FFA? When will the A-League clubs make money?

Back in 2003 when the NSL died and we had to wait an eternity for football to be played professionally again in Australia it all seemed so grim.

And yet we true believers have been on a roller-coaster of emotion, more so, much more than any other code.

Most codes rumble on with their home and away season, great crowds in AFL land, less so in League, and Union is a nice part-time sport tacked on at the edges, domestically at least.

But football we've had it all. The biggest of days - at home and abroad.

A new league, games with 30,000, nay 40,000 and over 50,000 watching domestic football. Still pinching myself. Entry to Asia, World Cup excitement like no other sport - think Uruquay, Japan, Germany, Croatia, Serbia, and Italy to name a few. Asian Cup debacles and heroic losses.

And then Harry Kewell rocks up, Brett Emerton, Romario, Carbone, Matthew Leckie, Tommy Oar, Robbie Kruse, Archie Thompson, Kevin Muscat, Thomas Broich, Juninho and Dwight Yorke are just a few who have entertained or aroused interest.

And the number of young Aussies flooding across our screens - tis truly brilliant. Think Luke Bratton, in front of 50,000 last weekend. Priceless.

Love the Melbourne Derbies, Adelaide at home, Brisbane in full flight and how many Roar fans own an Orange shirt?

And now we have Ange Postecoglou, Gary van Egmond, Graham Arnold - good Aussie Coaches on the rise playing great football. And more former Socceroos champing at the bit to get into the game. It feels good.

Grassroots we talk football - one and all. Every kid with a ball - coaches working towards a unified aim. Skill development - finally!

And yet Ben Buckley and the boys have squandered so much. So many dreams, so many opportunities, so much faith. And so much investor money - will we ever see so much again?

And if we don't and we won't how will we sustain the current 8 teams never mind 10?

And what's to show for it Tnkler's Palmers or Constantine millions. How many codes enjoy the prospect of one of the richest men in the country spending hundreds of thousands if not millions to denigrate, advise, or just wind up the Governing body?

Think Peter FitzSimons of Rebecca Wilson with money!

How we could use that money, that energy.

It takes a special code, devoid of riches to spurn two of Australia's richest men - more if you count the others that have come and gone without much if any thanks.

Few clubs have much other than their players, brand and a few officials to show for the revenues that have been poured in from rich benefactors, tv and gate receipts over the years.

The model is clearly wrong. Almost NSL only with more money required to be squandered and to play.

Maybe 25% of all revenue should be spent on community or infrastructure. A legacy. A chance to use that legacy to build and really connect with the grassroots - the disconnect is still to large the clubs way to small away from game day.

And expansion. We're on the edge of a the precipice. There are no more large investors, not even Russian.

We've run out of Australians, and foreigners take longer to convince.

And now the FFA are spending millions of our money, grassroots money, Government money if new reports are to be believed on a team, just one team? How does that work.

We need an explanation. Ludicrous.

The FFA seem to have no plan - no front foot, yet again.

In a game with such opportunities, so many supporters, so well connected across grassroots, clubs and internationally why is the message always coming from behind, behind the latest crises.

We have a plan of course - and it's been proven. Spending more than you earn when you aren't the biggest code in town is simply not a plan.

It's bloody ridiculous. And there is no end in sight. How much will the game lose next year - when will it stop? Where is the plan?

Ben Buckley we've given you so many chances, hoped your trusting face would take us to the next, higher plane. Instead we're back defending the game, focusing on the positives where in truth they could be gone long before the next TV deal.

How, oh how did it come to this Ben?

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Why West Sydney FC is great for Canberra - so why did Ivan Slavich step down

As FFA franchises continue to go under only an idiot would suggest West Sydney and the other nine are here to stay.

Sad but true.

And if one more little franchise falls than guess what - the FFA who don't want a nine team comp, neither do Fox, will have to go elsewhere.

In a country as small as ours, with as many failed teams and regions as ours their is only one more place the FFA can go.

Canberra.

Wollongong, Tasmania, and Geelong maybe someday, just not yet.

So if the FFA were really interested in the next level of the business plan, football expansion, grassroots connection, why wouldn't they sit down with Ivan Slavich and say hold on Ivan, don't move on just yet we want to work with you to make it happen. After all you've produced the best bid we've seen apart from a Clive Palmer cheque (that's not a bid btw) so why would we want you to step down now.

