The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reinforced its desire to protect the sanctity and professionalism of football and to stop doping across Asia through the Confederation's Principles of Clean Sport seminar.

In collaboration with Sportradar's Integrity Service, the webinar attracted more than 120 participants last week. Designed to support the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) yearly online campaign, Play True Day, the seminar explored a number of crucial topics which aimed to protect fair sport.

Head speakers, Niall Murphy, Sportradar Senior Manager for Risk & Investigations, and Dominic Mueser, Sportradar Head of Integrity Partnerships in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, led conversations on doping, its effects and regulations, and the need for wide-ranging education, legislature and protections for whistleblowers.

Additionally, the seminar explored how to support medical experts and professionals in the sports industry deal with doping.

Dominic Mueser explained why Sportrader was eager to support the AFC.

"We’re committed to supporting organisations like the AFC in their mission to protect clean athletes," he said via press release.

"It’s critical that we give everyone involved in sport a strong understanding of fair play and clean sport values early on, so they’re able to make smart and informed decisions."

Furthermore, the Principles of Clean Sport seminar analysed the leading codes, regulations and rulings of WADA, including: the WADA Code and International Standards, Anti-Doping Rule Violations and current WADA Prohibited List.

Niall Murphy explained why these conversations were so important.

“With the next iteration of the World Anti-Doping Code currently being drafted and due to take effect in 2027, it is vital that all stakeholders including athletes, support personnel, medical professionals and anti-doping practitioners, keep up to date on the latest rules and regulations, and understand the impact doping can have at an individual level and for sports as a whole," he said in a press release.

The program further covered topics surrounding the ethical and cultural issues around doping as well as how to better protect whistleblowers.

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In episode three of Soccerscene's Off the Pitch podcast, Football Coaches Australia (FCA) President and former Socceroo and NSL star Gary Cole joins the show to delve into the health of Australia's coaching scene.

As a player, Cole was renowned for his lethality in front of goal - winning the NSL Golden Boot in back-to-back years, playing for Heidelberg United in 1980 and 1981. For Australia, Cole recorded 21 goals from 40 games across all levels and even held the Australian record for most goals scored in an international match after kicking seven against Fiji in 1981.

After his professional playing career, Cole became a renowned coach. He first worked under the Australian Institue of Sport as youth development coach, before transitioning to the NSL as Heidelberg United boss, and then moved to the Victorian Premier League as coach of the Bentleigh Greens, Bulleen Inter Kings and the Altona Magic (two different stints). In the VPL Cole won two championships as head coach, first with the Altona Magic in 1996 and secondly with the Bulleen Inter Kings in 1998.

Following his work in the VPL, Cole moved into administration, enjoying stints as the Director of Football at Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC. Later, Cole would work for Football Victoria before finally joining the FCA.

For his impact as a player, coach and a continual supporter and driver of footballing standards in Australia, Cole has been awarded as a member of both the Australian and Victorian Football Hall of Fame.

On the Off the Pitch podcast, Cole relayed his experiences and explained the work the FCA was doing to support coaches across the country.

"Football Coaches Australia is a voice for coaches in Australia. It started very focused for professional coaches in Australia, and really during COVID, when there wasn't a lot of football happening, we branched into ongoing coach development," Cole said on the podcast.

"[For coaches] the [FCA] is representation, continuing professional development, trying to be their voice, trying to raise standards, and focused on their mental health."

"They're our primary things, as well as to raise the bar for coaches, coach behaviors - and to try and get some equity and some equality in the game."

To discover more about how the FCA is assisting coaches in Australia and learn about the challenges the organisation is facing, listen to the full interview with FCA President Gary Cole on episode three of the Off the Pitch podcast by Soccerscene HERE

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The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) latest AFC Coach Education Panel Meeting reflected the Confederation’s desire to continually strengthen each Member Association (MA).

The meeting was led by AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and took place virtually Thursday last week, featuring technical and coaching experts from across Asia.

With the key focus on finding how to strengthen coaching to boost player development, the meeting saw a range of matters discussed such as the AFC Coaching Convention, the AFC-UEFA Diploma equivalence, and the progress of tutor courses.

Most notably, the panel witnessed an extensive presentation on the pioneering Triple A Project, an all-new AFC programme designed to elevate technical standards and player development across the Confederation.

The name Triple A comes from the founding principles the initiative was built from of Analysis, Advice, Accreditation. To achieve its goals, the Triple A Project will engage with MAs to establish technical summits to effectively deliver unique supports according to each member’s needs.

Roxburgh explained how the Triple A Project would be beneficial for MAs.

“The idea is to hold joint exchanges with MAs, allowing us to analyse global developments and enable the Confederation to provide tailored support, offer advice, and establish guidelines,” he said in a press release.

“This will facilitate greater information exchange and drive further enhancements in technical projects, activities, and initiatives.”

Panellists next reviewed reports of The Hub initiative, a programme in collaboration with the Japan Football Association (JFA) designed to create opportunities for female coaches to gain their AFC Pro-Diploma status.

Panel members were then made aware of the latest endorsements under the AFC Coaching Convention, as well as future events like the upcoming AFC Coach Education Conference 2025.

To finalise the meeting, participants undertook an active QandA session, sharing key insights and learnings while also questioning standard practices to help the Asian Football Confederation and its Member Associations reach their true potential.

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The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and UN Women have renewed a memorandum of understanding to improve gender equality across the Pacific.

Having first joined forces in 2022, the reinvigorated partnership will enable both organisations to tackle gender-based violence and discrimination by empowering women and girls on and off the pitch.

UN Women will support the OFC through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership) programme, an initiative predominantly resourced by the Australian Government alongside the European Union and organised by UN Women and the Pacific Community (SPC), in a strategic partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

UN Women Fiji Country Office Representative, Delphine Serumaga outlined why the UN elected to continue the partnership with the OFC.

In the Pacific Islands, sports play an important role in shaping attitudes, values and behaviours that can promote gender equality and prevent violence against women and girls. UN Women is pleased to support OFC and the member associations in their commitment to make football safe, equal and inclusive,” she said in a press release.

OFC General Secretary Franck Castillo expressed how vital it was to have continued support from UN Women to progress the Confederation's work.

“Gender equality has taken an even greater focus in our region following the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the first senior FIFA World Cup to be held in Oceania. The development and launch of This Is How We Football as one of our legacy programmes is a testament to this,” he said in a press release.

“Using the power of football to drive gender equality also means continuing to develop women’s football from grassroots to the elite level. Ensuring girls and women have the opportunity to perform on the field is a key part of our work to change attitudes and perceptions.

“We’ve achieved a lot in our partnership with UN Women so far and are excited to continue building on those foundations.”

The This Is How We Football initiative is a Football for Good programme designed to tear down barriers preventing women and girls from playing football. Implemented in eight countries in 2024 (Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu, Samoa, New Caledona, Fiji, Tonga and Kiribati), the programme will add a ninth in 2025 with the addition of Papua New Guinea.

In combination with the OFC's Just Play programme, both initiatives have rapidly improved capacity building for women. Of the 600 participants for volunteer and coaching courses in 2024, 65% were female.

Furthermore, the OFC and UN Women partnership has already achieved a litany of major successes, such as the Gender Equality Playbook 2022, The Power of Football 2023 social responsibility strategy, a localised 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence Campaign and a range of regional workshops to support women across the Confederation.

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The Premier League’s regulatory framework has suffered a significant blow from Manchester City after a tribunal ruled that the original Associated Party Transactions (APT) rules from 2021 to 2024 were “void and unenforceable.” 

This ruling weakens the Premier League’s financial regulations, adding to concerns about the league’s governance.

League Governance Questioned Over Legal Victory

The presence of three specific aspects of the ATP rules have been found unlawful, following an earlier tribunal decision. Both City and the Premier League have pushed for further clarity on whether these aspects invalidate the entire rule set.

“The three respects in which the APT rules and amended APT rules were unlawful cannot be severed with the result that the APT rules as a whole are void and unenforceable,” the tribunal stated.

The tribunal's latest verdict found that these flaws couldn’t be separated from the rest of the framework; the tribunal ruled that the entire rule set was invalid.

Impact on Sponsorship and Financial Fair Play

While the Premier League has since introduced a revised version of the APT rules, Manchester City is also challenging the validity of these new regulations. If the tribunal strikes them down as well, it would further weaken the league’s authority.

The ruling raises broader concerns about financial regulation in English football, especially with Manchester City also facing 130 charges for alleged financial breaches. 

Premier League Holds Ground 

The Premier League continues to assert the validity of its new regulations, emphasising its ongoing commitment to their financial practices in spite of the tribunal's ruling.

“The league continues to believe that the new APT rules are valid and enforceable and is pressing for an expeditious resolution of this matter,” the statement read. 

“The new APT rules are in full force, and clubs remain required to comply with all aspects of the system, including submitting shareholder loans to the Premier League for fair market value assessment.”

However, should the tribunal rule against the revised regulations, the league could face a significant regulatory crisis.

City’s challenge is just one of several financial disputes, raising concerns about the Premier League’s ability to ensure financial fairness and sustainability.

What’s Next?

The result of Manchester City’s legal challenge to the newly enforced APT rules will play a crucial role in moulding the future of financial regulation in English football. 

If the tribunal upholds the rules, the Premier League will retain authority over financial governance. If struck down, the league’s ability to regulate financial transactions could be severely compromised, potentially opening the door for a stronger role for an independent regulator.

The post Manchester City Triumphs Legal Fight Against Premier League appeared first on Soccerscene.

John Paraskevas is the founder of Faraday West – a leading specialised lender for the self-employed.

As Australia faces uncertainly around interest rates, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis presenting its own challenges, approaching a bank for financial help can be a daunting experience.

Those with irregular income have often found themselves knocked back by a bank in times of need, where it appears the self-employed cannot be trusted.

However, Paraskevas’ business Faraday West has changed the game - supporting the self-employed and backing them in for 25 years.

Speaking with Soccerscene in a wide-ranging chat, Paraskevas discusses how his business began, why it’s a success, his approach to changing the lives of people on a daily basis and his affinity with the round ball game.

First of all, John, could you tell us a little bit more about the origins of Faraday West?

John Paraskevas: I finished up with university in the late 80’s, I did a business course in accountancy, so I was always going to be business focused.

I chose lending, it just resonated well with me. Meeting people, solving their problems and then watching their reactions as they start off nervous trying to borrow money, but once you approve the loan, the elation on their faces, knowing now they can focus on achieving their goals; it’s fantastic.

Lending was always a big part of me and I just found it really natural - with this business it is always about relationships.

That's what I found over the last 25 years since starting Faraday West in 1999, it's about relationships and listening to people. A lot of people try and sell something, but for me it was always about the relationship and building rapport with a person.

