By Duncan Mackay
January 26 – Rod Allen (pictured), a former journalist, has been appointed as Football Federation Australia’s (FFA) new head of media relations, including handling the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, following the shock departure of Bonita Mersiades.
He will report to FFA chief executive Ben Buckley and be responsible for all aspects of FFA media, community and public relations and the local media aspects of FFA’s World Cup bid.
Allen takes over from Mersiades, who quit unexpectedly last weekend.
Allen joined the FFA last November as senior football media adviser after working as a media consultant to some of the country’s largest sporting organisations.
Previously he worked as a journalist and management executive for 22 years with News Ltd and Fairfax Media and was most recently the managing editor of sport of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald, including handling the company’s coverage of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
With an increasing level of media, advocacy and communications work to be undertaken outside Australia, FFA has also appointed London sport and communications consultancy company Square1 Sports Ltd to bolster its advocacy team and help build the international profile of the bid.
The London-based firm specialises in football finance previously worked on the takeover of Southampton.
FFA has also appointed Joanna Burns, a former international rower who is a founding partner of UK consultancy firm Alexander Ross Ltd, to manage overseas events and coordinate the international communications and relations aspects of the bid from London.
Alexander Ross Ltd’s non-executive directors include David Davies, the former executive director of the Football Association, and David Sheepshanks, the former chairman of Ipswich Town.
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