Four Corners on Football - to air 12 Sep

[midfielder]

From the COE thread

Interesting that Four Corners were filming at the COE a couple of weeks ago.

Has anyone ever seen a positive story from Four Corners?

From the ABC today...

Own Goal
By Quentin McDermott and Producer Louise Negline

Updated September 8, 2011 15:38:00


Own Goal
When Frank Lowy took over the administration of football in Australia he wanted the game to compete with AFL, Rugby Union and Rugby League. His dream was to host the World Cup itself in Australia. Four Corners reporter Quentin McDermott investigates the strategy and the people used by Football Federation Australia (FFA) in its failed bid to win the right to host the biggest sporting event on the globe. Talking to insiders who have never spoken at length about the World Cup bid, he asks how $42 million of taxpayers' money was spent to win just one vote from football's international governing body FIFA.

The program raises questions about how taxpayers' funds were spent during the bid, and asks whether the consultants employed to run the bid strategy were good value for money. Were there conflicts of interest at work? It also looks at the lobbying of FIFA Executive Committee members, some of whom were subsequently banned or suspended for alleged corruption over their dealings with other bidding nations.

The program also raises questions about the role played by AusAID in Australia's World Cup bid.

While millions of taxpayers' dollars have been lavished on the failed bid, domestic clubs have struggled, several surviving only because wealthy owners have been able to inject millions of dollars of their own private funds just to keep the clubs afloat. Now, the FFA has requested millions more to help it stage the Asian Cup in 2015.

As Frank Lowy comes up for re-election as Chairman of FFA, the Federal Government is taking a long, hard look at the governance and structure of football, and football fans and clubs are asking, can football survive in its present form, led by its current team of administrators?

"Own Goal", presented by Kerry O'Brien, goes to air on Monday 12th September at 8.30pm on ABC1. It is replayed on Tuesday 13th September at 11.35pm. It can also be seen on ABC News 24 each Saturday at 8.00pm, on ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.

 

[Bex]

There's probably some valid points of investigation but I'm betting this will be a beat-up rather than balanced journalism.

It's a beat-up to suggest that a bid for such an internationally important event would not cost tax payers a lot of money. The only comparible thing I can think of off-hand is the Summer Olympics and those bids are not cheap.

If this is driven by AFL, Rugby Union and/or Rugby League interests, than it's a cheap shot. The fact is, these sports can't lose this sort of money on world cup bids because most of the world is not interested in their world cup so it's basically a case of "you can keep it".

Since the program is stating there's millions of taxpayers dollars "lavished on the failed bid", then I'll be interested to see how the "journalists" approach the issue of what sort of money should be spent on a bid for such a sporting event so they can identify just how much was wasted. Do they understand that spending money on a bid does not guarantee a win? I'll bet these things are never mentioned.

 

[midfielder]

Interesting article from Mike C today in smh... like a preactive defence...on Micks opening question about why are four corners at the CEO ... maybe gov funding on the COE as well...

Mikes are today is """Football seems incapable of sticking up for itself'''

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/football-seems-incapable-of-sticking-up-for-itself-20110909-1k1ul.html

 

[pjennings]

There's probably some valid points of investigation but I'm betting this will be a beat-up rather than balanced journalism.

It's a beat-up to suggest that a bid for such an internationally important event would not cost tax payers a lot of money. The only comparible thing I can think of off-hand is the Summer Olympics and those bids are not cheap.

If this is driven by AFL, Rugby Union and/or Rugby League interests, than it's a cheap shot. The fact is, these sports can't lose this sort of money on world cup bids because most of the world is not interested in their world cup so it's basically a case of "you can keep it".

Since the program is stating there's millions of taxpayers dollars "lavished on the failed bid", then I'll be interested to see how the "journalists" approach the issue of what sort of money should be spent on a bid for such a sporting event so they can identify just how much was wasted. Do they understand that spending money on a bid does not guarantee a win? I'll bet these things are never mentioned.

It is a hatchet piece - similar to 'The Final Whistle' 27/5/2002. Apparently, it relies heavily on Dominic Galati, one of the guys going up against Lowy in the FFA elections. He is/was the guy behind International Entertainment Corporation - that Soccer australia foolishly did a disastrous deal with.

 

[midfielder]

It is a hatchet piece - similar to 'The Final Whistle' 27/5/2002. Apparently, it relies heavily on Dominic Galati, one of the guys going up against Lowy in the FFA elections. He is/was the guy behind International Entertainment Corporation - that Soccer australia foolishly did a disastrous deal with.

