Always Read the Fine Print.

There is one week to go until clubs in Western Australia have to submit their contracts to be a part of the much-hyped yet lacking in financial or marketing information, National Premier Leagues (NPL).

Discussions have been held, answers have been sought, but few, if any of the clubs are 100% convinced that this is in fact the best thing for the game. Football West have been clever to continually push that they will discuss issues indvidually with clubs rather than as a collective. This way no one knows what any club has been promised or allowed; as the criteria to be in the league which was supposed to be set in stone, now has some ‘latitude.’

So what are these promises or compromises worth at the end of the day?

The answer is simple, absolutely nothing.

Within the fine print of the NPL contract that clubs are to submit there is a clause which reads as follows:

“In lodging this application the Club has not relied upon any representations made by 
Football West and has made its own interpretations and conclusions;”

Not The Footy Show has taken legal consultation on this clause, and the advice received was that even if a club has a promise in writing from any employee at Football West in relation to the NPL, the game’s governing body can go back on that promise thanks to this clause, claiming that this was how you interpreted the communication, but was not what was meant by them.

One key question that every club should ask is if this was a clear cut contract to enter the NPL and all of the rules, requirements were clear as well as the financial structures, and the marketing plan to increase both participation numbers and spectators, why would such a clause be needed? Such an inclusion is hardly the basis for trust.

Time will tell how many clubs have read the fine print, and how many decide to submit anyway. It will also tell how many will regret that decision.

With so many questions still left unanswered and clubs being asked to stake their future on a  ‘leap of faith’ the best solution for the future of the game has to be to postpone this for one year and make sure that every club is 100% happy with all facets of the new competition rather than pushing ahead and clubs only submitting for fear of missing out. Decisions based on fear are rarely the best ones.

Time to Take the Finger Out of the Pie

All football fans in Australia want to see the Hyundai A League succeed. All fans dream of the A League being a league were superstars one day come to play when they still have some petrol in the tank, and all football fans in Australia dream of a league where he clubs owners are in it for teh long haul and they do not have to worry about owners walking away when they have had enough or run out of money.

So you would think many would welcome the FFA revealing that they are assisting with the wages of some key players in the Hyundai A League. This was made abundantly clear when they confirmed Lucas Neill would be joining Sydney FC on a guest contract. The press release stated “This season FFA has been party to several arrangements covering marquee players and returning Socceroos. Our aim has been to support clubs who have made substantial investments in top quality players. The marquee players and returning Socceroos have added great value to the A-League in terms of playing standard and marketability. At the end of the season we will review this policy in conjunction with the clubs to ensure we are maximizing benefits for the whole league.” This quote is attributed to FFA CEO Geoff Gallop.

One has to ask is this in fact the right thing to do? If one club has been assisted then why has not every A League club been given the same sum of money to assist with their wage bill or recruitment? Sydney FC now have received assistance with the signing of del Piero and Lucas Neill, is that fair, when some clubs have received no financial assistance for any players?

Similarly who determines whether a player is a good investment and worth the FFA offering their financial support? These are questions fans really need to ask.

Lucas Neill has served the game well, he has been a great ambassador for the Australian game, yet one has to worry when a player of his pedigree cannot find a club, as was the case with Harry Kewell. The mature, more educated football world has spoken by their actions, and Australia should take heed. There is a time and a place for sentiment.

The signing of Lucas Neill and the fact that the game’s governing body in Australia has openly admitted that they helped facilitate it and have offered financial support puts the national coach Holger Osciek in an unenviable position. Should he feel that his captain is no longer the man for the job as a leader or a player, is he going to be able to drop him, or will he feel a tap on his shoulder from his employer telling him it would cause them gross embarrassment if he is not selected? One would hope that the Head coaches decision is final, but should that scenario play out it could leave the games bosses with egg on their faces.

The key issue will be if Lucas Neill can prove himself fit enough and up to the task of international football. Holger Osciek’s reputation is on the line, and as he has stated many times players need to be playing regularly to perform on the international stage, it is therefore unlikely he will comprise his views and beliefs or be dictated to.

This is one of many reasons why the FFA should not be involved in the transfer or signing of any players apart from processing the paperwork. It should also now be revealed to the football family which clubs have received assistance and those who have not, so fans are aware of the playing field on which their team is performing. Many have known for a long time that it would take more than a heavy roller to bring it back to even for all this latest announcement simply brought it out into the open.

The Future is Confusing

Last night the CEO of Perth Glory was very generous with his time appearing on the show to discuss the Glory review, but there were still mixed messages coming from the club.

Mr Kelly advised that he had not seen the report compiled by David Hatt, he also tried to convince the listeners that Mr Hatt received no remuneration for spending three months compiling the report.

He made it very clear that if Ian Ferguson does not have the team performing ten games into next season he will receive “a tap on the shoulder.” Yet he conceded that it was up to the players when they went onto the park, when he said “you can’t control what goes on on the park.”

He went on to state that “We’ve fallen into the trap of signing players on three or four year contracts and you suffer sometimes when you do that. I’d rather sign proven young players on 3-4 year contracts.” Yet he then stated that part of the report states “don’t give contracts for more than two years to players.”

It is going to be a very interesting time as the club looks to as he says bring through youth and at the same time achieve results , and Ian Ferguson is the man who is supposed to juggle playing a good brand of football, achieve results and bring through not only young talent but also local talent.

There is no doubt that the club needs local talent to bring back that parochial feel that the fans can relate to, but this is going to take time and investment.

The news that the club is going to “appoint a western Australian based recruiter that will be someone who specifically sits in the Western Australian market looking for players for us,” as Mr Kelly said is an interesting proposition.

The question is who is going to take the training sessions after work to lift these players to a standard where you can see if they are going to be able to make the step up? That is another role that will take more money and would need to be a specialized position. Obviously the club would want to have these players in camp first before offering them a contract.

As Mr Kelly said they are targeting state league player aged 20-25. These players will have jobs and many will look at the financial implications before such a commitment.

This is an interesting age group because statistics from the UK show that 50% of players who come through the youth system in England do not get offered first team contracts. Of the remaining 50% that do, another 50% of them are out of the game by the time they are 22.

Mr Hatt has published this report and made a lot of recommendations, recommendations Mr Kelly has said are “basic business principles.” It would appear therefore that these basic principles were not being applied before, which is a concern. If that is the case Mr Hatt may have helped a little more by advising the club how they can carry out some of his recommendations, as some of the suggestions that have been published show a lack of understanding about the problems that face an A League coach. Prior to Mr Kelly’s appearance on the show we spoke to such people who had read the published recommendations and who had held and hold coaching positions in the Hyundai A League and all were very unimpressed with the report believing that it will cause the club more harm than good.

As we have stated previously we hope it is all for the best but Glory fans will in our opinion have to suffer more pain before they experience the joys of yesteryear.