Football Federation Australia’s acknowledgment that it "got it wrong" will not be enough "to prevent A-League stadiums from being turned into virtual ghost towns as fan boycotts of games go ahead as planned," according to Ray Gatt of THE AUSTRALIAN. The sport’s head body, headed by new Chair Steven Lowy and CEO David Gallop, admitted on Thursday that "they should have responded quicker and better in the wake of the controversy surrounding the release of a confidential document listing fans banned from A-League matches in a newspaper article 12 days ago." Gallop was severely criticized by fans and the media "for his performance during a media conference on Tuesday." FFA "went into damage control" Thursday and this time it was not going to make the same mistake "as it attempted to calm the waves of discontent." Gallop and Lowy "both got on the front foot, angry at the negative treatment of the sport from some sections of the media and promising a review of the bans appeals process will be undertaken and completed by February." Gallop said, "Yeah, we got that wrong. We should have said more earlier. ... It was an article that unfairly tarnished the vast majority of decent football people ... it actually tarnished FFA by saying we were in denial." Western Sydney’s core fan group the Red and Black Bloc said in a statement, "Following today’s FFA press conference, the RBB reiterates its position of boycotting this weekend’s game" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/4). In Sydney, Sebastian Hassett wrote Lowy revealed a review process for the existing banning procedure would be undertaken immediately and Gallop confirmed active fans would "certainly" be involved in forming a new structure. Gallop said, "That's a critical part, to listen to the active groups, to listen to fans, to listen to other stakeholders and to see if we can improve the system. It's a difficult system, the fundamentals of it are complex, and it does involve protecting some confidential information and that's something we have to be careful about." However, "while fan groups have called for all evidence to be revealed where a banning order has been issued, the FFA believes that extends beyond their jurisdiction in legal proceedings." Lowy said he was "amazed by the [public] interpretation" of Gallop's initial press conference but said FFA was not turning its back on active supporters, adding it was "an incredibly complex issue." In response to the claim FFA does not "stick up enough for fans," Lowy "hit back strongly." He said, "Nothing could be further from reality. I genuinely believe somewhere in the debate over the past 11 days, we have lost sight of the facts." Sydney FC's active supporter group, The Cove, was unmoved and declared in a statement they would take "whatever steps we feel are necessary" for Friday night's game. The statement said, "We have heard the FFA's words, but talk is cheap, and we've heard many different versions of what will be done in the last week. There is a need for immediate change with the FFA's procedures and how it manages its relationship with fans" (SMH, 12/3).
