While FFA confirmed Lowy had already met with the delegation this week, his voluntary absence is unusual given his insistence on heavy involvement in every aspect of the process amid the struggle to maintain power.

It follows his non-attendance at last season’s Dolan Warren Awards night and A-League grand final while abroad on business.

Furthermore, it’s understood Lowy wasn’t actually present at Thursday’s gathering.

One of FIFA’s two representatives, Nodar Akhalkatsi, apologised on behalf of the under-pressure FFA chairman, who had a ‘diary clash’.

Obviously not important enough for Lowy to turn up. Didn't he get notice they were coming. 

Fucking hell, priorities lad.

Hopefully this will help FIFA make up their minds on his role.

-PB

Made the Westfield Westfield W-League Westfield final though

FFA chairman Steven Lowy further isolated from stakeholders after FIFA visit

Delegates from FIFA will return to Zurich to decide the fate of Australian football after a historic three days of meetings united major local stakeholders, who were left confident in the game's future governance.  

Having heard the grievances and submissions from various parties, the final meeting conducted by the joint FIFA and Asian Football Confederation mission will be remembered for two significant outcomes.

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The first, was a general agreement from all stakeholders on the establishment of a Congress Review Working Group aimed to end the impasse over the composition of the FFA's membership. 

The second was the non-attendance of Football Federation Australia chairman, Steven Lowy, the only notable absence from Thursday's symbolic meeting. 

There was a unanimous request for FIFA to restrict the influence of the FFA in the final process of expanding the congress. It's understood state member federations, A-League clubs, the PFA and representatives of semi-professional clubs agreed that FIFA should put in place an independent chairman of the Congress Review Working Group, ensuring that role be held by someone with no affiliation to the FFA. 

"Because of the collaboration between the parties, football is the winner," Australian Professional Football Clubs Association chairman, Greg Griffin, said.

FIFA will return to Europe to determine the composition of the working group and establish strict deadlines for Australian football's stakeholders to reach an agreement over a new congress before facing potential sanctions. 

"At a joint meeting of major stakeholders today, the visiting FIFA/AFC officials thanked each group for its contribution and urged everyone involved to continue the positive dialogue as part of the review process. FIFA will now decide on the terms of reference for the Congress Review Working Group, including its composition, mandate and timelines. A decision is expected from FIFA within two to three weeks," an FFA statement read. 

A meeting that galvanised previously feuding factions further isolated the FFA chairman from the game's most significant stakeholders. Lowy was represented by two directors and senior FFA management who informed the room the chairman could not attend due to business commitments.

An FFA spokesman informed Fairfax Media that Lowy was speaking at the announcement of Westfield's annual results on Thursday, where he holds a position as co-chief executive of the company. That role required Lowy to attend Thursday's international announcement for Westfield which is set to be the company's last annual report before its multi-billion dollar takeover by Unibail-Rodamco.

His absence from the meeting was understood to be accepted by the joint FIFA and AFC delegation. However, several stakeholders within Australian football were not impressed that a chairman of the FFA was absent from such a significant meeting at a time when football is facing major challenges. 

Compounding that grievance was a media release on Thursday afternoon from the FFA that was poorly received by several stakeholders. It's understood they were displeased with Lowy thanking the joint delegation for "their ongoing support in the evolution of football governance in Australia" despite being absent from the most significant meeting. 

Information received by Fairfax Media suggests A-League clubs in particular were displeased with the statement and vowed not take part in any joint statements with the FFA in the future. 

Lowy's business commitments have prevented him from attending several key FFA events in the past 12 months, including the 2017 A-League grand final, the end of season awards ceremony and a meeting with A-League club owners last May over the funding grants from the broadcast deal. 

FFA chairman Steven Lowy further isolated from stakeholders after FIFA visit

FIFA appoint Ange Demetriou to be the independant chairman

hahahah - jokes

FIFA ready to map out pathway to peace between A-League clubs and FFA over power struggle

A ROAD to resolution is in sight in the governance war that has gripped Australian football, with FIFA poised to map out a pathway to peace between the A-League clubs and Football Federation Australia.

Three days of intensive talks in Sydney between a FIFA delegation and various Australian stakeholders concluded on Thursday, with the expectation that within two to three weeks FIFA will detail the makeup, terms of reference and timetable for a working group to redraw the power structure at the head of the game here.

The joint FIFA-Asian Football Confederation delegation wrapped up its consultations early, with its members returning to FIFA HQ in Zurich to sketch out the working group.

FIFA TALKS: Lowy a no-show

CLUBS WARN: Reform or we’ll go bust

It promises to conclude two years of dispute over how to widen the voting structure of FFA’s annual Congress, with the clubs and the professional players seeking more say and the FFA board resisting what it sees as too big a dilution of its power.

Remarkably most of the stakeholders involved left the final round of talks on Thursday with a positive attitude, in marked contrast to the acrimony that has accompanied many of the previous negotiations.


Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop (left) and chairman Steven Lowy.
The working group FIFA establishes may yet prove contentious, with the clubs seeking an independent chairman and for FFA to be sidelined from involvement. It’s understood that FIFA has indicated it will consider an independent chairman, likely to have a casting vote, with a select number of stakeholders drawn from across the game.

