FFA Referees boss Ben Wilson resigns

Liam Watson

After 7 years as the FFA Director of Referees, Ben Wilson has resigned from his position to pursue a new opportunity outside of the game in Canberra.

Wilson has been the catalyst for refereeing changes that have helped enhance officials in Hyundai A-League, Westfield W-League and overall in Australia.

He helped to bring in full-time A-League referees, while it became the first league in the world to have Video Assistant Referees (VAR) integrated into the competition.

Another important step was the introduction of yellow and red cards being able to be shown to team officials in order to address the levels of respect needed towards referees,

Wilson has also contributed to the mentoring of young referees who could go on to be appointed at the higher level of A-League, W-League and major FIFA and AFC tournaments.

Wilson had begun officiating at the age of 15, with his first professional match coming in the National Soccer League (NSL) in 1996 as an assistant referee.

His career highlights show the great contribution he has made to the refereeing across his career:

  • FIFA Assistant Referee from 2000 to 2011
  • Officiated in over 200 NSL and Hyundai A-League matches, including five A-League Grand Finals.
  • Involved in FIFA & AFC tournaments including the 2006 FIFA World Cup, 2011 AFC Asian Cup and 2009 AFC Champions League Final.

Wilson will leave the FFA at the end of August, with a new Director of Referees set to be announced soon.

Football Queensland confirm Club Convention topics

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Football Queensland recently released the central topics that will ‘Elevate the Debate’ of their inaugural Queensland Club Convention.

The convention will be held on Saturday, 2 November, and Sunday, 3 November 2024, at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

This event will bring international speakers and panellists with industry expertise to give specialised sessions for Queensland’s clubs, coaches, teams, and associations.

Before the event on the 1st, there will be a cocktail networking event at the Sunset Lounge at Suncorp Stadium for Brisbane Roar Men’s home opener against Sydney FC.

Furthermore, on the 2nd, there will be a Queensland Awards Night at Brisbane City Hall.

These Focused sessions for participants will be based on the three broad themes of Growth, Sustainability and Technology.

GROWTH 

  • It’s Already Coming – The Next Phase – 50/50 – Football’s Growth Story

Unpacking the truth about the growth of the game – what is the role of clubs and how can they prepare for it

  • Revenue Diversification – What Business are we in?

Case studies of clubs that have successfully diversified their income sources with an opportunity mindset

SUSTAINABILITY 

  • Critical Transition of Club Culture through Phases of Growth & Time

An analysis of how static club culture can paralyse a club’s maturation and progress

  • Dynamic Club Business Models

Breaking away from treading water, reducing reliance on volunteers & unlocking growth (case studies)

  • Optimal Club Governance & Administrative Structures

What does best practice look like and how do we get there? (Case studies)

TECHNOLOGY 

  • Digital Transformation in Sport Operations: Benefits of Deploying a Common Tech Stack

Reducing the volunteer burden – managing risk, data security, continuity of IP

  • Achieving Alignment, Unlocking Value & Eliminating Key Person Risk

The benefits of a common CMS and fully integrated platform for all clubs

  • Cyber Bullying – Protecting the Game, our Clubs and Participants
  • Government Relations – #EQUALISER

In the coming weeks, details of the specialised speakers for each club, official and coaching session will be released.

This event will be a great opportunity for the state’s clubs to network with some of the best in their respective field, as well as interested stakeholders and other FQ clubs.

It will also enhance the positive community-based focus that has been central to Football Queensland’s strategic plans for 2024-2026.

Tickets are selling out fast and with a limited supply, this event for the interested is not one to miss out on.

To purchase tickets to the Club Convention, click here.

Growing Football Community Grant Program open for applications

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Matildas
Image credit: CommBank Matildas

Round Two of the Growing Football Community Grant Program is now open for local clubs to apply, it opened on August 21st and will go until September 16th.

In light of the successful FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, Football Australia introduced the Growing Football Fund to further boost the development of women’s football across the country and after a successful first round of recipients, applications opened up again for more grassroots clubs.

Supported by CommBank, this fund offers community clubs and associations the opportunity to apply for grants of up to $5,000. These grants aim to support initiatives and programs focused on enhancing and promoting women’s and girls’ football.

Key dates

Application open dates:

10am AEST, Wednesday 21 August 2024 – 10pm AEST, Monday 16 September 2024

Project delivery period:

Clubs/associations will have up to 12 months to utilise the funding.

Grant objectives

The main goal of the Community Grant Program is to offer concrete support to clubs and associations, with an emphasis on initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining women and girls in football.

Additionally, the program seeks to:

– Create positive experiences for both new and returning football participants that encourage continued involvement in the sport.

– Enhance the education and development of community coaches, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver high-quality football experiences.

– Assist clubs and associations in fostering inclusive and safe environments to help retain women and girls within their clubs.

The collective impact of these objectives will significantly contribute to Football Australia and CommBank’s shared goal of advancing gender equity and creating quality environments for women and girls within football.

Grant Guidelines + link

The Guidelines provide information on all things related to the grant, including eligibility criteria, type of activities that will or will not be funded, assessment criteria and more. Any club or association wishing to apply for the Growing Football Fund must review these guidelines.

A document outlining the conditions of the Grant can be found here.

In March 2024, the inaugural round of 121 clubs or associations was confirmed a Growing Football Community Grant.

To contact for more details, the email is provided below:

growingfootballfund@footballaustralia.com.au

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