From the President
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Football NSW is committed to the development of women's football.
When FFA first approached us about help in kick-starting (no pun intended) the W-League more than two years ago, they asked for a 2-year commitment by which time FFA would have a full business plan and self-funding from the A-League clubs to carry the W-League into a sustainable future.
We agreed to take on Central Coast Mariner's W-League team with a $120k or so commitment for each of the two years and a further $30k to provide all manpower requirements for staffing Sydney FC games (and CCM W-League games). We will still provide the staffing for Sydney FC.
The two year commitment ran out at the end of last season.
We have been reminding FFA from late 2009 that our commitment had to stop after two years as originally agreed. This is because it is not part of our charter to operate in national competitions which are the responsibility of FFA and the A-League.
We have our full time responsibilities to our own female players at state league and representative levels.
For the 2010 season and beyond, we have committed to sponsoring the W-League by outfitting them all teams from our Hummel operation (our commercial merchandising arm).
And also a $20k p.a. commitment to sponsor CCM in the merchandising area for 4 years, also from our Hummel operation. In short we are providing in goods and offsets a reasonable share of input to a continuing W-League and sustainable A-League.
It is also true that each state is different in how it has funded its 'share' of what FFA asked for in the first two years.
Football Federation Victoria received half of the required funding from Melbourne Victory.
Capital Football (ACT) received a very substantial grant from the ACT government which more than covered their costs to support their W-league team.
For the Northern NSW Football Federation, there was no cost. Rather the full cost was bourn by the Newcastle Jets. FNSW has received no such help.
FNSW may seem to have a lot of money. But we are also responsible for half or more of all registered players in the country - it's all committed, not least to our Premier and Super League women's divisions, to female youth leagues for both of these divisions, and for the development of female elite players through our Project-22 operation.
We believe our commitment to the development of women's football is strong and properly directed. We have given FFA a great deal of advance warning of our commitments and intentions regarding the W-League. In turn, we were assured of FFA’s plans for a sustainable future for the W-League after our commitment during the first two years.
FFA has, we believe, put a great deal of money annually into sustaining the A-League. Why can't a fraction of that be put into the women's game?
For our part, we simply stress the positive points I've outlined about as to everything we're doing at the state level to promote the women's game, which is what our charter requires
of us.
I believe FFA can do more to sustain the W-League, and that they should not regard it as a Cinderella operation. The most important thing, I believe, is for FFA to develop, or develop further, their business plan for a sustainable future for the W-League.
We have offered to help FFA move forward by providing a substantial sponsorship to the women. We are striving to promote and develop the women’s game within our state.
We are also keen to share the future for the women’s game with FFA once their plan for a sustainable future for the W-League, as the pinnacle of the women’s game in Australia, shows us the way ahead.
Jim Forrest,
5th August, 2010
President
SALARY CAPS AND PROTECTING CLUBS FROM THEMSELVES
Football NSW has no salary cap on our semi-professional State League competitions. The reason is that we’ve tried it before and know it doesn’t work. Our State League is so competitive, especially at the Premier League level, that some Clubs in the past have used the same ‘inventiveness’ demonstrated by the Melbourne Storm (though on a much reduced scale!) to circumvent such measures.
Even so, we recognize that some Clubs are overspending on players, to the long term detriment of their continuing financial viability and that of the Premier League as a whole. This has a consequential effect on less well off clubs, who must spend perhaps beyond their means just to remain competitive. This goes to the issue of long term financial viability. In short, our senior Clubs must to some extent at least be protected from themselves.
Later last year, Football NSW turned instead to a points system adopted by the AFL in country Victoria to limit spending on players. It is a potentially more effective approach than the largely discredited salary cap. This was implemented for season 2010 for the NSW Premier League. It is intended to be rolled out to all divisions of the State League in the next year or so, and ultimately to all areas of Football NSW where player payments are part of the competition structure.
It works by placing a successively higher points loading on players with higher levels of experience and imposing a limit on the number of points that can be used. In other words, it limits the number of top flight players that can be imported or maintained, thus limiting the market somewhat and thereby driving down financial outlays.
For example, a limit of 120 points was imposed on the two grades (up to 40 players but commonly 35 or 36) that may be registered in the 1st and reserve grade teams of a PL club. At base level, any player with previous PL playing experience (inside out outside a particular PL club) attracts 6 points. This means that at any one time, a PL club that wanted to use all its players with 1st grade experience could only register 20 players. Instead, they are required by the points system to use a combination of top level players and those from lower divisions (2 points) or their own Youth League or from Associations in combination (0 or 1 point)
The benefit of this approach is three fold. First, it requires a balance of experienced and up-and-coming young players – a player development pathway. Second, it is self-perpetuating, so after two years, every player who was with the Club at 1st grade level then attracts 6 points, so renewal from underneath becomes necessary. Thirdly, it limits the number of top (high cost) players who may be signed up before running the risk of topping the 120 points limit. Thus a former A-league player counts for 10 points.
This system is not draconian. We applied it to all of our PL clubs in 2009 and very few, just two or three, overtopped the total allowed points. Maybe we set the bar too low, but we need to ensure that in the experimental year clubs are not deliberately disadvantaged.
The main thing is that the points system is wholly transparent, easy to understand and calculate, and easy to administer. Unlike salary caps. It does not prevent high salaries being paid. But with a limit on the number of top level players that may be used, it surely has the effect of dampening down the number of top level (highly priced) players any one club can register. So the talent is more widely spread, to the advantage of the competition without denying to some better off clubs the ability to register some really top level players.
We believe this to be a much fairer and transparent approach than the now surely largely discredited salary cap approach.
Jim Forrest
27th April, 2010
President
RACISM IN SPORT
Australia is made up of a range of people from many different backgrounds and nationalities – more than 200 according to the 2006 Census.
We are a nation of many cultures, and nowhere is that more true than with football.
Some of you may have seen a report in today’s Sydney Morning Herald (front page) saying that FIFA has banned an Iranian girl’s team in a FIFA World Youth Cup because they were wearing the hijab (head scarf).
I want to say that Football NSW regards this action, if correctly reported, as a serious act of discrimination and that we want no part of it.
Based on information from FFA later today, they have no official confirmation of such a decision from FIFA, and are looking into this aspect.
And if true they will be joining other Asian nations in making representations against such a rule applying at least to domestic competitions.
