Construction of World Cup facilities underway in Tasmania

The upgrades to Clennett’s Lightwood Park are underway, ensuring that Kingborough Lions FC’s home ground will be given a significant opportunity to potentially host training basecamps for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

As an extension to the news from Kingborough Lions United Football Club (KLUFC) earlier this year, the club were recipients of a portion of the Tasmanian Government’s $10 million pledge to upgrade facilities in preparation for hosting World Cup content. Devonport’s Valley Road, Launceston’s Birch Avenue and Churchill Park also received valuable funding.

Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley sees the opportunity to host a travelling World Cup team as an exciting one for Tasmania.

“We know FIFA are in the process of shortlisting facilities, so it’s fantastic to see work begin so quickly here at Clennett’s Lightwood Park to bring the ground up to scratch and make it an attractive prospect for visiting teams,” he said.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup is the third biggest sporting event on the planet, and while it was disappointing for Tasmania not to host any tournament matches, the opportunities stemming from hosting training camps and warm-up games are still huge, both for football and the economy.

“Not only will travelling teams and support staff provide the own boosts to the local economy, but the travelling media contingent is massive, and many fans will also want to base themselves near their players and commute to games.

“With the eyes of a nation on their team for a month, we can also expect to see great exposure for Tasmania, helping attract new tourists for years to come as we continue to rebuild from the impacts of the pandemic.”

Kingborough Lions FC
Planned redevelopment for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Kingborough Lions FC President Brian Downes explained the upgraded facility would greatly enhance the growing club’s ability to provide opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels.

“Once completed, the new complex will contain eight changerooms on the ground floor with new club rooms, catering facilities and seating upstairs, making football more accessible for the club’s 600 plus players, and the thousands more that play there each month,” Downes said.

“As well as giving us a great shot of seeing some of the world’s best players here at Clennett’s Lightwood Park, this will help Kingborough Lions FC enhance participation and delivery of all services the club offers to the Kingborough community for many years after the World Cup has finished.

“The additional funding from the Federal Government will not only allow for the total completion of the new building, but will contribute towards further improvements around the main ground including an improved playing surface, new lights to 500 lux standard and improved security and fencing.”

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Off the Pitch Podcast: Manny Spanoudakis on Cisco Systems

In episode seven of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch podcast, St George City FA Head Coach and Regional General Manager at Cisco Manny Spanoudakis joins the show to talk about his role at Cisco, as well as his experience and philosophy in coaching.

As the Regional General Manager for the Sports & Entertainment Solutions Group at Cisco, Spanoudakis is responsible for developing, leading and executing strategy in the Asia Pacific, Japan and China region.

Cisco is a global tech leader that’s helping organisations stay connected and secure in today’s AI-driven world.

For over 40 years, Cisco has played a key role in safely connecting people and businesses around the globe.

Spanoudakis spoke about his experience working on a range of stadiums and venues across Australia as a part of his role at the company.

“I guess if we just focus on the Australian market, there’s been an abundance of projects we’ve been very fortunate to have great success with,” he said on the podcast.

“If I start in Perth, I guess, and work my way east off the stadium is a major project, then we’re just doing a major refresh there after the original opening in 2018, Adelaide Oval, another major customer of ours.

“The Melbourne Cricket Ground just underwent significant and is still undergoing significant technology upgrades, it’s a project and a customer we’ve worked on for well over a decade.

“Marvel Stadium, the Melbourne Olympic Park precinct, the VRC in Flemington, Kardinia Park and GMHBA Stadium and Melbourne Racing Club, so there’s a very strong, we have a very strong customer base in Melbourne.”

Although his role as Regional General Manager at Cisco keeps him busy, Spanoudakis still finds time to pursue coaching and currently serves as the head coach at St George City FA.

Spanoudakis reflected on his early start in coaching—once the youngest coach in the league—and explained how his philosophy was deeply influenced by his upbringing and his father’s passion for football.

“When I transitioned into coaching, I was still relatively young,” he continued to say.

“It’s funny because I was talking to someone the other day that when I started coaching first grade in the NPL, NPL 1, I guess, or whatever the equivalent is in Victoria, the NPL, I was the youngest coach in the league in 2001 and now I think I’m the oldest coach in the league.

“But my coaching philosophy and my principles were very much shaped by my upbringing.

“I listened to Ange and people of my generation talk about the influence parents and fathers had and my dad was a footballer, was a very, very knowledgeable student of the game, so that shaped my upbringing.”

To learn more about his role at Cisco, listen to the full interview with Manny Spanoudakis on episode seven of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch Podcast – available on all major podcasting apps.

AFC Youth Online Session Champions Emotional Wellbeing

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reaffirmed its strong commitment to the success of Asian teams with the delivery of the AFC Youth Online Session 2025, held on Thursday.

Nearly 120 participants from 41 Member Associations (MAs) took part in the session, which kicked off with an update on the highly regarded AFC Elite Youth Scheme—currently endorsed by 27 member nations.

Chaired by AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, the virtual session delved into two key focus areas: supporting academies and youth coaches in developing and managing talented young footballers, and strengthening elite youth development programs across the region.

Following Australia’s victory at the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 earlier this year, the session also included a special discussion with Trevor Morgan, Head Coach of the championship-winning squad. Morgan offered valuable insights into the team’s journey to success, touching on everything from his coaching philosophy to the preparation and planning that led up to the tournament.

“My mantra is always to instill a mentality among youngsters where they’re not scared to make positive mistakes and not be punished for it,” he said via press release.

“We always encourage the players to play an open game and be unpredictable, which worked out well for Australia as the team scored in a variety of ways and did not just depend on set pieces.”

With the Young Socceroos also taking out the tournament’s Fair Play Award, Morgan spoke further on key topics such as player discipline, building team unity, adapting communication to better connect with younger players, and managing the emotional pressures of high-stakes competition.

Morgan’s session paved the way for the next speaker, Aspire Academy’s Maria Ruiz de Ona, who emphasised the importance of youth coaches developing emotional intelligence, empathy, and effective communication skills.

Building on these points, the Qatar Football Association’s Fahad Abdulla Al Zarraa stressed the importance of embedding emotional intelligence into coach education programs to foster stronger, more positive player-coach relationships. The evening concluded with an engaging Q&A session, where participants actively shared questions and reflections.

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