A-League club owners are set to take Football Federation Australia's board to court "in an attempt to seek an injunction" against the organization's final attempt to "push through its preferred model for a new congress," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The FFA board announced an extraordinary general meeting will be held on Nov. 1 where it "hopes to present, and gain approval for, a controversial 9-4-1-1 congress, despite not having the required support of clubs and the professional players." It is the "last roll of the dice" from the organization before it will be removed by FIFA, which confirmed it will put in place a "normalising committee" by Nov. 30 that will disband the FFA leadership should it fail to increase its membership to "become more inclusive and democratic." However, in a letter sent on Monday, A-League clubs accused the FFA board and Chair Steven Lowy of "gerrymandering" the process by attempting to circumvent FIFA's requirements for a new membership tier of FFA. Adelaide United Chair Greg Griffin said, "We wil be seeking injunctive relief against the FFA" (SMH, 10/11). In Sydney, Tom Smithies reported FFA called an EGM to "try to force through a new power structure." Clubs reportedly sent Lowy a letter on Sunday "demanding that he not call an EGM." The clubs already warned the state federations that they "would sue them if they called an EGM, and in the letter turned their fire on Lowy and his existing board." The clubs wrote, "It beggars belief that the board of FFA ... could contemplate using its powers under the constitution to call the EGM." With Professional Footballers Australia siding with the clubs, it means there is "complete gridlock at the top of the game, with FIFA now looking certain to have to step in" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 10/11).
