of Futsal in the ACT on the subject of future Futsal facilites. I'll wager that had the Boomerangs FS been given a fraction of the ACT Government's grant to AFL, to sort out a playing centre for Futsal in the ACT, the solution to Futsal (if not Football's) infrastructre issues would already be solved and building begun.
If you go to metro NSW to play Futsal, you will find a robust Futsal environment and among the many Futsal Clubs, you will find community, NSW Government. Football NSW partnership arrangements and club Futsal owned / leased specific futsal facilties, and all this demonstrates is that it can be done and should be done. Same can be said for Football.
Its intersting to listen to the CEO Vikings Futsal talk about this important matter. Vikings know the value of creating Futsal specific facilties. This is a central activity in the Vikings Futsal business model. The CEO also speaks on other aspects of the Vikings approach to Futsal.
We desperately need a Football / Futsal centre, a hub for our sport(s). But who will do it? Does the FFA care? What's the plan Capital Football Board?
It doesn't seem to stop Vikings Futsal.
Download Podcast here:
Capital Football don't have a vision for resources - how to build the game? Do they have a board or staff with the skill set to do it.
ReplyDeleteNo evidence so far!
Money in, money out. $250,000 into North Canberra Futsal every year - most goes to the Netball Center - and nothing to show for it and more money transfers for outdoor football.
Capital Football - isn't it about time instead of Governance, HPP Reviews (again) and the other "reviews" we actually do the one review that matters.
How to control our resources?
If we do this we can improve our players, our football and football operations long-term.
We've done well to consolidate - maybe - but now we need to go to the next stage and quick.
We actually need to commercialise operations - lead our clubs in every aspect of this - and grow the game in a professional way.
Do we have the Board and Staff to do it? Do we have a resources/commercial plan or are we to remain the monitors of referees reports, organisers of Kanga Cups and junior leagues.
Have we reached the pinnacle? Or can we dare to take that next step?
Now where's my match card?
Peter, why didnt you ask him why Vikings have not made a move in ACT?
ReplyDeleteAgree that the ACT Govt sportsgrounds are not up to providing the service we need. We should hold a lot more sway with them, we surely must be the biggest sportsgrounds customer in the ACT?
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that none of the millions given to AFL would go to improving local grounds. Nor would anything they give to an A-League team. that's not what it is for. Funding needs to be over and above.
We did get to that matter. Its in part two of the interview. Will get it up on the blog shortly.
ReplyDeleteGordo,
ReplyDeleteI take your point.
The investment we need must be directed toward developing the infrastructure to support our game in the ACT.
The Hawker redevelopment seems a big thing, but in truth its not. There should be a numerous Hawkers (artifical or otherwise) in the ACT. A facility in London called "The Hive" is a terrific model. Valentine Park in Sydney.
One thing is certain, the arrivial of the artificial surface at HAwker clearly demonstrated the scope of the for these facilties. it highlighted to me just how modest our efforts had been int eh many years before. Shameful really.
We are easily the biggest particpation sport at any time during the year.
We build, own and operate facilities for the game in the ACT.
The money given to AFL will produce next to nothing in the ACT and probably the same could be said for anything they gave for an ALeague bid.
In my view, you sort out the ACT facilities first, then talk A League. And the A league is definately funded over and above the ACt Football community needs.
What about 317+ players in the current summer HPP programs, and they are the ones on the lists on the websites but there are more than that?
ReplyDeleteAt least $175,000 -> where does it all go? ching ching ?
"What about 317+ players in the current summer HPP programs, and they are the ones on the lists on the websites but there are more than that? At least $175,000 -> where does it all go? ching ching?"
ReplyDeleteThe CF AGM is on the 24th March. The Financial records will be included in the Annual Report as they always are. That should answer your question of where the money goes.
why would CF own facilities? Why do you think these facilities are owned by government/not for profit (eg Southern Cross Club) organisations? It’s because they only lose you money!
ReplyDeleteWhy build a futsal facility that will cost millions of dollars that would be used for 5 months of the year on three nights a week for 3 hours? I'm sure court hire at venues isn't that high that it would make that a viable business option. Even Netball ACT seriously struggles for money due to running the netball centre, why would football follow? And junior outdoor fees are about $5 an hour for ground hire, it costs you more than that to hire the guy to mow the lawn!
If you look at any facilities around Canberra there is a common theme and that is poker machines. Whether is McKellar, Deakin, West Belconnen, Vikings Park, Southern Cross Stadium etc etc etc they are all funded by clubs who must contribute money to the community. The only other way is through government grounds (eg sportsgrounds, Manuka, Canberra Stadium etc).