In fact they should be saying:

2015 post Asia Cup we want Canberra - all other things being equal.
Re-build and grow your community support over the next two years.
Increase and improve your revenue model.

Meet the targets - you're in, no if's no buts.

Unless of course a team like West Sydney goes belly up in which case we'll take you tomorrow, business plan or no plan.

And imagine if the Melbourne Derbies are replicated in Sydney over the next three or more years and imagine the game gets on a bit of a roll - not impossible.

In three years we'd be ready for another team or even two.

But that requires FFA vision and if the TV deal is good, or even if it isn't Ben Buckley and Frank Lowy will surely be on their last legs......

Connecting with the grassroots is always so much easier when their is a team in the region. Duh!

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FFA: Show me the grassroots plan? When Ben Buckley and I chatted in 2007 he said...

When Ben Buckley and I chatted briefly at the Asia Cup in Bangkok in 2007, okay I don't do brief, he responded to my question, what is the greatest challenge football faces in Australia? thus:

Grassroots - the greatest challenge and ultimate success of the game will depend on connecting and getting the grassroots on side.

So five years on with much water under the bridge how have we done?

Database connection - plus, big plus and slowly building and possibly will be the saviour of the game in years to come as revenues can be linked to the broader football fan who plays the game and loves it - just doesn't go to or watch the A-League just yet.

We're not going away!

TV - stronger than we've ever had, great coverage and more revenue - but of course no kid without Fox has seen any of the classic A-League or Socceroos games. History?

And we continue to promote to a maximum base on Fox. How to increase viewers, grassroots vieweres and increase revenues. Do we have to stay on Fox and Fox only?

Expansion - a dead set disaster. Spurned the grassroots/community in Canberra with over 2,000 people paying $200 each - didn't even consider this of any value. Grassroots linkages - no business could do worse. Business rule number 1: Customer is always right!

Want the Asia Cup in Canberra in 2015 - but no plan to grow the professional game, set community and professional benchmarks in this region to assist the growth of the game.

Expansion 2 - Gold Coast, Townsville, Auckland and Canberra four regions totally disconnected from the FFA and their professional game. The only code in Australia who have entered and run away with their tail between their legs. Does nothing for Grassroots connection and growth - indeed the opposite.

Ben Buckley's reign will be measured it seems by the size of the TV deal. And we're clearly starting to spend some of the money on a West Sydney club prior to the deal.

Presumably the FFA has been told, ten teams means more dollars.

The grassroots is the issue Ben, FTA another, and stability of all our clubs and a real plan for teams/clubs/regions another.

You have a clear stated goal in 2007 - I'd suggest you've got nowhere near it!

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How do we know if West Sydney FC is a success?

Simple?

We just firstly see if they get up, secondly see if they survive and thirdly the FFA don't have to come crawling to Canberra for a team to replace them.

Sad we've have such poor measures of success in the new football.

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Ange Postecoglou: the greatest Oz inspiration to Aussie Grassroots Coaches ever?

If you've ever watched the Brisbane Roar play - and most Aussie's don't have Fox Sports so will never have seen them - they play to instruction, tactic and a tempo rarely, some say never, seen in Australia.

There is many elements to their game but one is critical to Australian football development at all levels.

Ange has his team keeping possession, with quick movement and interchange of player and ball. And it all starts from the keeper, and often returns to the keeper.

And here's the rub:

All A-League teams know how the Roar will pass the ball out from their keeper and indeed Michael Theolokitos, while not as poor as Mark Bosnich was with his feet, Theo is no Lionel Messi is he?

But Ange continues to persist, nay insist football must be played this way.

And this in a brutal professional era where fans and owners are quick to criticise or sack the Coach if results and performances are suspect.

So if the leader of Australia's Champion Club can persist while other professional teams know and try and restrict their play-out from the back style what reason is there for your local U16, U14, U8 Coach to "inspire" their kids to punt it long and to never play back, ever?

Ange gives us some hope down here in club land.

We haven't had many Australians to inspire us in Coach land over the years and the parents down here take a while to understand what you are trying to do.

Yes they take a while.

So as grassroots, the mighty, unattached grassroots kick-off we salute you Ange and will use your name and your team's name ad nauseum.

Even if they've never seen you, or your team play, they'll know you exist and stand for something good in football - at least on my sideline.

Viva - and thank you.