We at Football NSW have long taken the view that we are here to promote our code among any and all who wish to play. Nowhere is this more true than with female participation.
The women’s side of our game has boomed in recent years and we aim to do everything to encourage females to take up our sport.
Football NSW has long expressed a policy as having absolutely no problem with such clothing. Nor ever will so far as I’m concerned.
Football NSW policy in this area was clearly restated in a recent statement circulated to all affiliates, the essence of which is that:
“Football NSW respects the cultural diversity which makes up the tapestry and fabric of our sport. We celebrate the opportunity for female players of all backgrounds to participate in our sport. We do not wish to see any barrier placed in the way of participation.
With this goal in mind, we wish to advise you that all black “Skins” or similar product and the hijab are perfectly acceptable to Football NSW, with the club shirt and shorts to be worn over that.
It is not necessary for the undergarments or hijab to be the same colour as the playing strip where the undergarments and hijab are worn for cultural or religious reasons”
That policy will stand. It will be sent to Football Federation Australia with the request that they do nothing to change our state policy at national or state level.
Such a change would do nothing to help promote our game in an Asian region where a very large number of people are of Muslim background and therefore would see their female players as disadvantaged by this silly ruling.
So far as we at Football NSW are concerned, the hijab will stay for all women who wear it as part of their cultural heritage and we encourage them to participate in our sport without let or hindrance and with our active support.
Jim Forrest,
President, Football NSW,
7th April 2010
REVIEW OF FOOTBALL NSW
During 2009, we focused on the value of a review of Football NSW across the range of its activities: competitions, governance, coaching and financial services and so on. The origins of this process lay in calls from both the Sydney Associations and subsequently the state league clubs for a review of state competitions, and especially whether the under-13s should be joined to the Metropolitan League
This developed into a call for a “total review” by an outside consultant. In the event, the AGM decided against a total review, mainly I think on cost grounds, including some doubt if the tender cost could cover all that was required. But the fundamental issues remain. My preference was for a more measured, “chunk by chunk” (area by area) review and involving both internal and outside (independent) members of committees of review on vital areas, starting with high priority issues and moving on from there.
The Board recently agreed to this approach, and requests for nominations as internal experts in various critical areas have been sent out to all of our affiliates.
We aim to start this process where it all began early last year, with state competitions, especially the state league and Youth League-Metropolitan League relationships. Equally important are a governance review, although this must be tied to the State constitution template developed by FFA for the whole country, which is presently being reviewed.
Two other areas involve audits of services provided by FNSW: are they effective; are they reaching those they are intended for; are they appropriate for our needs? And an audit of coaching services, from grassroots coaching to the elite player development, Project 22 and the part that may be played by, for example, Premier League club academies in this. Again, FFA is heavily involved in all of the coaching audit processes, and we will have to work closely with them as to overarching concerns within the national program.
In two important areas, we are well on the way to completing Reviews. These are women’s football development and Futsal development. The Women’s Standing Committee has already lodged a blueprint, and this will form the basis of any further review. All that is needed here is an audit involving senior members of the Women’s Standing Committee and a qualified independent outsider with an extensive knowledge of the women’s game. The Women’s Standing Committee is perhaps one of very few standing committees which has genuinely attempted to get into major policy issues.
Similarly, there has been a Board committee operating on the development of Futsal during much of 2009. There has been extensive consultation with FFA in this area and this committee will complete its job of reviewing Futsal in the near future.
An equally vital area is country football. This is best handled by the country Branches and Associations themselves, and I have already asked one Branch to look into this. The other two country Branches will receive similar invitations in the very near future. Country football is an area with its own unique problems, which country people are best placed to raise and suggest how to deal with.
I believe this “chunk by chunk” approach has the potential to provide Football NSW with everything that was intended previously by the “total review”, but more meaningfully in the context of both inside and independent outside involvement. I very much hope those of you with the necessary expertise will offer yourselves as participants in this process for selection by the Board in the basis of your demonstrated knowledge of our game in the areas mentioned on the nomination form recently sent out to all our affiliates and Members.
Jim Forrest
President
Football NSW
22nd March 2010
A BETTER FUTURE FOR REFEREEING
In the ground-breaking Crawford Report into the organization of football in Australia, it was recommended that referee organizations should come under the various football administrations, in line with common overseas practice.
At state or national level, the administering body – Football NSW in our case – can recognise referee bodies in each jurisdiction, e.g. Associations, as responsible for the provision of referee services.
Football NSW has reacted cautiously to such a restructuring, having been well served by the largely independent referee branch structure for a very long time. Two models have been developed. One, the less intrusive, is a simple Memorandum of Understanding, applicable to all Associations and Referee Branches in NSW.
This requires a formal interactive relationship between those who run competitions and those who officiate. Surprisingly, this interactive partnership has not always been the rule, a situation which has too often in the past generated friction between the two bodies.
All Associations and Referee Branches have been required to sign the Football NSW MoU.
In a few jurisdictions, however, relations between the two bodies – those who administer the game and those who officiate – have got to a point where a more fundamental restructuring is required. Such was the case last year in the Eastern Suburbs Football Association.
In line with the Crawford Report recommendations, a Referees Standing Committee – half Association people, half experienced referees and chaired by a senior Association person– was created to administer all policy areas.
This includes policy areas related to appointments to games from among referees graded to each class of game, payment of referees, oversight of referee training sessions and generally making sure they happen, and, of course, oversight of referee recruitment and procedures for the encouragement of use of suitable referees at increasingly higher levels of the game. In return, the Association undertakes to appoint a referee coordinator to administer these areas of responsibility, at no charge to referees.
All this entirely replicates the structure of referee administration presently in place with Football NSW.
Paralleling the Association Standing Committee, a new Referee Branch is set up, largely replicating the structure of existing referee Branches but subject to policy direction from the Referee Standing Committee.
Importantly, certain areas of responsibility are still reserved to experienced referees within Referee Branches. FIFA directives set these out to include the grading of referees and appointment to panels of referees graded to particular levels of games, the training of referees, inspections and the disciplining of referee members. These will remain the responsibility of the new Referee Branches, as before. But appointment from the panels will be by the referee coordinator.
In the Eastern Suburbs Football Association, the new referee standing committee and Branch structure has been recognised as the sole provider of referee services.