I've got clients that I dealt with 25 years ago that I'm still dealing with now, it's extraordinary.

As an organisation we address the question of who looks after the self-employed people. They’ve struggled when they went to the bank and I remember personally my father facing these challenges.

He is still self-employed and it was always hard borrowing money from the bank.

For me, that was where my passion kicked in. My thinking was it'd be great to create lending products to support those who are self-employed, who the bank doesn't really care about or they're just too hard, whatever the case is.

That was the emergence of the self-employed space and from there came what we call low-doc programs and loans for the self-employed. 25 years later, these low-doc programs now are stronger than ever.

I realised very early that a lot of friends who were self-employed all struggled when it came to borrowing as well. With my dad being a builder, buying a block of land and building a couple of units should be simple, but unfortunately it was always more complicated with the bank.

[caption id="attachment_28119" align="alignnone" width="713"] Faraday West Founder John Paraskevas – Image Credit: One Nil Media[/caption]

What is it like working alongside clients day-to-day?

John Paraskevas: We still have clients from decades ago, their kids now call us who are self-employed - so it's incredible again to see the longevity.

It’s been a fantastic journey with a diverse range of clients.

From lawyers, to tradies, to engineers, to anyone in that self-employed space, we can support any industry. When people hear the term self-employed, they automatically assume one person; but self-employed could be the individual, a small team of 1-3 people or even 10-30 people. They're all still self-employed, so it’s very much a medium enterprise.

There’s just been so many memorable moments, everyone’s story is a success.

It's not about the size of the loan, it's about the journey and helping that individual or group of people. There's been many situations where you've got someone starting out in business, they've been working for a year, wanting to buy their first home and multiple banks have been saying no to them for a year.

Eventually, they come see us, you meet them and then if we tell them within an hour that it's a done deal, they just can't believe it. I love seeing that smile on their face, being surprised by the outcome.

That is the buzz for me where we approve loans, assist people and work through their financial duties.

Talk to me a little bit about your other love John, Soccer, what’s your background in the game?

John Paraskevas: I played soccer in my younger years for Thornbury United and then moved to Northcote City at a reserve state league level. We're talking in the mid-1980’s, I loved playing soccer. I had a break for a few years and then in my late 30’s started playing again till about 50, so the sport has always been in the family’s blood and we've loved it.

I’ve got two daughters at NPL level, one is playing seniors at Boroondara Eagles and doing quite well with her development, while the other one is 17 playing at Bulleen and absolutely loves it - been at that club for two years now.

What is your view on the local game’s main strength?

John Paraskevas: The participation levels at a junior level are fantastic.

If you look at the women’s side of the game, I love to see the growth in that area and how it’s taken off over time.

For the girls and also the boys, participation in the game promotes a healthy lifestyle and these individuals can also make changes in the way they eat, train, socialise, it improves their mental wellbeing – there are so many benefits that are a result of engaging in the game of soccer.

What are the main reasons you’ve decided to partner with Soccerscene? What are the similarities you see across both businesses?

John Paraskevas: We are in very similar paths. Firstly, there’s a lot of risk in trying to start up a business. People always see the end product, but they don’t see the sleepless nights, the money you pour into something, the time and effort – a lot of the rewards, if they do come at all, they come later (sometimes 5-10 years down the track).

Looking at Soccerscene, it reminds me of the early days of Faraday West – you were told by others you couldn’t do something, this is not going to work, but ultimately it comes down to the passion you have in what you do.

With that passion, the product or business continues to develop and get bigger and bigger every year. You’re out there every day speaking with people and getting the message out there, but the most important thing is you have to love what you do and across both businesses you can see we share common values.

[caption id="attachment_28124" align="alignnone" width="713"] Faraday West Founder John Paraskevas - Image Credit: One Nil Media[/caption]

On those values John, why should someone use Faraday West?

John Paraskevas: What generally happens is most borrowers or someone seeking a loan would simply go to the bank, generally the bank where you've got your savings account and ask for a loan - that's the normal natural process.

You see these banks advertising here and there so instinctively you're going to go there, which is 80% of people because of PAYG (they work for someone). However, the self-employed unfortunately don't get that fair go because their situation is a bit more complex - their income could vary from week, to month, to year.

All those variables make it very difficult for the bank to be able to come back and say we can help you. They’ll say you're great, but come back in three months.

From one bank to another, it becomes the same story; ‘I'm going to struggle to borrow money from the bank to buy my dream home’. Suddenly, they hear about Faraday West, loans for the self-employed and it’s almost too good to be true.

The fact that we can assess the position purely just by talking within an hour or two and give them that positive news that we can help, is just gold.

A lot of people just don't believe it, because they've never experienced it before. Their experience has always been this long journey through the bank.

The fact that we can give them an answer straight away is what's important. Not only that, people have this perception that low-doc loans or loans for the self-employed are expensive, but they're not. They're very similar to home loan bank rates.

Once people understand that it's not too difficult to qualify for a loan, they warm up to it.  Once they do the transaction and it settles, you've got them as clients for life - because they believe you've delivered something for them, that they've been trying to do for years.

What could a self-employed person expect in a consultation with Faraday West?

John Paraskevas: I always say to people tell me your story and we will listen.

Every self-employed person can be supported. It could be that person isn't quite ready yet to save for a deposit. Generally, as long as you're self-employed, you've got an ABN number and you've been operating for more than 12 months, there are solutions to help you in that journey.

It’s also an education process, learning throughout the journey.

We have a motto here: keep it simple. How do you do things in the easiest, quickest way? That's what people want.

Once they discover it, it's like it's a pandora's box. It really opens up a lot of opportunities to them, such as buying another property for example - because at the end of the day they should be focusing on their business and their future.

Contact Faraday West today for a free consultation

The post Business Insight: Founder of Faraday West John Paraskevas on his passion for supporting the self-employed and his love of soccer appeared first on Soccerscene.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) wrapped up the AFC Member Association Anti-Doping Programme webinar on Monday, highlighting the confederation's desire to strengthen the honour and fairness of football in Asia.

With 40 Member Associations (MAs) present, the AFC's webinar was designed to educate MAs on the recently implemented AFC Anti-Doping Activities and Monitoring System, a broad sweeping process aiming to standardise anti-doping practices across the confederation.

Designed to modernise Asian anti-doping practices, the AFC Anti-Doping Activities and Monitoring System is helping to transition MAs from paper-based data collection to digital alternatives. Through this, MAs will be able to observe and record doping activities far easier and will be in compliance with the AFC Anti-Doping Regulations and World Anti-Doping Code.

The AFC Anti-Doping Activities and Monitoring System also includes a number of tools to help boost MAs anti-doping effectivity, such as real-time data submission and secure access controls. Additionally, the system includes provisions to conducting educational programs, recording anti-doping violations, and programme testing.

Saudi Arabian Football Federation Medical Committee Member, Dr. Khalid Awad, outlined the importance of the anti-doping webinar.

“It was a pleasure to be part of the discussions and to learn more about this new system. I feel it has great potential to strengthen collaboration among MAs,” he said in a press release.

“We can use the platform not only to safeguard the integrity of our sport but also to develop more ways to educate ourselves and help our athletes perform at their highest levels.”

Pakistan Football Federation Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Muhd Azam Khan expressed his satisfaction for the AFC's commitment to modernising anti-doping practices in Asia.

“This is an excellent step by the AFC to digitise records. It will serve as a stimulus for the growth and development of MAs," he said via press release.

"Additionally, I am confident it will motivate us to organise more capacity-building initiatives in our respective federations.”

The webinar also allowed the AFC and MAs to share the discoveries of a recent AFC survey, which aimed to discover the unique problems each MA has in regard to doping in football.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) hosted the AFC Regional Associations Workshop for the first time since 2019.

Conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from January 15 to 16, the workshop aimed to bolster the aptitude of Regional Associations (RAs) through discovering the best services to assist them, by providing a platform to acknowledge problems and share solutions.

Highlighting the importance of the conference, the General Secretaries of each AFC RA; Winston Lee (ASEAN Football Federation), Ulugbek Karimov (Central Asian Football Association), Yosuke Mihara (East Asian Football Federation), Anwarul Huq (South Asian Football Federation) and Khalil H. Al Salem (West Asian Football Federation), spoke at the event, facilitating a number of conversations around the successes, goals of and threats to each RA.

The first day of the workshop hosted sessions centred around integral programs for the regions, such as the FIFA Forward 3.0 Initiative, AFC Enhance Programme and AFC Academic Centre of Excellence courses.

Additionally, members conversed over the AFC's dedication to social responsibilities such as child safety.

Day two of the forum saw Football Australia President Anter Isaac hold a presentation on creating and maintaining sustainable growth alongside reinforcing RA governance.

Next, the AFC Governance Coordination Unit and AFC Legal Unit held presentations and conversations around desirable governance, and how to become more transparent and resilient.

AFC General Secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor John, outlined the importance of forums like the AFC Regional Associations Workshop.

The AFC will continue to evaluate and explore ways to assist Regional Associations across 2025 and beyond.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), highlighting their dedication to fortifying football law and to providing multiple sports dispute resolution pathways in Asia.

The MoU, signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday, is a three-year agreement which aims to cultivate greater collaboration between the AFC and AIAC.

The agreement is the latest in a long running partnership for the AFC and AIAC. Since 2015, the organisations have cooperated to host seminars, conferences and training programs, focused on educating the public and officials about sports law and dispute resolution.

AFC General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs, Andrew Mercer, expressed his excitement for the agreement via press release.

“We are delighted to formalise this important collaboration with the AIAC, who share common interests and values to promote academic and practical training in sports specific alternative dispute resolution in Asia," he said.

AIAC Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Almalena Sharmila Johan, conveyed a similar sentiment.

“As we embark on this partnership, we celebrate the convergence of our expertise, values and dedication to raising the standards of ADR within the sporting community. The ASIAN Sports Arbitration Rules exemplified our commitment to advancing the spirit of justice in the sports industry as a whole, by providing a comprehensive framework for expedient dispute resolution that best preserves fairness and integrity within sports," she said via press release.

This latest agreement will facilitate the AFC's and AIAC's desire to operate a yearly workshop or conference concentrating on sports law.

Both organisations wish to voice a plurality of opinions across Asia to explore conversations about recent sports law trends and developments across the continent and the world.

Additionally, this space would also provide an opportunity to discuss and review best law practices and alternative dispute resolution methods to find new solutions and remedies that will strengthen the future of Asian sports law.

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Football Australia has officially announced the launch of the National Second Tier (NST) competition, a key milestone in its commitment to advancing domestic club football in Australia.

