New football governing body for Australian national league teams

By David Gold

March 30 – Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Hyundai A-League clubs have agreed to form a new governing body for the national league.

The Joint A-League Strategic Committee (JALSC) is being set up to oversee policy and strategic issues affecting the league.

It will be chaired by FFA deputy chairman Brian Schwartz, and will be joined by two fellow directors from the national governing body and three A-League club chairmen.

The A-League has been through troubled times recently, notably regarding a public dispute with Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer (pictured below).

He had his licence to field Gold Coast in the league revoked after replacing the club’s sponsor on their shirts with the logo ‘freedom of speech’ without permission from the league.

That came after a fierce war of words with the FFA over their governance of the sport, and Palmer has since set up a rival organisation, Football Australia.

As a result, the A-League now has nine teams, a blow to their Strategic Plan unveiled last year, a pillar of which was devoted to increasing attendances in the league.

Though the league recently announced record attendances since their launch in 2005, the loss of a team from the league threatens that position next year.

That plan also targeted a second round spot at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil for the men’s national team and for the women (pictured below) to retain their Asian Cup crown, as well as qualify for the 2015 World Cup in Canada.

The FFA has also been forced to help fund a number of teams in recent years who have faced financial problems.

To tackle that, the targets of developing grass roots football and increasing television audiences were set by FFA chief executive Ben Buckley last December.

Another was improved engagement with clubs and media relations, which took a hit with the recent spat with Palmer, though the new body should go some way to meeting that goal.

The FFA has also been forced to help fund a number of teams in recent years who have faced financial problems.

The new Committee will meet every other month.

Its formation was welcomed by FFA chairman Frank Lowy.

“We now have a united stance in the next phase of building our national competition,” he said.

“The spirit of co-operation in today’s meeting shows we have a true partnership between FFA and the clubs.

“We are all in this together and I am very excited that the knowledge and passion of the club owners will be harnessed in this new committee.”

JALSC will consider a number of issues, including the structure of domestic competitions, match schedules and the domestic calendar.

They will also monitor revenue growth, financial regulation, player contracts and disciplinary matters among a range of other areas set out by the FFA.

Central Coast Mariners chairman Peter Turnbull welcomed the formation of the JALSC.

“This Committee will provide a meaningful opportunity to direct the development of policy and strategy for the competition,” he said.

“It has been agreed that this body will effectively and proactively bring a unity of purpose to the task of building club football in Australia.”

“When we announced the FFA Strategic Plan 2015 last year we made the sustainability of the A-League the fundamental aim of our domestic agenda,” added FFA chief Buckley.

“Today we have a new forum that has been established in spirit of co-operation and partnership.

“That will enhance our efforts to shape the economic model for the national competition.”

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