Simon Hill: Obsession with our future hijacked groundbreaking Football Writers Festival

It’s rather unfortunate that the ground-breaking Football Writers Festival (held in Jamberoo in New South Wales over the weekend) became notorious for some rather throwaway comments by FFA Chairman, Chris Nikou.

For what it’s worth, I didn’t actually think Nikou was telling us anything new by revealing that - as things stand - the A-League clubs have licences until 2034 (Wellington being the exception), and therefore promotion-relegation is unlikely to come in before then, under the current system.

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The key words in that paragraph are “as things stand” and “under the current system.” As we all know, there are intense negotiations going on (via the New Leagues Working Group), that will probably result in something emerging that is very different from what exists now.

The new national second division, and (ultimately) promotion-relegation is a major part of that discussion.

Additionally, even if we say categorically that those existing clubs won’t be relegated, then it doesn’t necessarily rule out promotion. For me, the whole thing was a bit of a storm in a teacup. Quite why other FFA Board members chose to respond via social media incidentally, is a much bigger mystery.

The fact that Nikou was called out on his claim that FFA were unable to abstain on their vote in the AFC election was, in my opinion, a far bigger story, but one that seems to have passed most people by.

But that is sadly indicative of the (still) rather parochial view of the game here in Australia.

Across the two-day festival, listeners were treated to some fascinating discussions on a much broader range of topics that didn’t get nearly as much coverage.

For example, German investigative journalist, Jens Weinreich, gave a captivating account of how growing up in the former communist East Germany sharpened his journalistic antennae, and led to his initial uncovering of Germany’s bid to “buy” the World Cup in 2006 via a slush fund - funded in part, by the former Adidas CEO, Robert Louis-Dreyfus.

Weinreich is one of a generation of football writers that have done the game an immeasurable service by holding its most powerful (and not necessarily honest) people to account. We have our own here in Australia in Bonita Mersiades - little wonder she was the brains behind the whole exercise.

Weinreich came up with one of the most memorable quotes of the weekend for any aspiring young football scribe.

“You can love the sport, but you have to have a brain.”

Along with Weinreich, there was a fascinating chat on the history of the game in Australia, and why we are not particularly good at telling those stories. Ian Syson, author of “The game that never happened” believes it is, in part at least, due to our sense of shame at being the outsider sport. He may well be right.

Old Socceroos such as Ron Lord (nearly 90 years of age), the legendary Adrian “Noddy” Alston - who did the “Cruyff turn” against East Germany, a few days before the Dutchman made it world famous, and ex-Matildas coach, Trixie Tagg, the first woman to take charge of the national team in 1981, all mingled with attendees, telling stories and enhancing our knowledge of the game through a lens that has rarely been peered into.

Ex-footballer turned film director, Gwendolyn Oxenham, proved a more than capable substitute for Hope Solo, recounting listeners of tales of living on a pittance just to play games in Brazil, and the day a holidaying Ruud Van Nistelrooy rocked up to the football centre she was working at in the USA, and asked if he could go on the pitch and have a kick.

These stories are perhaps not that important in isolation. But collectively, they are all part of the rich tapestry of the game here, and overseas. In the absence of a Museum of Football, the Jamberoo pub with it’s Johnny Warren connotations (Ross and Jamie Warren were serving behind the bar), was the nearest thing to it, and was therefore, a natural venue. There’s talk of a bigger event in Victoria in twelve months time.


In a country where the game remains largely marginalized, bereft of it’s own unique places of worship (at least at senior level), and seemingly in constant turmoil over its place, the festival was a Godsend. A little slice of football heaven among like-minded thinkers.

The game of football has a rich past, and we live in a vibrant present.

What a pity all those excellent examples were hijacked by the games great obsession around its future - via a solitary comment at the end.

As my esteemed colleague from Magdeburg would say, we can love the game, but sometimes, we have to use our brains.

https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/api/v1/article/amp/football/simon-hill-obsession-with-our-future-hijacked-groundbreaking-football-writers-festival/news-story/e888e5bf1337e527d6bd762459fa3955

What is he on about?  The reason the 'throwaway line' garnered so much outrage is because people are using their brain's and actually care about where football is going in this country.

Not one of his better articles.

"But that is sadly indicative of the (still) rather parochial view of the game here in Australia.", instigated by and large by the FFA [is how the quote should have ended]. 

Hill makes the point that the festival was overshadowed by this one comment, which is true, with the reality being pro/rel (being the emotive topic it is) should have been treated with more respect than Nikou gave it - the fact he made glib comments without understanding the consequences suggests he is out of touch.

But back to Hills point; we all complain about lack of media coverage for football and this is an event and an organisation (“the football writers”) that will help improve that - it didn’t deserve to be overshadowed by one point no matter how important.

People calling for the collapse of the league because of this one line are not using their brains, if football is in their interests.

Obviously targeted at me.

My opening gambit was, as I said in the other thread, 'tongue in cheek' but I'm coming around to the idea of the whole thing falling over being the best thing for the game in the long term.

