Craig Foster's Fozz on football

I wish I had this book 5 years ago when I started coaching. I would have got 'it' more quickly. It is about having space, which equals time.

His passion comes through. So does Craig's reputation for not pulling punches. He isn't going to count to 10 before saying what thinks, and if he does it isn't going to change anyway.

The over-riding message is that if we play better, football will take its place as the top sport in Australia. This is the over-riding message I get whenever I hear the SBS crew. It is an appealing message. And certainly we won't win the world cup without it. It will help us to get the most out of the players we have. However, I think the issue is more complex. The popularity of a sport is about more than how it looks.

To prove Australia is a great sporting nation we need to play sports the world plays. That is soccer. But the media just paid a squillian for a sport that is not played seriously anywhere else in the world. That is a big vested interest. One that will not be given up just because of the way soccer is played. Just a thought.

Craig Foster's book will help coaches of children and youth, even A-League coaches. I recommend taking time to read it.

Fan Forum

Did I detect a touch of schadenfreude (call it pretend sympathy) for Ben Buckley facing up to what appeared to be mainly Sydney FC fans?

Ben Buckley did well, gaining recognition from the audience that they were being tough on him. They thought he deserved it.

However. On reflection, I think he would have expected the reception, but didn't deserve it. He is doing what he can to satisfy his multiple and often conflicting stakeholders. As Les Murray pointed out, what are the state football organisations doing in there as directors? I need to do a bit of research as I don't understand how this hierarchy works. Surely Football Queensland and Soccer NSW (or whatever it is now called) reports to FFA, not the other way round? But without these state bodies how would the volunteers, that make the game work each weekend, be coordinated? Not by the parents, they are using weekend sport as a child minding service.

Ben Buckley referred to the FFA's 'strategic plan'. A vital document. I assume it maps out all these stakeholder relationships, their needs and their influence? If it does it will be a wicked and complex document.

But for the A-League, its main game must now be commercial success. The governance structure is less than ideal. But is better than trying to imitate the EPL. The EPL clubs do not make money in a sustainable way. The EPL model is about 5 clubs that can win and others that have generations of loyal fans to sustain them. And primarily it is about the massive financial resources of some men who want to make their mark on world football by buying the best coaches and players. If the A-League tries to emulate that, it will be soon gone.

If the A-League tries to rely on a few rich men, it will also soon be gone. Have a listen to, or read, this ABC radio 'Background Briefing', particularly the last 10 minutes.

The mood of the fan forum was 'why have you not done this'. Yet the right answer in sport is not easy. There is a very high probability that whatever you do will not work out how you planned it. The reality is that the A-League arose from the Socceroos world cup qualification in 2005 and some clubs had, by some measures, peaked before the 2006 world cup. There was a lot of free-to-air coverage before the 2006 world cup, it was a mood of 'our time.'

There was limited free-to-air coverage of the qualification rounds for the 2010 cup. Those that don't have Foxtel probably didn't feel part of it. And Australia's coach was a disaster for the game, getting massive airplay for the message that that the local league was of a poor standard. The reality was that because of his coaching ability he needed the best players he could to qualify and he was then found out on the world stage. The perceived poor performance at the world cup came back and hit the A-League further - despite the lack of local participants.

There is a lot of talk about the grass roots. But the reality is that parents choose soccer as a development activity, then then go and watch another code for entertainment. They tried the A-League and some stuck. But their interest in sport as development has a product lifecycle linked to the age of their children. And their interest in it as entertainment is also likely to be linked to their children's interest. Meanwhile, those with a culture of attending sport as entertainment, generation after generation, are likely to revert to their original code passion or the sport that is being promoted on free-to-air TV. The mega dollars being thrown around by a centralised AFL body with an annual net profit of over $150 million and no national or state teams to worry about funding, is hard to compete with if you have no money.

Cricket has found how damaging the brand of a national team playing a high volume of local games is on the domestic league. Managing the local Socceroo exposure is complex - how do you use it to boost the sport if there are only 1 or 2 players from the local league?

On the other hand, allowing free-to-air coverage of A-League games or Socceroo games could totally devalue the coverage contracts.

What is needed is some way to get the next wave of families to watch the A-League, without reducing the net revenue of the sport.

Couple of days in Melbourne - Santo, Srebre Delovski, Johnny Warren, Archie Thompson but no Serbia

Of course Santo was right. I had had just bought a copy of Archie Thompson's 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Santo Caruso, owner of Australia's best specialist football bookshop 'Melbourne Sports Books', reckoned that Archie Thompson was playing in a couple of hours for the Socceroos against Serbia. 'No way' I had said, 'He's way out of contention.' How wrong I was.

