Craig Foster withdraws from FFA board elections
Craig Foster has withdrawn his nomination from the board and chairmanship of Soccer Australia.
In a statement posted to Twitter last night, Foster said he didn't have enough backing to win the vote this Monday.
"Despite the amazing support of our football community around the country, it has become clear that I do not have the necessary stakeholder support to succeed in my candidacy for the board and as a chairman of FFA," he wrote.
Foster was the highest profile candidate for Australian soccer's controlling body, with most of the other candidates having corporate, business or sporting administration experience.
His withdrawal is a sign that soccer in Australia is as riven with politics as ever, despite recent changes to the board voting process.
'Don't let this fire fade'
The votes for who will sit on the board are divided among four groups.
The nine member federations (the states plus northern NSW) have the greatest weighting (55 per cent), followed by the nine Australian A-League clubs (28 per cent), a yet to be named women's council (10 per cent), and lastly the players association (7 per cent).
With only the guaranteed support of the players association and some support from the women's council, Foster could only have been sure of, at most, 10 per cent of the vote.
"My deepest apologies to our players, fans, community and media who have given me such incredible support over the past few weeks," he wrote.
"You performed with great passion and bravery.
"Don't let this fire fade, let's feed it and together we can shape not just the game but the country."
The SBS analyst and former Socceroos captain was the highest profile candidate running for the board and the position of chairman, made vacant after 15 years of Frank and Stephen Lowy at the helm.
Bonita Mersiades, who is running for the independent chair of the women's council, told the ABC before Foster's withdrawal, "If the voters are putting the best interests of football first, then Craig Foster would be a lay down misere to be a board member."
There are now 10 candidates running for the four board positions available on Monday.
They are Danny Moulis and Chris Nikou, who are both seeking re-election, Morry Bailes, Joseph Carozzie, Linda Norquay, Heather Reid, Mark Randell, the former referee Mark Shield, the former chairman of FFA's predecessor — Soccer Australia — Remo Nogarotto and the former Labor senator Stephen Conroy.
Kelly Bayer Rosmarin and Crispin Murray are currently sitting on the board and are not up for election.
The ABC understands the powerful member federations are split into two distinct blocs, with Queensland aligned to neither group.
One of those blocs — Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia — is talking to the clubs and players association, but no deals have been reached on which candidates will be supported.
Ms Mersiades, who was also former head of corporate and public affairs at the FFA, said there was plenty of distrust in the process ahead of the vote.
"The only person you would trust at the moment is the person who says they're not going to vote for you."
Foster said he intends "to continue to campaign on bringing our community together, healing our past and shaping our game through democracy and will be ready to stand again at the right time, in the right environment, with the right team and mandate".
Former Labor minister joins a contested field
Mr Conroy said he was inspired to run for the board by Foster's impassioned plea at Les Murray's funeral, for the football community to step forward.
"I spent 20 years herding cats on the floor of the Senate. I hope that I can help bring the disparate parts of the football community, the stakeholders together and unite behind the board," Mr Conroy said.
He cites his life-long passion for soccer and 20 years' experience as a sports administrator with Volleyball Victoria as reasons for why he should get elected.
"I've got some support from a couple of clubs and a couple of federations." Mr Conroy said.
"I hope that ultimately the rest of the stakeholders who have votes believe that I can make a contribution helping bring those disparate parts of the football family together on the board."
As to the politicking behind the scenes, for which he was so famous for in his previous career, he says he's not involved in the "many, many conversations going on behind the scenes".
"I'm sure Telstra is making a fortune at the moment from all the conversations that I understand are taking place," he said.
The phones are sure to continue ringing hot this weekend before all is revealed on Monday.
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