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Skillaroos - not SSG's for all?

If you talk to some in clubland they follow and preach the FFA Small Sided Game mantra.

Nothing else.

Well those of us who work with kids know SSG's work in the working class areas of Brazil, although even I would maintain some of those kids could have technical correction to speedy along their SSG development, but they aren't the complete answer in clubland in Australia.

And the FFA recognise this.

It's interesting to see the FFA has introduced the Skillaroos.

All Skillaroo Coaches have been trained by Coerver Coaching Technical Guru Alfred Galustian.

And now the very best kids get this technical Skillaroo training on top of their Small sided Games.

The game is the teacher, and of course SSG's are way better than what we used to have. But any coach working in clubland with the 7 - 11 year olds will know that SSG's on their own will never correct or show the proper technique for side foot passing with both feet - for example.

And if it does it could take a long long time for the games to get the kid on track.

I know I've seen it and watched it.

Small technical individual correction is required. A kid quickly improves and then can return to play a higher level of SSG.

So any Coach out there who tells me SSGs are the be all and end all simply ain't got it have they.

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Finally some sense: FFA and PFA need lesson in business - quick!

The Smith Report outlined what we already know:

The FFA are a financial management basket case - similarly the PFA.

How else to explain the loss of player wages, clubs and owners in the last 7 years?

In 7 years football has received and earned more money than ever, and yet the professional A-League clubs have spewed out more money, more owners and more clubs than we could ever have imagined.

Well I'm sick of seeing the FFA pour football money into failed clubs - and if clubs are losing $20/25 million per year - only an idiot and the PFA would say that we should keep increasing wages - or even maintain them.

Football in Australia at all levels has been pretty naive - nay thick - these last seven years. How much money have we thrown away?

It happens in the A-League, in your local league, It rips the game of any long term future; in Canberra it's even worse. No-one watches players in the ACT and yet they can get over $400 per game - but that's another pathetic story.

In the A-League - the focus here - we've seen the fantastic FFA/PFA and mad-cap owner schemes. Pay players way more than we can afford and hope what - the team wins, a few more get through the gate at your club, or owners simply continue to pour money in before they walk or are broke. Brilliant model isn't it.

And besides if wages go up and the revenue base doesn't it makes it even harder for any new clubs to enter. And shouldn't we be aiming at getting more clubs not less into our league in future?

Seems to me the whole football family needs a lesson in basic business - revenue = costs or thereabouts.

We tried the PFA/FFA model - spend as much as you want.

Owners at:

Jets, Brisbane, Fury, Auckland, Wellington, Victory, Sydney FC, Perth, Central Coast, Adelaide all gone or going.

What does the PFA and it's members think of that? Did that help the long-term security of their members?

PFA can shout all they want but getting more money ain't no good if the revenue model across the FFA, the clubs, etc is a basket case.

Yep we can all wait for the TV deal - let's hope there are some clubs left by then - but even that will only - possibly - cover current losses.

Will the PFA not demand more as soon as the deal comes in?

Would be nice if FFA actually scrutinised clubs business models when they enter the league - from what I've seen they have been a basket case in leadership.

And the PFA - yep get a great wage model for you players - but really reducing the Salary Cap is a must - reducing the minimum wage no way. Now you work out how that can be done!

And then all your members might be paid for longer.

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In defence of Jan Versliejan

Okay after all the anti-Dutch experts have lined up to bag the guy....dare I suggest he did his job! And did it pretty well.

I know his teams were pretty poor in the World Cup - only finishing around 16 or so, hey that's around the same World ranking as the big Socceroos - and I know it was grim to watch at times.

But the real point of the guy's job is to produce players for the Socceroos isn't it. Not to win the young tournaments or play scintillating football - they would both be nice - but in my view if he can produce young players who not only don't have to wait six or seven years to get a debut with the big boys, like say Matt Mackay, but can kick on and inject a new level of skill and energy into our team that would be a real positive. Yes, yes we all want good football, but sometimes other teams are just better.

It's the World Game right?

Getting the young fellas good enough for the Socceroos would be brilliant. Think Germany think Youth. Harry joined up at 17. We may not have another Harry but would love to see a few more 19 or 20 year olds bursting through.

So what has Jan done?

Terry Antonis could possibly play for Australia before he's 20! Tommy Oar, Musti Amini, Matthew Leckie, Stephen Lustica, Brent McGrath are others who could burst forth ahead of time.

