FFA lures Cricket Australia official to lead A-League
09 Jul 2012
Football Federation Australia (FFA) has appointed Cricket Australia official Damien de Bohun as the new head of the A-League.
De Bohun comes to the role having held the position of executive general manager, game and market development for Australian cricket’s governing body since 2005. However, his career includes two previous roles in football, as CEO of Football Federation Victoria from 2003-04 and operations manager of the A-League itself from 2004-05. De Bohun replaces Lyall Gorman, who left the role to take up his post as executive chairman of new A-League club the Western Sydney Wanderers. He will commence work in his new position in early August.
“Damien has a wonderful mix of senior executive experience in the sports industry and a life-long passion for football,” said FFA CEO Ben Buckley. “His recent professional focus on game and market development is particularly relevant for the A-League and FFA’s strategic objective to connect with the grassroots and convert participants into fans. I’m delighted to have secured a high-calibre executive in Damien. I know he has the right skills, energy and football administration knowledge to implement our goals for a stable and sustainable A-League.”
De Bohun added: “Football has always been a big part of my life as a player, coach and referee. More recently, some of my most enjoyable experiences have been coaching our son’s junior sides and watching the next generation of boys and girls develop a love for football. But it’s the professional challenge of managing the Hyundai A-League that has me most excited about the new role. The current structure of the A-League provides a very solid foundation to build on the growth in attendances, TV audiences and memberships last season and I can’t wait to get started.”