Following extensive workshops and consultations with the eight NST Foundation Clubs, Football Australia confirmed the NST will kick off in October 2025, highlighting the best in Australian club football through a modern and sustainable competition model.

Key Aspects of the 2025 NST Competition:

Commitment to Play: Football Australia, the NST Foundation Clubs, and stakeholders are committed to launching the NST in 2025, aligning with the strategic goal of connecting Australia's football pyramid and elevating iconic clubs to a national level.

Competition Structure: The NST will feature 16 teams, starting with group-stage matches and culminating in an elimination Finals Series. This structure is designed to balance sustainability with competitive integrity and commercial appeal.

Team Composition: The eight NST Foundation Clubs will gain automatic entry and be joined by eight invitational clubs, selected from the Member Federation NPL State Premiers, forming a truly national competition.

Season Timeline: The NST season will run annually from October to December, featuring nine match day rounds and concluding with a Championship Final in early December. This timeline aligns with the Domestic Match Calendar, ensuring optimal scheduling for players, fans, and stakeholders.

Brand Launch: Football Australia will unveil the competition’s official name, brand identity, marketing materials, and trophy design in the coming months, setting the stage for a memorable inaugural season.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson shared his excitement about the NST: “The introduction of the National Second Tier is a landmark moment for football in Australia. Following productive discussions with our eight Foundation Clubs and consultation with other stakeholders, we are committed to creating a competition that not only elevates our game but also enriches the football community at all levels. The National Second Tier will provide a new platform for iconic clubs to showcase their talent and connect with fans nationwide.”

Football Australia will continue collaborating with NST Foundation Clubs, Member Federations, and stakeholders to finalise the operational details for the competition.

Over the past year, Football Australia has conducted two detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) processes to select NST clubs. With advisory support from BDO, 14 clubs across six states and territories have met the technical requirements for the NST RFP process.

Of these 14 clubs, six did not meet the financial requirements for a standalone NST home-and-away league before the June 2024 deadline. Football Australia will monitor these clubs as they strengthen their proposals.

[caption id="attachment_27072" align="alignnone" width="565"] Marconi Stallions announced as a founding club of the National Second Tier.[/caption]

Additionally, Football Australia will initiate a third NST RFP selection process, extending eligibility to clubs outside the initial Expression of Interest and focusing on underrepresented regions to identify additional foundation clubs.

The eight clubs announced in November 2023—APIA Leichhardt FC, Avondale FC, Marconi Stallions FC, Preston Lions FC, South Melbourne FC, Sydney Olympic FC, Sydney United 58 FC, and Wollongong Wolves FC—remain central to the NST’s future and will continue as foundation members.

The six additional clubs that have met the NST RFP technical criteria are Adelaide City FC, Caroline Springs-George Cross FC, Gold Coast United FC, Gungahlin United FC, South Hobart FC, and Sunshine Coast FC.

Further updates will be provided as the NST evolves, with a standalone NST home-and-away league remaining a key strategic goal once minimum requirements are met.

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Queensland's sporting community will benefit from comprehensive state government grants, which will help kids join local clubs, support elite athletes, and upgrade facilities.

For children

• Access up to $200 in FairPlay vouchers per eligible child to assist with sport and recreation club membership costs.
• Support of up to $800 is available through Emerging Athlete Pathways for athletes and officials under 18 attending state, national and international competitions.

For clubs and organisations

• Become a registered organisation to accept FairPlay vouchers, allowing eligible children to use up to $200 towards membership, registration or participation fees.
• Register your organisation's competitions at state, national and international levels through Emerging Athlete Pathways to enable athlete and official funding eligibility.
• Apply for the Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund to create accessible, safe and inclusive community sport and recreation spaces.
• Not-for-profit sport and recreation organisations can access Active Clubs funding to support volunteers and deliver flexible, safe physical activities to boost participation.

Disaster recovery

• Eligible not-for-profit sport and recreation organisations affected by significant weather events can apply for up to $5,000 through the Sport and Recreation Disaster Recovery Program to restart operations.

Other Sports and Recreation funding sources

• Explore funding opportunities for not-for-profit organisations through your local council.
• Contact your state sport and recreation organisation for information about activity-specific funding options.
• Access various funding programs for individuals and sporting organisations through Sport Australia.

Sporting clubs have always been vocal about the importance that government backing has in the upkeep of the sporting industry.

Though it will take time to see the full effect of these grants, this comprehensive list of grants shows that Queensland’s government is dedicated to supporting its sporting industry.

It’s a positive sign and hopefully, it will help increase the sporting output and relieve the financial stress for the people of Queensland. A strong sporting Queensland is a benefit for sport in the country as a whole.

Learn more here.

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Football Australia has confirmed that Paramount Australia, the parent company of Network 10 and Paramount+, will be the official broadcaster for the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos in Australia. This deal includes the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ hosted in Australia and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Over 100 international matches featuring the Matildas and Socceroos will be broadcast live, with at least 50 available on free-to-air TV.

Paramount has also secured exclusive rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™, in a partnership with IMG.

The agreement extends through 2028, encompassing all CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos friendly matches, AFC tournaments, and Australia Cup Finals. This deal, specifically with ING, also consolidates broadcasting rights under a single platform, ensuring extensive coverage across 96% of Australian households.

With the CommBank Young Matildas opener in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024™ kicking off on September 1st, 2024, fans will immediately benefit from this deal.

James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia, remarked: “This landmark agreement with Paramount Australia is a pivotal moment for Australian football. It brings unprecedented exposure to our national teams and provides fans with unparalleled access to the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos.

“Innovation is the cornerstone of our approach to sustaining and expanding the influence of Australian football. Reacquiring the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) National Team rights and securing the broadcast rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ are strategic moves designed to maximise control over our content, enhance fan accessibility, and unlock new revenue streams.

"These rights are integral to our strategy to secure a transformative broadcast deal that we anticipate will set new benchmarks in the valuation of football media rights in Australia. Bringing as much national team content as possible to a multi-platform partner was a key objective from a fan's perspective, and we are thrilled to achieve this.

"We look forward to our continued partnership with Paramount Australia, a relationship that has been pivotal in delivering high-quality football matches to our fans. This ongoing collaboration will be crucial as we navigate future opportunities and challenges in the dynamic media landscape.

"We also extend our gratitude to the IMG team for their invaluable support in navigating this complex negotiation with all parties involved and our friends at FIFA and AFC for their tremendous support and collaboration," concluded Mr. Johnson.

This agreement reinforces Paramount Australia's commitment to Australian football, which boasts the highest participation rate of club sport in the country and is the leading organized sport for children under 14.

With exclusive coverage of the A-Leagues, Paramount has been involved in Australian football for many years and continue to provide football fans with local broadcasts.

“Australian football fans are the winners here,” said Beverley McGarvey, President of Network 10 and Paramount Australia’s Head of Streaming and Regional Lead.

“Never before have fans had such incredible access to the sport they love, ranging from the A-Leagues all the way through to premium international games broadcast on one free-to-air network and one of Australia’s fastest-growing streaming platforms.

“Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of the Paramount Australia agreement, which we see as an exciting extension of our coverage of the A-Leagues, is the opportunity for women’s football.

“All CommBank Matildas’ games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will be telecast by Network 10 on free-to-air television, as will all Matildas’ games in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™,” Ms. McGarvey said.

Fans can access the broadcasts via Network 10 and/or Paramount+ subscriptions, exactly like the A-Leagues coverage.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interactive fan engagement opportunities, and social media initiatives will be part of this comprehensive coverage.

The full list of rights included in the agreement are:

• AFC Asian Qualifiers (FIFA World Cup 2026™ Asian Qualifiers Final Round)
  5 Sep 24 - Australia v Bahrain on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  10 Sep 24 - Indonesia v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  10 Oct 24 - Australia v China PR on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  15 Oct 24 - Japan v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  14 Nov 24 - Australia v Saudi Arabia on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  19 Nov 24 - Bahrain v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  20 Mar 25 - Australia v Indonesia on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  25 Mar 25 - China PR v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  5 Jun 25 - Australia v Japan on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  10 Jun 25 - Saudi Arabia v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
• FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ (15 matches on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ (six matches on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ (all matches exclusively on Paramount+).
• AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026™ and 2028™.
• All CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos International Friendlies 2025 to 2028 (15 CommBank Matildas Friendlies on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+ and 10 Subway Socceroos’ Friendlies on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• Australia Cup Finals 2025 to 2028.

The post Football Australia and Paramount Australia confirm historic multi-year media rights deal appeared first on Soccerscene.

John Tsatsimas, Chief Executive Officer of Football New South Wales, experienced the joys of football at an early age when he was exposed to NSW State League competition by his father.

The memories of the first national competition (NSL) launched in 1977 on the Australian sporting landscape are still transfixed in his mind.

His first official post was as General Counsel at Newcastle Jets before he assumed the role of CEO at the club from 2007-2011.

Perhaps his finest hour was as CEO of Western Sydney Wanderers when the club won the Asian Cup in 2014 under the astute guidance of senior coach, Tony Popovic.

Significantly, he also presided over the establishment of major infrastructure innovations at the Wanderers base in Rooty Hill between 2012-2022, including the creation of multiple football fields and amenities which are the envy of most sports in Australia.

[caption id="attachment_26147" align="aligncenter" width="808"] Match action in the 2024 Football NSW Men's Waratah Cup Final between Rockdale Illiden and APIA Leichhardt at Jubilee Stadium (Photos: Damian Briggs/FNSW)[/caption]

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the experienced administrator at the Wanderers as he witnessed the changing of the coaching guard five times and the failure of the club to make finals football in the last four seasons , prior to his departure in May, 2022.

Nevertheless, John Tsatsimas is a resilient football administrator and since his appointment as CEO at FNSW in November 2022, he has applied all his skills in guiding the organisation on a steady course of stability.

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, John Tsatsimas discusses all things football.

ROGER SLEEMAN

You’ve held CEO positions at Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers and Football N.S.W.

Do you think the game is making sufficient progress?

JOHN TSATSIMAS

The game has evolved over the last twenty years and we’ve seen a lot of changes at a professional level.

It has grown exponentially in playing numbers in this period but there are always challenges re-emerging in different ways.

Also, the presence of a multitude of sports played in the country which compete for funding is a major challenge to the amateur and professional game

R.S.

Football has enjoyed large participation rates since the mid 1960’s.

How can this be translated into support at senior level?

J.T.

That’s the million dollar question as the game has historically been a  gateway for young people to play sport ,and trying to retain their support is the biggest issue in the face of increasing demand for infrastructure and the large choice of activities available to them.

Therefore, we need to provide better coaching, improved training facilities and more effective  engagement with an emphasis on providing pathways for players to compete at the highest level and increasing their appetite to follow senior football.