The Under 17s made the World Cup Final in New Zealand in 1999 losing to mighty Brazil on penalties - few if any of them ever secured a Socceroos birth. Josh Kennedy perhaps the only one to really consistently nail it.

So sure judge the guy on his performances but I'm more interested in the star quality coming through. After all it's the Terry Antonis' of the World we need in the Socceroos in years to come - not some nice memory of our junior team playing football to die for.

Ange Postecoglou couldn't do it - poor coach? Even with Kaz Patafta making the World 11. Jan Versliejan couldn't do it - poor coach? Maybe not. Maybe he's contributed to the changing face of Aussie football.

And it's the next guy, your local A-league club, Hadjuk, Brondby, Utrecht and Holger who'll reap the rewards.

Joey stars in 1999

Joeys finals squad

Jess KEDWELL-VANSTRATTEN (Northern Spirit); Matthew MILOSEVIC (South Australian Sports Institute); Mark BYRNES (Parramatta Power); Shane CANSDELL-SHERRIFF (Leeds United); Iain FYFE (SASI); Aaron GOULDING (SASI); Shane LOCKHART (NSW Institute of Sport); Adrian MADASCHI (Atalanta Bergamo); Anthony DOUMANIS (NSW Institute of Sport); Bradley GROVES (Leeds United); James JOHNSON (Queensland Academy of Sport); Jade NORTH (Australian Institute of Sport/Brisbane Strikers); Lucas PANTELIS (AIS); Wayne SRHOJ (AIS/Brisbane Strikers); Louis BRAIN (Adelaide Force); Joseph DI IORIO (Werder Bremen); Joshua KENNEDY (AIS/Carlton); Dylan MacALLISTER (Sydney Olympic); Scott McDONALD (Victorian Institute of Sport).

Brazil squad:

Line-up
[1]
RUBINHO (GK)
[2]
BRUNO LEITE
[3]
MARQUINHOS
[4]
RICARDO
[5]
EDUARDO COSTA
[6]
ANDERSON
[7]
LEO
[8]
WALKER
[10]
CACA (-75')
[16]
LEONARDO
[18]
ADRIANO (-61')

Substitute(s)
[9]
SOUZA (+61')
[11]
LEANDRO
[12]
DIEGO
[13]
CARLOS HENRIQUE
[14]
MATHEUS
[15]
WELLINGTON (+75')
[17]
ANDREZINHO

Coach

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A-League crowds up - FFA marketing ploy pays off

FFA came under a lot of fire over the last couple of years as they put all their attention and resources into the World Cup Bid, at the expense of a still fragile national league sitting in an over-subscribed professional sporting arena.

Now it seems things are improving.

We had the season changes, and like the AFL and NRL, some key planning has gone into making noise at the right times.

You can't just rely on the game to be the thing. Provide it and they will come etc.

So starting the first three rounds with some big games, big clashes has resulted in a heap of big(ger) crowds and more noise than the A-League often gets.

Only a fool knows that 16,000 at a defeated Sydney stadium or 4,000 at the Gold Coast, etc etc means the crowds are back - no what the 40,000 in Melbourne or sell-out in Adelaide means, once again, there is clearly a market for football - and we may still have to go through the hard weeks with low crowds - but we can see once again, if we make a noise, plan correctly and bring in the odd player of note, the game in Australia will flourish.

It will never be easy - but it could get easier, much easier in years to come. Hey the Grassroots may actually want to come in ten year - they may even know about the games thru FTA but that's another story.

Over 10,000 members at Newcastle Jets - maybe other teams could look at the Tinkler membership model.

I tried a similar model with the A-League4Canberra bid - impressive as the $200 x 2000 people currrently held is - I reckon the whole family for $10 or so could have produced a massive amount of support.

Imagine a bid that had 15,000 paid-up initial members before a bid was approved. I lost that one btw!!!

Great to see the FFA getting something right - we're on the up it feelsA-League crowds continue to trend upwards with a record total of 135,438 passing through the gates in the first two rounds of the season.

Boosted by a ground record 15,789 to watch Harry Kewell's Melbourne Victory go down 1-0 to Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium last Friday night, 55,588 fans watched the five A-League round-two matches.

A-League officials expect numbers to climb with a crowd close to 40,000 expected for the derby between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

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We are football - nice ad, welcome Season 7

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Brett Emerton? FFA to dud Canberra......AGAIN?

