In a lot of ways, the next few weeks of decision making at Perth Glory is an excellent representation of the overall state of the A-League itself. Dr Ric Charlesworth is delivering a report on what the A-League club is doing wrong; coaching, administration, finances, you name it he’s critiquing it. Meanwhile, disgruntled fans have attempted to circulate a petition protesting the club’s performance and its lack of a relationship with the community - something that forced the club CEO to hold an impromptu meeting in a Perth pub to smooth over various issues. On the whole, fans were told little more than what they already knew or suspected - and little was said about how the club would move forward in future, meaning the Charlesworth Report assumed even more importance.
Likewise, the league as a whole faces criticism for everything from a lack of marketing to their handling of finances and selective support of franchises. Like the Glory, the FFA have promised to look at issues but have stayed mostly silent - backing up Brisbane Roar to the tune of $1.5 million whilst ignoring the death rattle of the North Queensland Fury. “Clubs have to survive on their own” they said. Except premiership winners- because that would just be embarrassing, right? For their part, some fans appear to be split between two equally stupid extremes - the “FFA are evil demons who stole my baby and are trying to kill Australian football” tribe, and the group known as “HOW DARE YOU QUESTION THE FFA- This is the fault of people like you, Judas!”. Or something to that effect. Most of us though are somewhat more rational and sit on a quite crowded fence.
The same can be said of Perth fans. Some have had it in for the club since Nick Tana left (“It’s just not like the NSL days... but not just because we’re not guaranteed winners any more, honest...”) whilst others may as well be sitting in the passenger seat of Tony Sage’s auctioned Ferrari. Most though are simply frustrated by six straight years of mediocrity, though they’re still somehow loyal to their once-great club. The Glory now have a chance to address this - to make some tough decisions, show some transparency and accountability, and re-energise their relationship with a somewhat unenthusiastic local community. Just imagine - a football body in Australia which admits to making mistakes, and proactively tries to reach out and engage its fanbase to fix things!
If the Glory were to come out and accomplish all these things, they could send a rude shockwave of competency and engagement across the entire country. At a time when Melbourne Victory are seemingly at war with their own paying customers, Newcastle Jets are changing their image without consulting theirs, and the FFA wants nothing to do with the hapless Fury, a positive move out west could spark a revolution of competence in Australian football (for the second time). A kick in the face for the businessmen who ignore their ‘customers’, if you will.
Equally though, it could not. The Glory could continue in much the same vein as the past half a decade, declaring a new intent and pulling out cosmetic changes while all the while continuing to make the same old mistakes. It is staggering that in season six of their new Crawford-uncompliant league, the FFA have still not grasped the concept that a well-engaged community is the way to success, rather than a focus on profit and loss, and this pandering to corporate sponsors that we see every season. It is even more staggering that a club that learnt this lesson and practically defined it during the NSL would need to learn it all over again.
Some forumites might call on fans to support their sport no matter what, rather than complain about its faults - and that, to an extent, is sound advice. But equally, if I went to a restaurant and ordered a fine Cordon Bleu, only to receive shit on a stick, I would bloody well complain about it. Why then should people pay $30 to go to Glory games and be served up the footballing equivalent whilst being expected to sit there with a smile on their face? Crowd figures show that simply won’t work - 16,000 spectators in round one, under 6,000 in our last match. Stick to your idealistic views about fan passion, loyalty, and ‘the good of the game’ if you like - but I’m afraid the only world they’ll apply to is the one running on your Playstation’s processor. In the real world, if the waiter spits in your face you won’t be returning to the restaurant. Why should football fans be any different?
That’s not to say fans don’t have a role to play. It should be easy enough to create chants and yell abuse that doesn’t feature the word cunt. It should be easy to follow simple rules like “No flares please, they’re banned in the interest of safety”. It should be possible to not incite venue security, police, or other fans to assault you in the first place. Fans may be the lifeblood of the game - but I’ve never known anyone to live for very long with poison coursing through their veins.
In the end though, it comes down to the leaders and governors of this game to recognise their mistakes and correct them. Fans don’t sit on the board, and they don’t head the FFA. But they are your customers, and maybe once in a while you should listen to what they have to say. Otherwise your Everyday Pork Chop Special might not sell very well in your Jewish and Islamic-dominated neighbourhood. At a national level, the governing body must recognise its current franchise model isn’t working - something the majority of investors already know, given the struggle to find owners and sponsors for teams.
At a local level, the chairman, board, and owner of Perth Glory FC need to accept the findings of what will hopefully be an incisive, harsh, and detailed Charlesworth Report and implement each and every recommendation. If it means sacking people, sack them. If it means hiring more staff, hire them. And if it means moving venues, then move. Nothing should stop the club acting on the advice of people it brought in to tell them where they’re falling down.
A failure to do so would continue the culture of mediocrity that is present at the club, and further perpetuate the flawed model of football operations that seems to be endemic on a national level. The problems that exist at Perth Glory are repeated, on a larger scale, in the halls of the FFA. Perhaps it is not surprising that the franchise ‘children’ of the governing body have picked up the bad habits of their abusive, alcoholic, drug-addicted father? There are plenty of supporters out there willing to offer help to these clubs, ready to help the sport in any way they can - but first the sport has to stop and listen. The franchises - and their FFA overlords - must realise very soon that they are dealing with people, not numbers, and they should be treated as such.
Otherwise we might just find this professional league failing to last the distance of its much-derided, officially-denied, predecessor; let alone achieve the lofty aim of being the biggest football code in the country.
