Football Federation Australia Chair Steven Lowy "heeded the calls of the game's major stakeholders" and postponed an extraordinary general meeting planned for Wednesday that was "aimed at getting approval for his proposed model for a new FFA Congress," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. A return to the negotiating table will instead take place with Lowy "forced to resume talks in the hope of breaking the impasse that has brought Australian football's governance to a standstill." A decision was made on Tuesday to postpone the EGM until Nov. 27 after the FFA board was informed it "lacked the required support to gain approval for a controversial model for a new congress." After news surfaced on Monday that Lowy "did not have the numbers to pass his preferred model," the two biggest state member federations, Football NSW and Football Federation Victoria, joined the A-League clubs and Professional Footballers Australia in calling for FFA to postpone the EGM. Lowy will have "less than a month to find a resolution" before Australian football could come under the administration of FIFA, which has "made clear its threat to remove the FFA board" by Nov. 30 (SMH, 10/31). In Sydney, Tom Smithies reported the postponement gives Lowy "extra time to try to secure the extra vote he needs," but it takes the Australian game "perilously close to the point at which FIFA has warned it will take over." Under Lowy's model, the states would continue to have nine votes and the clubs four, with PFA and a representative of the women's game getting one apiece. But the clubs, backed by PFA, "will not accept less than five votes because that would prevent the state federations from being able to appoint FFA's board of directors by themselves" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 10/31).
CHANGING THE GAME: Also in Sydney, Michael Lynch reported "just days after appearing lukewarm about proposals to establish a national second tier in Australia," FFA CEO David Gallop offered leaders of the Association of Australian Football Clubs a timetable to discuss their proposals. Gallop is prepared to enter talks "sooner rather than later" over an initiative which, if implemented, "could change the game" in the country and have "wide-ranging impacts on player development, club finances, mainstream media coverage and broadcast rights." Gallop said, "We responded to their media release on Friday, and they have now written to us. We have responded to that by telling them we are happy to meet, and we would be happy to do so within the next month or as soon as is convenient for all parties" (SMH, 10/31).