Local Aussie journos are wetting themselves over the upcoming Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC clash and are starting to twitter themselves into a frenzy.

They want Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell to play for their respective clubs rather than for Australia, in Canberra, against Malaysia.

Of course the Malaysia game is a walk in the park and a friendly at that - but it is four days before the World Cup clash with Oman.

Harry wouldn't be selected for Australia - in my view - Emerton is a cert; given the players' levels of match fitness come October.

So let Holger pick his best available squad - Harry will fill the stadium in Melbourne on his own.

Sure it weakens Sydney FC if Emmo doesn't show, but so what!

The Melbourne Sydney clash should sell itself. Has done in the past. Will do in the future. An Emerton v Kewell clash would be nice, but the national team is well.....the national team.

Last time the FFA sent Canberra a dud team for the game against Kuwait - surely we won't be robbed again.

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We are football - Enjoy Peter FitzSimons, Beck Wilson, John Birmingham, Patrick Smith

http://youtu.be/kVo4UiEmet0

Looks good to me - but then I don't slag try to belittle the game the way the paranoid "sports" "journalists" seem to need to do.

Anyway Roy Masters, Peter FitzSimons, Rebecca Wilson, John Birmingham, Patrick Smith and tedious others (notice how old and anglo these professional critics of sport and football are - true blue - or just a co-incidence?)

When was the last time they ever wrote an opinion piece on the football, analysis of the game - without the usual footyphobic nonsense.

Or as my mate Peter FizSimons says - just a bit of fun isn't it, ha ha ha.

Same here guys, just a bit of fun enjoy the weekend.

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ABC: Four Corner's Monday night

Own Goal

By Quentin McDermott and Producer Louise Negline

Updated September 8, 2011 15:43:00
"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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Sally Pearson inspires Primary School Soccer

"It's been great. Just seeing Sally Pearson win her Gold Medal race at the World Championships has really inspired everyone involved in Primary School Soccer this week," said young Athletics Coach Tiny Passmore.

The Primary School Soccer Tournament is on in Canberra all week and despite all the talk of FFA's revolution of Small Sided Games the girls are playing on the biggest pitch at the recently and more appropriately renamed Hawker Junior Athletics Centre.

"It's fantastic," said a local football administrator, "it's another first for Canberra, combining the Athletics trials with the PSSA Soccer tournament. To have it at the Hawker Centre...well we couldn't ask for more."

Coach Passmore has his girls working well.

"In the first half we work on sprinting. Lots of short sprinting. The other kids are normally pretty keen so we find short sprints are the go.

"In the second half we look for the cross-country runners. The gaps appear on the field and the distance runners come into their own. The Hawker Athletics Centre is fantastic, nice and smooth, a great surface and lots of huge open spaces to run into."

What about Football Federation Australia's Small Sided Games focus?

"Oh who gives a stuff about that. That's for the young soccer kids aged 6-10. We're the older end of the Primary School and we're focused on Athletics through Soccer. Look at Sally Pearson she won without going near a ball - just running and jumping in a straight line.

"The Parents want it, and the players love running so we get them on Hawker and we can really assess their pace and ability to stay the distance.

"I mean take the game we just saw. The young girl upfront for South Australia, tiny isnt she, I think she's 11. She showed a fantastic Soccer skill to turn away and beat her defender at half-way but despite getting a 5 yard sprint in and leading towards goal - the real joy for me was seeing our defender just run her down. Our girl was bigger and we've taught them how to run in straight lines and the little girls skill counts for nothing. Fantastic. That's what we want to see. Pure athleticism running down these players over 40 or 50 metres."

His observations were correct.

"They were all looking tired in the second half - but the long distance runners came into their own. I took the sprinters off in the first half. And what's really good is that we get another game today on the same pitch. Just awesome. They'll be knackered but we'll see who can run now!

"We've got the Head honcho's from the National Athletics Board in the stand and they are getting a pretty good idea who the next Cathy Freeman or Sally Pearson will be. You really couldn't ask for more from a Primary School Soccer tournament."

"Every ground in Canberra is vacant all week - big grounds, little grounds, you name it but this is the stage the men play on so for 11 and 12 year old kids to get the chance to replicate that - how good is that!"

