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The World Game: football forums

The World Game will air its two one-hour specials filmed in front of 250 football fans.

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The World Game will air its two one-hour specials with Football Forums recently filmed in Sydney.

Filmed in front of 250 football fans, the forums included discussion amongst panellists as well as questions from the audience.

Hosted by Les Murray, the forum features Socceroos coach Holger Osieck, Matildas coach Tom Sermanni and CEO Football Federation Australia, Ben Buckley.

Part one: National Teams
Monday, 13 June at 9:30pm on SBS TWO
Streamed online at www.sbs.com.au/theworldgame
Replay 11:30pm on SBS ONE

The first of the forums features Socceroos coach Holger Osieck, Matildas coach Tom Sermanni, Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou, Sydney Morning Herald Journalist Sebastian Hassett, former Socceroo and SBS Analyst David Zdrilic and SBS Chief Football Analyst Craig Foster.

Focusing on the national teams, topics include the evolution of the Socceroos and the game in Australia, the Matildas upcoming 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign and player development.

“When you take part in an international competition you’ve got to be ready to achieve and not be happy just to be part of it, just to be there as a participant. That is not the right approach. If you set your targets low you will never achieve anything.” – Holger Osieck on the Socceroos expectations at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Part two: Future of Australian Football
Monday, 20 June at 9:30pm on SBS TWO
Streamed online at www.sbs.com.au/theworldgame
Replay 11:30pm on SBS ONE

The second of the forums includes CEO Football Federation Australia Ben Buckley, Chief Executive Professional Footballers Australia Brendan Schwab, Chairman Adelaide United Greg Griffin plus Sydney Morning Herald Journalist Sebastian Hassett, former Socceroo and SBS Analyst David Zdrilic and SBS Chief Football Analyst Craig Foster.

This discussion of the second forum focuses on the current state of the A-League including the relationship between the league and the FFA, how the league is currently run and free-to-air TV rights.

“I think that the work is still ahead of us. Yes, there’s been a plateauing and in some cases a drop off in crowds… We see every year some teams improve their average attendances and some decrease. A lot of that’s based on performance. I think what we have to do is work harder on marketing, promoting and positioning the league… we have to get out there and be more active engaging with that huge population base that exists as participants, as volunteers, as coaches, who make up that 1.7 to 2 million active participants in the game.” – Ben Buckley on the declining A-League crowds.

The full unedited forums will be available online at www.sbs.com.au/theworldgame the day after each broadcast.

4 Responses

  1. I’ll defenately be watching, especially the forum with Ben Buckley. He has a lot to answer for, and its about time he faced the music and answer some serious questions from Aussie football fans. A-League crowds are in serious decline at the moment , the A-league season has been shortened, $46 million (some even report $100 million) spent on a farcical World Cup bid that only attracted one vote, the introduction of two new A-league clubs, the now defunct Nth Qld fury and the Gold Coast United where hardly anyone turns up to their games, player registration prices are going up and up, the list is endless of the amount of problems with football in the country thanks to Ben Buckley and the rest of the deadwood at the FFA.

  4. Good idea in theory, however it will just be another excuse for a rant by Craig Foster how Australian Football should have more pashion and how we should be more like Spain.

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