Football Federation Australia lost sight long ago of what they are employed to do, and now practically every key stakeholder wants them out of the game.

Perhaps it’s fitting that there was no mention of fan representation in yesterday’s ill-fated Congress, because the FFA has ignored what fans want for years.

For the good of the game? FFA’s mantra may as well have been ‘for the good of ourselves,’ and any notion they will do what’s right for football in Australia was dispelled by chairman Steven Lowy’s reaction to the news he had failed to garner the majority needed to get his power-sharing agreement over the line.

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“Those who voted against progress today are those that want to take the game to the bad old days,” said Lowy in the aftermath of the fateful vote.

“We will now communicate with FIFA to discuss the next steps.”

Tin-eared, tone deaf and in denial – it’s as though Lowy and his cohorts inhabit a parallel universe, one where Ange Postecoglou didn’t just resign as Socceroos coach, where crowds and TV ratings in the A-League aren’t going backwards and FIFA isn’t about to land on our doorstep and take control of our affairs.

Such is the obstinance of Lowy – a man who wasn’t democratically elected but rather parachuted into the job by his father – he’s already suggested he’s prepared to take legal action against any FIFA attempts to impose a normalisation committee on Australia.

There are no hints he’ll step aside. When it comes to doing the right thing by football, it seems it’s either Lowy’s way or the highway to hell.



The absurd thing is that this could all have been avoided.

Had certain state federations not back-flipped on a power-sharing agreement back in July, their leaders wouldn’t now be looking up how to buy FIFA World Cup tickets for next year.

Even then, FFA has known for months that Football Federation Victoria president Kimon Taliadoros was unlikely to vote for the FFA’s proposed 9-4-1-1 power-sharing agreement.

And they’ve known for years that A-League clubs wanted greater representation.

What did they do with that knowledge? Denied. Stalled. Obfuscated.

They even had the gall to demand that unhappy A-League clubs furnish them with evidence of so-called conflicts of interest.

The subsequent 13-page document produced by the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association is damning.

It may only contain information already publicly available, but it highlights the level of anger towards a cabal of chosen elites who seem to think they’re entitled to run football without attracting any scrutiny.



It’s those same acolytes now fighting tooth and nail to avoid being turfed out by FIFA.

That’s not to suggest that running a nascent football league is easy, let alone one in a country as hostile to the game as Australia.

It should be acknowledged that the foundation and largely successful administration of the A-League is a genuine success story.

But in a year the Socceroos qualified for a World Cup, the Matildas became one of the hottest properties in sport and Sydney FC enjoyed a record-breaking campaign, who is currently focusing on the football?

Certainly not the FFA.

The game is stuck in a rut – the dwindling crowds, the disgruntled clubs, the stagnant TV ratings and the distant dream of expansion are all proof of that.

No doubt some of those who wish to see Steven Lowy removed from power are harbouring their own agendas, and it’s possible the game might not flourish under their control either.



But you can’t say Football Federation Australia haven’t had their chance.

They seemed to forget long ago that their duty is to look after football – not their salaries, not their egos, nor their sideline access to Socceroos games.

For too long they’ve ignored the will of the people.

But there’s one thing they can’t ignore. The arrival of FIFA.