Statement attributable to PFA Chief Executive, John Didulica:
Today, the membership of Football Federation Australia elected a new Board.
That new board constitutes Heather Reid, Joseph Carrozzi, Chris Nikou and Remo Nogarotto.
On behalf of the Executive and Membership of the PFA, I wish them well. We have faith in the covenant each new director has made with the stakeholders to act in service of the sport.
We particularly welcome the appointment of PFA nominee, Heather Reid, who received the highest number of votes of any nominee.
Good governance ensures that the players, fans, coaches and referees have a platform for the hopes and dreams that they can trust.
However, good governance is just one part of the whole picture.
It is the alchemy that makes football what it is. The stadium, the players, the soap opera, the energy. A joint experience – yet one that is so personal and visceral.
Tomorrow night, that joint experience will be lived again, as the Olympic Stadium at Homebush says farewell to one of Australia’s finest ever sportspeople.
Like the Matildas did last week, the Socceroos featuring Tim Cahill, will create the shared experience between players and tens of thousands of fans that is the reason we fall in love with this game.
Anybody at the Fritz-Walter Stadion on 12 June 2006 will never forget the power of that shared experience. The connection and euphoria created when people’s dreams intertwine in a moment.
People might have different views on farewell matches, but we can’t deny the joy that Tim and the Socceroos have brought to people’s lives. If we can enjoy it one more time, together, as a family, why not?
Ultimately, it is not one group of stakeholders that is more important.
The magic of football is, almost like no other human pursuit, the fusion of player and fan in a moment that becomes a permanent signpost for genius.
The game is not about what happens in a boardroom.
It’s about what happens on a cold training night with just a child and a ball or in full stadiums when the threads of our incredible football community come together for a shared experience between player and fan.