R.S.

NPL Men’s and Women’s football competitions are poorly attended.

In contrast, three weeks ago, Canterbury v Canberra in the NRL drew a crowd of 18,000 at Belmore Oval, while Sydney Olympic are lucky to get attendances of 500 at that ground.

What is  FNSW doing to address this situation?

J.T.

Rugby League has been entrenched since 1908 on the Eastern seaboard but they have very small playing numbers compared to football.

Also, we have competitions where matches are played at the same time due to the large fixture schedule.

People who attend NRL in the main don’t play the game as opposed to our constituents who either coach, play , are spectators or are involved  with transport assistance or fulfil volunteer roles.

Consequently, our sport has large numbers of people who are involved at grass roots while senior football is being played which reduces the spectator pool significantly.

[caption id="attachment_26146" align="aligncenter" width="891"] John Tsatsimas handing out the awards at the Gala event[/caption]

R.S.

Are you satisfied with the level of promotion for NPL football, in view of the very high standard of football produced this season?

J.T.

Certainly, the standard this year has been very high and we must give full credit to coaches and players.

However, it’s not the A-League and in the winter months the presence of the established senior codes, NRL and AFL and the blanket media coverage they receive, is more than challenging.

We are continually looking at ways to improve spectator numbers but there has also been a record number of viewers watching YouTube television this year so the interest in the competition is definitely there.

Also, people can watch up to six games through this medium which proves we are accessing the target markets.

R.S.

Match times for the NPL Men’s competition range from 3 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Why can’t we go back to the traditional 3 p.m kick off times for all first team games?

J.T.

The women’s programs are mainly played on Sunday and with the exploding growth of their game, it does create great pressure on facility availability.

Ideally, 3 p.m. kick offs as in former times would be welcome but ultimately the NPL clubs can make their own decisions about playing schedules without direction from FNSW.

R.S.

What is FNSW doing to reduce playing fees for elite football and other amateur participants?

J.T.

It’s a long standing issue but other sports have large broadcasting assistance and obviously a smaller cost base to subsidise their amateur players.

Amateur football clubs aren’t running a business and the costs are infinite, e.g. coaching, field hire council lighting, football gear and insurance.

If we had a silver bullet to change the situation, there would be reform where funding was provided from top down to support amateur football.

However, if we have players who haven’t the means to play at elite level we will attempt to assist them, just as amateur clubs will do if necessary.

R.S.

What is your opinion of the proposed National Second Tier?

J.T.

It’s been long talked about but we’re focusing on our competition.

We certainly won’t stand in the way of any club which has the aspiration to play in a higher level of competition.

As long as our existing clubs are fully invested in NPL football at the present time, we aren’t making any judgement on their desire to participate in the National Second Tier.

Critically, if there is going to be a successful NST, there really has to be representation from all states and a framework for promotion and relegation.

The problem is, the current model for the APL stipulates there won’t be any promotion and relegation until 2034.

[caption id="attachment_26152" align="aligncenter" width="911"] Match action in the NPLNSW Women’s Grand Final between Bulls Academy FC and Macarthur Rams at Valentine Sports Park (Photos: Damian Briggs/Speedmedia)[/caption]

R.S.

After your extensive involvement in the A-league, what is your opinion of its current standing?

J.T.

Challenging times, but I’d like to thing those in charge would give it direction and provide aspiration for junior players to progress through the ranks of NPL to A-League, to Matilda and Socceroo status and then seek out opportunities overseas which will boost the strength of the Socceroos and Matildas.

This can’t be achieved without a functional and successful APL which needs support from everybody in the game.

R.S.

How can we get more former players involved in the game?

J.T.

It’s often a case of creating positions but not every former player wants to stay in the game after their playing career has finished.

It’s a work in progress which has to be considered carefully because former players can definitely add so much to many areas of the game.

R.S.

Can the F.A. show better leadership?

J.T.

Those at the helm of the F.A. join the organisation with the best of intentions and similarly the APL.

However, the sport needs to move away from the pockets of success and grow the game on a consistent basis.

This is the greatest challenge for the governing body and after the success of the Women’s World Cup, the announcement by the Federal government of $200 million funding for women’s sport, with only a small portion allocated  to women’s football, was unexplainable.

These are the issues which require serious attention and strong leadership.

The post John Tsatsimas – Leading the Charge at Football New South Wales appeared first on Soccerscene.

Football NSW has worked through their 2024 Player Development Review and used it as a guide to improve its women's and girls' competitions and development programs for the coming seasons.

From 23 members and stakeholders’ meetings and 1,490 survey responses they have outlined six major adaptations for the following seasons in the 2025-26 competition and technical changes:

1. Maintain the current numbers within Girls’ / Women’s Competitions, two tiers of 14 Clubs.
2. Expand the Girls’ Youth League Two to include Under 18s, aligning the leagues
3. Women’s Reserve Grade & U20s to become Under 23s (plus 4 overage players per match card team sheet)
4. Decoupling of Girls’ Youth League & Women’s Senior Competitions
5. Implementation of Club Standards across Girls’ Youth Leagues (two-year licence period)
6. Dissolution of the Football NSW Institute program & introduction of the ‘Future Sapphires’ programs.

On top of this, the Football NSW Institute program, open since 2013, will close operations at the end of the 2024 season.

An interesting take from Football NSW given the amount of talent that has been produced by the program including prominent Matildas.

Though Football NSW does point out that with the rise in player numbers in grassroots football and female engagement across NSW and the massive investment from clubs through all levels in girls' development.

The institute now could be observed as obsolete due to the size of the women's game in NSW.

The closure of the Institute will free the association to concentrate on ensuring Club accountability, competition regulation and capability building across all participant groups (e.g. coaches, referees, technical directors).

The development and playing opportunities for girls and women are now placed predominantly in the player pathway programs of 4 A league clubs (Central Coast Mariners, Macarthur FC, Newcastle Jets FC and West Sydney Wanderers FC).

The idea is that the implementation of Club Standards and Benchmarking Framework, alongside Football NSW mechanisms of support, will streamline the delivery of extensive girls’ and women’s high-performance programs in NSW.

The Football NSW-led talented player pathway, underpinned by Club programs, the Talent Support Program (TSP) and the Talent Development Scheme (TDS) matches in conjunction with Football Australia.

These clubs are set to participate in the 2025/2026 Football NSW Girls’ Youth Leagues and Senior Women’s Competitions (NPL Women’s and League One Women’s).

Football NSW’s joint activities with these clubs will give players more opportunities at higher levels for girls and women's players than Football NSW has done before.

With this Football NSW has also announced the ‘Future Sapphires’ program in 2025. A 40-week program for players across the Under 15, Under 16 & Under 18 age grades.

Some major goals of this new program include:

• 75% retention rate
• 45% of national representatives from NSW
• 25% increase in Female coaches and managers

This development shows a massive change in the NSW Football system for girls' development and women’s competitive football.

This bold strategy is more than possible to achieve growth in NSW’s women’s football if the strategies are met and the support continues.

Exciting times lie ahead for female football in NSW.

The post Football NSW updated Girls’ and Women’s Competitions appeared first on Soccerscene.

Atletico Madrid has ambitious growth plans involving numerous infrastructure and technology projects designed to establish them as one of football's elite, but in a unique way that sets them apart from others.

An innovative initiative with a city-centric objective, the new Ciudad del Deporte (Sports City) aims to establish Madrid as a global hub for sports and sustainability. Currently under construction, this project will benefit the club and offer new facilities and green spaces that is accessible to everyone in Madrid.

Sports City will include two new municipal sports facilities for the city's residents. Besides the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano, a mini stadium with a capacity of 6,000 spectators will be constructed, and an athletics stadium will revive the Olympic spirit in a district that missed out on hosting the major sporting event in 2012.

The project will also feature an artificial wave beach designed for surfing and various sports activities within the leisure area, enhancing the recreational offerings for visitors and residents alike. Furthermore, a new hotel will be constructed just minutes away from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport and the IFEMA Trade Fair Ground, offering convenient accommodation for travellers and event attendees.

This hotel will cater to both business and leisure visitors, providing modern amenities and easy access to key locations in Madrid. The comprehensive development aims to transform the area into a vibrant hub of sports, leisure, and hospitality, significantly boosting the city's appeal as a global destination.

Sustainability is a central focus of the project, with facilities meticulously designed to minimise energy consumption and reduce the environmental footprint. The club's sustainability sponsor, Civitas, is playing a leading role in this effort, ensuring that innovative and eco-friendly technologies are integrated into the development.

This includes the use of renewable energy sources, advanced energy-efficient systems, and sustainable building materials. By prioritising sustainability, the project aims to set a new standard for environmentally conscious sports and leisure complexes, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change. Civitas’ involvement underscores the commitment to creating a green and sustainable environment that benefits both the community and the planet. This approach not only enhances the project's long-term viability but also positions it as a model for future developments in the realm of sports infrastructure.

The new Sports City will span over one million square meters, incorporating 33% green areas that will be integrated into the Metropolitano Forest, this green belt will encircle the city of Madrid.

Significantly for the club, the area will house its first team training ground, relocating them from their current base in Majadahonda, which is 20km away. The new facility will include six training pitches, a gymnasium, and a medical centre.

To compete with Real Madrid in the same city and the major clubs across Europe, they needed to move to a new, larger stadium. This move was essential for growth on the pitch, increasing their fan base, and enhancing the club's image.

Director of Operations, Fernando Fariza spoke to FC Business about the project.

"The 2017 move was risky from a social and economic point of view as we had to invest a lot of money. However, we Invested €330m in the stadium, which included not only the construction but also buying the land and constructing access to the motorway. Now, 100% of that stadium investment has been amortised in the first five seasons,” he said.

"How? Half of the investment was recovered through the sale of the old stadium and the land it was on. The other half, with the additional revenues the stadium generates, we have paid off the costs.

"From a social point of view, the numbers here are now incredible. We're always sold out. We have the highest number of season ticket holders in our history-60,000, We have 5,000 VIP season ticket holders. With that situation, we are now ready to make the next step.

"Around the stadium, there is a lot of land that was part of the Madrid Olympic Games bid that we didn't win. When we moved into the stadium, we started talking to the Principality. It was a crazy idea, but finally we signed an agreement to build a sports and entertainment centre around the stadium. It's not just a Sports City for Atletico Madrid; it's more than football and will be something open to everyone in Madrid.

"We always need to compete with different things. We like to be different. We always try to be near our fans and produce a different atmosphere, to create joy and a great experience. The philosophy of the Sports City is also done in that way.”

