Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop keen to revisit Adelaide United’s ownership mystery

Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop says the governing body will revisit investigations into the Reds’ ownership structure as he arrives in Adelaide for a community summit.

FFA chief executive David Gallop, chairman Chris Nikou and head of leagues Greg O'Rourke. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

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Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop says the governing body will revisit investigations into Adelaide United’s ownership structure.

Adelaide chairman Piet van der Pol has never revealed the owners of the club.

The club was purchased from former owners, ex-chairman Greg Griffin, Robert Gerard, Dr Richard Noble and Bruno Marveggio for about $12.8 million on March 7, 2018.

“It’s certainly not ideal,” Gallop said.

“I can see both sides of the argument.

“I will be interested to have a fresh discussion with the management of Adelaide United, to understand whether it remains as sensitive an issue as perhaps it might have been at the time of the purchase.”

Adelaide United chairman Piet van der Pol at Hindmarsh. Picture: Dylan Coker

Gallop is visiting Adelaide with FFA with chairman Chris Nikou on Wednesday.

The pair will front FFA’s community summit at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre from 7.30pm after meeting officials from Football Federation SA in the afternoon at their Hindmarsh office.

The community summit will provide fans an opportunity to ask Gallop and Nikou questions.

The forum will also be live streamed via FFA’s website.

“We’re visiting football SA and talking to the local football community is part of a national initiative where Chris and I are going around the country talking to the football family,’’ Gallop said.

“It’s an opportunity for us to outline the FFA board’s first 100 days and their priorities for the next few months as well as get feedback on local issues.

“Obviously the New Leagues Working Group is the biggest fish that needs to be landed for the game at the moment.

“It’s a complicated thing which involves discussions on a major structural change as well as a commercial element.

“Critically decisions need to be made that impact on to address the current state of the game financially as well as the future and the funding requirements of all parts of the game, from the grassroots to the professional leagues and the national teams programs.

“Locally we expect to discuss issues like the technical pathway, the NPL structure in SA, the cost of football, the new registration system and coaching accreditation.

“These have been the common themes in the forums we’ve done so far.

“The importance and continuing to encourage volunteers is one of the key take outs of the tour so far.”

Gallop also believes SA’s representation for the popular FFA Cup will soon increase.

SA has had just one local club allowed to join United in the national competition since the FFA Cup’s inception in 2014.

“Over the next few years as teams are added to the A-League and therefore the FFA Cup you could envisage a scenario where the current round of 32 gets expanded,’’ he said.

“At that point it would be appropriate to consider the allocation for places like SA.

“So there is a more even distribution across the country.”

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