FC Leopold boosted by $1.57 million facility upgrade project

FC Leopold are set to reap the rewards of a $1.57 million facility upgrade project at Estuary Reserve, the club’s home ground.

Funding provided by the City of Greater Geelong Council and the Victorian Government’s World Game Facilities Fund will enable the construction of a modular pavilion, which will include female friendly changerooms, as well as spaces for amenities, storage and social activities.

The Victorian Government will contribute $250,000 to the project with the remainder funded by the local council.

Co-founder of FC Leopold, Jared Larkins, was heavily involved the process of acquiring the grants needed to fund the proposal.

“For some time, we had been lobbying through various groups such as the City of Greater Geelong Council, as well as the local and federal members – to fund this project,” he told Soccerscene.

“We got out and attended our own drawings and we created plans to really envisage what we wanted the site to be.

“We really just kept on council’s back that we needed this upgrade as our club was ever-growing and our two-room facility just wasn’t fit for purpose for any of our members.

“When the World Game Facilities Fund came along it provided an opportunity for the City of Greater Geelong to get on board. They had another project in Geelong they wanted to make happen, so I think that also helped us significantly.”

Larkins is optimistic that barring any COVID related issues, FC Leopold members will be in their new digs before the end of 2022.

“We are hoping that site works begin in either September and October,” he said.

“We should be in them by the end of year, they are modular and being built off site and then they’ll drop them on site and they should be finished off within a couple of weeks.”

The club itself was established just five years ago in 2016, registering multiple senior men’s teams, a senior women’s side and a handful of junior teams.

Although it has a relatively short history, the club is set to be benefitted by the upgrades in a wide range of ways.

“In terms of the club, it will allow our younger members and female members a little bit more comfortability in changing and playing at the club,” Larkins said.

“The current facilities are not the friendliest or most inviting of spaces, and we did have some members who wouldn’t change at the club for that reason.

“I think it will make our club more inviting and allow us to hold functions, which is something we haven’t been able to do since our inception. That will obviously allow us to raise some more funds, as at the moment if we want to hold a function, we have to rent out another venue.

“It will also give the club a chance to generate revenue in general, through canteen revenue, various functions and things like that, and because of that hopefully the club can grow its membership base.”

FC Leopold wants to continue to engage with the community and believes the new facilities will provide the locals with an appropriate avenue to connect through sport.

“The area of Geelong and Leopold is growing quite rapidly and there’s soccer clubs fifteen minutes either side of where we are positioned, so it allows the local community a spot closer to home to be able to play and be active,” Larkins said.

The club has ambitions to grow further and expand in future years, but according to Larkins, that wouldn’t be possible if they didn’t receive these facility grants.

“I don’t think our club would have been able to grow further without it,” he said.

“Without these additional facilities, we would be capped at the number of teams we have now.

“We have already probably expanded too much for what we’ve got at the moment, in terms of things we own such as equipment (as we don’t have enough space to store it on site), so without these new facilities we wouldn’t grow.”

 

 

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The Club Development Conference highlights community football

Significant Sporting Events Program 2023-24

On Saturday, February 1st, over 200 attendees came together at Valentine Sports Park for the 2025 Football NSW Club Development Conference.

With registrations for the 2025 season still coming in, over 85 Football NSW clubs from both Sydney Metropolitan and regional areas gathered for a dynamic day of workshops, panels, and special guest speakers, celebrating community football.

Presented by Stephanie Brantz, the Conference included keynote addresses from Karen Jones, Acting CEO of Destination NSW and Chief Executive of the NSW Office of Sport, Dr. Catriona Rose of the Australian Sports Commission, and Matildas cap #167, Ellie Brush.

After the successful second edition of the conference, Trevor Huxley, Football NSW’s Program Manager for Club Development, expressed his excitement over the strong support from the community.

“The Club Development Conference is a fantastic opportunity to bring together all levels of the game to learn from one another, network and discuss best practice for grassroots football,” said Huxley via press release.

