“Football is not a matter of life and death,” said Bill Shankly. “It is much more important than that.” He was wrong, of course. It’s simply part of the entertainment business.

The most revealing aspect of Shankly’s quote is how thoroughly it’s been taken out of context over the years.

Referencing the friendly rivalry between Liverpool and Everton fans, here’s what the legendary former Reds manager actually said in full.

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“I am not saying they love each other. Oh, no. Football is not a matter of life and death… it’s much more important than that. And it’s more important to them than that. But I’ve never seen a fight at a derby game. Shouting and bawling… yes. But they don’t fight each other. And that says a lot for them.”

So an oft-repeated quip about the “life and death” importance of football is really about how supporters of two clubs from the same town get along reasonably well.

Talk about your mixed messages. It’s an apt metaphor for how the A-League is going – decent football, dodgy administration.

What’s the biggest story in Australian football right now? Is it table-toppers Sydney FC meeting moneybags Melbourne City at Allianz Stadium tonight?

Is it Brisbane Roar taking on Melbourne Victory in what is at least the 40th competitive meeting between the two sides at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday?

Or is it Football Federation Australia allegedly tapping up Sky Blues coach Graham Arnold for the Socceroos role – a move which prompted Sydney FC chief executive Danny Townsend to write about Arnold on Twitter, “He is a contracted coach and it is clear our priority is to keep him”.



Ah yes, the FFA. It wouldn’t be an average week in Australian football if we didn’t talk about their influence on the game.

It says much about the way head office runs things that no one seems to find it problematic when clubs like Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory are rewarded for domestic success by potentially having their head coach spirited away midway through the season.

And perhaps that’s as it should be. After all, the World Cup is bigger than the A-League, is it not?

But if the governing body that controls the A-League can only treat it as an afterthought, then why should they expect anyone else to view it differently?

Hang on a second! Let’s take stock here.

Haven’t I criticised the FFA enough? Shouldn’t I acknowledge that running a football competition is hard, that finances are tight and that everyone involved has the best of intentions?

Wouldn’t it be better if I just didn’t comment on any of this negativity at all?



Yeah, nah.

Because the A-League is part of the entertainment business, and right now we’re so focused on governance, very few of us are being entertained by any actual football.

It’s why Alex Brosque roasted the FFA over lacklustre attendances. It’s why Townsend pinpoints “scheduling/fixtures” as the number one reason Sydney FC can’t get more fans through the gate.

It’s why the biggest stories are always about coaches and Congresses, but rarely about action on the pitch.

“Write about the football!” say readers in the comments section. But then when anyone does, no one comments on it.

You don’t want to talk about the football. You want to talk about the big topics.

Right now, those topics are around governance and who will coach the Socceroos.



And that’s a problem for the FFA, because despite their (mis)handling of both the Congress and the national team coaching position, we should really be talking about what’s happening on the pitch.

I’ll be at the Roar game on Sunday, despite the fact I’ve now seen this same fixture more times than any other game.

The A-League is stale. It needs expansion teams.

It needs to get back to what it’s supposed to be doing – entertaining us.

And it needs us not to turn a blind eye, but to keep speaking the truth. Because football belongs to all of us. Not just the FFA.