But the delegates from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation indicated to several stakeholders that the group will be expected to move quickly, with both the clubs and the players’ association seeking to have it produce a complete set of recommendations by June.

The working group is seen as a circuit breaker after the impasse that has pitched the clubs against the FDA board and in particular its chairman, Steven Lowy.

The group will produce a model for a widened Congress, giving more power to the clubs, the professional players and women’s football, and potentially to include representation for interest groups such as clubs below the A-League, referees and coaches.

FFA will be expected to acquiesce to its findings, along with the various stakeholders, with the clubs having warned FIFA that they face bankruptcy unless the governance issue is resolved quickly and focus switched to addressing the downturn in A-League crowds and TV audiences.

“At a joint meeting of major stakeholders today, the visiting FIFA/AFC officials thanked each group for its contribution and urged everyone involved to continue the positive dialogue as part of the review process,” FFA said in a statement.

“FIFA will now decide on the terms of reference for the Congress Review Working Group, including its composition, mandate and timelines. A decision is expected from FIFA within two to three weeks.”

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/football/fifa-ready-to-map-out-pathway-to-peace-between-aleague-clubs-and-ffa-over-power-struggle/news-story/aa325d9057a94f97d0c3c31ed9921d49

FIFA will return to Europe to determine the composition of the working group and establish strict deadlines for Australian football's stakeholders to reach an agreement over a new congress before facing potential sanctions. 

looks like it's progressing quicker than we imagined, did FIFA not set a november deadline last year for stakeholders to reach an agreement?.

so with that that out of the way the logical next step is determine the composition of a working group who will establish another deadline for the same thing again  

you chair a meeting you read out the apologies for non attendance. although it sounds suss, and might well be, it's common practice.

i reckon he felt like he lost control so he went to ask daddy to make a few phone calls

scorched earth policy i reckon

yep, this sounds a complete non-story, people with an agenda trying to make something out of nothing 

I would think Lowy would have known of the potential diary clash well in advance, and if so, I would be astounded if he hadnt already given the delegation a heads up

Where’s this Ffa statement the clubs aren’t happy about?

There's one on the FFA website. If that's the one they are talking about, its very bland. No idea what they could really be upset about.

Obviously another non statement.

This is just delay tactics again. 

not sure what else you can reasonably expect them to say on it? hardly appropriate for them to go into all the details.

FFA Congress | A-League | Canberra bid | National Second Division | Craig Moore

Steven Lowy was a no-show on the final day of working group negotiations, with FIFA to let stakeholders know next steps as soon as possible

23 February 2018 | FT Editor
FFA Congress

It may not be peace in our time - and many expect the Lowy family will have another last trick up their sleeves - but certainly a truce. At least that's what they're all saying with the FIFA/AFC trio on their way back to Zurich and Kuala Lumpur to formulate their recommendation to the Member Associations Committee on what the make-up, terms of reference and timeframe will be for the Congress Review Working Party.

APFCA made clear in their evidence-based submission that they recommended the CRWP comprise three representatives from state federations, two from A-League clubs, one from the PFA and an independent chairperson.

Stakeholders were miffed that FFA Chairman, Steven Lowy, didn't attend on the final day citing a business clash. He did, indeed, have a business clash (Westfield annual profits result) but others - especially those there in a voluntary capacity - pointed out they had other commitments also and changed them. We understand APFCA Chairman, Greg Griffin, was particularly annoyed that FFA sent out a media release at the end of the day quoting Lowy.

http://footballtoday.news/football-media-watch/ffa-congress-a-league-canberra-bid-national-second-division-craig-moore?utm_content=buffer03a67&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Whether it is standard procedure or not for board members to miss meetings, one would think that this particular meeting is of sufficient importance for everything to be dropped so that he attends - the only reason why he should be excused from this meeting is if he dead. Anything else can wait.

Daddy is probably on his way to Zurich now. 

"He did, indeed, have a business clash (Westfield annual profits result) but others - especially those there in a voluntary capacity - pointed out they had other commitments also and changed them. We understand APFCA Chairman, Greg Griffin, was particularly annoyed that FFA sent out a media release at the end of the day quoting Lowy."


I wonder how many of the others had a billion dollar business to go attend to?

As for quoting Lowy, is that the best they could come up with to be "annoyed" about?

Except that the Lowy's have recently sold out of Westfield, so it is really a non event now for them.

they sold the Westfield business overseas. they still own the Australian arm.  

Yesterday was the release date for the annual results for both Scentre Group and Westfield.  It is only for Westfield that an agreement for takeover was reached in December.  There is currently significant speculation whether the offer will need to be increased to take account of changes in exchange rate and scrip values since December before it is put to the shareholders.  Lowy as both a Director of Scentre Group and Co CEO of Westfield was at the release which was streamed live including a Q & A segment.

So football is not the priority. Fine. Then he must step down if there is conflict of interest and his inability to oversee such a huge international crisis.

Or he running scared.