FFA CHAIR OPTIMISTIC ABOUT AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL

FFA chairman Steven Lowry says he remains optimistic about the future of round leather game in Australia.

He asks that football be treated as fragile to ensure a balance between short term and long term sustainability.

The A-League has been experiencing all forms of growth in recent times. Tim Cahill is among the latest star players to turn to the A-League. He joins the expansive list of former or current Australia reps joining the league. The Sydney derby on Saturday is set to break the national attendance record for a club game.

“We should all look at the game as being fragile...if you think like that, it makes you incredibly focused,” Lowry said. “I think with all the success that’s been achieved, you should think about it as fragile, because it could go off the precipice quickly,” he added.

Lowry was speaking at a Sydney FC season launch. Under his regime, expansion talks have grown in momentum. The boss agreed with Ange Postecoglou’s demand for an addition of six extra teams. However, he refused to provide a specific time frame as to when the addition would happen, rather campaigning for a long term plan.

“The FFA board is bringing a long-term focus to a strategy and execution and financing plan, one that is sustainable. But at the same time, you’ve got to be entrepreneurial and push the limits [in the] early days as well. One of those things we are focused on is growing the league. We need more than 10 teams,” Lowry said.

The chair agreed that Ange’s wish for up to 15 teams addition is nor out of place but asked that a long term plan be in place to avoid “stumblings of the past.” He asked that any plan made be a sustainable one going forward.