This is bad news .... Quentin McDermott has never been a friend of Football and is somewhat of a shock jock... Kerry O'Brien also has never been a friend to football ...

That they would mainly use a very discredited person who their own research should show is unreliable and has a conflict of interest .... says a lot about what we can expect I hope not but believe it will be bad...

 

[scottmac]

Who cares what this program says or doesn't say.

The people who our sport will rely on to carry us into the next generation as the leading code in this country will not have even heard of four corners. The piece will air and football will carry on gaining ground.

I'm more concerened with the government findings on the state of the game over some prejudiced opinion piece that will gain limited exposure.

 

[Jerem]

despite that SMH article being seemingly biased, my instinct just got overwhelmed by a sense of shitstirring from 3rd parties, either way despite the WC bid, i think with the recent good signings and the admission sfrom some suits in college street that their focus was lost, that the League will recover.

right now we all need to put our own effort in, being paid up season holders or members, buying merch when its aesthetically pleasing and somewhat necessary and being preachers of the beautiful game, getting friends along to the games!!! theres no advertising like seeing the real thing! actions speak louder than words or fancy ad campaigns! see you on the 15th!!!

 

[adz]

That was shit!

 

[Nathan Byrn]

That was shit!

Yes it was!!

 

[Jesus]

Was like a rehash of year old news

 

[finally retired]

Was like a rehash of year old news

yes...it was.....but unfortunately the casual football fan may not realise that.

 

[elevated position]

The casual football fan probably doesn't watch 4 corners.

 

[dibo]

Almost nobody watches 4 Corners. The first most people (me included) know of a story on 4 Corners is when it sparks secondary reports.

 

[finally retired]

Almost nobody watches 4 Corners. The first most people (me included) know of a story on 4 Corners is when it sparks secondary reports.

true. the ONLY reason I watched it this week was because this was on......I don't usually watch the show.

 

[some guy]

Obviously this isnt ideal for football, for a few reasons:

1. It was all one way traffic- is it not a part of Buckley's job to appear and promote football on this sort of program? (rather than write a public statement against it the next day?

2. It was a beat up- little interest for balance, just criticising one part of the game after another.

3. It relived some of the stupid management decisions in this bid- why spend ridiculous amounts of money on things that matter little if at all to the final result? why spend time and effort trying to win bids of other nations when their first choices were eliminated when we didnt have enough first round votes anyway?

 

[dibo]

1. See your point 2 - if it's a beat up, best it's not legitimised by FFA presence.

2. If it's all bad, it's all bad. Balance lines up behind truth.

3. The "be everyone's second favourite bid" strategy is sound *if* the first round votes are there. On that front it's pretty clear the bid team were simply lied to.

 

[adz]

The reason I thought it was shit wasn't because they were attacking football, it was because it was basically a highlights package of old news strung together with some random things chucked in at the end.

FFA spent lots of money on dodgy dudes to deal with the dodgy dudes in FIFA. They were advised by the dodgy dudes that doing things the 'proper' way, e.g. spending loads on a bid book and final presentation, would be pointless, and in the end it came down to who did the dodgiest deals rather than which country could put on a better event. OMG such revelations. I've never seen any quid pro quo type deals such as this in any other industry. It would be like someone running for Parliament saying vote for me and I will put millions of dollars into your favourite sporting team etc, and that person only getting elected because they bought the right people. Wouldn't happen. :blink:

I like how at the end they interviewed someone from the Cove - it wouldn't have been the same story without that bit.

Someone should do a story about how a government funded TV station is producing shit like that. I want my 8c back for that day.

 

[dibo]

It's about 16c these days.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Agree. Absolute rubbish.

 

[elevated position]

The whole story "could" be shown as an attack on the goverment for spending the money and not doing the due dilligence on how it was being spent.
The goverment took a gamble and it failed however I bet more money is wasted each year on Goverment Dept's changing their names and shedding all the existing paperwork.In the scheme of things 45mill is petty change.

The gamble alluded to by the carpet bagger had the potential of billions of dollars of trade and in my opinion well worth the risk(and exposure).
I've said it before our aim should have been to attain the club champions tournament to start with.(The last bid was for 3 yrs I think) And this too is headed to the middle east.
Imagine the kick along with the likes of Barcelona. Man U etc being out here 3 yrs in a row.