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.

A National Stage Built on Local Sacrifice

There is no question that the Championship felt special, because for the first time in a long time semi-professional football felt properly connected to the national game, and you could see that in the way players approached it, in the way supporters travelled, and in the way club volunteers kept showing up even when they were clearly running on fumes, because it finally felt like the work they do every week mattered on a bigger stage.

Brisbane Roar Reunites with Luxury Paints

Luxury Paints, one of Australia’s leading privately owned paint manufacturers, has earned a reputation for quality, innovation, and craftsmanship. With a comprehensive range of decorative, industrial, specialty, and texture coatings available through company-owned stores and stockists nationwide, the brand remains a benchmark for Australian manufacturing excellence.

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.

Macarthur Bulls Teams Up with DLK Advisory

DLK Advisory, known for its accounting and tax services across family groups, SMEs, government, not-for-profits, and major corporations, will support the Bulls’ expanding business network by enhancing the Club’s corporate events that connect sponsors, partners, and stakeholders throughout South West Sydney and beyond.

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.

Apollo Sports Capital Acquires Majority Stake in Atlético de Madrid

The shareholder group plans to inject additional capital to advance the Club’s long-term strategy, with a focus on strengthening Atlético de Madrid’s teams and developing key infrastructure projects. Among these is Ciudad del Deporte, a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment district beside the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, designed to become a global hub for sport, culture, and community life.

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