Referee numbers in 2009 increased some threefold in the single year as blocks in the previous system were removed and the morale of local officials responded to the restructuring.
Most recently, Football NSW has recognised a similar restructuring for Football Wagga Wagga. A new Referee Standing Committee has been set up, following the ESFA model.
The new referee Branch will retain those responsibilities set out by FIFA. But it will no longer be responsible for the administration of referees. All administrative responsibilities, subject to policy direction by the FWW standing committee, will now be in the hands of the FWW referee coordinator, an experienced referee administrator.
We all hope the Executive and members of the old Wagga Wagga Referee Branch will fold into the new structure, which is the only one now responsible for the provision of referee services and the advancement of referees within the jurisdiction of Football Wagga Wagga.
The aim is not to discard those experienced officials who have for many years proved stalwarts of the game. Very much to the contrary, our purpose is only to improve the provision and level of referee services to Associations.
Jim Forrest,
President FNSW 25th February, 2010
Not in the Spirit of the Game
In the Sydney-Melbourne A- League game last Sunday evening, Sydney player Terry McFlynn made a late challenge on Melbourne player Robbie Kruse.
The result was severe tissue damage to Kruse’s ankle area which will keep him out of the Hyundai A-League finals series. It was also a severe blow to injury-ridden Melbourne Victory’s finals series hopes.
Okay, accidents will happen, but surely there comes a point where any tackle falls over the line into ‘reckless endangerment’. That’s up to the referee to assess at the time and apparently Sunday’s referee did not see anything sufficiently wrong to warrant any particular action against McFlynn on the day.
In an article in the Sydney Morning Herald SportsDay today (17th February), however, there is an unusual admission from Terry McFlynn which casts doubt on the whole spirit in which senior games are played.
McFlynn is quoted as saying “The ball was played to Robbie [Kruse] on the attacking side of halfway for us [Sydney FC], he’s obviously a quick player and it was late in the game, he got away from me and I just tried to trip him to stop play” [Italics added].
We’d all be very naive to imagine that the professional foul is not, unfortunately, an integral part of the game. My concern is that young players see all this and try to emulate what they see in what can only be described as a cynical blow to any attempt to inculcate sporting behaviour on and off the field throughout our code.
The A-league is rightly held up as the highest level of our game domestically. A-League players must realise they may be held up as role models to our younger players. Terry McFlynn’s actions in his late tackle do nothing to promote either the game as a whole or the A-League in particular.
Over to you, Football Federation Australia.
Jim Forrest,
President, Football NSW
17th February 2010
FUNDING FOR GRASS ROOTS COACHING COURSES
At the Sydney Branch meeting last Thursday, a member of the Branch EC asked why Football NSW charges for conducting Grass Roots Coaching Courses. This question came about as a result of a recent meeting between Nepean Association and an FFA official where the FFA official, when asked “What are they [FFA] giving back to grass roots?” replied: “player packs this year to U6 and free grass roots training” but reminded clubs that all sports have fees, they are unavoidable. This comment was not expanded upon.
In fact, neither Football NSW nor any of our Associations receive any funding at all for this program from FFA apart from remission of the cost of the player packs, so what was stated by the FFA official was very misleading.
Three other States – WA, SA and Northern NSW – in Australia have had a paid FFA staff member to conduct these courses at the State level. In these and the other states, approximately 200 courses in each, on average, have been conducted, however in NSW we have conducted over 1200 courses to date, which Football NSW has paid for from our own resources.
Coaches need to be paid to conduct these courses and with so many courses being conducted this is a very expensive exercise to help people adapt to and accept what has been mandated by FFA in small sided games. But at least FNSW is doing the right thing by our members, and we will continue to do so.
FFA recently agreed to provide the handbooks to FNSW for these courses and as a result this reduction in costs has been taken into account and the fee for Grass Roots Coaching Courses has been reduced accordingly.
FNSW will continue to raise with FFA the need for some funding from sponsorship revenues for this purpose to be made available to grass roots coaching in all states. In the meantime, FFA should cease the sophist argument that, because the states are technically responsible for coaching and FFA have removed the charge for their handbooks, that such grass roots coaching courses are free. Obviously, they are not.
Jim Forrest
President
Football NSW
9th of July 2009
USE OF SCHOOL GROUNDS FOR WEEKEND SPORT USE
As some of you know, I have been involved, with others including senior officers from the Dept of Sport and Recreation, for example through the Greene Parliamentary Committee (2006) into state government involvement in sports ground development, and in later talks with Sports Ministers, to get some kind of generic approach between schools and councils to promote the common use of school grounds for sporting purposes.
Conversations with Sports Minister Greene early this year indicated that there had been some movement, mainly along the lines of use of school grounds for training purposes, thus freeing up council ground use for competitions and some resting of grounds if possible. Of course, none of this was ever intended to be unique to football, but to be assessed on a demonstrated needs basis for each sport in each LGA.
In all of this, the cooperation of the NSW Dept. of Education is paramount. I'm emailing now to give the great news of a breakthrough in that the Minister for Education, Hon. Verity Firth, has recently announced the department's willingness to provide the kind of generic support I have been pushing for. Her press release reads:-
NEW AGREEMENT FOR SCHOOL SPORTS FIELDS 22 August 2009
The NSW Education Minister Verity Firth has announced new guidelines to help schools partner with local councils so school playing fields can be shared by the community.
“For many years, community sporting clubs have accessed school ovals and playing fields at times when they are not required by students.”
“However these arrangements have often been a bit ad hoc and depended on hand shake agreements.
“This new policy announced today will help schools establish partnership arrangements that are consistent across the state and best meet the needs of schools and their communities. “
Ms Firth said the agreement would give principals guidance and formal support from the Department of Education to streamline the process.
“In some communities in NSW there was a shortage of public playing facilities and councils have said to us they would be interested in upgrading and maintaining school oval facilities so that they may also be used by local sports clubs.
“This is a win-win situation. Schools benefit from high quality, well-maintained playing facilities and communities have more sports venues on the weekends.”
Ms Firth said while there were already examples of successful partnerships where councils and sporting groups had invested in the upgrade of school fields, the guidelines would provide certainty about how to put the agreements in place.
“The NSW Government encourages participation in sport through the Premier’s Sporting Challenge, so it’s terrific to be able to now provide the facilities to enable the community to get active and participate in team sports on the weekends.