Note: All names, characters mentioned above are pure make-believe. No human or player was hurt in the telling or enacting of this blog.

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A-League stars to boost TV Deal?

With the A-League teetering along last year football was heading back to the future.

Despite the move into Asia, a successful Asia Cup campaign, the rise of the Matildas and the increasing number of Young Guns pushing into the Socceroos and starring in the A-League moving to Europe and Asia, football still lacked any sense of security or money for our A-League clubs to survive, never mind to move ahead.

The easiest way to get a heap of dough is through the next TV Deal.

And that's why Brett Emerton's signing on the back of Harry Kewell's is really interesting. The two Socceroos will increase crowds, media interest and TV audiences. No doubt about that

What TV figures would Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC bring in now?

What TV figures would a Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC Grand Final bring in?

Could they match an Origin game or AFL Grand Final - (obviously we're not on FTA) - or the Socceroos v Japan game on Fox in 2006? They might go close - even close means $$$$ and big increased $$$$.

And suddenly we can see the TV dollars start to rise and that is so crucial to a game which has 9 international teams to fund, grassroots club with shockingly poor infrastructure and funds, not to mention over a 1 million players in need of cheap football, great coaching and a few decent grounds to play on.

We've a lot to do!

The TV deal would help, massively. A-League clubs would then have increased revenue and perhaps stability.

I say perhaps because even in the UK where football earns many millions more from TV than the A-League ever will clubs are always in debt!

Still with TV money, possibly, increasing, it shouldn't be too long a bow to see Tim Cahill, Marco Bresciano and a small number of Dwight Yorke's added into the mix in the next two or three years to maintain that star power.

Because despite the standard of football last year being the best we've ever seen in a domestic Aussie league, the star player power has people talking more than any game of A-League ever did.

Maybe that's because we're not on FTA, maybe that's because people didn't even know the game had improved as they weren't watching or listening - either way now the fans return, occasionally, they may actually like and be surprised by what they see.

Then again most Aussies like EPL football - up and at em at the best of times - so why would they like the increasingly more intelligent Aussie football?

And I wonder how many Aussies would like to tune into Harry's first game?

Of course they aren't on Fox - so another opportunity missed?

Long-term, the World Game taketh our stars away and now, maybe, the World giveth back!

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Where were you when Brett Emerton signed - England?

Got this email overnight from England - loved it, so blogged it!

Eamonn

Without doubt the greatest week in the short history of the A-League.

Not the greatest day: that was when the A-League kicked off but certainly the greatest marquee since Dwight Yorke.

I am currently living in the UK (missing Australia like you wouldn’t believe) and I was driving in my car listening to the radio coverage of Arsenal/ Udinese when they cut to Blackburn Rovers who had just scored in the Carling Cup “Brett Emerton...playing his last game before returning to Australia to play for Sydney FC”. I nearly ran off the road.

I am a Mariners fan but I know this as simply fabulous news. Kewell returning is a massive lift for the A-League; Emerton is the icing on an already tasty cake. Ben Buckley should buy a lottery ticket.

The massive pull these two greats of the game have given to his negotiating position regarding media rights after the current Foxtel deal expires is incalculable.

Even before these two signings I expected the A-League to be significantly boosted because of the, finally, sensible home and away scheduling, because of the standard Brisbane set, and because of the increased marketing budget but this news is out of this world. Can you imagine when Melbourne plays Sydney, when Kewell faces Emerton?

I am salivating at the crowd that will be at Bluetongue when the Cove turn-up. This is truly awesome; genuinely world class players lifting the profile of the local game beyond all imagination.

And what a contrast between the protracted agonising machinations of Kewell and the quiet professionalism of Emerton. Kewell, the Aussie pin-up, wanting to ‘give back to the game’ but like a politician wanting his pound of flesh and Emerton, the kid who stayed in Australia to fulfil his Olympic obligations and now genuinely giving everything back.

What a great man, what a true self-effacing, genuine Australian. The A-League is about to enter the most impressive phase of its history because neither of these two super-stars will be able to guarantee either of their sides success because the standard next year will be so good.

Finally, long suffering Australian football fans are going to get redemption, are going to see a code that is of genuine quality, a code that will easily match it with the other quality football codes in Australia.

I thoroughly love League, Union and AFL; I love State of Origin, and the Bledisloe and the AFL Grand Final but it is Football that gets the bubbles rising through my bloodstream, it is football that could cost me my marriage, it is football that is better than sex and beer; it is in my blood and my soul and I have never been so excited in life at the news of Kewell and Emerton returning.

