So the A-League is back and so am I <waves>. After an off season spent hoping the promising signs from the FFA at the end of last season were a beacon for the future, migrating north for the winter and watching hilarious videos of Nick Meredith ‘defending’ for the Brisbane Strikers I was expecting a quiet early season as news drifted in that the FFA were standing by the fans, the clubs, women's football, and the A-League and working to make the A-League great again.
I mean. How hard is it to stand by the promises made and the public statements made? Yet here we are again with the catalogue of catastrophes backing up already and the season is only two weeks old.
Ladies first
Brisbane Roar being a joke is hardly breaking news (Newcastle – chortle) but this article is a new low.
We’ve already had a look on here at how the FFA pay lip-service to the W-League despite the figures showing the tremendous growth in participation numbers for Female footballers of all ages.
If it isn’t playing on dangerous pitches in dangerous conditions it’s failing to schedule enough time for show-piece games in the league without even looking into how little the top women’s players are paid to make it look like the FFA isn’t the boys club that everyone can clearly see it is.
Isn’t it about time the FFA took some of that money they have been extorting out of this player base, the clubs, regional federations, Fox Sports and most importantly the success of the Matilda’s and offered something other than lip service to the Women’s game below the national side?
I mean it would take a fraction of what they hand the richest club owners in the world to pay Tim Cahill each week to ensure the W-League and it’s players are treated in a fair manner.
Officiating
We’ll look at this more widely soon in light of the laughable comments from the A-League that the A-League needs to clamp down on diving and time wasting (I would suggest a clamp down on season ending tackles might be a good idea as well).
However as we’re on a Queensland bent this evening. How has Matt McKay got away with this without further sanction?
It was clear to audiences all over the world yet the FFA judiciary show their usual backbone and pretend they never spotted it. A footballer playing in the Gladesville-Hornsby Over-35s competition would likely be subject to a further sanction in this situation so how is a professional in the top league in this nation not?
Watch this space
Are the FFA once again reneging on promises? I’m hearing rumors of discontent from within the A-League supporter groups.
