Coaches Associations in Australia and India strike agreement

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Football Coaches Australia (FCA) is delighted to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of India Football Coaches (AIFC) on 26 August 2020.

The agreement is based on a mutual commitment to build careers in football in an economically sustainable manner and to ensure that coaching roles are properly safeguarded and attractive to each nation’s best talent.

FCA Chief Executive Glenn Warry was pleased to make the announcement, stating the two entities recognise each other as developing associations, and have held constructive conversations regarding many major issues affecting the world game.

“The MoU with AIFC reinforces our vision of promoting and strengthening the reputation of football in Australia and the reputation of Australian football on the world stage,” said FCA CEO Glenn Warry.

“We are committed to working together to develop support systems for Australian and Indian professional football coaches as they seek to pursue their careers in the Asian Football region.”

The AIFC             Football Coaches Australia

Under the MoU, the associations will collaborate across key areas, and are committed to collectively work towards the following five key aims:

  • Mutually assisting each other in the development of football in Australia and India.
  • Introducing standard contracts for coaches within their country which set out the agreed minimum employment conditions and a structured and resourced process for termination of employment.
  • Set up strategic partnerships to support the professional development & wellbeing of coaches, including coach exchange programs.
  • Encourage the involvement of more female coaches.
  • Increase access to football for all participants while aspiring to make each of those experiences positive.

AIFC Executive Director Dinesh Nair also expressed his satisfaction, stating that both associations recognise the influential role coaches play in the lives and livelihoods of footballers, particular to children and young adults.

“We are happy to make our relationship official, after supporting each other in our journey to equip and educate our coaches. With this Agreement we look forward to working together for the betterment of our coaches. This will help us learn from each other, share best practices and also grow together,” Nair said.

“With the upcoming 2023 FIFA WWC, FCA and AIFC seek to lead the way in developing best practice systems to support all Associations and their member coaches in the Asian region, and in particular, the advancement of female coaches.”

Dandenong Thunder to enjoy $700,000 LED lighting upgrade at George Andrews Reserve

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Dandenong Thunder lighting upgrade
Image via Star Journal

Greater Dandenong Council and Dandenong Thunder have recently confirmed that works have commenced for new powerful lighting towers to be built at George Andrews Reserve.

The upgrade will cost $700,000 and is being jointly funded by Greater Dandenong Council ($500,000) and the State Government ($200,000) with a plan to improve the ground’s overall quality for both training and matches. They formerly had 200-lux LED towers and they will be replaced by 500-lux towers.

For the Greater Dandenong local council, the focus was to improve the facility for the community to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits through the increased amount of playable hours at the reserve.

Importantly, the project ensures that the Thunder have a ground that is up to professional competition and broadcast standards which means they can broadcast and host games that are viewed by a national audience, a huge step forward for the NPL Victoria club.

This broadcast upgrade also opens up the possibility to expand to national matches involving the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City A-League women’s teams and an even more ambitious goal of hosting a Matildas game. The ground can easily hold 5000 people and the lighting and broadcasting standards will be fantastic after this upgrade.

Dandenong Thunder shared the positive implications this light upgrade has for the club.

“The new lights mean the club will be able to host a number of games, not only that but it’s a step forward to the clubs ambition to be part of the NSD (national second division),” a club spokesperson told Soccerscene.

“The support from local council has been nothing but fantastic, Dandenong want to be a sporting hub for the south east suburbs.

“With the FA cup we have seen A-League clubs play at local level clubs, having these new high powered lights we will be able to broadcast at a higher quality, no more yellow light broadcast.”

This news presents an exciting future for Dandenong Thunder and the matches played at George Andrews Reserve. The quality of training, matches and broadcasts has improved tenfold and it matches the size of the NPL Victoria side that have big ambitions.

CPKC and Kansas City Current’s major stadium naming rights deal a win for women’s sport

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CPKC Stadium design
Image via CPKC

The world’s first professional female-football dedicated stadium – home of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current – will be known as CPKC Stadium, after an historic naming rights deal was agreed with the North American rail network company.

Formed as a merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern rail networks in July this year, CPKC represents the first trans-North American rail network between Canada, the United States and Mexico.

CPKC has been a leading investor for women’s sports in the state of Kansas, and CPKC President & CEO, Keith Creel, was proud to announce the stadium naming rights deal.

“We are incredibly proud to sponsor the Kansas City Current and support this history-making project here in the city that is at the heart of our North American rail network,” Creel said via press release.

“CPKC has been a long-time champion of women’s sports and of investing in our communities. This stadium and this partnership with the Current will build on that legacy as together we write a new chapter here in Kansas City.”

CPKC will also hold naming rights to the stadium’s outdoor space for fans, which will be known as CPKC Plaza. This area provides entertainment for all CPKC Stadium attendees, including the KC Current’s official merchandise store.

It is hoped that the naming rights deal will kickstart further investment in women’s football across the region, which has been the cornerstone of the KC Current’s existence according to co-founders and owners, Angie and Chris Long.

“Our [KC Current & CPKC] organisations share a commitment to strive for excellence, invest heavily in our communities and raise the bar with global influence. We are extremely excited to work with CPKC on this historic agreement and know our partnership will create a long-standing positive impact!”

Further to its substantial investment in women’s football, CPKC’s establishment of a direct line between Canada, the United States and Mexico is expected to have substantial benefits for football supporters attending the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup.

Presently, though, the stadium naming rights deal demonstrates CPKC’s intention to be a key investor in women’s football across Kansas and North America.

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