Meeting between FFA and soccer stakeholders will be crucial for short-term future of the game

WEDNESDAY’S meetings between disgruntled stakeholders and Australian soccer chiefs could determine the game’s short term future.

An area of the stands usually populated with the Mariners' core supporter base is seen almost empty with a sign indicating the fans have "gone to the pub", during the round 9 A-League match between the Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne City FC at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

WEDNESDAY’S meetings between disgruntled stakeholders and Australian soccer chiefs could determine the game’s short term future.

Football Federation Australia chairman Steven Lowy will hold his inaugural meeting with the 10 A-League club chairmen, as clubs growing increasingly frustrated at head office.

The club owners will convene in Sydney on Wednesday seeking answers to a series of questions and demanding a clear vision and strategy for the A-League in the wake of this season’s falling metrics and recent PR disasters.

FFA chief executive David Gallop will also be present at the club owners’ meeting before meeting with representatives from each of the 10 clubs’ supporters groups on Wednesday night in Sydney.

With much of resentment of the past fortnight aimed at Gallop’s poor reaction to recent negative coverage, the fan meeting could determine whether fan boycotts are lifted, after a season low 40,406 fans turned up — 32 per cent down on the previous week.

It also has huge relevance for Saturday night’s table-topping clash between Western Sydney and Melbourne Victory, whose supporters have led the boycotts — only 9680 fans turned up for the Wanderers’ win over Brisbane Roar last Saturday, well down on their home average.

A-League owners have been divided over the years, but even the likes of Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro and Western Sydney chairman Paul Lederer have become disenchanted by FFA.

Di Pietro slammed FFA for a lack of leadership at last week’s Victory in Business luncheon, declaring the club was ‘sick of the A-League’s mediocrity’.

Tensions have since reached boiling point between Victory and FFA after last Saturday’s fiasco in Auckland, where a woeful pitch was coupled with an embarrassing clash of strips.

The patchy pitch in Auckland for the Phoenix v Victory match.

The players’ association is seeking a ‘please explain’ from FFA after sanctioning the game on a pitch covered in dirt that was spray painted green, declaring it was “unacceptable” for A-League games.

“The playing surface posed huge risks to the health and safety of players. We are talking about people’s livelihoods and it’s simply unacceptable to put players at risk by forcing them to play on a substandard surface,” PFA player relations manager Simon Colosimo said.

“Despite being in such a poor state, the pitch was approved after two inspections, raising serious questions about the standards that are used to review playing surfaces in the A-League.

“The PFA will raise the matter with FFA and will seek an explanation as to why the pitch was deemed safe and appropriate for professional football.’’

It also comes in the wake of an 11th hour ground switch for last Sunday’s W-League Melbourne derby from Kingston Heath Soccer Complex to Bulleen’s Veneto Club.

It’s emerged that the game was only switched when Melbourne City officials inspected the ground 48 hours before kick-off and alerted the FFA.

Adelaide United chairman Greg Griffin and Perth Glory owner Tony Sage are understood to have been the only two owners to attend last week’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, at the invitation of Melbourne City board member Simon Pearce, with several other owners involved in a phone hook-up.

Perth Glory chief executive Peter Filopoulos is the latest dissenting voice among club ranks, saying the FFA “lack a strong vision” for the A-League.

“What plagues the A-League is the absence of a strong and clear strategy. What’s our vision for the A-League in the next four years, what do we want the competition to look like and more importantly what are the key pillars to the strategy that will help achieve this vision?’’ Filopoulos said.

“As a new CEO of a club in the A-League and regularly speaking about the game with sponsors, government, fans and the broader community, I am not able to speak with clarity about our vision and strategy as a competition.’’

WEEKEND FROM HELL

— Active fan boycotts at all four games in Australia

— Unacceptable pitch for Wellington-Victory game in Auckland

— Bizarre silver versus white strip clash for Wellington-Victory

— Venue switch for W-League derby only 48 hours before kick-off

— Uncompetitiveness of Central Coast — 5-1 losers to Melbourne City — coming to the fore

* Weekend crowd average: 8117

* 2014-15 H & A average: 12,511

** Weekend TV audience average: 70,000

** 2014-15 average: 99,311

— One tick: pushing back start time of Adelaide-Perth game due to heat

Originally published as Meeting between FFA and soccer stakeholders will be crucial for short-term future of the game