And seriously give up on the AFL money! It happened, it has nothing to do with football! You don't think that every other sport in Canberra is just as disappointed about it?
As for anonymous’s brilliant accounting on the HPP programs, you should probably be careful (or at least read their annual reports), before making accusations like that!
I'll respond to Jimmy in two parts due to text limitiations on blogsite.
ReplyDeletePart 1
Interesting post. Wonder where it came from? Guess we'll never know.
In so many ways this exemplifies the problems before us.
If I follow your logic, CF should take no direct action to solve the infrastructure deficiencies, if it means owning these facilities. Now clearly that is rubbish, because CF on our behalf became investors in the redevelopment of Hawker.
If your post was to alert the readers to aspects of the existing business model in CF, then perhaps it serves a purpose. Today it was made clear to Fed Cup clubs who were keen to run the canteen at Hawker on roster, in order to raise precious funds to campaign their PL teams, that CF would run the canteen because they need to money too! Not for the first time have club officials speculated on the seeming ignorance of CF, when it comes to understanding how finely balanced are several PL community based clubs without licensed clubs and facilities of their own to prop up their football operations. There is no money to build infrastructure at club level.
We were informed at a very recent meeting of PL clubs that CF had no sponsor for the PL in 2011. Nothing! How hard did they look, who knows. Somehow this was to be excused. No problem, they'll take over the canteen at Hawker, that will help! Good business decision that one! At times there seems to be more business savvy among these club volunteer officials than appears to be resident in CF.
Are there teams from clubs that will not be allowed to play in 2011. The answer to that right now is an emphatic -Yes. Is it because we are caught up in curious, self serving rules for the formation of competitions, or, is it because we do not have sufficient playing surfaces of suitable standard, or, both? How did we get to a position where not playing a team that is ready to play, before the season start, is an acceptable outcome?
Everything is linked to everything. CF makes lots of business decisions and they all impact on clubs.
see Part 2
Part 2
ReplyDeleteOne conclusion to be drawn from the existing football / futsal environment, is that more community football licensed clubs in the medium term seems unlikely. This should inform CF's strategic decision making in respect of infrastructure to support the game going forward and the speed with which they do this business.
The pressure on the grounds fit for playing good football is unrelenting. We all get that, we deal with it every week at training and the game. Is Capital Football’s timeframe for fixing this underpinning problem a reasonable one for the development / growth of the game? Is their approach to solving this problem part of the problem? Clearly, the leadership must come from CF. If it means we reach for different solutions to future proof our game as it grows, thats what we do. What's the altenative, do more of what we have always done? That doesn't seem to be working real well does it.
And please don't tell me that CF doesn't get into football business. Take Canberra United as an example; a very big business decision, hundreds of thousands of our community's dollars accumulated by our peak body to underwrite participation each year in the W League. There is a very serious opportunity cost to our football community associated with this business. As much as I enjoy Canberra United and rejoice in the pathway it potentially provides young female players in the ACT, I'm not sure I would prefer it to the development of facilities to service all the football community at all levels of the game in the ACT. If that's what it came down to one day, that is exactly where we could find ourselves. Perhaps the ACT Government would like to carry this cost.
Substantial control over our playing infrastructure, provides the peak body with the ability to vary / change the game going forward - eg time of the year we play the leagues. We are presently tied hand and foot in respect of this matter. It need not be so. We need dedicated facilities.
Capital Football congratulating itself is not the same as the football community feeling that Capital Football is doing what must be done for the game with the frequency or speed required going forward.
And that brings us neatly back to your delusionary (self serving ??) comment on that $26 m of public funds to AFL. Do not misread football people's dissatisfaction with this situation. Its for other sports to say how they feel, our interest is football, the largest participation sport in the community. Our game(s) underpin two of the major tourist activities in the ACT year - Kanga Cup and Futsal nationals. Surely you can join the dots!
I would dearly love someone on the CF Board to tell us if they knew this deal was known to the Board and if so, when did it become known, what did CF do about it, and what do they intend to do to secure substantial funding for football / futsal?
There is nothing farfetched or unreasonable in expecting CF to partner with or own of dedicated football / facilities. Its just that the CF Board doesn't appear to want to do it.
Agree with you Peter tell it like it is. Until football, which should be led by Capital Football, demands and gets what the football community needs from grassroots to social to elite players (both for boys/mens as well as girls/womens) it has failed the football community. We are the biggest sporting group and there is political muscle if harnessed that can be used to push what we need, no more no less.
ReplyDelete