“Government schools are a public resource and the NSW Government believes that school playing facilities are there to be shared by the community.”
This is good news indeed. The Minister for Education and the NSW government are to be applauded for their foresight in this area. Now it remains for us at FNSW to get on with the urgent job of helping our member Associations in particular to prepare cases to support a demonstrated need for extra grounds in the various local government areas.
We at Football NSW have made budgetary provision to reappoint a Grounds Resource officer position we had part-time a year or two ago. Given the Minister’s announcement, an appointment to this position takes on an added urgency to best position us to help our Members. Or other sports may beat us to it. We look forward to cooperating with our affiliates to best take advantage of this new situation.
Jim Forrest,
President
Football NSW
17th September 2009
A PLACE FOR STATE PREMIER LEAGUES IN THE NATIONAL SYSTEM
For a number of years now, FFA has held state Premier League competitions at arm’s length. Increasingly, many of us have wondered just where our senor State League competitions, often seen as a vital feeding ground for the A-League, fitted under the increasing weight of the establishment and expansion of the A-League. Faced with the need to develop and later expand the A-League, FFA has until now largely neglected, indeed ignored, the state leagues.
For lack of direction and recognition, state league competitions have been languishing in a kind of never-never land, with no formally recognized part to play in the national scheme of things.
Now there are signs of change, in part to meet the requirements of the Asian Football Confederation. As things are now, FFA falls short of AFC plans for a second tier national league, provision for promotion and relegation as opposed to a purely franchise arrangement for the top level, and an FA-type knock-out competition. The major benefit for the states is that the state Premier Leagues may at last be brought in from the cold. The game has a chance of becoming whole, with the state Premier Leagues a genuine element in the pathway, both for player development and for competition standards.
Too many in high places have perhaps tended to see the state Premier League as the last bastion of ‘old football’, of the former (and often seen as Old Football’s ethnic) NSL clubs the new FFA relegated back to state federation competitions some five years ago. In fact, such a label is less and less true of many senior state league competition clubs, at least in NSW.
The honors these days are ever more shared between emerging community-based football clubs – obvious examples are Manly United FC and Sutherland Sharks – and an increasingly de-ethnicised (in terms of player backgrounds) clubs from former NSL days – obvious examples here are Marconi Stallions, Sydney United, Sydney Olympic and Sydney Tigers (APIA).
One significant consequence of FFA’s benign neglect of the state league competitions, their seemingly increasing irrelevance in the national scheme of things, has been that the semi-professional state league competitions have been withering on the vine. This is a fatal situation given the importance of the state premier Leagues as feeders for the A-League.
The point of no-return has not yet been reached, but with declining crowds and difficult economic times in terms of attracting sponsors, FFA’s stated intention of turning to the state leagues to form up a new second-tier league is of vital importance. Perhaps now the state premier League clubs may begin to receive proper recognition for the first rate players they develop and often end up losing for very little compensation, and on terms dictated by FFA and the A-League clubs.
Some of you may recall discussion several years ago about setting up an Eastern Seaboard Competition, with teams from Queensland, Northern NSW, NSW and Victoria. This occurred when FFA was setting up the A-League and in its formative years, so received little encouragement from FFA. Cost is another factor, for travel and accommodation, hence an eastern rather than Australia wide proposal for the second tier. But costs still remain a problem for cash strapped senior clubs, their reserve run down during the period of FFA’s ‘benign neglect’.
Most recently, FFA has set up a representative committee of senior FFA management and knowledgeable people from the states to talk about the future for state league competitions, and state Premier Leagues in particular. This is where the issue of a second tier becomes important, both to meet AFC requirements and to maintain viable state league competitions.
Equally important, however, will be how FFA proposes to treat what will then become the third tier: those state league clubs and their semi-professional players presently participating in the various levels of the state leagues. There’s not much use resurrecting some of the existing state Premier League clubs while transferring any form of ‘benign neglect’ to those Premier League clubs no made part of the second tier and to the Super League in NSW, for instance.
We at Football NSW keenly look forward to FFA’s new embrace of the state league competition structure and its overall incorporation into the national scheme of things. At long last we are moving towards making a genuine whole of the football family in Australia: grassroots, state league and the national/international levels of our game. FFA is to be congratulated on its new stance for the betterment of the game in this country
Jim Forrest
President
Football NSW
23rd June 2009
FFA’s NATIONAL (DEVELOPMENT) CURRICULUM and SMALL SIDED GAMES
Under the new National Director of Coaching, FFA’s thinking about Small Sided Games (SSGs) has changed. As part of their new approach to child player development, under-6s and under-7s are coupled for development purposes, as are 8s and 9s, 10s and 11s, then 12s and over. Under this new approach, under-12s will no longer be played as SSGs. There are a number of other significant changes proposed.
As part of the National Curriculum, to operate from season 2010, FFA has stated its intention to apply the following rules for the age groups:
Age Group | Team Structure | Comment |
Under 6’s & 7’s | 4 x 4 (No Goalkeeper) | This is a change down for the U/7’s |
Under 8’s & 9’s | 7 x 7 (including a Goalkeeper) | This is a significant change for the 8’s |
Under 10’s & 11’s | 9 x 9 (including a Goalkeeper) | A change for the 10’s |
Under 12’s & above | 11 x 11 (normal rules) | A major change for the 12’s |
Regarding competition, FFA thinking is that under-6s to 9s would have no competition tables, semi-finals or grand finals. Finally, under-10s and 11s will have full competition tables as for existing older 11 x 11 competitions.
Field sizes are also changed to be consistent with the coupling of age groups for development purposes:
Under 6’s & 7’s 30m x 20m
Under 8’s & 9’s 40m x 30m
Under 10’s & 11’s 60m x 40m
This represents important changes from the existing field sizes. Under-8s and 9s are brought together on larger fields for the 8s; under-10s and 11s are brought together on larger fields for the under-10s. This will go some way towards meeting Association and senior coach objections that the smaller field sizes for some age groups as significantly cramping players’ styles. Other changes to increase field sizes may also be sought by some Associations, but it is important to keep these to dimensions which can fit into something approaching multiples of a standard full sized field.
Finally, FFA thinking is that the new format for SSGs should apply in all Associations from under-6s to under-9s from 2010. This would be, a change in the agreement reached by FNSW and FFA early in 2009 and announced to Associations that FFA would only mandate under-6 to under-8s to participate in the SSG format in 2010, to allow a more orderly transition to SSGs across all Associations. At present, four Associations participate in SSGs for under-6s only, and have been asked, with promised help from FFA to advance to up to under-8s in 2010.
