16 November 2005 was quite a night. It's been quite a decade since then. And it's farewell to Frank Lowy after 12 years in charge
It was the best of nights. 16 November 2005.
Not only was it a monkey off the back of the Australian football team – making it to the World Cup for the first time in 32 years – but it also showed the best of humanity.
Time-after-time, those who were in the terraces of the stadium that night, as I was with my family, tell the story of how they cheered, danced and kissed anyone and everyone around them. In stark contrast to the news we are confronted with from Syria, Lebanon, France and elsewhere, it was the very best of humanity and the very best of football.
It demonstrated what so many of we ‘true believers’ had grown-up with, had known all along. Football has the power to unite people in a way that nothing else does.
As we say at #NewFIFANow, “football works at all levels and speaks to all people”.
The continuation and maturing of the globalism of football, and its relationship to Australia, is what we celebrate today as much as we celebrate that penalty from John Aloisi as well as Mark Schwarzer’s heroics in goal and the effort of everyone who played their part on-and-off the field.
Tonight’s Black Tie dinner at Stadium Australia will also thank and reflect on the contribution of Frank Lowy, who must end his reign as Chairman after more than 12 years in the role. His place will be taken by his son, Steven.
I was part of the successful activist group that sought a review of the management and governance of the game, and entreated Frank to return to the game in June 2001. The others in that group were Professor Mark Bowman, Michael Cockerill, Jesse Fink, Matthew Hall, Andy Harper, Neal Jameson, Kyle Patterson and Robbie Slater.
After meeting with Frank and understanding his conditions for return to the game, we then lobbied Ian Knop as Chairman of Soccer Australia to have the review which resulted in the Crawford Review. Once that was underway, we also told David Crawford and the late Johnny Warren what the conditions were for Lowy’s return to the game. Crawford was able to convince the Prime Minister of the day that Lowy was the man to save the game and the rest is history. It took 25 months, but we got there.
Someone recently asked did I regret my role in this. The answer is no. From what we knew, Lowy was the right man at the time we went to him – now more than 14 years ago. He gave the game the instant credibility it needed. The fact that the Prime Minister came running after him showed how immense his reputation was and remains. He was the ‘white knight’ the game needed. His sheer presence gave the game a turbo-boost. That is not to say his reign has been without fault, mistakes or misjudgements – no reign ever is.
Frank Lowy was and is ambitious for Australian football and brought a “whatever it takes” approach to the task.
Such an attitude helped the Socceroos, behind-the-scenes, to realise a magnificent result this day ten years ago, followed-up by qualification again in 2010 and 2014. It drove the rebirth of the domestic competition resulting in the A-League we have today. It brooked no opposition in transferring from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation.
This trio of achievements – regular qualification for the World Cup, a revitalised national league and joining Asia – are Frank’s legacy. All had been an objective of football administration before Frank, but he made them happen when others before him were not able to do so.
His ambition, commitment and ‘whatever it takes’ attitude came unstuck in his ultimate vision of hosting the World Cup.
Tomorrow night, we’ll get Frank’s version of that story in a program put together by Southern Pictures, which also produced the Australian Story program on Frank.
Eventually, we may know the real story depending on how far the authorities in Europe and the USA take their investigations into the length and breadth of FIFA corruption and mismanagement.
Overall, the ‘key metrics’ – as FFA management is keen to refer to – show that the Australian game is in a better place than it was on 11 July 2003 when he took over.
For that, Frank Lowy warrants his valedictory – just as the Socceroos of 16 November 2005 deserve their celebration.
