Capital Football: A Football Club?

I received a post from Peter today,posted in full below. He raises some questions about Capital Football's role as a Football Club. They should be seen, in my view, as a point of discussion rather than a criticism of Capital Football or it's Board.

I have no opinion on the matter, but I'm more than happy for others to raise points on my blog.


Delivering consistent and quality organisational leadership is implicit in Berger’s grand design for football development. And let’s just remember, talented players come from community football first not second, they just don’t arrive.

The gifted are remarkably few in number, no matter how desirous are some parents for their child’s success. First develop community football and the younger the better and open to all without financial impediment.

Capital Football is the lead organisation for Football in the ACT. Self evident fact you say? Hmmmm! Well yes it is, for good and bad. We need Capital Football to be at the top of its game all the time – it’s game, not club business! Presently there is reason to think they have got the balance wrong.

As I watched the Capital Football Academy teams and the ACTAS team (yes I know they are different???) playing in the Premier League, the never ending commentary by parents over the usefulness of the current Academy system, only one thought occurred - Why would Capital Football want to be a football club?

Behaving like a football club is not Capital Football’s “core business”.

Does the Board comprehend the difference, because if they did, why would they choose to allowing their organisation (of limited resources and expert personnel) to direct its energies into aspects of football that our clubs are already doing well and it must be said, without too much assistance from Capital Football.

Does the Board lobby for football, pursue the dollars from sponsors for advancement of the game in the ACT, assist community based clubs find ways to underwrite their costs from the conduct of club football, does it have members among them with football specific knowledge (any kind of football!) and experience at club and player levels to inform its decision making?

Is the resident and capable expertise within Capital Football staff able to influence the Board by reason of good technical and organisational football argument? And so on.

The point is this – Capital Football needs to manage the game for the future, not play the next game on the park in Canberra. They need to contemplate two levels down, but they need to operate and think at least one level up.

Worse still, if Capital Football does get into the “game” at club level, they must of absolute necessity, set the example. This is where they fall down.

As I looked across the Kambah fields for the third time this season when Premier League games (trials and competition) were in progress, I listened to the chorus of complaints from spectators and players over the miserable standard of the ground at Kambah.

They were right to complain, the field is a cabbage patch! A bloody disgrace for premier league! There is a change shed, some distance from the field and but no facilities were provided (benches) for the subs / coaches on the side of the field. The field was very poorly marked, as poor as I have seen any this season in any grade I have attended – the side lines were as good as invisible to players and spectators alike