Canterbury Junior Football Club the first recipients of grassroots grants

Liam Watson
Canterbury Junior Football Club are the first recipients of grants to be launched at Dolcissimo Restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Haberfield.

Canterbury Junior Football Club are the first recipients of the new Superstar Sports grassroots football cash grants, to be launched on Friday (March 5) at Dolcissimo Restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Haberfield.

The grants are valued at $300 and will be awarded to a grassroots club every three months by a former player who made it to elite levels including NSL, A-League, W-League, Socceroos and Matildas.

Canterbury Junior’s President James Hondros will accept the first grant at the quarterly “Football Fraternity Lunch” held at Dolcissimo Restaurant on March 5. Hondros will be presented with a cheque by former club junior and Socceroo Peter Katholos.

The grants are part of the widely acclaimed Grassroots Football Project, in conjunction with sponsors Superstar Sports and Zenith Football Pathways.

“Our club is honoured to be the first recipients of these generous grants,” Hondros said.

“To have our cheque presented by Peter Katholos makes it more special.  He is one of three Socceroos we are very proud of, the other two being Ernie Campbell and Dennis Yaeger – thanks to all concerned.”

Canterbury Junior Soccer Football Club was formed in 1923 due to an initiative by Andy Burton who met with a group of enthusiasts and sat on a rock pile situated on a vacant block where Canterbury Hotel now stands. Jack Daley was elected President, Andy Burton Secretary and Tom English Treasurer.

Later in the year, Hurlstone Park was created and was followed up by the formation of the Canterbury and District Soccer Football Association (CDSFA). The now Canterbury Juniors were regarded as Canterbury Park with a playing strip of blue and gold vertical stripes and the namesake for the home ground.

Local district competitions were commenced as All Age and U/16 years which saw Canterbury Park win both these competitions run by the CDSFA.

“What a great way to start this scheme – Canterbury are a club rich with history, also having produced three Socceroos,” Grassroots Football Project creator Greg Werner said.

“I’d like to thank our sponsors for their support, and we look forward to our second award announcement in June.”

The awards will begin in Sydney with plans to nationally roll-out in the coming months.

“We are proud to be behind these grants. Superstar Sports was established to help cut costs of equipment for my club APIA Leichhardt, but the enquiries from other clubs have been a welcome surprise,” Superstar Sports’ Tony Raciti said.

“It’s time for some serious players in the sportswear market who are focused on helping junior sport, and not milking it. Congratulations Canterbury.”

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Mapping the Future: GIS Innovation Takes Off in Australia

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Image credit: Global Institute of Sport

Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is expanding its influence in the Asia-Pacific, in particular, Australia where they have already made significant progress and will be opening a brand new campus.

GIS is a leader in sports education, offering innovative online and in-person courses at campuses and iconic sports venues around the world, including the likes of Wembley Stadium in London, Chase Stadium in Miami, and Melbourne’s MCG.

But it’s Australia where GIS is now focusing its attention and they’ve already made some big strides.

In episode four of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch podcast, Asia-Pacific Regional Director Ray Boggiano spoke about the progress GIS has made in Australia so far.

“We’ve had the MCG partnership since 2019, so we’ve been doing our first summit, so study tour was in January 2020, we had a couple of virtual ones in between and then we brought our students back for the last couple of years as well,” he said in the podcast.

“From last year we started doing these residentials, so we have various sites, the MCG, Darebin, our partner clubs like Preston, they’re signed off as sites that we can deliver for face-to-face teaching for our British programs.”

Additionally, Boggiano spoke about the new GIS campus opening in Australia next year.

“Our vision and something that’s very soon to be realised is to have a sports campus in Australia,” he said.

“We will be opening the doors to our Sydney campus next year so our first intake will be in January 2026.

“The partnership is with the University of Newcastle, but it’s with their Sydney CBD campus, and also in partnership with Venus NSW, so very pleased to be able to use the Allianz Stadium and the SCG as well, so we’ve got access to two incredible stadiums.”

Boggiano also added that the new campus will be taking applications as soon as this month and highlighted the importance of Australia to GIS.

“We will be starting to take applications likely from April this year and the first intake will be January 2026, so this is a major milestone for us,” he said.

“We have always had Australia central to our strategy, it is really a vibrate sports economy, sports market, and sports industry.

“Over the next ten years that’s only going in one direction with obviously the build-up Brisbane games in 2032.”

The new campus will offer a wide range of degrees and industry-focused programs designed to give students the skills they need to succeed in the global sports industry.

To hear and learn more about GIS, you can listen to the full interview with Ray Boggiano on episode four of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch Podcast, available on all major podcasting apps and here.

Football Queensland Forms Regional Partnership with McDonald’s

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Image Credit: Football Queensland Facebook

Football Queensland (FQ) is excited to announce McDonald’s as the Official Quick Service Restaurant Partner for the Far North & Gulf region.

Under the two-year regional collaboration, McDonald’s will take on naming rights to the home of football in Cairns, with Endeavour Park now officially named Macca’s Park.

The partnership also includes support for grassroots football, with McDonald’s backing local clubs and celebrating junior players across the Far North and Gulf through the weekly MiniRoos Player of the Week voucher initiative.

FQ General Manager – Northern Conference, Craig Ramage, said the partnership was a major win for the region, highlighting FQ’s continued focus on growing the game in regional Queensland.

“This is an exciting opportunity to partner with an iconic brand in McDonald’s, whose long-standing support of community football aligns strongly with our vision for the game across the state,” he said via press release.

“We’re proud to extend this relationship into the Far North & Gulf, with the support from McDonald’s set to deliver direct benefits to grassroots programs, local clubs and junior players right across the region.

“The renaming of Endeavour Park to Macca’s Park is a powerful symbol of this partnership and our shared commitment to creating vibrant and welcoming regional football hubs that inspire the next generation of participants and bring communities together.”

McDonalds Far North Queensland Marketing Manager Jill Lennox, expressed that the partnership reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting active lifestyles and local communities through sport.

“Active lives are happier and healthier lives. McDonald’s wants to deliver valuable benefits to the wider community. With the goal of helping people live a more balanced, active and enriched lifestyle, McDonald’s is passionate about its sports and community sponsorships program,” she said via press release.

“McDonald’s is very proud to be the naming rights sponsor to the home of football in Cairns now known as Macca’s Park. This partnership is our way of giving back to the community which supports us and to assist in the development of important life skills such as commitment, hard work, and friendship.

“On behalf of McDonald’s, we would like to thank all competitors, parents, organisers, volunteers and other sponsors for their incredible support of Football Far North and Gulf region and we look forward to seeing you at Macca’s Park soon.”

This alliance marks an exciting chapter for football in the Far North & Gulf, as Football Queensland and McDonald’s work together to support the growth of the game across the region.

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