James Forrest
President
Football NSW
26th May 2009
Restructuring of Referee-Association Relations in Eastern Suburbs Association
16 February 2009
At its first meeting for 2009, the Board of Football NSW agreed to a proposed by-law for the Eastern Suburbs Football Association to implement a Crawford Report-style approach to Association-district referee Branch relations. Basically, ESFA district referees will now become a committee of the Association with a Referee Standing Committee while retaining all their traditional responsibilities.
This new Standing Committee approach is consistent with FIFA Circular No. 763 of July 2001, which states that the referee committee in each national association must be an integral part of the association structure, with the organization and development of refereeing solely under the control of the national association. In this particular regard, as with Football Queensland and Football Federation Victoria, we interpret the reference to the ‘national association’ as paralleled within each lower (state and association) jurisdiction (with obvious exceptions which are retained at the national level).
A Standing Committee of the Association will be responsible for the development of policy relating to the management of all referee services. This will comprise three Association members and three referee members. The existing Referee Branch will become an unincorporated Committee of the Association, paralleling the relationship between the Referee Administration Group and FNSW at state level.
All referee members of the existing referee Branch will be encouraged to join the new ESFA Committee. The new Referee Committee will be governed by a set of standard by-laws similar to or the same as the existing referee Branch by-laws. The referee committee will retain responsibility for appointments of suitable qualified referees at the individual level, but within broad parameters as to required general referee standards set by the Standing Committee.
Responsibility for coaching, training and assessment (grading) of local referees will also be retained by the new referee Committee, as will the management of discipline among local referees through initial hearing and Appeals committees. These areas of independent responsibility are set out in the 2001 FIFA Circular.
This restructuring represents a bold new approach to association-district referees at this level. In addition, ESFA intend to focus significant new resources on referee development, including the appointment of an experienced referee administrator to manage relations between the association and the new referees’ Committee.
Within many Associations and their Referee Branches, relations are generally good, and this new approach may not be necessary. The existing Memorandum of Understanding prepared last year by FNSW to govern better communication and the cross-over of representation between local Referee Branch and Associations may be sufficient. It is not FNSW’s intention to unnecessarily disrupt existing relationships where there is no need. Least of all do we want to see the exiting from the game of experienced local referees as a result of any over-enthusiastic adoption of the ESFA restructuring.
Nevertheless, in those districts where there are existing and perhaps intractable personality clashes between Associations and Referee Branches, this new restructuring has the necessary potential for very positive changes. FNSW simply asks that, as with ESFA, they be implemented sympathetically and in consultation with the state body. We at Football NSW are more than willing to help in this regard.
Jim Forrest
President, Football NSW
The Riverstone- West Complex Development - Future Home of Football NSW
17 November 2008
Between 1973 and 1978, the 15 ha. of land we now know as Valentine Park (or ‘Parklea’), was purchased by our predecessors in a magnificent gesture of faith in the future of football in NSW. Now, some three decades later, we have outgrown this original investment. Parklea has become surrounded by residential development. The time has come to realise the original investment and to reinvest yet again in the future of football in our state.
The result is a proposed new, state of the art sporting complex at Riverstone West, west and south from the existing Vineyard railway station. The 35 ha. is principally ‘flood prone’ land which will be used for the development of initially nine, potentially 15 fields. One block of fields will be kept for elite player development, and another block for games. Additionally, a boutique top grade field will also be developed, with stand seating for some 2000 people. We are leaving ample space between the fields, to be planted to give shade to spectators.
On some 2.5 ha. of high ground to the south of the complex, all our buildings will be located. These will include a sports (football) high school, which will also double with provision of accommodation for teams during school holidays, a modern gymnasium for handling four Futsal courts, convertible to two indoor international standard Futsal courts, potentially a top quality hotel to allow for use of the complex by visiting international teams once the surrounding office-warehousing region is developed, an indoor swimming pool and sports medicine facility, along with our own offices, canteen and club facilities capable of catering for up to 300 persons.
This whole new complex will be funded from resources presently held by Football NSW. Mainly this will come from the proposed development and sale of Valentine Park, with additional support from investment funds. The fields will be developed first. Beyond that, special provision has been made for a fully flexible, phased development, so that the building side of the project can be slowed down, if necessary, depending on market conditions.
An office-cum-warehouse building has additionally been purchased in the Norwest Business Complex, which will house all of our present activities from Parklea while the development proceeds. Then this building can either be sold or leased out to provide a continuing income stream for further development at Riverstone West.
Outstandingly among football bodies in Australia, national or state, Football NSW maintains the vision of our forefathers of the 1970s to build for the future of our game. Unlike some, we do not seek huge grants from the State or Federal governments (although we will seek some help!). Above all, this is something we as a sporting body have prepared for on our own, something we are building for the future, just as those before us similarly had the imagination and foresight to provide us with a basis for future growth and development until now.
I hope you will join with me in playing through our virtual tour of the new facility on this website to get a feel for what we are aiming to achieve.
Jim Forrest
President, Football NSW
Tying up Loose Ends
18 August 2008
At our last Board meeting, motions to adopt proposals in two important areas of football administration, both aimed at improving our performance and tying up loose ends from the unification process, were adopted. A new charter was adopted for our NSW football referees. Its purpose was to unite the two previous bodies, the ASRF and the NSW Referees Inc (the former AASRF) into a single body representative of all football referees serving Football NSW, and to make the new state referee body a committee of the Board of Football NSW, operating under charter. Existing referee Branches remain in place and continue to perform their traditional functions to Associations such as referee education and training, inspections and appointments to local games.
At the State League level, the new State League Referees (SLR) Branch (the former ASRF) similarly retains its education, training, inspection and advice in appointments roles. At this level, however, FNSW has set up a Referee Management department to take care of most operational aspects of senior refereeing. Key roles of the new State League Referee Branch and the FNSW Referee Management department are to cooperate in the delivery of good and ever better referees to the service of the code.
At a recent SLR meeting which I attended, one especially pressing problem indicative of the point of uniting the two former referee bodies and stressing mutual cooperation between senior referees and our FNSW Referee Management department was raised. This focuses on dual registration between amateur and state league referee branches and the seamless transition of our best referees between one to the other. For years, there has been dual registration between the two previous bodies, allowing the best referees to service both local and state league games.
