October 22, 2007
Here’s how to win the World Cup
Craig Foster
Here’s a question that attracts extreme responses: how long will it take the Socceroos to win the World Cup? The very notion of Australia displacing the likes of Brazil assumes, of course, that an ideal strategic football plan would have been in place right across the country, at every level, for some time.
So, the answer? Some say never, others at least 20-50 years. Regardless of such speculation, everyone would agree that vast improvement on the world stage would require radical change.
In reality, it is the youngest generation of players who have the greatest chance of triumphing in the most difficult sporting competition in the world. Yet a system to support this goal must be put in place. They need the optimal environment of coaching and playing structures to foster their development, and a higher level of competition in their late teens to keep pace with their peers in Europe.
Since we’re already talking about seemingly impossible goals, let’s go even further. We’ll need the most focused, the most targeted and the most integrated football system Australia can produce. And we’ll need absolute national unity. We need perfection, not compromise.
World Cup success requires a revolution in our football systems and culture. It is a such a tall order because we have a limited population base and football has to compete in the national talent pool with the other codes - at least for a few more years until Australia wakes up.
We have a chance to succeed, but now is the time to act, or it may be lost forever. Four years ago the football family, through the Crawford Report, said enough was enough. It said we needed a top-down, nationally driven approach that represented the absolute best Australia could achieve.
The appointment of Rob Baan as national technical director to develop the ultimate strategic plan was the first step. But when the states became aligned this year, we expected Football Federation Australia - for once in our history - to go further. To lead the game and to galvanise all parties to work together in the national interest.
Let’s be clear about what that means. The FFA’s job is not to ask the states what is acceptable, but to direct policy with a sledgehammer approach when necessary. The Crawford Report was driven to give the FFA that mandate, because the states often work against the national interest when they are given even a modicum of control.
So we come to last week and the first real test of whether the FFA is prepared to act on its responsibility. The issue was the future of the football program at the Australian Institute of Sport - the unwanted prodigy of the game in Australia.
The AIS program kept us going when the states failed with their technical programs, and now was looking for a home in the NSW Premier League to provide a high level of competition to the country’s best under-20 footballers.
After assessing the scholarship-based AIS program and where it fitted within the overall strategic plan, Dutchman Baan concluded that the AIS team must play in NSW - not Victoria, as it has been. Perfect. A decision from someone who been involved in football for 40 years in a country that actually knows the game. So, what happened?
Exactly what always happened in the past - NSW said no. The FFA asked again, more forcefully this time, but still ended up relenting. At a board meeting on Wednesday, the FFA agreed to fund a $200,000 rescue package to keep flying the team south to compete in the Victorian Premier League. That’s $200,000 the governing body could not afford. Once again the ideal was compromised.
No doubt NSW made all manner of excuses, but what FFA chief executive Ben Buckley needs to make clear is that we’ve heard this before and it’s unacceptable.
Buckley’s management style is collaborative, and he has been vocal on ensuring co-operation in the administration of the game, from the top to the bottom. But he cannot allow every directive from Baan to get watered down through negotiation at state level.
The bottom line is that the national interest must prevail over what serves the states and their constituent clubs. The FFA’s charter should enshrine this ethos. Put bluntly, it must say: Get on board or get out of the way. Buckley has the mandate from the football family to implement change directly, without compromise, without negotiation. Allied to this approach, the guidelines provided by Baan should be monitored and overseen by a national technical committee.
The new state constitutions give Buckley the sledgehammer. Many in the game, if not all, want him to start swinging.
FFV MEDIA RELEASE – AIS CONFIRM PLACE IN 2008 FOXTEL CUP
Football Federation Victoria is pleased to confirm that the Australian Institute of Sport will continue to compete in the Foxtel Cup in 2008, after the Institute and Football Federation Australia reached a funding agreement late last week.
“There has been some uncertainty pertaining to the AIS after Football NSW announced that the institute was to play in their second-tier Super League competition recently,” says FFV Chief Executive Officer Mr. Mark Rendell.
“After some consideration the FFA and AIS have come to an agreement that will allow the institute to take its place in the Foxtel Cup again next year and we welcome the decision that adds certainty to our fixtures for next season,” says Mr. Rendell.
The AIS Football Program was established in 1981 as a foundation sport at the AIS.
Last year’s Socceroos World Cup squad of 23 players contained 12 former AIS scholarship holders with the program producing the likes of John Aloisi, Mark Bresciano, Vincenzo Grella, Lucus Neill, Brett Emerton, Mark Viduka, Mile Sterjovski, Josh Kennedy, Kevin Muscat, Frank Farina and Josip Skoko to name just a few.
FFV is working with all parties to create a model for AIS fixtures that will allow the program to operate as economically streamlined as possible.
“We are exploring a whole range of options for AIS ‘home’ matches, including the possibility of playing some games at their base in Canberra and in country Victoria,” explains Mr. Rendell.
“A number of key stakeholders, including several Foxtel Cup clubs, are engaged in the process which is in its embryonic stage and we are hoping to have some exciting news in relation to AIS fixtures in the Foxtel Cup in the not too distant future.
The national body’s involvement is also good news for the Victorian Institute of Sport, whose team will again field a side in the Foxtel Cup’s Under 21 competition.
“The VIS is delighted to continue its relationship with FFV for the 2008 season,” says VIS Chief Executive Officer Anna Marie Harrison.
“The participation of the VIS team in the 2007 season was an important factor in the development of the athletes, many of whom were selected in state and national representative teams this year.
We look forward to our continued involvement in the U21 competition and our alignment with the AIS in the Foxtel Cup.”
Mr. Rendell says that FFV is enthused to continue playing a role in moulding the next generation of Socceroos.
“FFV is happy to accommodate the fast-tracking of Australia’s best young talent by providing competition in the nation’s leading state league week-in week-out, while also giving our constituents the chance to see the next Mark Bresciano or Mark Viduka develop in our back yard.”
Comment by Oncesackedcoach — October 22, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
Couple of things i would like to raise , re mR Fosters comments , whilst I am sure many would agree , lets look in our own backyard , Do you believe that if the TIS coach wanted to put his TIS squad into the Premier League the clubs in Hobart were the squad is based would support that ?? just remember the 19’s can’t even get that past with State 15 team !!. He also states that ” The FFA’s job is not to ask the states what is acceptable, but to direct policy with a sledgehammer approach when necessary. The Crawford Report was driven to give the FFA that mandate, because the states often work against the national interest when they are given even a modicum of control”. Has he ever worked with or at State Federation - local club level ? does he understand the costs and volunteer time needed to run a club at State League ( Premier or whatever ) level , no he hasn’t if he had he wouldn’t - Federations and FFA have taken a collaborative approach because in the past both the governing body and state federations were on different roads trying to go in the same direction but ended up miles apart , at least the present approach is bringing stability - forward planning - and direction from the top . Those that may know something about NSW Premier League would know that when they cut the league from 16 to 12 teams in 2006 ( i think ) three clubs took the federation to court costing over 125,000 to try and stay in the league and a mandate was given to those clubs in the league and those aspiring to gain accendency to the league , which included junior and youth teams as a minimum requirement . It isn’t that easy to just add another team , their are always associated problems ( and yes the league does involve midweek fixtures ) .
Comment by sent off — October 23, 2007 @ 9:15 am