Chris Nikou has been elected the new chairman of Football Federation Australia following the organisation’s AGM, as Steven Lowy bid farewell to the game he and his family have controlled for 15 years with a lengthy departure speech.
Nikou, who served on the board during the Lowy era, immediately made A-League expansion his “number one priority”, and indicated he hoped to implement the plan next season if possible.
At the end of a long day at FFA headquarters in Sydney, Nikou was in a two-horse race for the chairmanship with Joseph Carrozzi, who stood down from his position on the board of AFL club GWS Giants hours before the vote in Sydney “to pursue new opportunities”.
Heather Reid, who was named deputy chair, and Remo Nogarotto completed a quartet of directors elected on Monday after a protracted voting process. They joined Kelly Bayer Rosmarin and Crispin Murray on the board, which then met behind closed doors to choose Nikou.
“It’s time for everyone to get in the boat and row together,” Nikou said. “We need to galvanise the football community and share with them what our vision is.”
Nikou and Carrozzi were joined by ex-Capital Football boss Reid on the board of directors after a first round of voting in which three of the four positions were filled. Reid garnered 90 votes, 15 more than Carrozzi and some way ahead of Nikou.
The next rounds ended with former Soccer Australia chairman Nogarotto beating out ex-Labor senator Stephen Conroy, who eventually pulled out.
Reid, a veteran administrator and tireless advocate for the women’s game, said she was “emotional” and “overwhelmed” by the level of support she received. “Sleeves rolled up and ready for hard work ahead,” she tweeted.
Ros Moriarty was earlier confirmed as the independent chair of the new women’s council.
Professional Footballers Australia, the players’ union, welcomed the appointments, in particular their nominee Reid, while remaining cautious about the future.
“Good governance ensures that the players, fans, coaches and referees have a platform for the hopes and dreams that they can trust,” PFA said in a statement. “However, good governance is just one part of the whole picture.”
It added: “The game is not about what happens in a boardroom.”
Nine of the original 12 candidates were up for board election on Monday; Craig Foster and Judith Griggs had previously pulled out of the running while Mark Rendell withdrew his nomination on the day of the vote.
Outgoing chairman Lowy was at the meeting at FFA headquarters, which was open to the media and streamed live in a show of transparency, and he used the opportunity to deliver a no-holds barred speech on the governance of the game.
“I hear the argument that is fashionable at the moment that there must be more ‘football people’ and fewer ‘suits’ represented on the board,” he said. “It is a nonsense argument which is hopelessly superficial and naïve.
“Passion is not enough. Football is a serious business and it therefore demands skills and expertise beyond just the game.”
Lowy, whose father Frank preceded him as chairman, called on the new directors to act independently and in the best interests of the game and said, on balance, he was “proud of the progress made over our term”.
Before the leadership election took place, the Association of Australian Football Clubs and Football Coaches Australia were in effect legitimised in the eyes of FFA by being admitted as qualifying members.
