David Gallop & Damien De Bohun must immediately accede to the demands of Australian football supporters, or resign their posts.
This afternoon David Gallop made one of the most stilted, rattled press conferences I've ever seen outside of a political leader vanquished at an election or leadership ballot.
After a week of his flash card reading, empty headed rhetoric spewing minion Damien de Bohun being pilloried by the Australian football media and supporters (both active and non-active) across various forms of media, another example of the anti-football media popped their head over the parapet to take yet another shot at football. Once again, football supporters were compared to terrorists.
As that article filtered through the football community and scorn was poured on both the writer who penned it, and the newspaper that allowed the trash to be published, the FFA organised a press conference for 2pm.
A cautious optimism began to sprout, surely David Gallop would return from his week long Indian junket, right the wrongs, put the flip flopping over bans into the past, declare an independent appeals process, express anger over the leak of the ban list, and to vehemently support the code he runs against the disgraceful actions of the anti-football media, both in publishing the confidential FFA ban list and their ongoing comparison to cold blooded murderers.
The moment he opened up his speech in full flight, the first utterance of "zero tolerance" dashed any of my hopes that the FFA had been listening to the simple demands of the various active supporter groups, and indeed the demands of the wider football community to defend the sport from those who would rather it 'go back to where it came from' because it is 'un-Australian'.
His second sentence destroyed what little goodwill the FFA leadership had to those I saw react, as Gallop casually dismissed the abysmal leak of the ban list, with no apology for his organisation allowing it to be published without any legal intervention. With no acknowledgement of the loss and hurt caused by Rebecca Wilson in her publishing of this private document. He made no defence of the sport against Wilson, Jones or the substandard hack who posted the latest article this morning. It was a lie down, a refusal to do what should have been simple. To defend the sport he runs. I'd call it a dog act, but a dog will fight to the death to protect a member of the pack.
Gallop was spineless.
David Gallop's failure to defend football was an abrogation of his duties to every single person who loves the game. On that fact alone he should quit his post.
The next point was all the proof I needed to confirm my previous position that the FFA simply do not listen. The appeals process which a month ago didn't exist according to Damien de Bohun, then had 'existed all along' and finally 'was being introduced' from last Saturday, only needed "fine tuning". Gallop listed a series of trinkets in an attempt to distract the supporters from the actual issue, that being his complete failure to introduce a transparent, independent banning process. One of those trinkets was a thought bubble of "community service" to reduce a ban. It completely missed the point. If I were unjustly banned, I would not do a second of "community service". It would imply that I agree that I was guilty when I was not. What I would want, is an appeal process that could rightly clear my name.
- It is not morally right that the FFA can ban without an appeal process.
- It is not just that the FFA can ban without giving the banned person the evidence that lead to the ban.
- Letting someone do "community service" to reduce an incorrect ban is not right.
- Having an ex-player on the FFA ban board does not change the fact the system is broken.
- Hatamoto compiling secret dossiers that have no guarantee of staying secret is a breach of privacy waiting to happen.
- It is not justice when a person has to go directly through their club, instead of through the organisation that banned them in the first place.
- It is not right that the FFA require someone to prove their innocence, instead of having their guilt proven by their accuser.
- Another person being banned correctly for using a flare, or invading the pitch or any other negative action does not make an incorrect ban with no appeal justified.
Gallop closed his conference with a condescending remark that football supporters should "use their energy positively", as if we were just another one of his minions, that we should shut up and do what he says. He described the energy that the supporters bring for football as a "growth strategy".
Growth strategy. A soul-less, corporate buzz word that reduces the life long passion one has for football to one of his prized "metrics".
Gallop is a disgrace.
He has no passion for the sport. He has failed to listen to supporters both active and non-active regarding the ban process. He has failed to defend our sport against rampant and disgusting gutter trash members of the anti-football media. This coming in a season where he already angered the PFA with his CBA negotiation tactics. This protest is about more than just the ban process, it is about the FFA and how their organisation reflects an attitude of apathy toward the sport they run.
If Gallop cannot stand up for football his position is untenable and he should resign before he damages the sport even further.
If he refuses, Steven Lowy should give him & De Bohun the tap on the shoulder and appoint someone who actually cares about the sport and will defend it.
The RBB will be boycotting their next match. The Cove have made a statement that they will be non-active and vacating their core bays. Reportedly there are other active support groups who will follow suit with a boycott, walkouts or silent protests.
And this week will not be the end of the protests if Gallop continues to be derelict in his his duty to football.
Edited by mack
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