Still, I was pleased to get a copy of Archie's book. To be honest I didn't know he had written one and I think he is the first current A-League player to do so. More on that later.

Amazingly, I also got an as new copy of Johnny Warren and Andrew Dettre's 1974 classic 'Soccer in Australia' for just $10.

Earlier in the day at Victoria Markets, I walked past a very recognisable face among a group of men in track suits. Oh FIFA track suits. 'I know that guy.' Hey its Srebre Delovski. 'FIFA must have some training or event on.' (I think the Ref for the Socceroo game is there in the photo too).

By the time I got to Melbourne Sports Books I realised that the Serbia game I had set to record was actually in Melbourne. Later, as we made our to the sky bus we mingled with many very tall men in red, some carrying flags. Very different to Brisbane. Where were the yellow scarfs and flags, and the kids? Later still I watched the game on a TV set into the back of the seat in front of me. Archie was there. He didn't get much of a look in though.

Oh and we got some of Australia's best Italian cakes at Dolcetti on Victoria street - yum

Up the hill backwards, you'll be OK

I am missing the A-League more this off season than any other. I watched the European Cup final because I wanted to see something like our A-League. And there was Barcelona, with their over privileged squad copying Brisbane. And Manchester United copying Perth Glory, with less effect.

Soccer, basketball and union have paid a high price for helping Foxtel, via access to unique content, to become a commercially viable alternative TV source. And now Foxtel has joined the AFL revolution. It was also very disappointed to see the speed with which Foxtel dropped the A-League within minutes of the Final's penalty kickout. Imagine watching the FA Cup Final without the trophy lifting? I think there was a weird IPL match on or something.

But I am ready to watch Brisbane Roar again. Even without the Fury, the A-League is a technical success. You want that hot preparation ground for young socceroos and A-League Socceroos as preparation for Asian climates. And we should be looking to give Asia's hot and cold climate teams challenges with our vastness - Cairns, Townsville, Darwin, Canberra and Hobart.

It was amazing to hear Lyall Gorman stated that crowds would improve this year. I hope he is right as there will be no hiding if he isn't. I assume he has a massive campaign planned.

One more thought, isn't it amazing that the smart people at FFA actually believed that they could win the right to host the World Cup? Or is there more to it?

Billion dollar dreams

ABC Offsiders discussed interesting views of the $1b AFL deal.

Foxtel's objective is to invest in AFL to increase its household coverage from 34% to over 50% and to head towards 60%. There is a view that sports fans will not baulk at the $720 to $1,200 per year for all AFL games each week. However, the current patchwork economy is likely to have had some impact on paytv growth.

The AFL deal opens up a whole new business case for fans. It will be interesting to watch Foxtel's pricing strategy as the cost/revenue mix pans out.

The argument in favour of the A-League is that 1 million additional sports viewers will kick along soccer. However, A-League viewer numbers per game have been falling, and it is not clear that the AFL will transfer to a higher price for FFA in 2013. There is also some concern that that the AFL growth will mean that pre-season interest will completely wipe out the interest in the A-League finals.

The key factor is Channel 7's AFL gamble to push up the AFL package price. The 7 objective is to retain their no 1 ratings spot. However, if Foxtel's strategy works, it may be at 7's cost.

The Commonwealth's syphoning rules have hit soccer the hardest. Taking off the table any bargaining for key Socceroo games - that must now be shown on free to air. SBS's failure to create for the 2010 World Cup demonstrates how unfortunate it is that only soccer, union and cricket have any real national sport interest.

AFL claims victory - 5 year deal up from $780m to $1billion

There will be less money for the A-League. Fox Sports has upper the ante for the AFL and will show every game, every week (except the Final), live.

AFL has cemented its place with Gridiron, as the most profitable sport in the world. Built on a solid monopoly that ensures clubs and players, ultimately, do as they are told.

At the other end of spectrum, soccer is again under government review. The apparent driver is lack of a sustainable financial position. Ignored by Australians who would rather cheer for Mancester than Sydney, locked-in by anti-fan international rules (no live replays of controversy at grounds, no replays for refs), forced into stadiums way too big for demand, soccer is again in trouble.

And yet the skills of the average player and of junior players, the quality of coaches is the highest it has ever been.

Wayne Bennett follows Wooden...

"Knowledge alone is not enough to get desired results. You must have the more elusive ability to teach and to motivate. This defines a leader; if you can't teach and you can't motivate, you can't lead."

John R. Wooden 'Wooden' 1997