If sports followers regard sporting administrators as faceless, unaccountable individuals, this is one man whose profile has changed forever.
It is also ironic with the rapid, unprecedented growth of the Western Sydney Wanderers that a misguided, minority element of their supporters may just be spoiling the party for the largely dedicated, loyal and hard core fan base.
In this interview with WSBA’s Roger Sleeman, Damien de Bohun discusses the FFA’S reaction to the events of December 28, the progress and degree of public support for the A- League, the media’s role, the League’s sustainability and plans for expansion.
WSBA: What is your background in football?
DDB: My father emigrated from Leicester at the age of 18 and naturally possessed a love of the game which he instilled in me from an early age. I played in a competitive high school environment at Carey Grammar and graduated to Diamond Valley in the National Youth League before playing three hundred games in the Victorian Premier and State Leagues during the 1990’s for Box Hill. I recently gained referee qualifications and have become devoted to junior coaching with my two childrens’ teams.
WSBA: Were the unfortunate events of December 28th a distraction the game just didn’t need when really the concentration should be on football?
DDB: The events of the day recorded on the public record are unacceptable but on a positive note the work with clubs, government, police and venues has contributed this season to a considerable improvement in behaviour across the A- League. The Hyundai A- League must be a family friendly, fun and enjoyable environment for all spectators and the events of December 28th were out of the ordinary so for this reason the FFA has taken up a serious position. It is pleasing we’ve received so much support on our stance from the wider community and with the progress the game is making, this is not the time to let an incident like this hold us back.
WSBA: On January 3, 2014, the FFA issued a statement charging Melbourne Victory and the Wanderers with bringing the game into disrepute due to the misconduct of their supporters. Could this be considered inflammatory and a severe challenge to the clubs?
DDB: We’ve taken the view that the relationship between the fans and the clubs is an integral part of football and an incident of this magnitude had to be treated with the utmost of seriousness. Hence the decision to impose the suspended three points on both clubs.
WSBA: On September 28th 2012, you stated the game would boom with the introduction of the marquee players, Del Piero, Heskey and Ono. More than 12 months later these players are hardly hitting the headlines and people are saying general playing standards are deteriorating. What is your view?
DDB: Football has now moved into mainstream Australian sport and with this comes more scrutiny and greater expectations. The reality is that this season has seen additional broadcasts with the introduction of the SBS coverage on a Friday night and attendances and memberships particularly have increased significantly. There are young Australian stars like Adam Taggart emerging who have travelled to the Asian u/22 competition in Oman, Brisbane Roar is putting in some outstanding performances, the Wanderers are continuing to excel and Victory have displayed great moments. Importantly, the marquee players created new interest in the game and people started to take notice of the League and a higher standard of performance.
WSBA: Did the thrashings by Brazil and France last year, impact on the image of the A- League?
DDB: It did have an impact on Australian football but Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as national coach which has been embraced by the Australian public has been a mitigating factor. We do face a huge challenge in our first round group against Chile, Holland and Spain at the Brazil World Cup but I believe Ange will cultivate our traditional fighting qualities and provide the necessary balance. The fact we’re pitting our skills against the best teams in the world in Brazil can only be a positive for the A- League and the game as a whole.
WSBA: You also were quoted on 28/9/12 that the key to maintaining hype in the game is to provide an increasing standard of football. In the former NSL, there were players like Patikas, Farina, Soper, Mitchell,Crino,Petersen,Katholos,Trimboli,Kosmina,Barnes,Taliadoros,Viduka ,Henderson and Corica to name a few. Where are the star players now?
DDB: There’s no doubting the quality of these former players but you will find after the World Cup, the Asian Cup and with the opportunities for young players to play in different Asian tournaments, the necessary exposure to better competition will lift playing levels and hence provide star quality. One advantage the young player has these days is they can play full time professional football at a minimum salary of $120,000 under the salary cap whereas most of the NSL players named were forced to play overseas to maximise their earnings and were ultimately lost to the spectator public.
WSBA: Football supporters are used to the best commentary from match callers in the UK like Paul Dempsey, John Champion and Peter Drury and expert commentators like Paul Walsh, Trevor Francis and Clive Allen. Do you monitor the performance and selection criteria of the television network commentators and the other media outlets?
DDB: We work closely with Fox and SBS and now the coverage of the A- League has been taken up by more radio stations and digital mediums. I receive a daily report on every aspect of the media coverage because the business of football has grown so much we have to monitor the media. We typically find a whole range of media people and some are doing a great job. However, the balance is finding people with football expertise who can communicate in the public space and hopefully this will improve in time.
WSBA: When will more National Youth League matches be played as curtain raisers to the A- League so people can witness the progress of our young players and also to provide some big time atmosphere for them?
DDB: More double headers are being looked at and we’re also examining the best model which will allow our youth players to perform ten months of the year. This exercise is being discussed with A- League clubs and the state bodies so that within two years, the best young players will integrate into the National Premier Leagues, providing the opportunity to play most of the year and develop more quickly.
WSBA: It was generally accepted that former CEO, Ben Buckley, made a poor decision in not admitting Wollongong to the A- League in 2008, particularly in light of the $4 million dollars invested in the upgrade of WIN Stadium by the former NSW Labour government. Can you comment on this and what are the current plans for expansion of the A- League?
DDB: Certainly, by the actions of North Queensland and Gold Coast, the FFA would acknowledge that the wrong markets were chosen. When the next broadcast rights are negotiated, we’ll be examining a model for ten teams or an expansion to twelve. Significant markets of population will be considered so Wollongong is a possibility and Western Brisbane and Western Melbourne which are the two fastest growing population corridors in the country will be high on the list. Also, as I’ve mentioned previously, we can’t discount basing a team in Asia or playing A- League matches there in the future. To comprehend the size of Asian markets, you have only have to recall the Central Coast Mariner’s match against Guangzhou in the Asian Champions League last May which attracted 490,000 television viewers in Australia compared to 490 million in China.
WSBA: According to an article in the Financial Review last April, the A- League recorded a loss of $20 million last season. Consequently, is the League sustainable?
DDB: It is true in the nine years of the League, $150 million has been invested by the clubs but we are anticipating they will be breaking even in three to four years. On the positive side, this is the first year distributions have been made to match the salary cap and the financial situation this season will improve. Critically, a major objective is the financial stability of the member clubs.
