A voice on Football Federation Australia’s board for A-League clubs has been firmly dismissed by Chief Executive Ben Buckley, even as frustrated owners increasingly demand representation.
Following Clive Palmer’s recent criticism of FFA, a number of club owners have voiced their desire for a more significant role in league management.
For instance, Perth’s Tony Sage expressed that all owners are seeking a position on the FFA board.
Additionally, former A-League chief Archie Fraser suggested that a significant portion of league owners might consider supporting a breakaway league if their wishes are ignored.
Buckley, standing firm, maintained that formal representation of clubs at the highest levels would be detrimental both to them and to the sport as a whole.
He announced that a new framework aimed at providing clubs with a stronger voice would be introduced after an FFA board meeting scheduled for Friday, but highlighted that any formal authority position for owners would not align with the game’s interests.
“It is a fundamental principle of good governance, whether in sports or corporate sectors, to ensure that no particular interests have representation at the pinnacle of the game,” Buckley stated.
“The FFA board must remain autonomous to oversee all facets of the game. (The concept of a seat for owners) is completely off the table.
“When asked if owners should influence the strategic policy of the A-League more, we took their inputs from a December meeting into account and committed to returning with our thoughts at a February meeting.
“We will engage with the clubs on this topic and explore mechanisms for more direct participation. While I cannot anticipate the board meeting’s results, the models we are reviewing could facilitate greater input.
“We do, however, meet with our owners a couple of times each year to discuss operational and strategic matters.
“We take their feedback into consideration, which is then reviewed by our management and board.”
Recent reports suggested that last year’s annual report concealed additional government funding; Buckley categorically “refuted absolutely” these allegations and the complaints from A-League clubs regarding a lack of transparency from the governing body.
“I disagree with the notion of a transparency deficit,” he asserted.
“We comply with all corporate regulatory standards, are subject to an annual audit by an independent accounting firm, and provide annual reports to clubs and federations.
“The claim that we were rescued by government funds is misleading. That funding was pre-planned and included in our budgets.
“We furnish accounts to ASIC, just like everyone else is required to, in accordance with legal standards. This has been validated by our auditors. Certain commercial, confidential information must remain undisclosed.”
by Buford Balony