The total investment for the facilities is expected to reach an additional $336 million. The majority of this will be financed by the club and funds from the CVC Boost LaLiga fund. For the remaining amount, the club is negotiating agreements with third-party operators and specialised companies to manage some of the businesses on the site, including a hotel, a college, and the inland surf area.

"This is the final project of the new Atletico Madrid," Fariza states. "If you go back over 20 years ago, we were playing in the second division, and it was a very difficult time from an economic point of view. It took ten years to recover. In 2010, we played in the Europa League final in Hamburg against Fulham, and we won. That was our first title in many years, and it closed out a very difficult period for us.

"The second phase has been the [Diego] Simone era, during which we have moved to the new stadium, we now play in the UEFA Champions League every season and we have won trophies as well as grown our fanbase.

"Now, this is the third phase of our growth. This is the new Atletico Madrid but keeping our values and identity. That is our biggest challenge. When you grow a lot with many fans, it's hard to stay close to them."

In addition to the Sports City development, Atletico is continuing to invest in the stadium. This year has seen the capacity increase by another 2,000 from 68,000 to over 70,000, while they have transformed some of the hospitality areas to better serve a wider variety of fan groups. The club is keen to make the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano a multi-purpose venue.

Despite many critics in the A-League fan bases and football supporters alike seemed confused as to how Western United playing in Tarneit can be beneficial, it is important to remember good things do take time such as the case of Athletico Madrid. A long term project that Western United has envisioned for its members and the local area will require investments as well as the dedication from individuals to attract supporters from other teams to visit, and most importantly the state government to improve the area as a whole.

The post Atletico Madrid’s growing ambition for Sports City infrastructure appeared first on Soccerscene.

In Stuttgart, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin met with David Terrier, President of FIFPRO Europe, and members of the FIFPRO Europe board in an attempt to improve the working relationship between the two parties and professional footballers in Europe.

Key topics covered included football governance, player workload trends, and the growth of women's football.

The two organisations had plans previously to mend the relationship and focus solely on employment matters affecting male and female players within the European football pyramid.

The meeting not only emphasised the growing relationship between UEFA and FIFPRO Europe, but it also highlighted greater player inclusion in decision-making processes, giving them more agency around matters that affect them.

This will be touched on by creating a new player-specific forum for important discussions with UEFA, complimenting the annual UEFA Convention on European football's future.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin spoke on the meeting and the progress it will make on the sustainability of football in Europe.

"Since David Terrier's election as President of FIFPRO Europe, we have covered significant ground in our collaborative efforts. We may not agree on every issue and work remains to be done, but our progress across a wide range of areas is evident," he said in a statement.

"In recent months, we have successfully implemented measures to tackle issues affecting players in both men’s and women’s football while also improving governance structures. This ongoing dialogue is essential as we strive to address the evolving challenges in football."

David Terrier, President of FIFPRO Europe expressed a similar sentiment about the importance of these healthy discussions with UEFA.

"Our collaboration with UEFA is going from strength to strength and I would like to thank Aleksander Čeferin in understanding the key issues facing players today," Terrier explained in a statement.

"Our primary objective is to create a healthy and sustainable environment for all players in Europe, and we very much see UEFA as a key partner to build long-lasting solutions.

"We look forward to achieving more, tangible outcomes for the players we represent and, generally, for the betterment of professional football across the continent."

The solidarity-based football pyramid in Europe also ensures that benefits and resources are distributed across all European leagues, players and clubs so they can properly tackle these issues at all levels.

It is a fantastic step forward in improving the quality of European football by listening to players on what they find most challenging in the professional game, and it will be interesting to see how the player forum affects decisions in the near future.

The post UEFA and FIFPRO Europe pledge to strengthen their collaboration appeared first on Soccerscene.

LALIGA's Academy Plan, which was introduced in 2023, has grown 30% from the previous year and where clubs had already seen 20% growth since its implementation.

With over half of the clubs achieving 60-70% of the goals in the initial phase of the Plan, this collaborative effort solidifies the expectations for this 10-year project, showcasing LALIGA's global leadership in grassroots football development.

LALIGA introduced this plan to reinforce their commitment to creating a sustainable model of youth development that would help the clubs in both La Liga and Segunda Division make profit in the transfer market thanks to the high market value of home-grown players.

Not surprising considering the dire financial situation of many Spanish clubs and leagues.

This Academy Meeting discussed many important factors of the plan and served as a setting for the presentation of two new developments: the results of a questionnaire shared with the clubs themselves showing their most important requirements, and a study containing data on youth players in Spanish professional football.

These were the results:

• Participation in LALIGA First Division of youth players registered in reserve teams increased by 33% compared to last season.
• Over the last two seasons, youth players registered in reserve teams generated a market value of $452.31 million in their debut season in the LALIGA First Division alone.
• Youth players generated $278.21 million in LALIGA First Division and $69.78 million in LALIGA 2 through transfers to other clubs. This data only takes into account youth players playing for the first team.
• 95% of the youth players registered in reserve teams and participating with the first team are of Spanish nationality, something that will have a positive impact on the national team.

The Plan's success is evident with youth players contributing significantly to the league's competitiveness and market value.

As the country impresses on the Euros stage with homegrown talent like Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Pedri just to name a few, it’s imperative for future success that this plan continues to grow and showcase the country's best talent that is evidently out there.

This initiative is proving that LALIGA remains a global leader in nurturing homegrown talent, with a high percentage of youth players participating in top European leagues and boosting national team performance, which is helping with their goal of a sustainable development system.

The post LALIGA’s 10-year academy plan showing early signs of success appeared first on Soccerscene.

Grassroots football clubs and associations have a new free and interactive platform to comply with the 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards, following Vicsport's launch of the Child Safe Online Education Program.

Supported by Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV) and Lander & Rogers, the education program is powered by etrainu’s Learning Management System.

Users are able to delve into the content one module at a time while working through practical, sport-based strategies and scenarios to help with their understanding. Breakdowns of compliance indicators, policies and procedures are also included - the ability to save as you go means that you can work through the program at your own pace.

“In early 2022, ahead of the new 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards replacing the original seven Standards and three Principles, my predecessor Fiona Jones identified that the Victorian sports community would benefit from an alternate form of learning,” Vicsport Participation and Inclusion Manager Michaela Cook said via press release.

“We applied for funding through SRV and then commenced conversations with etrainu regarding the design of an online education program. We looked at the development of a module framework and discussed the key elements needed to assist the end user in understanding the compliance for each Standard, whether they be a sport administrator, volunteer, coach or official.”

Each module has users taken through a Standard to gain an understanding of its purpose and how to best comply. Interactive sport-based scenarios provide a chance for users to test their knowledge before they conclude with a quiz that earns them a Certificate of Completion.

While the Standards are numbered 1-11, modules do not have to be completed in order and is flexible to do them all when convenient.

“Throughout the design process, we ran draft versions past SRV, CCYP and Lander & Rogers to ensure the modules not only correctly reflected the Standards but legislation as well. We constantly referred to CCYP’s “A Guide for creating a Child Safe Organisation” document and for Module 1, which looks at establishing culturally safe environments for Aboriginal children and young people, we engaged Rob Hyatt at Koorie Heritage Trust,” Cook added via press release.

“By January 2023, we were in a position to soft-launch the program so we invited some key stakeholders to trial the program and provide their feedback before officially launching on 20 February.”

The program launch featured Minister for Community Sport, Ros Spence as well as a panel discussion. Simon Merritt (Senior Associate, Lander & Rogers) and Emily Sanders (Director Regulation, Commission for Children and Young People) discussed their involvement in making the modules and how they see them assisting the sports industry. Jennifer McIntyre (CEO, Calisthenics Victoria) and Ginny Robinson (Affiliate Services Manager, Netball Victoria) were also in attendance to outline the modules from a sporting lens and share the work done by their organisations in embedding child safety.

“These modules are aimed at grassroot sporting clubs and we are keen for State Sporting Associations to pass the link down to as many clubs as possible," Michaela added in a statement.

"However, it can also be utilised by sporting leagues, associations, state or regional sporting organisations and even national sporting organisations based in Victoria.

“They are an excellent resource and something we expect will help our industry for many years. But we will still continue to work in the child safe space, “sportifying” new resources from CCYP for our industry as well as running events such as the Child Safe Community of Practices which assist child safe leaders to support their clubs on their own child safe journey.”

Learn more about Vicsport’s Child Safe Online Education Program here and then get started with the modules by creating an account here.

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The FIFA Master Alumni International Sports Conference was hosted in Doha, bringing together over 40 alumni who are involved in a variety of areas for the World Cup in Qatar, making a key contribution to the tournament.

The FIFA Master graduate program in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport has been developing all-round managers who can deal effectively with the ever-increasing complexities in the world of sport.

Organised by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) collaborating with three different universities in Europe which are De Montfort University in Leicester (England), SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan (Italy) and the University of Neuchatel (Switzerland), the FIFA Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport was established for the reason in order to promote management education within the sports world.

The program takes individuals on a unique journey through the aforementioned distinguished universities throughout the European countries to study sport.

It offers an excellent opportunity to converse and engage with around 25 different backgrounds in a class of roughly 30 postgraduates that are chosen each year to provide them with the opportunity to learn a wide variety of subjectsl as well as developing their analytical skills to better adapt with the fast-changing aspects in the sport industry.

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura (pictured) said at the conference:

“Holding this conference also during the FIFA World Cup facilitates the sharing of best practices and thoughts on topics such as event hosting, long-term impact sustainability, sports leadership, commercial partnerships and the growth of women’s football. Over 40 of them have been directly working on the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with FIFA, Q22, the teams/PMAs and other service providers.”

Another beneficial aspect of the program is that it offers a chance to network with top executives from high-level international sports federations, clubs, agencies and also organising committees which is a huge factor in building their contacts - a major component to a successful career in sport.

The post FIFA Master Alumni contribute to World Cup Qatar success appeared first on Soccerscene.

In a season built around rejuvenation, the in-house produced A-Leagues All Access has led the way for the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) in 2022-23.

A-Leagues All Access – a key part of the APL’s strategy to start to win back the disenchanted many left alienated by the previous administration – was set to debut as a flagship offering under the APL’s first full season in charge of the A-Leagues (2021-22). However, as has been the case since 2019-20, COVID-19 delivered disruption in spades, and the APL were forced to shelve the project until now.

The series is presented week-to-week in a fly-on-the-wall manner akin to Amazon's 'All Or Nothing' show, except in comparison A-Leagues All Access delves into the experiences of one individual's actions on matchday and the broader impact of their influence on the team. So far, the series has given fans insight into Central Coast Mariners starlet Garang Kuol, Sydney FC detractor Milos Ninkovic, and Chloe Logarzo's role at the heart of the debut Liberty A-League campaign for Western United women's.

