View from the Chair: World Cup reflections, calls for A-league transparency, FSAA AGM preparations

Wow, what a month it has been for Australian football.

The World Cup ride for Australia has been one in which we can be immensely proud, as well as look back and debate what could have been for the Socceroos. We congratulate Tony Popovic and the squad on again reaching the knockout phase of the tournament.

Securing a spot in the final rounds on the global stage is a massive achievement, and the team fought exceptionally hard to get there. Losing to Egypt on penalties was a hammer blow in a game that was eminently there for the taking.

The World Cup has demonstrated once again that football in all its forms is, by far and away, the most popular sport among Australians.

Close to 3 million got up at 5am and 4am for matches against the USA and Egypt respectively. No other sport can achieve such numbers in the middle of the night. And that doesn’t incorporate the massive numbers who turned up at live sites and watch parties around the nation.

Oh, and millions have continued to watch the World Cup every match day even with Australia out of the tournament!

And let’s not forget the thousands of Socceroos fans that travelled over to North America for our game and diverted to Dallas when our round of 32 qualification was secured. The atmosphere created, both pre-game on the streets of the host cities and in the stadiums was amazing to see. Thank you to all of them for making the effort with a special shout out to the Socceroos Active Support crew who did some heavy lifting in making various arrangements.

Without doubt, there have been some concerning event issues – from government interference to ticket pricing and international access by fans into the USA among other things.

We will be passing on our formal concerns regarding these and other issues to Football Australia, who, along with all other FIFA member nations, have a responsibility to advise FIFA on matters that uphold the standards and spirit of the game.

Closer to home, the domestic calendar is in full swing – from NPL level through to local community leagues in which hundreds of thousands Australians, young and old, regularly participate.

With the qualification rounds concluded, the Australia Cup is heating up, with the final 32 clubs in action over the next few weeks. As Australia’s largest club-based sporting competition, the Cup brings together more than 700 clubs annually, showcasing the true connection between the grassroots and the elite tier. Fans of clubs in lower leagues are provided with the dream of meeting and even defeating their A-League peers.

On the A-League, the official fixtures (for the A-League Men) for the 26/27 season are expected to be released this week. With the uncertainty over the future of the Canberra United and Central Coast Mariners A-League Women sides, fixtures for that league remain under wraps for now. On that uncertainty, for those club, FSAA has made it clear to APL management that transparency is vital for the supporters of the respective teams.

Internally at the FSAA, we are gearing up for our 2026 Annual General Meeting, due to be held in mid-August. We will have a highly-credentialled special guest joining us for a live Q&A on the night. Look out for full details on how to register and how to nominate for the committee over the coming weeks.

I also want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who donated to our End of Financial Year Fundraising Drive. These funds are essential to ensure we can keep up the steady growth and continue our robust advocacy and representation of Australian football supporters. As a volunteer-led association, your financial backing keeps our voice entirely independent.

As you may have seen throughout the World Cup, we have also been calling on football supporters to join us in contacting local federal MPs to ensure they provide better support to our game, particularly regarding grassroots facilities.

You can access our copy-and-paste letter template and join our national push here

Now is the time to encourage your friends and family to join the FSAA. Our numbers are growing, and it is our membership figures where our advocacy power really lands with football leaders and governments.

We must capitalise on this massive public and media interest - reflected in the strong television ratings over the last month - to ensure our game is supported and funded properly at all levels.

Thank you for your dedication to the game.

Cheers,

Patrick Clancy
Chair, Football Supporters Association Australia (Inc)