More recently, a practice has developed to bring the best local referees to up to top level games, then either to return to local refereeing to mentor other good younger referees to try the same thing, or to accept full dual registration and continue to officiate at both levels. Because of the training required at the top level, there is no question but that those striving to officiate at the top level must become members of the SLR Branch after they have decided they would like to referee at the top level regularly, while retaining the right to return to local games as required. There seems to be an erroneous assumption, voiced by some, that you don’t have to be dual registered (i.e. can remain at Association level only), to continue to get appointments to state league level games. Not so, after a few ‘trial’ games. Dual registration has been an aspect of referee life in NSW for as long as I can remember, and will remain in place for all who seek regular appointments at top level games while retaining the right to return to officiating at local games as desired.
FNSW is maintaining the existing Branch structure of the various referee bodies. Like the Associations they serve, they retain their pre-existing autonomy. But to improve relations between local referee bodies and their football Associations, a Memorandum of Understanding is being prepared setting out the basis for mutual cooperation between the two bodies. Too often personalities can intervene to set up blockages between Associations and referee Branches. This is both a curse and a cancer impeding the full development of our game which FNSW constantly strives to eradicate. There is no room for prima donnas in the administrative of our game, whether at the football or referee levels. We are here to serve, not to think the game revolves around us.
The second vital area left over from the unification process was the setting up of Sydney Branch as a committee of the Board of FNSW, with a charter of autonomy of operation in its three main traditional areas: as a forum to bring Associations together to discuss and exchange ideas on the better development of the game in the metropolitan area; to run competitions; and to set up and conduct tribunals to resolve disputes arising from or among those Associations which the Board has linked with Sydney Branch.
Originally under the Unification Agreement, all four football Branches – Sydney, Western, Southern and Riveria – were to be re-established as committees of the Board, which they once were under the former NSW Amateurs. However, in accepting FFA’s state constitutions last year, the country Branches were made into Members, rather than their member Associations as was the case with the very much larger Sydney Associations. So the country Branches remain as incorporated Member bodies of Football NSW, while Sydney Branch un-incorporates to become a committee of the Board of FNSW. In practice, there is very little difference, and all traditional functions remain in place. The new situation of Sydney Branch is really just to satisfy legal requirements.
Jim Forrest
President, Football NSW
Small Sided Games
18 July 2008
One of my frustrations with the ‘introduction’ of small sided games by FFA is that the idea is being presented to us as something new and revolutionary. That is simply not true, and suggests a lack of any kind of institutional memory by FFA. More importantly, it makes the task of change unnecessarily difficult, when it should be quite easy.
The fact is that small sided games were introduced by the NSW Amateurs and subsequently by the Australian Soccer Federation more than two decades ago. Then it was 6-a-side, played across half a field, with no offside etc. There was full documentation as to the biophysical need for such a playing format for young players.
I still have a most valuable booklet, published in 1980 and developed by the Division of Recreation, Education Department, Tasmanian State Schools, called “A Child is not a Little Adult”. In short, the new version of small-sided games being advocated by FFA is an evolution, not a revolution, and it’s high time they and we treated it as such. Player numbers are further reduced, field size is smaller, and for the very young we dispense with a goalie. And, of course, it was non-competitive.
Comments from the 1980 publication are highly relevant, yet for lack of any current reference to this report, you’d think the FFA had come up with something completely new on the Australian scene. Not so.
The problem was defined in 1980 as excessive physical demands being made on children using adult equipment and grounds; the complexity of adult rules; the emphasis on competition rather than skill development; a concentration among coaches on the most talented children who too often are seen to monopolise grounds, equipment and the time of skilled coaches; a lack of enjoyment by many in a game dominated by physically stronger or more able children; above all the failure of many sporting administrators to take into account different rates of maturation in children so that grades are determined solely by chronological age and not height, weight and current skill levels; and of course some hostility among some adults to changing sports rules for children because the result will no longer be a ‘proper’ game. And a lot further on about how young children develop physically, rate of bone formation, eye coordination, and sheer physical abilities.
As I have said, this report was written in 1980, and formed the basis for the then NSW Amateurs to implement small sided games, known as mini-soccer and later roo-ball. We presented a carefully argued case, and all of us accepted that. FFA’s recent call for a ‘small sided game’ format simply modifies how the young persons’ game should be played. There’s absolutely nothing gee-whiz, you beaut, manna from heaven to what FFA is wanting us to do now. Only further evolution of team size, size of the playing area, and taking out the goalie for the youngest. All very logical and, I believe, beneficial.
I can see no problem introducing this new format to the 6s to 8s, as requested by FFA for 2009, as it simply involves a modification of the existing mini—soccer/rooball format. Football NSW is presently conducting a survey among our 17 or so Associations which have already introduced the new modified game. Returns are expected in the next few weeks. On the basis of what we find, consultation will occur among all our Associations to switch to the new format across-the-board. Further consultation will be held in subsequent years to determine to which higher age groups the new concept should proceed.
I have seen no technical report commenting on the biophysical benefits of the new format for small sided games beyond ‘more touches on the ball’ and ‘this is what they do overseas’ etc. Well, or course, the more you reduce the number of players, the more touches you’d expect, but that’s not enough I have seen nothing from FFA similar to the Tasmanian A Child is Not a Little Adult report of 1980. As to what they do overseas, it’s a fact that football in the primary school ages is largely controlled by the school system, and not by Associations or senior clubs.
Because of all this, we, like the evolutionary nature of the new format, must also adopt an experimental approach to the introduction of the new format beyond the mini-soccer/rooball ages (6s to 8s). We are a consultative organization. We look to see that a new idea is producing real advantages to our players and benefits to our game, then we wholeheartedly support what is being advocated. It takes longer, but it’s a much surer way of achieving real change.
Jim Forrest
President, Football NSW
Commit the crime, do the time. Well, maybe.
12 May 2008
In my mail today was the following complaint from an Association supporter. I quote it here because it highlights an obvious and very concerning gap in disciplinary decisions taken at senior professional (A-League) and amateur (Association) levels of our game. Essentially, the complaint here is that decisions at the former level are far too lenient, and/or those at the latter level far too harsh.
