Galloping into the sunset

I’d hate to call David Gallop a liar. There are a few choice one syllable words I’d gladly use but ‘liar’ might just be that one step too far. I mean the house of cards hasn’t tumbled just yet…but it might be close.

Just yesterday he was claiming the FFA “aren’t considering anything that would damage other clubs”. That could be true. Maybe they’ve moved on from “considering” and have already done the deals to put the league in jeopardy. Sadly for him it didn’t seem everyone was picking up on that nuance and the afternoon saw a maelstrom of criticism unleashed on him.

The Phoenix’s whipping at his hands has been fairly public. Axing us and then claiming we are licence “squatting” isn’t exactly a subtle move. More subtle has been the duplicitous statements behind the scenes – offering encouragement and wise counsel to the Nix while actively undermining them elsewhere. You’d be forgiven for thinking he simply had an axe to grind against New Zealand.

Yesterday’s real news however came as a shock to even the Aussie media as it quickly emerged that it is not just the Nix getting played by him.

Sydney FC Chairman, Scott Barlow, pulled no punches as he called him out for the personal assurances that expansion was not currently been looked at – particularly in South Sydney – while meeting with exactly those groups to explore expansion (or perhaps that was replacement).

“David has on multiple occasions assured me, but not just me, assured all A-League chairmen that new A-League licences are not on the FFA's agenda. It concerns me that on one hand David is giving these clubs these assurances but then it would appear the FFA will be involved in meetings with numerous representatives from south Sydney over the possibility of a new club in that region.”

It’s rather hard to read that any other way than calling Gallop a liar. But I wouldn’t be the one to say it.

Graham Arnold isn’t just worried about what this could mean. He  fears for the entire future of the club.

“My biggest concerns at the moment are if Sydney FC are still going to be around. I think that's how big a decision this is going to be. Scott Barlow and David Trakotvenko will make a decision and if they're not happy with a potential Sutherland Shire team, and they walk away, what's next? I'm even worried about my job and my family and all the players and all their families.”

With over 12,000 adult members, the fact this decision worries them should speak volumes.

Perhaps that’s why even in unlikely corners there is now a call for an independent investigation into this. Hasn’t someone already called for the league to be run by an independent body? Oh that’s right it was FIFA and they know a thing or two about corruption.

Adelaide chairman, Greg Griffin, also put the boot in over the decision stating “This (Phoenix) is a decision made by FFA without reference to the major stakeholders in the game — the clubs, it typifies how ­little say we have. Every chairman I have spoken to is absolutely and resolutely behind maintaining Wellington in the competition. It is a well-run club with the best chairman in the A-League. And if this move is in some way linked to facilitating a new franchise in Sutherland, then it is wrong and I oppose it. It is simply unfair to Sydney and is not the way to build the A-League”

Couldn’t say it any better myself really. *high five* Greg!

Then again maybe Andy Cussen beats him out by a nose with this on point observation.

“The biggest problem we have in football right now is the disconnect between what fans want and what FFA *think* fans want. Worlds apart”

Actually since we want to talk #metrics, with average memberships down across the league and TV viewership plummeting 40% despite the derbies maybe the biggest problem right now is named Gallop.