This news finally heralds the arrival of the A-League in the consciousness of all genuine sports fans in Australia. And Lucas Neil and Marc Bresciano will be here next season...

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Lynchy gets one wrong - FFA are ahead of you on this one!

Michael Lynch - a man who's family is from the far end of the Curragh (Irish Racecourse) we're just a bit closer, but further away. Got it?

Lynchy is a much respected Aussie footy writer - but on his player development focus written in the Age I reckon he has a couple of points wrong or at least is unaware of what is coming.


Mick writes in The Age:


http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/lets-take-our-thrashings-as-a-reality-check-20110812-1iqwb.html

There is a strong argument that the Institute of Sport system should be scrapped.

I don't think there is much of an argument, and if there is let's hear it - especially now the players are coming in at 15 in preparation for the U17 Aussie team ie much younger than in Viduka's day.

Herding the elite youngsters onto a campus in Canberra may help with their nutrition and ensure they all attend tactical lectures, but it doesn't give them the tough grounding they need to succeed in this the most cutthroat of global sports.

Again - it worked for Mark Viduka, Kevin Muscat, Craig Moore, Brett Emerton, Vinny Grella, Marco Bresciano, Carl Valeri, Brett Holman and a whole heap more

Scrap the National Youth League and get all the A-League teams to field youth teams in their elite state competitions. For 18-year-olds playing week in and week out against seasoned semi professionals - men earning up to $1000 a week and more - in the Victorian Premier League would be far more beneficial than playing against their own age group.

Again there are no 18 year olds at the AIS - they are now taken in at 15/16 so not sure where Mick is heading with this one - it's a different intake to Viduka's day.

Think the proposal is that AIS play in ACT Premier League AND A-League Youth league and all A-League Youth sides play in their local State Premier League - Viduka could do it at 17 - he was an exception the current mob are 15/16 and could meet Kevin Muscat!

History teaches us that the most successful Socceroos are the ones who are good enough to play first-team football early in life. Mark Viduka was an NSL star at 17. Harry Kewell was playing in the premiership at 18. Brett Emerton was a big-name NSL star as a teenager … the list of those who, even as boys, were better than the men they played against, goes on.

Yes but Mick - Matt Mckay and Tim Cahill are also very successful and in Cahill's case close to the two above. So history tells us a lot but not everything.

FFA increasing the games for the A-League Youth teams and AIS is the priority for player development for these age groups - I reckon the FFA are doing it.

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U17 win but you know who not happy! And fair enough too.

If Australia wants to win a World Cup then the style of play and individual performances at the U17 and U20 World Cups are always a good guide to how well or otherwise a national team might perform in coming years and certainly to their style.

Australia has shouted long and loud about how we are going to change, indeed are changing our style of play, but after todays performance the Kaz Patafta inspired U17 team of 2005 under Ange Postecoglou was no worse than this performance.

And remember Ange was slated by some.

Australia fought back to beat a talented and possession dominating Ivory Coast with two great finishes from West Ham's Dylan Tombides and Perth Glory's Jess Makarounes, but football fans were left bemused by the performance given the amount of money, time and energy placed into the new football programs for our young boys.

Craig Foster on Twitter said:
Question to Boultbee, who runs the AIS: was that acceptable today? After 2 years daily work? With most expensive development coach ever?

And the question needs to be asked!

Ange Postecoglou felt Fozzies wrath after World Cup some years ago, it hasn't done him any harm and now the FFA and their Coaching Staff will need to discuss the development or we might argue our lack of.

It was dire.

40% possession in a game of football tells it own story - and certainly given we're putting all this emphasis on technique and style of play, dominating teams, keeping possession and controlling the games - then from those perspectives it was a disaster.

Yes we won - but really is that how we want to play. The defence unable to clear a ball, a midfield unable to link with defence and keeping the ball - we couldn't do it.

Well done to the lads - somehow they won.

But on this performance Australia's hopes of improving it's football technique, culture and style of play is a long long way off!

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We love Harry but - FFA: Harry or the kids? Nearpost solution is free.

I love to go to the beach and build a castle, a sand castle. But despite all the oohs and aahs from passers by I know that in the arvo someone will have come by and stamped on my creation.