Accumulating more than 2.2 million video views and over 4.6 million social media impressions (as of November 23), the success of A-Leagues All Access thus far is reflected in the correlation between the aforementioned video views and social media impressions and transition of interest onto free-to-air (FTA) broadcasts of the A-League Men, with the APL confirming a 33% growth in FTA viewership between episodes 1 and 4 of A-Leagues All Access.

The reception alone is an indicator of eyes and ears being pulled towards the sport, as well as the hearts and minds being won back by the APL.

Speaking with Soccerscene ahead of the restart of the A-League Men’s season, APL CEO Danny Townsend explored why exactly A-Leagues All Access is resonating with fans, the motivations behind the series, and how the series provides football with an edge over the rest of Australia’s competitive sporting landscape.

Why do you feel that A-Leagues All Access has resonated with Australian football fans?

Danny Townsend: Well, I think at the end of the day football fans want to look under the hood and see what goes on. Watching 90 minutes of football can be compelling but really getting to understand the behind-the-scenes ongoings they’re not accustomed to seeing is something that I’m sure has driven a huge amount of the interest in A-Leagues All Access.

When you’re close to the action as someone who works in the game you take it for granted, but when you’re a fan on the outside and you’re not accustomed to seeing it, it really brings to life that experience of being inside of a dressing room or board room, or at a training ground. But more importantly when you’re watching the game unfold over 90 minutes you can connect those things together and get a full experience.

It feels like A-Leagues All Access is connecting fans to the leagues in a way they’ve always craved for. How significantly did re-engaging disenchanted fans play into the motivations behind A-Leagues All Access?

Danny Townsend: The APL has an overarching strategy that has three key pillars to it - one being how do we re-engage our core fans who’ve drifted particularly with COVID making it so difficult to give them certainty around when matches are played; that really affects your core more than anything else.

Our second pillar is looking at how we grow new audiences and the All Access program serves both. It serves to re-engage our core and gives them another reason to reignite their interest in their clubs or their players, and for new fans who haven’t watched the A-Leagues before, it maybe exposes them to some interesting content that draws them into it.

Finally, our third pillar is to grow the capabilities of our clubs and equally a lot of the content we’re creating through the capturing of All Access is finding its way to club socials, which is driving a lot of engagement there. So, it’s really designed to serve all three pillars of the APL’s strategy.

Obviously, A-Leagues All Access captures the unpredictable nature of football and more broadly, live sport. Why do you feel the series gives an edge to football over the other codes?

Danny Townsend: We’re not a sport that has 60 scoring opportunities in the actual match itself. The euphoria around goals being scored is limited in our game but when they are scored, they’re celebrated, but there is so much more to it. It drives excitement as you see the coach and how they’re engaging with their players, it shows how players are reacting to certain circumstances in the dressing room – those things are all heightening the experience for a fan. And if we can bring fans as close to live as we can that’s only going to bring them closer to our game.

If you look at other fly-on-the-wall documentary series’ like ‘The Test’ for cricket, it was launched over a year after the period it documented. Formula One ‘Drive to Survive’ is a retrospective look at the season that’s already gone and everyone that’s watching knows what’s already happened on the grid. Whereas with what we’re embarking on with A-Leagues All Access it’s live; it’s in the now; it’s basically bringing to life the match on that weekend and driving interest into next weekend’s match.

How is the series coordinated? Is the whole season mapped out or is it organised on a week-to-week basis?

Danny Townsend: We looked at the first six weeks to start with because we had some fairly predictable stories that would surface such as the Ninkovic example which was always going to be one that the fans would want to get in behind. Nani’s first game was an obvious one at the new stadium in Sydney that we wanted to follow. And Chloe Logarzo’s was her first game returning from injury at a new club in pursuit of being a part of the Matildas at next year’s World Cup.

So, there are certain ones we’ve identified throughout the 30 weeks that we’ll be going after and there’s ones we’ve left open. As stories evolve throughout the season based on the ebbs and flows of competitive sport there’ll be stories that unfold that we don’t know of yet that will be part of the 30 episodes.

Will the A-Leagues All Access series be looking to expand beyond players and coaches to potentially highlight fan groups such as the team at RBTV or any of the active support groups?

Danny Townsend: Absolutely! There’s only so many dressing room sprays that you want to put on air before they get boring.

But on a serious note, we’ve got so many colourful stories in our league from the fans to even the administrators and how decisions are made around clubs. There’s just so many different components of the A-Leagues that we want to bring to life. Obviously, you start with players because they’re the stars of the show and coaches are major contributors to the game. But as you move through those stakeholder groups, there’s certainly interesting stories in there and fans are certainly going to be a focus in upcoming episodes.

Has there been an onward effect in terms of viewership of and engagement with TV and Paramount+ viewership since the series started?

Danny Townsend: Absolutely. We’ve looked at it through two lenses: how do we drive full episode viewing on any of the platforms it’s on (KEEPUP, Paramount+, 10Play, YouTube) but also just as important is the social reach that we’re generating from it. The clips and the cut-up short-form content that we’re distributing has been enormous and has so far accumulated over three million views, which for Australia and our game is enormous. That’s building every week as it becomes more appointment viewing for people waiting for Thursday night for the next episode to drop and that’s something we expect to continue.

For mine, A-Leagues All Access is only one part of a broader content strategy for KEEPUP Studios. We’ve launched All Access with KEEPUP Studios but you’ll start to see a lot more content alongside our podcast series’ that have been coming out – I think our current podcast is the number one in football at the moment and that’s going to continue to build. And from a video standpoint you’ll be seeing more original content being developed by the APL and KEEPUP Studios, and as the season rolls out there’ll certainly be more shows to engage A-Leagues fans and football fans in general, so, watch this space!

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European commercial sports development company, A22 Sports Management, has assigned Bernd Reichart as its CEO.

As an experienced media and sports executive, Reichart had previously performed duties as a Group CEO of RTL Deutschland, one of the main media companies in Europe.

The new CEO’s concern at the beginning will be to implement an agile and extended communication with several football stakeholders including clubs, players, coaches, media and political stakeholders.

The mission will be to maintain the development of the model for European club competitions that mirror the long-term and mutual interests of fans and the wider football community.

Reichart began his career in the sports industry starting at UFA Sports and then working as a Marketing Manager at a sports rights agency for Sportfive, in 2004 he moved to Antena 3 (today Atresmedia) as the Head of Investor Relations.

In 2013, he moved to a media conglomerate for RTL Group in Germany - taking the reigns of Managing Director of VOX, a German TV channel, where he successfully created some of the most prosperous programs in the organisation's history.

In early 2019, he continued his upward trajectory as a member of the Group Management Committee of Bertelsmann, which is a media, service and education company that operates roughly in 50 countries around the world.

Reichart stated via press release:

“The Presidents of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and the Chairman of Juventus FC have recently outlined their views on the issues facing the sport, l believe they are asking the right questions and am personally keen to listen to many diverse voices so that the European Football community can jointly find the right answers.”

The ongoing CJEU competition case is the ongoing legal fight under the competition law in the Court of Justice of the European Union in regards to the legality, of the current UEFA monopoly on European club tournaments - for which A22 is a co-claimant to the affairs.

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Can we afford to turn the lights on? That is the question many football clubs across the UK are asking themselves this winter, in the midst of an energy crisis.

Energy prices have skyrocketed throughout 2022 due to a shortage in supply, and renewable energy sources are producing less energy to power homes. The current war between Russia and Ukraine has also increased energy prices, with most nations halting all business with Russia, known for being a large fossil fuels exporter to the world. Football teams are now in the firing line, feeling the pinch of the energy costs required to operate a football club on a daily basis.

Conversations are being had at the highest levels of England’s League One and Two divisions, with many clubs feeling the squeeze of rising costs. The hike in electricity prices has clubs across the competition concerned that they may not be able to afford to run floodlights at their grounds.

The uncertainty around energy prices has already forced some clubs to make changes in the way they operate. League Two club Mansfield Town has informed the English Football League (EFL) and their fans that kick-off times will change in a bid to save money. The club’s home match in October against Walsall will be brought forward from 3pm to 1pm in order for the club to leave the floodlights off.

Up a division, League One side Shrewsbury Town shared insight on some of the astronomical figures clubs were facing. The Shrews' CEO Brian Caldwell voiced his concerns stating that the club's annual energy bills are expected to rise from £80,000 - £100,000 (approx $139,000 - $174,000) last season, to £160,000 - £200,000 (approx $278,000 - $348,000) this season.

Changing kick-off times to earlier time slots may just be a band-aid solution for the short term. Clubs may be able to save on the costs of running floodlights, but run the risk of damaging other streams of revenue, such as ticket sales and concessions. Nigel Clibbens, the CEO of League Two side Carlisle United, admitted that the club's energy bills have doubled, but that his club would not seek to change kick-off times.

“The lost income in moving kick-off would make us worse off financially – reduced fan numbers attending earlier games and match day concession sales from early starts would be bigger than what we save,” he stated.

Turning off the lights and playing day matches may sound like a simple solution, but with winter approaching in the UK, clubs may not have a choice but to turn them on. Inclement weather could force clubs to use the lighting and possibly consume more energy with heating if it happens to snow. Most EFL clubs have undersoil heating which is used in snowy conditions to prevent the playing surface from freezing, whilst keeping all pitch markings visible in order for the match to be played.

Continued rises in club’s operating costs have called for emergency meetings among EFL Executives. Multiple meetings have taken place to date with the latest being on September 29 - and the discussions are still ongoing. Reports from the BBC suggest that parachute payments may be removed in order to make more funds available to clubs in the lower divisions of English football.

Parachute payments act as a pressure release valve for clubs who have been relegated from the English Premier League. These payments help mitigate the costs relegated clubs face when going down a division. The funds help with player wages and loss of revenue from Premier League TV deals. If implemented, this move will upset newly relegated clubs but may provide a more sustainable and level playing field for all clubs across the divisions.

Closer to home, the energy crisis is no stranger to Australia, with costs involved in running sporting clubs being debated once again. In recent times, Australian sporting organisations have raised concerns over energy prices and how they may affect clubs at the grassroots level. VIC Sport, which is the peak body for sport and active recreation in Victoria, highlighted some of the challenges that clubs face. The point was made that most clubs train in the evenings after children have finished school and adults have finished work. They have urged the government that more needs to be done to safeguard community sports from increasing costs.

With football clubs in the UK already feeling the pinch, all eyes will be on the EFL and how they handle the energy crisis heading into the winter months. The challenges that lie ahead are unprecedented for football clubs in the country, but many around the world, including the A-Leagues and National Premier League, will be watching with keen interest to see how one of football’s biggest nations handles this crisis.

