Economos, a veteran soccer journalist who attended Cleveland Street High School with Johnny Warren and had known him for about 50 years at the time of his passing in 2004, was referring to a funding promise before the recent federal election.
A week before the September 7 federal election, the former Labor government through Treasurer Chris Bowen, pledged $10 million towards the establishment of the Johnny Warren Institute.
But in hindsight, it appears the Institute was given the kiss of death. Politicians lined up for publicity opportunities and an extraordinary amount of coverage was received.
But a week after the announcement, it was dead and buried with Labor Government, which found itself on the wrong side of the election result.
“I was disgusted to see what looked like a very worthwhile initiative in Johnny’s name desperately gambled away on an election result,” Economos told Western Sydney Business Access.
“The media reports made you think it was a done deal – that the funds had been allocated and that it was going ahead, but nothing was further from the truth.
“I just hope the new government doesn’t cast the idea aside and gives strong consideration to funding it, especially considering how valuable Johnny was to the game in this country.”
Economos said greater care needed to be taken in future to ensure initiatives had bipartisan support and did not ultimately end up being obstacles in realising the Warren legacy.
“What I’d really like to see now are all the people who jumped at the opportunity of publicity in Johnny’s name, to appealing to the new federal government to fund the Johnny Warren Football Institute,” he said.
Only The Age’s football writer Michael Lynch drew attention to the tentative nature of the Labor funding initiative by noting: “The cash is dependent on it pulling off a shock win in next weekend’s election.”
]But the tenuous nature of the funding was not spelt out by those who, perhaps, should have known better. At a media call for the funding announcement, Johnny’s nephew, Jamie and SBS presenters Craig Foster and Les Murray – all board members of the Johnny Warren Football Foundation – spoke as if the funds had already been banked.
Politicians flocked to take part in a photo opportunity for the local papers who were there along with other outlets including SBS TV and radio station 2GB.
Half of Foster’s column In the Sun-Herald the next day lauded the arrival of the institute without so much as a mention of the decreasing likelihood Labor would be around to cough up the funds.
The reality check was a story in the Fairfield Advance on September 11 under the headline: “Youth centre to go ahead. But outgoing Treasurer cannot guarantee Labor’s other campaign pledges.”
“I think the youth centre will happen but we will have to see about the other ones,” Bowen told the paper. “That’s what I will fight for as the local member.”
Economos said it was essential that Bowen made good on his comments and made efforts to gain bipartisan support for the initiative.
“Johnny’s sporting talents deserve celebration and remembrance.There’s plenty to celebrate, he was the Don Bradman of soccer and the funny thing was that he was just as brilliant as a cricketer, if not better,” Economos said.
WSBA was unable to reach new federal Sports Minister Peter Dutton for comment.
