David Gallop ... experts say honeymoon with FFA will be brief. Source: News Limited
Monday is day one of a brand new era for football in Australia.
David Gallop has walked through the doors of the Football Federation offices in an official capacity, facing a brimming in-tray.
The new FFA CEO takes over with the code buoyed by a new TV deal, the star dust of some fabulous A-League marquee signings, and a Socceroos World Cup campaign now back on track.
But according to respected football voices Gallop's honeymoon will be brief.
He will have to oversee a system that produces a conveyor belt of Socceroos, while helping the A-League clubs stay solvent and happy. And he will have to earn his spurs as an outsider from another sport.
A-LEAGUE
"Over the next four years, the game has to be in a position that the next broadcast deal places football at the same level as the major sports like AFL, cricket and rugby league," said Brendan Schwab, a senior players union official.
Join us for a live stream of David Gallop's introduction as Football Federation Australia chief executive from midday on Monday
"To do that, David must ensure that the clubs and the professional game are the primary source of investment.
"The mistake of the last few years was FFA trying to be too broad in its focus."
Fox Sports commentator Robbie Slater believes that Gallop has to make communication with the clubs one of his big-ticket items.
"The TV deal means the salary cap should be covered, so financially the clubs will be a lot happier," he said.
"But the owners are passionate people, and they need to feel nurtured and loved. For whatever reason, that hasn't been the case, and the communication need to be better, informally and formally."
SOCCEROOS
"Let's be realistic about where we're at," Slater said.
"The Joeys didn't qualify for the under-17 World Cup and the Olyroos missed out on the Olympics.
"That will hurt those players's development, while Japan and Korea both made the semi-finals of the Olympics.
"At least David is coming in fresh, with no pre-conceptions. He can start with a blank page, and ask, Why?"
GRASSROOTS
This is the issue that has bedevilled the country's most popular game when it comes to participation numbers.
Former Socceroo Zeljko Kalac believes Gallop could enact one reform that would bring the A-League instant kudos.
"The grassroots, and I mean the clubs, have to embrace the A-League, and one of the reasons a lot of them are resentful is the way they see their best kids picked up by the professional clubs for little reward," Kalac said.
"Even a transfer fee of $15,000 would make a big difference to the local clubs when they spend years developing these kids. As for the A-League itself, it's at the perfect size now.
"But I'd love to see David look at some of the side issues, like our referees.
"They're not full-time, and so it's not necessarily their fault, but we've seen some alarming errors.
"Maybe they need more financial support to devote more time to the game."
| P | W | D | L | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Coast | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 13 |
| 2 | Adelaide | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Perth | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 5 | Victory | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 9 |
| 6 | Heart | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 7 | Western Sydney | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 7 |
| 8 | Sydney | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -7 | 6 |
| 9 | Wellington | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 5 |
| 10 | Brisbane | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 4 |
HEAD HONCHO
"One thing we all knew about David was you saw him everywhere on TV and in the papers, talking issues and defending (rugby league)," Slater said.
"We need that, and it's no criticism of Ben Buckley, but David has to be the face of (football).
"He was very popular and experienced at the NRL, and knows what they are thinking."
OUTSIDER
Schwab pointed out that Gallop's long history at the NRL would be a bonus in his new role as head of football.
"The relatively small commercial scale of the NRL clubs, and so the employment framework for the players, is the major for rugby league.
"They're also the key challenges for FFA."
Slater believes one facet will give him instant credibility.
"The first thing he has to do is reveal how much of a mad West Brom fan he is," Slater said.
"No one supports them for the glory, after all."
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