Following a momentous year of challenges and growth across the state, Football Queensland (FQ) has published their Annual Report for 2020.
In spite of the tumultuous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, FQ were proud to have delivered a full season of National Premier Leagues football and to have been the only Member Federation to record an increase in participation across last year.
Improvement across four key areas – governance, administration, competitions and affordability – was at the forefront of FQ’s attention, and plenty was achieved despite the unprecedented obstacles the year presented.
Through their determination to inspire Queenslanders through football, FQ were successful in the following areas and initiatives:
- The publishing of the Future of Football 2020+ document and Opportunities Paper which were produced in consultation with FQ’s stakeholders
- The release of the 2020-2024 Strategic Infrastructure Plan in September which set out the organisation’s commitment to meeting the growing demands of the 127,627 participants across the state.
- The establishment of a Regional High-Performance Centre in Townsville through a partnership with the North Queensland Cowboys
- FQ launched NPL.TV, an industry-first over-the-top streaming service which broadcast all NPL Men’s, NPL Women’s and FQPL games live
- FQ rolled out a suite of initiatives to support referees and foster ongoing growth in referee registrations including: the introduction of the pink armband for match officials aged under 18, new ‘sin bin’ rules, an e-learning platform, the inaugural FQ Referee Academy and the launch of the Futsal Referee Information Pack
- FQ outlined its bold vision for futsal in the state with the release of the 2020-2022 Futsal Strategy, which has identified a clear focus over the next two years on growing participation, strengthening futsal clubs, improving access to infrastructure and building capability and capacity of administrators.
FQ President Ben Richardson acknowledged the immense work done by the game’s stakeholders through the challenges of 2020.
“Thank you to all our valued partners for supporting us to administer and grow the beautiful game here in Queensland.
“Thank you in particular to the Queensland Government for their ongoing support in providing funding to help us deliver the game across the state.
“Thank you to all the staff at FQ for their ongoing commitment to delivering the best outcomes for football in Queensland.
“Finally, thank you to all members of the football community across the state for your support throughout a year which was extremely challenging for us all.
“Despite its challenges, 2020 truly demonstrated football’s incredible ability to unite.”
