SocAus spared little expense in ensuring the media were given the right message during the official launch of the A-League at the SFS on October 5, just one day before the Newcastle Breakers and UTS Olympic (that's Sydney Olympic by the way) got the season underway on the park.
About 200 administrators and media representatives were summoned for an 11:30 announcement, but when the clock ticked towards 11:40 there were a few nervous glances from the organisers.

"Perhaps I can just read this paragraph in case it's not right. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry I cannot be with you this morning..." Whoops! The unmistakeable tones of David Hill emanated from the PA which had unfortunately had its volume control left up.
But all was soon in order, and hostess Tracy Holmes crossed live to London where the giant screens showed a beaming David Hill, who apologised for (see above), and then proceded to recap previous acheivements of the 'new broom' - the Optus deal, scholarships etc, before announcing the big news. Ericsson had signed a multi-million dollar sponsorship deal, and the 12 A-League clubs will compete for the Ericsson Cup.

The obligatory music video followed (some very cool heavy blues for a change) featuring some of last year’s action before the speeches began. First up was Daryl Chambers, general manager of Ericsson who naturally gave his company plenty of plugs and made sure we knew that his company was “excited to be a part of...”, you know the stuff.
George Negus was then ‘interviewed’ by hostess TH and told us that soccer has come out of the closet and as David pointed out “...this is a crucial step”.

If I’m giving the impression that the launch was short on specifics then I’m on the right track.
During the (too short?) question and answer session that followed it became apparent that the important thing was the matches are starting. No relegation/promotion criteria has been decided on and probably won’t be until late October or even November, which may well catch some clubs right off guard. The actual amount of the sponsorship was another source of speculation, simply because neither Ericsson nor SocAus was willing to divulge precise amounts. Perhaps it’s best not to speculate why. The question of prizemoney was raised, but the response suggested their would be none as such, with the main priority being to get the league on a sound financial footing.

Enter the players. Each club represented, all in gleaming new strips and some of the biggest names in the A-League were available to the press for snaps with the trophy (Paul Wade holding it for the first and last time according to Frank Farina!). But that’s not all. The players then ventured down on to the SFS turf for a 30-40 minute kickabout - a rare opportunity to capture enough file footage for the next eight months - and what happened? About half a dozen walked down and set to work while the rest stayed upstairs and did whatever it was that was so important.

I don’t know what was so bloody important and I don’t care. I felt genuinely sorry for the players, who mingled around in groups of three and four catching up on holiday stories and who’s playing for who, a result of so many club officials arriving at the function with completed registration and transfer forms.
A number of journalists should be ashamed of themselves. No point naming names. Let’s hope they read this and change their attitude. Australian soccer will be in a much better state when they do.

NEWS FROM THE LAUNCH
Ericsson - What they get for their dosh
The clubs will, of course, be playing for the Ericsson Cup, but the players have individual awards to aspire to as well. For a start there is a weekly Ericsson Man-of-the-Match award, as well as a chance to be selected in the Ericsson All-Star team to be selected at the end of the season.
As usual there is the ground signage and general advertising, and the hope that every journalist will refer to a team as leading in the Ericsson Cup rather than leading the minor championship race.

The telegrams.
To celebrate the wedding of SocAus and Ericsson a number of people (being unable to attend in person) felt obliged to send a telegram.
The highlights?
- Neville Wran (speaking from Europe) * see below - This support from a global company of the calibre of Ericsson is a ringing endorsement... Geddit?
- Nick Bolkus - Ericsson Australia’s decision...is a resounding vote of confidence...
- John Faulkner - The launch of the Ericsson Cup competition heralds the start of a new and successful era...
- Jeff Kennett - I am delighted that a Melbourne based company...

Like I said, they were the highlights...

Note: On the subject of ‘Nifty’ I must say I was disappointed that The Hon. Neville Wran AO QC, President of Soccer Australia was unable to host the launch in person. When the invitation arrived in the mail I assumed the man whose name was on the invitation would be actually there to welcome his guests. I was looking forward to asking him a question or two.

In London looking for prospective tourists
The main purpose of Hill’s visit to London was to meet up with Eddie Thomson and hold discussions with various national federations with a view to organise tours in Jan or June next year. Again, specifics were minimal, although Sweden and Russia were mentioned as possibilities. Maybe the Japanese Olympic team in Oct/Nov, and of course the two NZ games later this year. The question of under-strength teams was raised, and Hill conceded he was hesitant to bring back players for friendlies, with a need to weigh up the needs of the Euroroos with the needs of their clubs. Sound familiar?

But ref, I don’t wear any underpants! In one of the (attempted) light-hearted moments hostess TH asked ‘Maid of Honour’ Frank Farina (don’t ask!) about a clampdown on dress standards this season.
In particular the need for the shirt to remain tucked in and the socks pulled up. But Frank wasn’t sure if she was kidding when she claimed the player’s undergarments must be the same colour as his shorts. I suppose she meant bicycle shorts, but the looks exchanged said it all. Sorry, that was one you just had to be there for....