2003 Report of the Independent Soccer Review Committee
Encyclopedia
The Independent Soccer Review Committee published a report in 2003 on the governance of Association Football in Australia
popularly called the Crawford Report. The committee was announced by the then Minister for Sport Rod Kemp
and the Australian Parliament after extensive media publicity surrounding alleged mismanagement and corruption in the governing body, Soccer Australia
. The impetus for reform was more acute after the public had witnessed the spectacle of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
which contrasted with the near-bankrupt state of the local game.
to withhold funding to Soccer Australia. Restructuring of the governance of the Associations has led to a more democratic approach and the enfranchisement of groups not previously represented (e.g. referees, women's players, etc). In more substantial terms, it led to the resignation of the Soccer Australia board en masse and their replacement with a board led by Frank Lowy.
The Frank Lowy board has completely overhauled the organisation. Now called Football Federation Australia
, it has achieved financial stability. It has also gained the confidence of the business community, having acquired several high profile sponsors. The relaunched domestic competition (the Hyundai A-League
) can be seen as a byproduct of the change initiated by the Independent Soccer Review Committee's report.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
popularly called the Crawford Report. The committee was announced by the then Minister for Sport Rod Kemp
Rod Kemp
Charles Roderick "Rod" Kemp is an Australian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from 1990 to 2008, representing the state of Victoria....
and the Australian Parliament after extensive media publicity surrounding alleged mismanagement and corruption in the governing body, Soccer Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
. The impetus for reform was more acute after the public had witnessed the spectacle of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
which contrasted with the near-bankrupt state of the local game.
Precursor
A series of incidents highlighted the critical state of Football in Australia:- a) The failure of the Socceroos to qualify for the FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
due to there being inadequate funds to send European based players to friendlies and the OFC Nations CupOFC Nations CupThe OFC Nations Cup is an international association football tournament held among the Oceania Football Confederation member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name Oceania Nations Cup...
. - b) The investigation by the Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's Four Corners programme into conflicts of interest and mismanagement at the Board level at Soccer Australia. - c) The constant in-fighting between political factions and concentration of voting and legislative powers in a relative minority of people perpetuating bad governance.
- d) The overt resistance to accept the government enquiry, and even an initial refusal to accept its recommendations despite the balance of government and public opinion seeking rapid implementation.
Committee
(taken from the published report).- Mr David CrawfordDavid Crawford (director)David Crawford is a prominent Australian non-executive director. He was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne and the University of MelbourneHis directorships have included*Chairman of Foster's Group,*Chairman of Lend Lease Corporation,...
(chair)—retired National Chairman of KPMG and current director of several major companies including BHP Billiton, Foster’s Group, Lend Lease, National Foods and Westpac Banking Corporation. - Mr Johnny WarrenJohnny WarrenJohn Norman Warren, MBE, OAM was an Australian football player, coach, administrator, writer and broadcaster. He was known as Captain Socceroo for his passionate work to promote the game in Australia...
— former captain of the Socceroos and highly regarded football analyst and commentator. - Mr Bruce Corlett — Chairman of Adsteam Marine LimitedAdelaide Steamship CompanyThe Adelaide Steamship Company was formed by a group of South Australian businessmen in 1875. Their aim was to control the transport of goods between Adelaide and Melbourne and profit from the need for an efficient and comfortable passenger service...
and Servcorp LimitedServcorpServcorp Limited is a Public Company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange who provide serviced office and virtual office products to markets in Australia, New Zealand, China, South East Asia, Japan, Europe, The United States and the Middle East....
, current non-executive director of several companies including Trust Company of Australia Limited and Stockland Trust Group, and past chairman of Australian Maritime Safety Authority. - Ms Kate Costello — lawyer and former academic, chairman of Bassett Consulting Engineers, chairman of SAAB ITS and director of SAAB Systems, member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Education Committee and management consultant specialising in corporate governance.
- Mr Mark Peters — Chief Executive Officer, Australian Sports Commission and experienced national and international sports administrator. He has considerable experience in reviewing the structures and management of sports and national leagues.
- Secretariat services provided by Mr Stephen Fox and Mrs Jay Davenport.
Objectives
The stated objectives of the review were published as follows:- a critical assessment of the existing governance, management and structure of soccer in Australia;
- solution-based recommendations to deliver a comprehensive governance framework and management structure for the sport that addresses the needs of affiliate organisations and stakeholders. These recommendations may include adjustments to existing governance systems and/or integration of activities and operations;
- identification of potential impediments to reform and strategies to overcome those impediments; and
- a plan to implement the recommendations.
Outcomes
Despite initial attempts to scuttle the reform process, the majority of reforms and recommendations have been implemented by the National and State Football Associations. In particular, resistance to reforms at the National level were largely destroyed by the threat of the Australian Sports CommissionAustralian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in Australia. It is an agency of the Government of Australia within the portfolio of Health and Ageing...
to withhold funding to Soccer Australia. Restructuring of the governance of the Associations has led to a more democratic approach and the enfranchisement of groups not previously represented (e.g. referees, women's players, etc). In more substantial terms, it led to the resignation of the Soccer Australia board en masse and their replacement with a board led by Frank Lowy.
The Frank Lowy board has completely overhauled the organisation. Now called Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
, it has achieved financial stability. It has also gained the confidence of the business community, having acquired several high profile sponsors. The relaunched domestic competition (the Hyundai A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
) can be seen as a byproduct of the change initiated by the Independent Soccer Review Committee's report.