Football’s Growth Is Outpacing Council Planning and Clubs Are Paying the Price

Club confidence in councils is collapsing as football participation surges. In a Soccerscene-exclusive survey conducted between 19 and 30 January 2026 and distributed through our 31,000-strong industry database, grassroots and semi-professional leaders warned that planning, consultation and funding are failing to keep pace. The result is overcrowded facilities, volunteer burnout, and a growing risk Australia falls further behind structured football nations like Japan and South Korea.

Football Victoria Confirms New Pathway Project

Running across four days on December 15, 16, 18, and 19 at The Home of The Matildas, the program features daily sessions from 9am to 2pm and offers boys and girls born between 2009 and 2017 the chance to train with international coaches from the boys’ game, girls’ game, and specialist goalkeeping pathways.

Club Value Rankings 2026: What it Means for Queensland’s Football Academies

At the heart of the program is the Club’s Rank Score (CRS), which ranks clubs according to a longevity-focused framework. It analyses key criteria, such as opportunities for progression, equity, and safety, producing a merit-based reflection of FQ Academy Club quality. While the CRS reliably examines a club’s overall performance, it does not consider cost-efficiency or gender inequalities.

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