Now this is a not to be missed program. The ABC is doing a feature program on Football in Australia.
The ABC Four Corners researchers have certainly been doing their homework and took a close look at the Nearpost Local. They advise that they found the 2xxfm program and this Blogspot a good source of information when it came to the issues in the "local" game.
There is not much doubt that the FFA senior management got their priorities all wrong when it came to the Lowy driven pursuit to hold a World Cup. The cost of a failed bid in a corrupt FFA process didn't just cost our Football community an obscene amount of money. Critical management priority and resources at the FFA were diverted away from the fragile A League competition and as a result, this competition, so crucial to the development of our best players (in a fully professional context) has been placed in jeopardy, as several A League Clubs stagger forward in their quest to remain solvent. The pursuit of the National Curriculum and Development Plan, so fundamental to the development of football from the grassroots going forward, has been left behind, with next to nothing flowing down to Junior Clubs to deal with the biggest change in Football in Australia. Ask yourself - what does the FFA do for Football in the ACT region (aside from little game development grants), to accelerate development of football at our Club level? And how much of our coach education and training isn't funded by our local community based clubs or course participants. Bugger all is the answer you should get to all of it.
As for Futsal - well it's not even mentioned. The ignorant call it "five-a side-football". Its not Football, but it does so much for football for those that play in the early years. Its also growing apace. But try getting on to a coaching course - they are as scarse as hen's teeth!
The FFA really did get so much seriously wrong. Dumb really. And they started so well with the two pivotal documents - A National Football Curriculum and a National Development Plan.
I was struck by one thing the CEO Capital Football said in her most recent interview with the NPL - the FFA had extended Capital Football the "privilege" of a sub licence for the purpose of entering a team in the W League (Canberra United). I appreciate what the CEO has done for Womens Football in the ACT region, but there is no reason to courtesy to the CEO of the FFA "for the privilege of a W League Team". No way! Got that all wrong! The FFA need us and lets remind ourselves, that it is has been the ACT region football community that has provided the funds (through Capital Football) to establish and maintain Canberra United to this point. The FFA was not exactly generous and they got a free ride at the expense of member federations. Its a bit slice of Capital Footballs resources. (The CEO Capital Football advises the NPL that this year the cost of CU will be covered by sponsors - the one bright spot and a good one if it all falls into place). But remember, the FFA has shunted the vast majority of the total cost to the member federations. The FFA was not prepared to underwrite the competition in any substantial fashion, which is galling, in the context of the massive amount of funds that it has waived goodbye to in support of the Mens game. The FFA needs the ACT and Canberra United! "Privilege" has nothing to do with it.
And let's not forget the "tragic vacant space" in mens development between the ages of 17-20 years, which has persisted for many years, without relief from the FFA, in turn a consequence in more recent years (and definitely since the release of the National Curriculum and Development Plan) because the ACT region does not have a team in the National Youth League and you don;t get one of them without an A League franchise. Neither privilege nor interest evident for our best young male players. Just ask those passionate football supporters that got behind the ill-fated "A League for Canberra" bid. Had the A League prospered and the FFA watched its "war chest" a little more carefully, they may have got around to solving our problem. This ACT development problem may now be solved by the AIS entering into our local competition and continuing int he National Youth League - with perhaps 4-6 ACT players - if the AIS football program continues to be funded, if the AIS coaches judge that we have that many players of suitable standard and if, we don't find of town talented players at age dropping into the ACT for the purpose of taking a place in the AIS under these new arrangements. If it works, terrific, its more than we could have for, but its got to work. Time will tell. And the FFA is nowhere in sight and no funds to help make it happen for the ACT.
Had the FFA kept their collective corporate eyes on the A League, guided it to safe ground and as a consequence, minimised the bail out financial packages to some A League Clubs, then there would be more financial resources available to develop the rest of the game. Had the FFA not embarked on a fools errand, pursuing the right to host a future world cup (as opposed to simply getting better and qualifying for it every four years - something hard enough in our region), there would be resources available to underwrite the W League and in doing so, release member federation funds back to their community. We could do a lot with $200,000 pa, particularly in the area of playing facilities in the ACT!
I haven't seen the program, but the ABC program information below sounds like it should be top viewing.
The program will be broadcast next Monday (12 September 2011) at 8:30Pm on ABC 1.
Don't miss it!
Own Goal
By Quentin McDermott and Producer Louise Negline
When Frank Lowy took over the administration of football in Australia he wanted the game to compete with AFL, Rugby Union and Rugby League. His dream was to host the World Cup itself in Australia. Four Corners reporter Quentin McDermott investigates the strategy and the people used by Football Federation Australia (FFA) in its failed bid to win the right to host the biggest sporting event on the globe. Talking to insiders who have never spoken at length about the World Cup bid, he asks how $42 million of taxpayers' money was spent to win just one vote from football's international governing body FIFA.
The program raises questions about how taxpayers' funds were spent during the bid, and asks whether the consultants employed to run the bid strategy were good value for money. Were there conflicts of interest at work? It also looks at the lobbying of FIFA Executive Committee members, some of whom were subsequently banned or suspended for alleged corruption over their dealings with other bidding nations.
The program also raises questions about the role played by AusAID in Australia's World Cup bid.
While millions of taxpayers' dollars have been lavished on the failed bid, domestic clubs have struggled, several surviving only because wealthy owners have been able to inject millions of dollars of their own private funds just to keep the clubs afloat. Now, the FFA has requested millions more to help it stage the Asian Cup in 2015.
As Frank Lowy comes up for re-election as Chairman of FFA, the Federal Government is taking a long, hard look at the governance and structure of football, and football fans and clubs are asking, can football survive in its present form, led by its current team of administrators?
"Own Goal", presented by Kerry O'Brien, goes to air on Monday 12th September at 8.30pm on ABC1. It is replayed on Tuesday 13th September at 11.35pm. It can also be seen on ABC News 24 each Saturday at 8.00pm, on ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.
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