"In the recently completed 'A' - League Football season, the Mariners goal keeper struck the referee and was sent off [and then got a ‘split’ sentence so he could participate in certain higher level competitions]. In another game a Newcastle player kicked at a linesman and received a yellow card. Both these high grade referees did not abandon the game.
In a recent southern districts over 35's game, a lower grade referee abandoned the game when a player had, without any violence, tugged on the referee's shirt to complain about his inconsistent decisions. Instead of alleviating the referee's over-reaction, the Southern Districts P & D Committee fined the football club and banned the over 35's player for 2 years. Why did the over 35 player received a far greater penalty for a less offensive act?
Do local protest disputes and judiciary committees feel compelled to take harsh Draconian measures to compensate for any perceived leniency showed towards the Mariners goal keeper?"
Why then are penalties at senior (professional) level so comparatively light? One explanation I’ve heard is that professional football involves contracted (paid) players, and penalties bring with them the possibility of formal legal action. That is not an issue in amateur ranks. If so, the “difference”, leading to lesser penalties, sucks. How can we at local level impose meaningful penalties if our senior body imposes laughably lenient sentences for similar offences? One or the other must be out of kilter, you’d think.
In my experience, the sort of penalty imposed in this case by Southern Districts against the player is consistent with penalties for this sort of offence among amateur Associations generally. Any action against a match official will always be treated severely. The problem, then, must lie at senior levels of the administration of our code, and the apparent difference in the way a professional player is treated.
Whatever, the arguably lenient treatment of senior players involved in serious incidents needs to be addressed in terms of penalties properly fitting the crime. An opportunity to address this issue may be to hand. Recently, FFA has announced a call to review disciplinary procedures relating to the A-League. Now is our chance to call into question sentences imposed at senior levels of our game.
But a word of warning: what if the consistently harsher penalties imposed at junior levels are required to come into line with the notoriously lenient penalties imposed at senior level?
Jim Forrest,
President, Football NSW Limited
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD GRAVELY MISREPRESENTS FOOTBALL NSW
2 April 2008
In the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, (2 April, p. 31) football reporter Michael Cockerill gravely misrepresents the future financial position of Football NSW likely to result from any potential relocation from its Parklea base. Although a possible move from Parklea has been considered, it has always been made very, very clear that ALL proceeds of any such sale, and more, would be ploughed back into developing a new complex.
Perhaps this is linked to the myth, dispelled in my previous ‘From the President’s’ report, that FNSW got all its Parklea land for nothing, when in fact FNSW paid a commercial price for the whole land acquisition in the 1970s.
Similarly, the statement at the beginning of Cockerill’s article that a partnership between FNSW and Sydney businessman Nick Politis for a Sydney Blues club was blocked by FFA in favour of Sydney FC again misrepresents what happened. Any Sydney Blues bid involving Politis was a rival bid to FNSW’s bid to set up a Sydney FC.
In fact, FNSW’s business plan for Sydney FC was to invest 80% of the collateral in a Sydney FC club, as agreed to by our member Clubs and Associations, plus an interest from later FC director Peter Turnbull, then to sell the majority of ownership as the club progressed. FNSW drew up a bid to FFA for a Sydney FC, including the present name, design of the logo and mascots, only to have FFA rule at a late stage that they did not want more than minimal involvement in any A-League Club by any State Federation. That is still FFA’s official position.
FNSW is a transparent organisation. At all times, we try to be as professional and informative where possible. We will answer questions on issues when asked accordingly, but we are disappointed when a story is written about the organisation when we are not consulted.It is disappointing given we try to be as co-operative as possible with the media on whom we rely so heavily to promote our great game.
Jim Forrest
President, Football NSW Limited
VALENTINE PARK, Home of Football NSW
25th of March, 2008
Valentine Park entered into the history of football in NSW in 1973, when the NSW Coaches Federation leased 5.6 hectares of land (in the corner where the buildings and two of the near fields now are) off Valentine Farms, owned by Charles (Charlie) Valentine.
Over the next several years further land was purchased on the open market: another 5.6 ha. from H.F. Knight in 1973; 5 ha.in 1974 and another 9.3 ha. in 1976 from P.J. and E.J. Brimbecom.
In 1978, the originally leased 5.6 ha. were purchased from Valentine Farms for $115,000, and Valentine Park was complete as we knew it in the mid-1990s. It’s interesting to note that all of the land was purchased at market rates. The huge contribution of Charlie Valentine was as a driving force in making it all happen, and for that we honour his contribution to the development of football in NSW.
In the late 1990s, some 14 ha. of land was rezoned by Blacktown Council and sold for residential development. In the circumstances of the time, this sale was necessary to maintain the economic viability of the then NSW Soccer Federation in its running of the State League competitions, and to provide new office accommodation. Unification in 2002 brought together the former NSW Soccer Federation and the NSW Amateur Soccer Federation, and interest/dividends from the investment of the proceeds of the land sale continue to support the State League competitions and elite player development.
Developing Valentine Park
In 1970, existing duck sheds were converted into dormitories and a dining room, and in 1971 a 20 metre outdoor pool was built. In the 1970s, the player numbers of the NSW Amateurs were incorporated in approaches to the state government for funding, and a levy – some 50 cents per player from memory – was placed on all amateur players to assist with the building program. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, NSW Engineers Association field days were held on the site. These helped create the fields, dam and general layout of Valentine Park.
In 1981 the old administration and gymnasium buildings were opened, and in 1986 the accommodation block was opened. Then in 2002 the extensions to the administration building were opened. More recently, the original outdoor pool was converted to an indoor facility as a ‘private- public partnership’, and the built environment of Valentine Park as we presently know it was complete.
Limitations on going any further at Valentine Park
Over the past five years or so, it has become obvious that the growth and development of our code was outstripping the capacity of our facilities at Valentine Park. We simply cannot expand our current facility to meet emerging needs.
Most of our buildings are 25-30 years old. Major renovations and expenditure are required to bring the complex up to an acceptable standard. Over recent years too, some concerns have been raised by neighbours about noise, lighting and balls going over fences. There are parking problems, especially on the occasion of major tournaments. Even on ordinary weeknights, the parking facilities are stretched. We do not have enough fields to meet demand, which is ironic given the sale of more than half of the land owned by the then NSW Soccer Federation earlier. But, to repeat, that was necessary in the circumstances of the time.