Nothing permanent.

And such is football in Australia - it seems to me.

How many times have we heard Manchester United are coming, or in recent times Celtic, Juventus or Beckham. Now I think such "events" are great and assist the game but where's the substance - long-term.

And of course add in Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush, Dwight Yorke, George Best Juninho, Romario - yes we've had a heap - and still our clubs at the professional level are built on my sandcastle.

Clive Palmer has pumped in millions, so Con Constantine (lest we forget) Tony Sage (christ how much money can one guy waste on an ageing team - again) and many others.

No club has anything to show for it, no certainty of real tenure given the ongoing size of the losses.

We're in a pickle.

And now Bernie Mandic, Harry's Agent is feeding us juicy bits - Harry is interested.

Jesse Fink, is off to India, but before he goes he thinks Harry should come and save the league and the FFA should pay, nay Lowy or was that Mike Cockerill. Nind you they also thought Nicky Carle and Ricardo Porto should lead the Socceroos in 2010!

Harry would be great - with and for everyone. Even the anti-football media would want a piece for a while. But can we afford him?

Craig Foster wrote a great piece on the cost of football for kids - he's right with all the kids paying for our adult brethren, men in most cases, to play in front of two men and a dog. And some of that rego goes to the FFA.

Can Bernie Mandic really demand that his client gets more than $600,000 in which case the FFA (your kid) may stump up the money for Australia's alledged richest agent and Harry.

Key questions before we hand over the dosh.

When did the last Socceroos return and do something for the game - and not for his pay packet when euro dollars ran out.

Not Tony Popovic - My plane stopped in the middle east - not John Aloisi, couldn't get a club so will play once I get a million (shades of Harry???), not Craig Moore, Stan Lazaridis, Paul Agostino (who?) all earned more than they could have in Europe - only Jason Culina I'd argue has come back to assist the game and get a wage similar to what he would have got in Holland.

So when in crisis let's get Frank or the FFA to pay.

How is that going to be sustainable?

Hasn't this game learned anything?

We need to keep all clubs, connect and work much harder converting players and fans of football and other codes into A-League fans.

When we have a core 10,000 every week at all clubs - then we can go to level 3 - spend a bit or waste the credit card on Bernie Mandic and Harry.

Bernie got $2million from Harry's $5 million transfer to Liverpool so it was reported at the time - how much does Bernie want this time for negotiating the deal - $5 from each kid playing football in Australia?

What if Harry gets injured? We'll be a laughing stock - and Harry might.
What if Harry has no other clubs after him other than QPR - does Harry need us more than we need him?

Nearpost Solution
Why not offer Harry one dollar more than he can get from any club anywhere else in the world and see how much Harry and Bernie really want to do for Australia, the A-League and our kids.

After all Harry seems like a great bloke - possibly badly advised.

And how come he's only talking up the move now - could it be coz no-one wants an ageing 33 year old in their forward line in Europe.

Will the FFA stare em down or will the kids pay again?

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Socceroos/Asia Cup 2015: TV Money to save the A-League

But will we ever use money in football wisely in Australia?

Socceroos are the big big drawcard and with World Cup qualifiers on FTA in coming years and the Asian Cup in Australia in 2015 we have a lot to sell.

Not to mention the A-League which is what really needs the money to kick on.

Jesse Finks talks of rumoured figures below. And if Fox wanted to get in early you'd imagine we'd get more money than $42 mill per year.

A nice ten A-League teams with $3 million per year per club would be great - but given each W-League team needs $1 million per year (wouldn't that be nice) and all the other increasing costs from o/s teams, Socceroo payments and of course ahem grassroots and coaching programs - and the soon to be increased if we get the TV deal FFA staff, can we really give the A-League what it needs.

$60 million per year is probably a 4 year $250 million deal approx - surely the Socceroos and Asian Cup Hosts can lock in the cash.

Last year Buckley turned down a revised offer made in late 2009 by Fox Sports that included a free-to-air component and which would have replaced the $130 million, seven-year deal made in 2006 with Premier Media Group, owners of Fox. The new deal would have locked in FFA until after the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, which is to played in Australia.

In the press this figure was put at $60 million a year. Insiders at FFA I have spoken to have it at $42 million. Whether it was $42m or $60m, or something in between, the exact figure was significantly more than the $17 million a year averaged out on the original seven-year 2006 deal.

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