The FFA Chairman, Chris Nikou, has written an open letter to the Australian football community outlining the new Board's priorities and a 100-day plan to kick-start a new relationship between FFA and the Australian football community.
He acknowledged that while the A-League expansion decision was the issue that was most high-profile, there were a number of matters that the Board discussed at their meeting last week.
The first priority is to “define a true unity of purpose” via a 10-point 100-day plan. The 10 points are:
Increased and improved communication with the football family, including through Community Football Summits and a Fans' Forum
Establishment of and advancement of work undertaken by the New Leagues Working Group
Establishment of the National Second Division Working Group
Appointment of a new National Technical Director
Finalisation of the review of the National Club Identity Policy
Formal commencement of the bid for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
Enhancing our relationships across the Asian Football Confederation and beyond
Hosting of the inaugural Women’s Cup of Nations across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne
Commencement of a review into the National Premier Leagues encompassing licensing criteria, youth development, training compensation and the cost of playing
Nationally co-ordinated government relations activity throughout 2019.
All of these matters will form part of the new four-year plan or strategy to take effect from 2020.
Nikou wrote that there are many competing priorities within football and it is the Board's role to unite the football community and to “move beyond recent challenges”.
The Board will conduct a series of forums in the new year involving the stakeholder groups in each capital city, and there will also be a fans' forum, all of which will be open to the media. For anyone who can't attend these events, there will be a live stream.
In terms of A-League expansion, Nikou reiterated his view that there should be further expansion but it “requires careful planning and deep consultation with existing A-League Clubs”.
He confirmed that the FFA Board would be represented on the New Leagues Working Group, a key recommendation of the Congress Review Working Group, by Crispin Murray and Joseph Carrozzi.
A separate working group, chaired by Board member Remo Nogarotto and including representatives of the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC), will “explore” the establishment of a national second tier competition.
Nikou also identified the need to significantly increase and improve engagement with government at all levels, particularly in a federal election year, signalling that FFA will lead a whole-of-football approach to government in pursuing greater facilities investment and funding.
He also wrote that the Board will give a higher priority to the “rich history” of the game, with the first manifestation of this the 40-year anniversary of the Matildas first A-international in February next year.
He sees improved engagement with Asia as being achieved by his nomination to the AFC executive committee and demonstrates the importance the Board sees in senior levels of Australian football being “deeply engagement in internaitonal relations” – in other words, the Board and not staff.
Nikou has also written to the stakeholders to outline a process for the appointment of additional directors. Under the FFA Constitution, up to three appointments can be made. The nominations process will be overseen at Board level by the hitherto invisible Kelly Bayer Rosmarin and the highly experienced new Board member, Joseph Carrozzi.