Just like those that called for the demise of the NSL hoping that what would come after it would be better than what preceded it.

And it was better.   (And now it's not.)

"What a pity all those excellent examples were hijacked by the games great obsession around its future"

With the current trajectory the professional game is on in Oz, did Hill seriously think the public would be more interested in a journalistic wankfest or the FFA Chairman's comments on the games future. What a goose

Fuck off Simon

what why? 

yer one of the rare times Simon has lost the chance who normally stands up for the game in general but instead looks to defuse Nikou's comment at the Football Writers Festival with pioneering stories of the game here and Germany.
Weird.

Collapsing the NSL was the wrong idea, as is collapsing the a-league, we have the chance to bring the two together now and that seems to be what the FFA is acknowledging an working towards.

No brains were not used in some of the comments here on Simon's article.

I think he writes a really fair article.
Typical football bashers just love whinging whenever possible.

When the Chairman of FFA board ,makes a throw away comment about the future of Football ,without any clarification surely this says a lot about the parlous state of the game and its leadership.
I would call his actions totally unprofessional.
I question whether in this case Simon has actually become an apologist for the Chairman ,rather than a journalist asking why this shit keeps happening?
High performance requires high standards!

The thing that Simon is completely unaware of, thanks to his complete absence from social media, is that there is literally nothing preventing promotion and relegation being introduced today. The license agreements do not guarantee the license holders the unfettered right to play in the A-League, if they were relegated then they would be relegated. The FFA has confirmed this in writing to FIFA as well as stated it explicitly elsewhere. There is no protection in place other than the current disconnect of the A-League from the rest of the pyramid.

The AFC statutes only go as far as saying that teams that enter/exit a league must do so on merit via pro/rel. 

They say that it is up to the independent governing body of the league to decide who is granted a licence based on other variables such as finances, infrastructure and the like. 

I agree, what I am saying is directed at the implication from Simon that the license that the current A-League teams hold will prevent the introduction of promotion and relegation. It does not.

“The thing that Simon is completely unaware of, thanks to his complete absence from social media, is that there is literally nothing preventing promotion and relegation being introduced today”

Literally nothing .... apart from a viable professional or semi-professional second division to relegate clubs in to.

Apart from that .... no, there’s nothing stopping pro/rel from being introduced (well, apart from Fox Sports maybe)

Which is in the process of development, Simon is suggesting that even with a national second division the current licenses held by the clubs in the A-League would prevent their relegation and this has been proven to be factually wrong.

"The key words in that paragraph are “as things stand” and “under the current system.” As we all know, there are intense negotiations going on (via the New Leagues Working Group), that will probably result in something emerging that is very different from what exists now."

He makes a fair point, people justs being negative because it is their default mode and it takes away from, and prevents us building upon, anything good that is happening.

Yeah, so how about we put some energy into agitating for that second division?

The fact it’s not up and running and has no committed start date should set alarm bells ringing.

I agree that he makes fair points, Simon is a fantastic writer, probably the best in the business at the moment and this is probably his worst piece he has written. Which means that he's sitting at a 7/10 for it, something that most other football writers dream they were capable of.

Not sure if serious?

In a strict legal sense, that might be factually wrong, but in reality, does it act as an impediment?

Foxsports wants out. Why should they determine the future of the game?

Only if it is allowed to, however, there is implicit outside pressure being placed on the FFA through the AFC and FIFA to bring the country's football system in line with the FIFA statutes.

From the AFC Statutes 2018:


The licenses held by the HAL clubs until 2034 cannot stipulate qualification on sporting merit (ie. pro/rel) therefore it is not an impediment from my reading and interpretation of the statutes. 

@. Bluebird

No broadcaster should decide the future of our game I agree.

Yet that is the reality we are locked in to and whether they want out or not the reality is they’re not out and have a contract for the next 4 seasons .... so when the original poster said there’s nothing to stop pro.rel being introduced TODAY clearly there is - Fox Sports and the 4 years remaining on their contract.

And yes General, I am serious - where the f’ck is this Div 2???

There has been some interesting speculation raised around the current television deal with Fox, it may be that the current deal would become null and void with the A-League being separated from the FFA.

As for where is the second division, it requires the acceptance of the FFA to enable it to exist and they have spent almost 10 years roadblocking it as a concept.

Edit to add: Australia has also never had a national second division in the manner that is currently envisioned and so its creation is an invention of the wheel, even if it is able to be inspired by the systems elsewhere.

@ General

“As for where is the second division, it requires the acceptance of the FFA to enable it to exist and they have spent almost 10 years roadblocking it as a concept”

Kinda true; FIFA grants clubs the right to organise their own competitions (I think it’s in the same paragraph as the right to find their level on merit a.k.a. pro/rel) so the FFA can’t block it providing they accept the FFAs authority over the league.

But yes, they have been roadblocking it but the AAFC should now be able to get this up.

The thought of SMFC, Lions, Marconi, etc in an 8 or 10 team comp is fantastic, but the longer the AAFC wait the more it looks like there’s holes in their plan.