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A new global partnership designed to take Australian football coaches and analysts to a new level of excellence was jointly announced today. Global Institute of Sport (GIS), Football Coaches Australia (FCA) and cutting-edge experiential learning firm XVenture have joined forces to provide unique opportunities for Australian football coaches and analysts to improve and accelerate their careers both here and abroad. Central to this collaboration is that upon completion of the immersive virtual reality based FCA XV Essential Skills Program, motivated Australian coaches and analysts can now be considered for entry into GIS’ pioneering MSc Football Coaching & Analysis Master’s degree. The FCA XV Essential Skills Program is made up of five modules covering:

• Emotional Intelligence;
• Leadership;
• Communication;
• Culture; and
• Resilience.

The program is delivered in a self-paced online-based virtual world campus, with over 100 subjects brought to life as videos, podcasts, articles, websites and interactive e-books.

The modules cover universal themes and seamlessly integrate classic and contemporary models and thinking with each subject coloured with examples and cases from football, other sports and business globally.

This course aligns well with the themes of the MSc Football Coaching & Analysis Master’s program, which is also delivered in GIS’ inspirational campuses in the UK and US, which have Wembley, Etihad and DRZ PNK stadiums at their heart.

Brand new from January 2023, Australian coaching students will be able to study with GIS online with immersive face-to-face residentials once per year in Melbourne, including at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. In addition, GIS, FCA and XVenture have pledged to provide mutual guest speaker, placement and study tour opportunities for coaches to learn from their combined network of global football industry leaders.

Previous GIS guest speakers have included Harry Kewell, Gareth Southgate, Steven Gerrard and Hope Powell.

Glenn Warry, CEO of Football Coaches Australia, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Global Institute of Sport to provide enhanced progression opportunities for Australian football coaches and analysts. Aligning and integrating Australian football coach education and tertiary education pathways for coaches and other sports professionals is an important part of our strategy to enhance best practice, networking and high-performance capabilities of current and future Australian coaches. The future opportunity of partnering with GIS and XVenture to presenting high-performance coaching programs at world-class stadiums is exciting for all.”

The author of the FCA XV Essential Skills Program, XVenture Founder and CEO, Mike Conway, stated: “Having the opportunity to partner with a global sports education provider who is committed to providing best-in-class learning opportunities is fantastic. My team and I are passionate about developing accelerated experiential learning programs and we’re looking forward to working with GIS academics and students.” Mike is currently also working as the emotional agility and mind coach for the Australian National Football team, the Birmingham Phoenix Women’s team and the Adelaide 36ers NBL team.

Sharona Friedman, GIS President, added: “The aim of this partnership is to create an environment that helps to provide better and increased opportunities for Australian coaches, not just domestically but also globally. On top of this, it will also facilitate enhanced learning and career opportunities for GIS students studying on campus in the UK and online across the globe.”

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Historic National Premier Leagues Victoria side Port Melbourne Sharks have seen their successful application to be a training venue host for the upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup unexpectedly retracted by the City of Port Phillip Council (CoPP).

A statement issued by the Sharks and former A-League Men’s midfielder George Mells sparked significant uproar from the Australian football community over the weekend, referring to recent challenges that have been faced by Port Melbourne.

As Mells outlined, Port Melbourne were initially announced by FIFA as a successful applicant to host a women’s international side for the tournament next year. Their bid was further supported by assurances provided by CoPP of their intention to invest in Port Melbourne’s facilities at their home ground, JL Murphy Reserve, and to bring their pitches up to the standard needed to keep women and girls playing sport, particularly with the sharks fielding a senior women’s side themselves.

CoPP had agreed to accepting conditions and had three years to put required upgrades into place that added up to $700,000. However, CoPP unexpectedly withdrew their interest last week without alerting Port Melbourne. In addition, Port Melbourne have been advised that further upgrades to the remaining pitches has been pushed back 3-6 years with no clear deadline set in what comes as an unprecedented blow for the club whose need for facility upgrades stretches back 20 years.

Having coordinated and sought selection as a training venue host via an extensive collaborative process, it was seemingly assured that the City of Port Phillip Council were set to install the upgrades needed for Port Melbourne Sharks to accommodate an international side for the tournament.

“The Port Melbourne Sharks and City of Port Phillip Council worked collaboratively well together over a period of time to be successful in being selected as a training venue for the upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup. Unfortunately, only three days ago via a quick catch-up meeting, I was informed that the facility had been removed as a training venue – much to my bemusement and surprise. I then had the unfortunate job of having to inform our women’s group that all of the hard work that was done has been taken away because of council’s decision to remove the venue as a training venue for the Women’s World Cup,” Club President Bill Romanovski said in an interview with Soccerscene.

Adding to the confusion and uncertainty of the situation is the fact that the City of Port Phillip Council have failed to provide adequate documentation to support the reasoning behind the removal of Port Melbourne as a venue host.

“We still haven’t had that information released to us. The information that I was given over last week’s Zoom meeting with CoPP was allegedly that FIFA supplied a report that had items to be attended to by the City of Port Phillip that weren’t able to be achieved. We’ve been asking for a copy of this report to be supplied by the council in which they haven’t be able to furnish us with. That would be the easiest way to discover what these items were, but the council haven’t been forthcoming,” Romanovski added.

“At our meeting on Sunday at the ground there were some of the councillors (including the mayor), and the women’s group and ourselves requested a copy of the report because we can then discover what these items were and why the council couldn’t do them.

“But to go back a bit, I’d be surprised if there were such onerous conditions imposed by FIFA because we were present in all of those meetings in regards to what had to be done for the facility, and the facility had to be maintained in order with the inspection that they carried out back in 2021. Then in January 2022 representatives from Labosport and FIFA informed council that they needed to continue with their ongoing maintenance to keep the ground and conditions suitable, and the council also agreed to upgrade and refurbish the changerooms to be far more female-friendly.

“Without a copy of this report that they relied on to make this decision, we’re a bit in the dark to be honest.”

To add further weight to Port Melbourne’s efforts to retain their spot as training venue hosts and to subsequently bring greater economic growth, foot traffic and jobs to the Port Phillip municipality during next year’s World Cup, a statement was released by Nina Taylor - Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Labor in the Southern Metro Region - reiterating the support of the Andrews Labor Government for Port Melbourne.

“This is a massive blow to the local community and the future of women’s sport,” the statement from Ms. Taylor read.

“Hosting as a training ground for the Women’s World Cup is a coup and it’s imperative Council decisions about JL Murphy Reserve are genuinely informed by the Port Melbourne community.”

The evident support of the Andrews Labor Government for Port Melbourne’s situation adds another layer of confusion to the CoPP Council’s decision, a facet Romanovski can attest to.

“As a football club and as a board, the Port Melbourne Sharks united and got behind our women’s group. We certainly rallied and supported them in their vision to make an application. We engaged with council and expressed that our women’s team really wanted to put forward our facility as a training venue, which would leave a legacy behind and improve some of our conditions on site so that we can engage with more women and young girls to play football, and they were very supportive.

“We worked tirelessly to deliver a great submission to FIFA which was accepted. The inspections were carried out and we were selected and announced as a successful bidder. On one hand the council indicate that they support women in sport and on the other hand they have ripped it away. I don’t want to make light of the issue because I think it’s horrendous what’s happened here – the facility was selected and now it’s not.

“It’s really disappointing also that council had plenty of time to sort funding even if there are conditions in respect to drainage and lighting requirements, the women’s group including the club made some enormous efforts to visit ministers and the Victorian government who we held very good meetings with. I can quote the Chief of Staff, ‘Get your council to apply for funding. Make an application’. I don’t know what further work our group could do to find that council did not seek any funding is extremely disappointing. It’s actually gut-wrenching.

“I feel for our women’s group. I feel for our community part of our football club. We won’t have the benefit of legacy of what could have been left behind as a result of hosting a Women’s World Cup team training at our ground.”

The 2023 Women’s World Cup will bring together 32 nations before a global audience of more than one billion people. In February this year it was announced that JL Murphy Reserve would be one of 13 venues across Australia, selected by the world body for football, to host as a training site. Undeniably, the financial benefit of the month-long tournament to a host council is clear and obvious.

“According to Mayor Marcus Pearl on Sunday he informed the women’s group, our members and myself that the council officers had received a report from FIFA and containing that report were onerous requirements. One being drainage, and the second one being upgrading of flood lighting. And as a result of the cost that they carried and the timing that they needed to carry it out they decided to pull out. It does surprise me that a council officer made that decision, it wasn’t the councillors or the mayor. The mayor was surprised that the decision had been made, but they made this decision based on a report that they had received. No one’s seen this report and it would surprise me that after all of these meetings that FIFA would change the goalposts so dramatically that our submission would become obsolete,” Romanovski said.

“It doesn’t only affect this football club; it affects the business community around Port Phillip. The cafés, pubs, hotels and retail outlets – the economic impact and flow-on effect of having a team here would be enormous. It’s surreal and doesn’t make common sense because due process hasn’t been followed.

“Our membership got right behind this initiative. Within our football club we raised enough money to refurbish the club house because council didn’t have the funds to do it. We rallied and raised the funds to install an electrical scoreboard because it presents better to not only our football club but to FIFA, and I think that work contributed to being successful bidders. And whilst the work doesn’t go to waste because we have a new scoreboard and better clubhouse, the bigger picture is missed.”

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In a landmark partnership between Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE), Football Coaches Australia (FCA) and XVenture, young people can now access and gain a credit towards a selection of ACPE Undergraduate Bachelors’ Degrees with the completion of a unique and immersive new virtual reality based program.

The FCA XV Essential Skills Program is made up of five modules covering Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Communication, Culture and Resilience. The program is delivered in a self-paced online-based virtual world campus, with over 100 subjects brought to life as videos, podcasts, articles, websites and interactive e-books. The modules cover universal themes and seamlessly integrate classic and contemporary models and thinking with each subject coloured with examples and cases from football, sport and business globally.

Successful completion of the FCA/ XVenture College Essential Skills Program will provide future ACPE students for specific credit of:

(1) an ACPE (Professional Communication) unit, within their Bachelor of Sports Coaching (Management),  Bachelor of Sports Coaching (Strength and Conditioning), or Bachelor of Health Promotion courses

(2) an ACPE (Leadership in Sports Business) unit within their Bachelor of Sports Business (Leadership)course.

Under the partnership (articulation) agreement, students who complete the FCAXV Essential Skills program are eligible for consideration into the outlined ACPE courses.

