Faith in the football mission continues to grow

Football has come so far but, every now and then, we get a glimpse into some of the more regrettable elements of the past that make us shudder and be thankful for where we are.

Source: AAP

Many challenges await, and there are plenty afoot at present with the viability of A-League clubs and the current impasse between FFA and the PFA, nevertheless we have come a long, long way and that’s a credit to everyone in the game.

All of you. Players, fans, media, administrators, clubs, grass roots.  We are all in this great mission together. Well, almost all.

Last Saturday I had the misfortune to attend Valentine Football Centre as Chair of the Football NSW (FNSW) Coaching Standing Committee to vote on one of the most transparent attempts to disrupt progress seen since my early days with the PFA when, trust me, such meetings were commonplace.

Basically, the entire waste of energy and resources by a small and ultimately deeply unsuccessful group was an attempt to overthrow much of the FNSW Board to stop modifications to the NPL youth structures in a so-called ‘flattened model’, which provides for greater geographical and numerical representation in elite level development football for young players.

It broadens the base, so to speak, and provides many more clubs the opportunity to participate in a higher level of football that will eventually lead to tremendous growth in coaching and playing standards.

The first few years will be challenging, truly and I do feel for those clubs affected in the short term, but this is a fantastic example of how far the game has come that the FNSW Board has the understanding, desire and foresight to step in line with an FFA national directive, despite the predictable dissenting voices of those who feel they have something to lose.

Walking out of the meeting knowing the motion had been defeated was a feeling of great satisfaction because it showed the forces of progress cannot so easily be slowed as in the past.

Quite possibly not at all, at least I hope anyway.

The meeting was absolutely striking because of how different it was from years ago.

Firstly, the quality of message and delivery by the four FNSW Board members under assault was outstanding. Measured, unemotional, not afraid to point out the unconcealed self interest agitating for the past, and professional.

This is not an advert for the Board, there are issues everywhere and I’m not up to speed with all their decisions, but it was pleasing to see individuals with acumen, sound professional experience and an ability to articulate representing the State, and the game.

The motion was utterly defeated also because the room itself represented a different era for football. There was no great emotion of the past, no feuds being played out, no histrionics, simply some measured argument, questioning, points of views being stated and a vote taken.

I attended the vote seeking to guage not just the likely outcome of a spurious attempt to harm the game by holding back challenging, but necessary, functional changes to the club system, but to really get a picture of what the future likely holds.

Can football continue to hold it’s nerve, to push forward, to build on the work done and be brave enough to confront the changes we need for the betterment of all? 

Can we develop the understanding and elect suitable representative bodies with the ability to lead, which means taking such steps at times which can be unpopular, to manage through, even to withstand the attempts by narrow interests to hold the game back?

Can we have confidence in the future, at grass roots level, even as the professional game continues to grow and, hopefully, thrive?

Having spoken to many in the room about the changes they have introduced at their local or association level, and how excited they are about the benefits of tough but overwhelmingly positive decisions for football, my answer is a resounding yes.

I went under duress to fulfil my obligation, and left full of optimism.

A motion was not just defeated last Saturday, the past was consigned to where it belongs.

Let’s be strong enough to keep moving the game forward.

Follow @CraigFoster