The formation of “Football Australia” this week has been the most bizarre occurrence in the A-League’s short history.  In fact, halfway through Clive’s ludicrous press conference I wondered whether I had entered some parallel universe.  His deluded ramblings and arrogant pronouncements were bad enough but when he claimed to be standing up for the rights of fans and women in the game, I began to see red. 

Here’s my message to you Clive: as a fan and a woman I do not need you to speak for me.  Who the hell gave you the authority to do so?  You have treated fans of your own team badly, disrespected the game and had no idea how to run your club. Now suddenly you are the self-appointed “football ombudsman”?  What planet are you on? 

Hey, I think I’ll start my own maverick organisation “FFFFA – Furious Female Football Fans Australia”.  Our slogan : “We kick – where it hurts!”

We’ll form a lobby group, publish papers and hold conferences.  We’ll demand the right to vet prospective A-League licence holders for signs of megalomania.  We’ll ensure that ego-driven madness never again poisons our football family.

Because sadly, the GCU debacle has just about ruined what has been a wonderful season. Just when we should be getting excited about the finals, not to mention having three (THREE!) teams in the ACL, along comes Clive with his flame-thrower. 

Even if Gold Coast play the remaining four games, surely the negative circumstances surrounding the matches will give a distinct advantage to their opposition. Is this fair, when the teams involved are all in the Top 6 ?  Surely the integrity of this season’s competition has been irrevocably compromised, adding injury to insult for the players, coaching staff and supporters.

Some may blame the FFA for axing GCU before the season end but according to Ben Buckley, GCU had already indicated they would not be in the competition next season.  Puts Clive’s antics in a new light, doesn’t it ?  Attack as the best form of defence or simply the actions of a man who will go to any lengths rather than admit the truth: his football business was a failure.

How did it come to this? 

It seems like only yesterday we gathered at the Sydney Football Stadium for the long-awaited launch of A-League Season 7.  The mood was celebratory as we assembled on the pitch, forming the words “We Are Football”, inside a giant circle embracing players, coaches, fans, journalists and FFA staff.  

For nearly an hour as photos were taken, we were the living embodiment of the A-League’s new slogan.  We stood “shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers”, football legends alongside mums and dads with kids. 

As corny as it might seem, everyone was smiling, laughing and enjoying a powerful sense of how great it was to be part of our “football family”. 

The cynical might say it was just another marketing ploy but it was one that reflected a genuine understanding of everyone who plays, works for or supports football.  In a series of inspiring black and white advertisements the message from the FFA was clear : “sure, we’ve got problems but if you truly love this game, support the A-League.  We’re building something exciting and everyone plays a part.” 

After the disastrous loss of Fury in Season 6, its simplicity seemed to cut through the voices of critics and ask  “are you with us or against us ?”

In contrast, the slogan “Freedom of Speech” ripped apart the concept of the “football family” and asserted “I’m more important than the game and I’ll fight to the death (or the highest court in the land) to prove it.”

Ironically, giant “We Are Football” banners were used this season to cover empty bays at Skilled Park.  It was an image that symbolised why money alone is not always the answer to the A-League’s problems.  Regardless of Clive’s wealth and power, his destructive, ill-informed and disrespectful actions are a threat us all.  Like some football bunny-boiler, he seems determined to destroy the FFA now the relationship has turned sour. 

While we all appreciate the A-League needs wealthy investors, it would be preferable to choose someone with a greater appreciation of the game before we jump into bed next time.   

And as the FFA, GCU players and fans deal with the fallout from Clive’s rampant vanity, we need to understand that Australian football is a very small place. We have enough enemies on the outside without destroying ourselves from within. Even if we sometimes disagree, at times like these we must stand together to defend our family honour or risk losing all we have achieved.  

Money can buy many things but dignity, credibility and a fundamental understanding of football culture are not for sale.