CEO Capital Football Talks About Some Issues in 2010 - Part 1

This program is broadcast on 2xxfm (93.3mhz), across the Australian Community Radio Network, on Tuesday 7 December 2010 at 7:00PM.

A bloody cartoon Kangaroo! As if there isn't enough of the buggers running around the Nation's Capital City and a few more in Parliament House too for that matter. Stupid and bugger all to do with Football.

 This program is Part 1 of an extended end of year interview with the CEO Capital Football, Heather Reid.
In this part we talk about Australia's unsuccessful World Cup bid, he $26 million that the ACT Government so generously gave the AFL for a team in Greater Western Sydney and the inability to secure an A league franchise or an A League Yout team in the ACT. The impact of these matters in part and in summary have damaged Football development in the ACT region. This gets very political and we have not been good at managing the "politics" around football and the ACT Government's recognition / acknowledgement of Football's supremacy in our region. The role of the FFA in these matters and their support of Football in the ACT has neen shameful.
Its all in front of the Capital Football Board in 2011.

We talk about Canberra United and that incredible game last Saturday and the Summer 20s (a subject we return to in Part 2 of the interview).

Sit back, cup of tea in hand, put the headphones on and listen.

Download the Podcast here:

The ACT Government Does Not Seem To Be A Willing Supporter OF Football - But We Make It So Easy

My colleague, Eamonn Flanagan (together with another person) got into a "Facebook" exchange with the Mr Barr, The ACT Government Minister responsible for handing over $26  million dollars to the AFL start up team Greater Western Sydney. Nothing like this sort of money has come to Football , nor was it on offer when the A League For Canberra bid was underway, and in spite of the fact that the FFA were doing their bubbling best to smash three separate bid for an A League franchise in Western Sydney.

This exchange, in particular Mr Barr's responses, simply illustrate how far Football is away from substantial funding by our Government for the highest participation sport in the ACT region, Australia and the World. Mr Barr appears unable to distinguish between the Football and AFL, which probably explains the quality of his answers. Again, a delightful piece of obfuscation by Mr Barr. Look closely, we are getting NOTHING!

And Mr Barr may have a point when it comes to Football in the ACT Region.

Mr Barr has talked to Mr Slavich - so what? Capital Football speaks for our game, not Mr Slavich. Is no one on the Capital Football Board aggrieved by the passage of a very considerable amount of public funds to a professional AFL club, yet to pay a game, but which Mr Barr advises will see substantial local development of the game at community and talents levels.

Isn't that what we want for our young Football players in the ACT. Didn't we get that point across to Mr Barr? The price for AFL is $26 million. Perhaps we should regard that as the benchmark for Government support, after all, we have the vast majority of participation in the ACT region. Gotta be worth something.

Capital Football should demand nothing less and now! Anyone hear anyone shouting form the roof tops? Honestly, what are we to do when we seem to value ourselves so cheaply? Why would the ACT Government and the AFL besotted Mr Barr take Football seriously?

We just don't seem to get it right when it comes to leveraging off our massive constituency in the ACT region. As a result, we get nothing. Nothing begets nothing!

This is the exchange for those that can stomach it:

Football In The ACT Region Takes Another Kick in the Guts!

I could hardly believe what I was reading in the Canberra Times - The ACT Government had struck a deal with the as yet, non existent, AFL Club called Greater Western Sydney, to the tune of $26 million over a ten year period, adjusted for the CPI. The pay off is reported to be the grand total of four AFL (some Premiership standard) per season.

Wow, again bloody wow and thank you very much. I feel like I lost a thousand and found a cent. They are jumping for joy in AFL land in the ACT Region and laughing all the way to the bank in greater Western Sydney and AFL headquarters in Melbourne!

Just get yourself around the magnitude of the deal, courtesy of we ACT taxpayers - a cool $650,000 per game for ten years (adjusted for CPI, mustn't forget that !!!)

Now the Raiders and Brumbies get nothing like this sort of money, but they have done nicely over many ears, thankyou very much. Good luck to them I say.

So when is it pay day for Football in the ACT?

Questions:

1. Did anyone on the Capital Football Board know this sort of money was in the wind?
2. If they did, where is Football's share?
3. If they did not, why not?
4. If there is a plan to get $26 million dollars out of the ACT Government to develop the game in the ACT, what is it and when will it deliver?

Football has a playing constituency of more than 18,000 ACT citizens (all ages). The supporter base is so much larger and many are parents, bound to the sport because of their children's participation.

You  could wrap AFL, Rugby and Rugby League up together and not match Football participation rates.
This is real "sports political muscle", so why doesn't the Capital Football Board flex them and get Minister Barr's attention.

Where is the FFA and Frank Loewe when you need him?

I just get the uncomfortable feeling that the Capital Football (Board) has been asleep at the wheel on this one - probably more like comatose given the magnitude of the ACT Government investment. What are they scared of - that the ACT Government won't help them - well, have a look Football sportsfans, they didn't!

And please, don't accept any talk about the ACT Government's generosity toward Football through the Hawker enclosed redevelopment. Football paid part of that price, which is more than AFL will do in the ACT through Greater Western Sydney.

While we in Football have been walking around patting ourselves on the back over the installation of a terrific artificial surface at Hawker Enclosed, gratefully accepting crumbs Minister Barr's table at the ACT Government, AFL thought bigger and better, lobbied and got all they wanted. And the GWS AFL team doesn't even exist yet, nor will it base operations in the ACT.

We in Football in the ACT just don't think big! Or maybe we have the wrong people doing thinking for us! And remember, we are chasing our share of public funds here to assist the development of the game in our   region.

Another three Hawker enclosed type facilities,and we would have a plan wroth noticing, but not one that takes ten years to mature and for much less cost than $650,000 per game (adjusted for the CPI, must not forget that), then we would have something to praise, we woul dhave forward progress in the biggest (and best) game in the ACT (and the World). The ACT Government just does not take the Footaball community seriously. Why is that?

What really strikes me as plain nauseating, is that the Football sporting public is expected to be satisfied with a decision by the ACT Government to trade little more than four AFL games a year and the hint of an "Academy" and something about improving Manuka Oval (again!), in exchnage for $26 million smackers!This is the worst possible use of public funds in support of sport and does absolutely nothing for Football going forward.

We need an enormous boost in playing surfaces and facilities and not just for Football across the ACT. This is a scandalous waste of public funds.

Let's hear Capital Football on this one - loud and clear please!

This is a real kick in the guts for Football.

Read the Canberra Times article below:

What Happens When Your Child Is Assaulted And Injured In A School Football Game In The ACT??

What Happens When Your Child Is Assaulted And Injured In A School Football Game In The ACT??

A parent and several young players who play for a Premier League Club in the ACT told a frightening Football story at training last week. It’s a very worrying story on Junior Football for every parent with a child playing Football in the ACT, particularly when they play in schools sports Football tournaments / fixtures. This one seems a long way from resolved.

Apparently there was a School's Football tournament last week in the ACT. The players represent their school and in ordinary way of Football you would think it would be a fun thing to do.

Until something goes very, very wrong!

A young player was "king hit" by another player and sent off. The alleged offender is said to be an ACTAS squad player. Both players were registered with the FFA and participate in Capital Football competitions / fixtures. The Referee's report has been provided to the father of the victim, confirms the send off for "violent conduct" and would appear to warrant substantial disciplinary action.

But by whom? Not a question you usually ask in football.

If this were a weekend Capital Football round game, the League Manager would have already taken action. It’s a “no brainer”!