The program was created by XVenture Founder and CEO Mike Conway. XVenture are experts and innovators in the team, leadership and personal development space. Mike’s clinical training and expertise in all areas of emotional intelligence, resilience and leadership have seen him take the role of emotional agility and mind coach for a number of elite sporting athletes and teams. Most recently Mike worked with the Australian National Football team, Sydney FC, Perth Glory, WBBL Sixers, WBBL Thunder and Olympians. In the FCA XV Essential Skills Program, Mike also draws on his current and past experience as a leader and advisor for organisations such as EY, Deloitte, Standards Australia and The Wiggles.

This new arrangement is an extension of FCA’s partnership with ACPE which also provides internship opportunities for ACPE students to fulfil their ‘Work Integrated Learning’ requirements.

ACPE CEO, Debbie Le Roux stated: "This exciting partnership between like-minded organisations aligns with our strategic aspirations to have an impact on the social and educational wellbeing of the sporting community and to provide appropriate pathways into higher education for coaches, athletes, administrators and anyone who has a passion for sport and learning.  ACPE is home to many who are passionate about sport and who are at different stages of life or learning.  We are thrilled to be partnered with FCA and XVenture to facilitate an industry relevant, contemporary and high-quality pathway into higher education."

Glenn Warry, CEO, Football Coaches Australia stated: "… A key strategy of FCA is to implement world leading benchmarks, programs and partnerships to enhance the best practice and high-performance capabilities of current and future Australian coaches. FCA is proud to partner with ACPE in supporting young students in this challenging world with learning environments and FCA XVenture ‘essential’ skills’ highly relevant to modern coaching. Aligning and integrating Australian football coach education and tertiary education pathways for coaches, players, administrators and other sport professionals, makes total sense."

XVenture Founder and CEO, Mike Conway stated: "Having the opportunity to partner with an educational institution who is committed to providing young people with access to contemporary learning through collaboration [with industry] is a breath of fresh air. My team and I are passionate about developing accelerated experiential learning programs and utilizing the best and latest in technology to deliver these essential skills, which until recently have been seen as ‘soft’. In an ever-changing world, these skills are more critical than ever."

About – ACPE, Football Coaches Australia and XVenture

Australian College of Physical Education

The Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE) is a leading provider of specialist bachelor degrees and graduate diplomas in the related disciplines of sport, applied fitness, health science, community health, business, physical education and dance. Established in 1917, ACPE aims to connect motivated and well-equipped students with fulfilling careers in their chosen field. ACPE aspires to maintain an impeccable reputation as a knowledge hub that serves the industry and broader community through scholarly activity, innovation and education.  Recognised as an Elite Athlete Friendly University (EAFU) by Sport Australia, ACPE is proud to support student athletes who strive for academic and sporting excellence – we provide the highest level of service to elite athletes.

Football Coaches Australia

For Coaches, By Coaches … promoting and strengthening the reputation of football in Australia, and the reputation of Australian football on the world stage. Founded in November, 2017 as an association, FCA provides a collective voice for Australian professional and community football coaches.

FCA aims to provide a holistic support model for coaches, with key pillars of Advocacy, Professional Development, Wellbeing and Gender Equity and Diversity.

XVenture

Founded by Mike Conway, XVenture are experts and innovators in the team, leadership and personal development space, with a track record that has taken them around the globe. They create and deliver accelerated experiential learning, recruitment and onboarding solutions combining cutting edge technology (including virtual reality), with learning and leadership expertise.

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When Marshall Soper, the former Socceroo great, witnessed the demise of Harry Souttar with his ACL injury in the recent Socceroo World Cup home clash against Saudi Arabia on November 11th, his thoughts flashed back to the 29th March, 1987 when he was playing with Sydney Olympic against Sydney City.

With one turn of his body early in the first half, Soper was writhing on the ground in agony after tearing the cruciate ligament in his right knee and was forced to sit out the season following a complete knee reconstruction.

It was ironic that Luke Brattan, the Sydney FC holding midfielder, also befell the same fate in the FA Cup clash against Sydney Olympic on 24th November.

A lot of water has fallen under the bridge since Soper captivated the football community after his first appearance for Apia-Leichhardt in the 1981 NSL season, followed by his rapid rise to Socceroo stardom in 1982.

Who could ever forget the matches against Juventus in 1984 when the Italian champions toured Downunder.

His performances, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne were simply mesmerising as he toyed with the Juventus defence, leading to the expulsion of Cabrini, the famous Italian left back, who had no answer to Soper’s skills in Sydney.

Yet Soper’s failure to capitalise on his huge talent was also exemplified after his outstanding display on the Socceroo’s tour match against Arsenal at Highbury in November, 1984. On the night he gave the England left back and captain, Kenny Samson, nightmares while scoring two goals for the Socceroos in a 3-2 loss to the Gunners.

In August, 1985, Red Star Belgrade, the Yugoslav champions toured Australia and the goal Soper scored at St George Stadium in the 4-1 win by the Socceroos was world class.

Beating two Red Star defenders at the half way mark, Soper sprinted to a position just outside the penalty area. The advancing keeper tried to narrow the angle but Soper pushed the ball with the outside of his right foot into the corner of the net.

[caption id="attachment_13735" align="alignnone" width="1024"] First team players and coaches Marshall Soper front row, 6th from the right[/caption]

It was at this time, people recognised that this man was no mere mortal as he made the big name Red Star players look ordinary that day.

Soper’s life has always been dedicated to the game he loves in his extraordinary playing career and for the many years he has spent in technical coaching roles in Australia and Asia.

He returned to Australia in March, 2020 from his three year stint as Technical Director at Yangon United in Myanmar due to Covid 19 and is currently weighing the options in his football life.

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, Marshall Soper discusses his experiences in Myanmar, the standard of football in Australia and how it can be improved, reflects on his playing career and outlines his aspirations in football.

ROGER SLEEMAN

In your three years in Myanmar, what was your experience of facilities, youth development and football standards?

MARSHALL SOPER

Like the rest of Asia, the country is pouring money into football while the investment in Australia is at a standstill.

Yangon United has a full time professional setup for the 1st team, U 21’s and U/18’s. They own their stadium, have an accommodation facility adjacent to the stadium complex which has 120 rooms, full time chefs, restaurants, coffee shops, swimming pool and gymnasium and support staff.

I had my own driver and the players would walk from their accommodation to the training ground while the club has a fleet of buses to transport supporters to matches.

The club plays in the National League and in 2019 we played in the Asian Champions League and topped the group.

The first year I joined the club, they hadn’t won anything but in that same season, they captured the three domestic trophies.

It was a full on job for me and not without stress levels while working with coaches, adapting players to professionalism and training seven days a week, sometimes twice a day.

The youth teams played during the week and the 1st team at the weekend so I was either at a training session or a match.

It’s a country which is crying out for help and so committed to youth development which is sadly not the case in Australia.

Here, there’s not the push to develop youth because clubs want to win on the day, rather than having a long term plan. Hence the drop in standards of our national team and our resulting poorer ranking in Asia where we struggle to beat countries like Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

[caption id="attachment_13737" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Marshall Soper addressing coaches & players regarding pre-season[/caption]

ROGER SLEEMAN

You attended the Socceroos clash with Saudi Arabia on November 11th.

What were your impressions?

MARSHALL SOPER

If you look at the positions the players take up on the pitch, there seems to be a startling resemblance to what the National Curriculum espouses.

The game is still too basic as we use very wide players to cross the ball from three quarters of the pitch at best and there is no attempt to beat opponents, especially through the middle of the park.

On the night, Mitch Duke and Jamie McClaren should’ve started the match to attack the heart of the Saudi’s defence, particularly with the speed of Martin Boyle.

If it hadn’t been for that great block in the first half by Harry Souttar which precipitated his injury ,Australia would’ve probably lost the match but overall our tactics were negative, while the Saudis were perfectly prepared and played us out of our comfort zone.

They dominated the middle of the park and we failed to penetrate from the wide areas.

The truth is, the Saudis had enough of the ball and chances in front of goal to win the game easily.

ROGER SLEEMAN

I performed a basic statistical analysis of A-League players four years ago and discovered that only 10% of them were competent on both sides.

Can you explain this, and what responsibility do technical directors have to improve this situation?

MARSHALL SOPER

At the moment, there is a poor understanding of how to develop the complete player in both the A-League and at NPL level.

As I mentioned previously, the emphasis is on winning rather than developing and in the A-League we’re importing questionable overseas players who are earning easy cash, rather than producing youth players of high quality.

In terms of the youth policy, are we coaching the coaches correctly?

Also, are we appointing people in TD roles with the right knowledge and philosophy to develop players to their maximum potential?

Do these people understand the full spectrum e.g. do they know what it’s like to be injured, what is required of a technical player or a hard working player to be successful and can they develop two sided players.

I doubt if we have the right people in this country to accomplish these objectives.

ROGER SLEEMAN

While you have been back in Australia, have you been approached to coach?

MARSHALL SOPER

I’ve had a number of calls and conversations from A-League clubs who have talked about the position of striker or front third coach but I prefer to look at starting my own academy where I can determine the structure and provide a transparent pathway to European clubs.

Recently, I signed an agreement with 90.1.1 Management Agency which is located in Central Europe and my name is now on their website.

The organisation is a group of licensed football agents who carve a pathway for young players and suitable movement for established players.

I want to cater for quality European players to come to Australia and Asia and for young players from Australia to play in Europe and Asia.

Currently, Kusini Yengi from Adelaide United is managed by the group.

[caption id="attachment_13736" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Team coaches together with Marshall Soper for weekly match review[/caption]

ROGER SLEEMAN

Not a year goes by when football supporters ask the question as to why you withdrew from the 1985 World Cup qualifiers. It’s firmly believed, if you, Craig Johnston and Tony Dorigo had been available for the two home and away matches against Scotland, our chances to qualify for Mexico,1986 would have increased considerably.

Your comment.

MARSHALL SOPER

I have to carry this burden on my shoulders but we were receiving a very poor pay deal with the national team compared to what the clubs were paying us.

If we were injured for the Socceroos we would’ve received small compensation so we had to ask ourselves, was it worth playing when you were feeding a family?

The answer for me at the time was no and remember there was no PFA in existence at the time to support the players.

ROGER SLEEMAN

Your rejection of the Arsenal manager, Don Howe’s contract offer on the Socceroo world tour in November, 1984 after you scored two goals against the Gunners and played mind games with the England captain and left back, Kenny Samson, is still something your followers can’t understand .

Can you please explain?

MARSHALL SOPER

I had other offers from other clubs, apart from Arsenal and as I look back at what could’ve been, the matter becomes purely hypothetical.

Did I make a difference in Australian football? History records, I was the only player to win five National Cup competitions, two each with Sydney Olympic and Parramatta Eagles and one with Apia-Leichhardt.

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