“It has been inspiring to see grassroots clubs across the state in attendance, illustrating a remarkable commitment to supporting their local communities. It’s vital that Football NSW continues to lead in this space, providing support to the volunteers and local administrators who are central to the ongoing growth of our game.”

Along with the keynote speakers, attendees were able to choose sessions tailored to their Club or role, covering topics such as safeguarding, volunteerism, marketing and data analysis, infrastructure and grant funding, player and spectator behaviour, women & girls’ football, diversity and inclusion, and grassroots coach education.

The Football NSW Club Development Conference serves as a pivotal platform for enhancing community football by Empowering Clubs, Facilitating Networking, Offering Targeted Education and Showcasing Leadership.

By focusing on these areas, the conference plays a crucial role in strengthening community football, promoting inclusivity, and ensuring the sport’s sustainable growth.

To gain further details and access Club resources, click here.

FIFA set new global benchmark for Women’s Football Development

In a landmark initiative for women’s football, FIFA has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reaching 60 million female players worldwide by 2027.

The comprehensive plan, supported by 13 distinct development programmes, is available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking a significant step forward in the sport’s global evolution.

FIFA also took the announcement to highlight the achievements for women’s football in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC).

The recently enhanced FIFA Women’s Development Programme underscores the organisation’s strengthened commitment to expanding the women’s game.

The upcoming 2025 calendar promises several groundbreaking developments for women’s football.

The Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, while Morocco makes history as the first African nation to stage the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The latter tournament sees significant expansion, growing from 16 to 24 teams and shifting to an annual format.

International competition reaches new heights with continental championships scheduled across multiple confederations.

The pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 commences with African qualification matches, while major regional tournaments including the UEFA Women’s EURO and OFC Women’s Nations Cup will crown new champions.

In a significant advancement for club football, all six confederations will host their respective continental club championships for the first time.

This renewed focus comes amid unprecedented growth in participation rates, particularly evident in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-host nations.

New Zealand has reported a remarkable 27 per cent surge in female participation since 2022, with particularly strong growth among Māori and Pasifika communities, showing a 14 per cent increase.

A strategic partnership between New Zealand Football and Māori Football Aotearoa further strengthens grassroots development.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell voiced the federations successful results.

“The expansion of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand has been extraordinary, with the Women’s World Cup serving as a genuine catalyst for growth,” he explained via official FIFA press release.

Across the Tasman, Football Australia’s Growing Football Fund Community Grants programme continues to foster development at the grassroots level.

The latest round of funding benefits 118 recipients, complementing the 121 projects supported in March 2024.

This initiative particularly emphasises regional development, with nearly half the grants allocated to areas outside major metropolitan centres.

The grants provide essential support for women’s football development, encompassing coach education, introductory programmes, and vital equipment procurement, further cementing the sport’s foundation at the community level.

Also within the AFC, footballing powerhouse Japan has successfully hosted the continent’s first female-exclusive Pro Licence coaching course.

A collaborative effort between FIFA, AFC, and the Japan Football Association (JFA), represents a significant milestone in professional football development.

The intensive seven-day course attracted participants from fourteen nations, featuring presents such as AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men’s national team coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Participants gained valuable practical experience through observations of pre-season training sessions at both J.League and Nadeshiko League clubs.

JFA Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama emphasised the programme’s strategic importance and inclusivity.

“This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater success in their current coaching positions and secure future success,” Kageyama explained via official FIFA press release.

This initiative aligns with JFA’s renowned long-term development philosophy and a significant advancement in creating pathways for women in professional football coaching.

This newly improved strategy at the global scale will hopefully allow for more women in both professional and amateur spaces to get the opportunities they deserve in football.

It also highlight’s that AFC & OFC nations, including Australia, will have a strong place within the growth of women’s football.

Read more on the FIFA Women’s Development Program here.

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