ASA RELEASE: The chairman of the Australian Soccer Association (ASA), Mr Frank Lowy, today announced the appointment of Mr John O’Neill as Chief Executive Officer of the ASA. The appointment is for an initial three-year period with an opportunity to extend it a further four years by mutual agreement.

Mr O’Neill was Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Australian Rugby Union Ltd from 1995 to 2004 and is one of Australia’s most respected sports administrators.

Mr Lowy said he was excited and delighted with the appointment and that Mr O ‘Neill had the knowledge and experience to develop a structure for the sustainable growth of soccer in Australia.

“I have known Mr O’Neill for many years. He has been a successful banker and is well-known for the success he has achieved with rugby union,” he said.

“His experience and acknowledged success and profile in both the sporting and corporate sectors is exactly what soccer needs,” he said.

“The appointment will also enable me to assume the role I initially envisaged when I agreed to become involved in soccer again, that of non-executive chairman responsible for bringing about the vision I have for the game and guiding overall strategy, rather than being involved in day-to-day management.”

Mr O’Neill said he was looking forward with great enthusiasm to the challenge of managing the revival of soccer.

“There is undoubtedly a lot of work to do, but I welcome the challenge and see this appointment as a terrific opportunity to use my experience in sport and in business to fulfil both the sporting and commercial potential of soccer in Australia.

“My background has been in banking and rugby, but I see myself first and foremost as a sports administrator and there are few more attractive challenges right now than helping revive soccer’s fortunes; it is a unique environment in which to do so.”

Mr Lowy said that while the proposed new national league would have a separate board from that governing the ASA he would be chairman of both boards and Mr O’Neill would be Managing Director of the new league.

“I have come to the view that the ASA and the new league must develop together in a co-ordinated and consistent way for the first few years to get the structure right and to maximise the commercial benefits.

“Potential sponsors and commercial partners are looking for a clear, consistent strategy for the game at all levels, including the new league, and this structure will deliver that.

“While we have achieved much over the past few months now that a CEO has been appointed work on all fronts will be accelerated, particularly on the introduction of the new national league which will be the top priority.”

In other developments: –

State Constitutions & Crawford Report Recommendations

Consultation with all the State Federations is continuing on the adoption of the State model constitution. All nine State Federations have signed a letter of intent to recommend the adoption of the new constitution to their members at EGMs to be held over the next two months. Soccer Canberra members recently adopted the new Constitution by an overwhelming majority and acceptance by Soccer Queensland and Soccer Tasmania is expected soon.

The first ASA management meeting with the CEOs of the State Federations will be held next week and will include briefings on ASA’s strategic plans for the sport and an update on all facets of ASA’s major soccer programs, including the international program, NSL and registered participants.

The first meetings of the new (national) Standing Committees, as recommended by the Crawford Report, will be held during February and March 2004. The Standing Committees recommended by the Crawford Report were Coaches, Futsal, Juniors, Referees and Womens.

FIFA

ASA has continued to improve its standing with the sport’s world governing body, FIFA, following the appointment of Mr Ron Harvey as ASA’s “international ambassador”. Work is also progressing within the Oceania Football Confederation to improve its standing globally and ASA has nominated Mr Harvey to be the first FIFA Vice President from the OFC. OFC elections for this position are scheduled to take place on 20 March 2004 at the OFC Congress.

ASA director Phillip Wolanski has been appointed to the FIFA World Club Championship Organising Committee and ASA General Counsel and Manager Business Development, Michael Thomson, has been appointed to the FIFA Players’ Status Committee. Both men head to Zurich in 2 weeks for meetings with their respective committees.

National Teams

As already announced, ASA is confident that the Socceroos will play seven games in Australia this year, including the OFC Confederations Cup qualifiers and four games overseas.

The Socceroos will play Venezuela in Caracas on 18 February, South Africa in London on 30 March (and return match in South Africa in February 2005).

Confirmation of a two-match series to be played in Australia in May is expected soon.

The Matildas are about to embark on the Australia Cup tournament in Brisbane as preparation for the 2004 OFC Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Fiji in March. The women’s Under-19 (Young Matildas) team will also be in action in April in PNG for the OFC World Youth Championship qualifiers,

while the men’s Under-20 (Young Socceroos) team kick off their 2005 World Youth Championship goal with OFC qualifiers in August 2004.

Dr Venglos

ASA is pleased to confirm the arrival of Dr Jozef Venglos in Australia. Dr Venglos will be working with the ASA to undertake a thorough review of the existing technical structure in Australia and the programs that support it. This will be the first step towards putting in place a structure to develop

the game in Australia over the long term. Dr Venglos is eminently qualified to advise ASA in this area. He has held several senior positions in world soccer, including Chairman of the UEFA committee for technical development, FIFA Technical Adviser and President of the Union of European Football

Coaches. He has also successfully coached a number of national teams and clubs in Europe and Asia and has a long association with Australia having coached FC Sydney Prague and the Australian national team in the late 1960s.