With all this in mind, the Board of Football NSW is presently undertaking a major reappraisal of the future of Valentine Park. The results of this review will be made known to our 200,000-plus player-members in the months ahead.
Jim Forrest
President, Football NSW Limited
Small Sided Games, March 2008
Small sided games are set to involve more than 27,000 young players in New South Wales in 2008. Seventeen of FNSW’s 31 Associations have agreed to take part in the trial evaluation period mandated last year by FFA. Outcomes will be evaluated later in 2008 to judge the success of small sided games both in NSW and in other football states around Australia.
After that, FNSW will probably require that small sided games replace the existing mini-soccer (rooball) by either completely or by stages, year-by-year. However, any further extension beyond the 6’s to 8’s will be by negotiation with our Associations. FFA has agreed not to mandate which ages must use SSGs. Rather, FNSW will reply on experience, discussion, consensus and cooperation with FFA. Above all, change will be staged and evaluated at each stage before proceeding. Who knows, but that the success of the new format may gain overwhelming acceptance?
Small sided games are a logical and more focused extension of six-a-side mini soccer, introduced some two decades ago in line with an emerging view among senior coaches that ‘Children are not young adults’. That is, they are not just scaled down adults who can do everything adults can do, but over shorter distances, shorter times and so on. Not at all. Rather, children up to age 10 especially lack many of the physical skills they later develop. Depth of vision has not developed. Young bones are at a critical growing stage. Kids don’t concentrate on what they’re doing as well as at later ages. All this was initially taken into account with the introduction of mini soccer (later called Rooball by Soccer Australia).
Small sided games provide an even great focus on two main areas of our young persons’ game. Team sizes are reduced to 4-a-side in the starting years, then 5-a-side in the 7’s and 8’s, with no goalkeeper. Apart from having no goalkeeper, this is the mini-soccer (rooball) which most kids presently play; change to the small sided game format is minimal. Many of us will remember our own kids of years ago in goal, playing marbles or whatever to keep occupied during the greater part of the game. Main reason for omitting the goalie is that this is a specialised position, often with minimal involvement in the game. The goalkeeper would be introduced when SSGs move to 9’s and above.
FNSW has been delighted by the positive response of our Associations, especially from country Associations where the new format provides major advantages where there are relatively few players. The advantage for greater utilization of grounds is also apparent. Because this is a trial year, participation varies. All 17 Associations are using the small-sided game format for 6’s; 12 are using it up to 7’s; and nine up to 8’s. Four Associations have extended the trial to 9’s, and two (Ku-ring-gai and Far South Coast) have adopted SSG’s for up to10’s in 2008.
So why change to SSGs? Basically, the response is the same as the justification for the introduction of mini-soccer (rooball) some 20 years ago. That is, to provide a better experience of the game for small kids: more touches on the ball, more chances to become directly involved, more activity on and about the ball (rather than the comet effect of the 11-a-side game with small kids). Above all, a chance to experience both the attacking and the defensive game before they decide which they will prefer in later years. They will experience more of the whole game in a fun context. As with mini-soccer, there are no competition points!
Jim Forrest
President,
Football NSW Limited.
Association Boundaries
31st January 2008
At its monthly meeting on 30 January, the Board of Football NSW agreed to delegate to Sydney Branch the authority to clarify Association boundaries among the Sydney Associations. This is a first step towards clarifying all Association boundaries, city and country, as required by Football Federation Australia and by FNSW.
Sydney Branch has been delegated the role of circulating its present understanding of Association boundaries to all Associations, with the request that they notify their agreement with the boundaries as supplied, or indicate that a particular boundary or boundaries are ‘in dispute’. If, as is likely in the overwhelming majority of situations, there is agreement, then those boundaries will be ratified by the Board and formally recorded.
If any boundary is notified as ‘in dispute’, this will be notified to the Board of FNSW by Sydney Branch, and a sub-committee of three Board directors will bring all parties together to hear the dispute and make suitable recommendations about resolution to the Board. This sub-committee was also set up at the 30 January Board meeting. In notifying a boundary as ‘in dispute’ to Sydney Branch, an Association is not required to make any further submissions at that time. Argument will instead be presented to the Board sub-committee when a hearing is called.
The situation in country NSW is different, in that ‘boundaries’ are not so much lines on the map as areas, towns and their hinterlands, which are part of a particular Association. These will have to be established, but there is less urgency about this as the FFA Zone for voting purposes is now the Branch. Branch Zone boundaries will also need to be clarified and ratified and country Branches well shortly received notification of the need to undertake this work.
All this may seem a bit of a pain, but it is necessary in an increasingly litigious society. Please bear with us as we work through what you may see as the increasingly onerous requirements imposed upon us. It’s all in a good cause, I think!
Jim Forrest
President,
Football NSW Limited.
November 2007
I draw your attention to two policy statements, one relating to the election on Saturday about a promised ALP boost for women’s football, the other coming out of a policy speech by the Premier of NSW at the last state election.
Both are significant, the federal commitment because it would double the federal government grant of $16m over four years to FFA previously announced by our national body, the other because of its obvious importance to desperately needed grounds development.
The promise by the NSW Premier has not yet been implemented, and Clubs or Associations with links to state MPs are encouraged to ask about when this policy promise will be acted upon.
ALP Boost for Women’s Football
“On the day Australia celebrated winning the world netball championship, Federal Labor unveiled a multi-million dollar women’s sport initiative – for football.
Labor’s sports spokeswoman, Senator Kate Lundy, said a Rudd government would invest $32m in Football Federation Australia, with half the money to underpin a televised national women’s league and provide grants to local clubs. The handout is about six times the normal subsidy received by top-level sports.
‘We need to support our Socceroos in the lead-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and we also want to make sure our elite female players have a pathway … to becoming a Matilida,’ Senator Lundy said.”
Report from the Sydney Morning Herald, 19 November 2007, Sport, p.2
NSW State Election 2007: Premier’s Sporting Challenge Policy Statement
Encourage more community use and better management of Government school sporting facilities through a new policy, Partnerships for Community Use of School Playing Fields. It involves:
- Fostering agreements between schools and local councils for the joint use of school facilities outside of school hours; and
- Maintaining and improving school sporting facilities through capital upgrades and regular maintenance agreements with local councils, at no financial or administrative cost to schools.
Jim Forrest
President,
Football NSW Limited.
