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Football Queensland announce four new clubs for NPL Women’s competition

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Football Queensland have confirmed four clubs have been successful in their application to play in the NPL Queensland Women’s competition from 2021.

Those clubs are Virginia United, Olympic FC, Peninsula Power and Brisbane City.

The teams were selected by an NPL Women’s Assessment Panel, who followed a range of stringent criteria.

The four clubs will form part of an initial 16-team competition in 2021, which will split into two, after each team has played each other on one occasion.

From 2022 onwards promotion and relegation will be introduced into the system.

Football Queensland Board member and former Matilda Amy Chapman oversaw the moderation process and explained the high standards of the successful applicants from the highly competitive field.

“I firstly want to congratulate the four clubs that have been awarded licences and sincerely thank the 14 in total that submitted either an application or expression of interest,” she said.

“The strong appetite among clubs to want to be part of women’s football is something to celebrate.

“The interest levels and the overall high quality of applications reaffirmed the football community’s confidence in the NPL Women’s reforms FQ has announced in recent weeks.

“Virginia United, Olympic FC, Brisbane City and Peninsula Power provided exceptional submissions that exceeded the selection criteria, factoring in essential considerations such as female facilities and programs, and most critically demonstrated each club’s capacity, willingness and strategy to take the women’s game to the next level.

“The key criteria demonstrate that FQ is strategically focused on driving opportunities for women and girls, and unlocking the legacy of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.”

Football Queensland will liaise with all clubs over the coming months to continue to prepare for the expanded 2021 competition, which will also lead into a two-tier Senior Women’s system in 2022.

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Philip Panas is a sports journalist with Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy and industry matters, drawing on his knowledge and passion of the game.

Football Victoria and Melbourne Chinese Soccer Association begin formal partnership

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Football Victoria (FV) has announced a formal partnership with the Melbourne Chinese Soccer Association (MCSA).

Football Victoria (FV) has announced a formal partnership with the Melbourne Chinese Soccer Association (MCSA).

The partnership was created with a mutual alignment of values, including a desire to promote sporting opportunities and social inclusion for men and women from culturally diverse backgrounds.

It builds on the positive relationship between the two organisations, ratified in 2019 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

“MSCA and FV share a common goal for football to be used as a platform to promote multiculturalism, gender diversity, an active lifestyle and social inclusion,” FV CEO Kimon Taliadoros said.

“This partnership will make the world game more accessible for more people. This is a great result for football in Victoria.”

MCSA was established in 1995 and aims to provide opportunities for young people, predominately but not exclusively for those of Chinese heritage to play football in a friendly, competitive environment.

The association accommodates approximately 1,800 registered players, consisting of more than 70 cultural backgrounds.

As part of this collaboration, MSCA will continue to be the main organiser of the MSCA Winter League, Melbourne U-Nite Men’s Cup and Melbourne U-Nite Women’s Cup.

FV will provide MSCA with priority pitch access for bookings at Darebin International Sports Centre and Knox Regional Football Centre, as well as match balls, meeting spaces and other amenities.

The partnership will provide increased opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to stay active and socially included.

“MSCA focuses on providing affordable football for the diverse grassroots community of Melbourne,” MSCA President Ben Lau said.

‘’MCSA is excited with the opportunity to work with Football Victoria to ensure that our diverse grassroots community is the winner.’’

Football Queensland to deliver Women’s World Cup legacy plan to Parliament

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Football Queensland (FQ) will launch its three-year Women and Girls Strategy (2021-2023) at Parliament today, in a bid to increase participation, infrastructure and club developments before and after the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

“The forthcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup is a wonderful opportunity to deliver immediate and long-term football, community and economic benefits for our game and for all Queenslanders,” FQ President Ben Richardson said.

“More than 1 billion people watched the France 2019 tournament and this next event on home soil is destined to be biggest global event in Australia since Sydney 2000.

“It is crucial that FQ and the football community work with state and local government on maximising this immense potential.

“That is why we have developed a Women and Girls Strategy so closely linked to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, with clear goals and funding objectives for the game.”

Former Matilda Amy Chapman, who is currently on the FQ board, explained the upcoming opportunities to inspire young girls to get involved in football in Queensland.

“I am extremely proud to have represented my country at the highest level and I want more and more Queenslanders to enjoy that same experience,” Chapman said.

“We have a fantastic track record of developing international players in this state from the early days of the Matildas right up to now. There are strong, successful pathways in place.

“In the Women and Girls Strategy, FQ outlines our ambition for all Queensland state schools to support this by delivering football programs for girls.

“With support from key stakeholders including the State Government, we can deliver on what is a bold approach to developing homegrown stars and promoting healthy lifestyles.”

Tuesday’s Parliament House event will also begin the celebrations of the centenary season of women’s football in Queensland, with the first recorded female football match in the state taking place at the Gabba on September 24, 1921.

Football Queensland have introduced a new website looking at the game’s history in the state, with a digital museum documenting all of these significant moments.

“As we unite football in Queensland, FQ is extremely proud to embrace the game’s rich history,” FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci.

“The timing of the centenary season, together with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, aligns perfectly with our stated belief and embraced position that women and girls are the future.

“We are continually rolling out participation, infrastructure and community initiatives that recognise this reality, support our clubs and grow the game, just as the Women and Girls Strategy will do.”

FQ’s Women and Girls Strategy for 2021-2023 document can be viewed here.

England FA launches women’s football coaching initiative

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The English Football Association (FA) has launched the Coaching Excellence Initiative, a women’s football coaching development programme.

The 18-month programme has been designed to develop and connect high-performance coaches in elite women’s football.

14 coaches have been selected for the inaugural programme. Between 14 to 18 coaches will participate in the programme each season with 75 per cent of participants to be female.

The FA said that the Coaching Excellence Initiative would provide a bespoke and high-quality coach development experience.

“The Coaching Excellence Initiative is central to our commitment to see the top coaches in the women’s game become the very best they can, providing them with the development and learning opportunities to achieve their potential and fulfil their ambitions,” Head of Women’s Coach Development at FA, Audrey Cooper said.

“Living well beyond the 18-month course, it will provide the coaches with a support network to share their experiences as they continue in their career.”

“This programme will also support our broader ambition to normalise women in football coaching, shining a light each year on aspirational, relatable and credible female role models for future generations to be inspired by.”

“Whether you are female or male, it’s my belief that there’s never been a more exciting time to be a coach in the women’s game.”

The first edition of the programme began in August 2020 and has featured virtual small group meet-ups and one-to-one mentoring.

Australian football coach and Bristol City manager, Tanya Oxtoby is among the Coaching Excellence Initiative participants.

“I applied to The FA’s CEI programme to continue to develop myself as a manager, network with likeminded people within the women’s game and to challenge my way of thinking,” Oxtoby said.

“The programme has been extremely useful as its focused on skills and qualities which do not normally feature within technical coaching courses.”

“It’s provided me with a network of support in very strange times and it’s changed the way I think about my way of working and how I can reach my own potential moving forward.”

Other participants include England U17 Women’s National Head Coach, Gemma Grainger, Manchester United WSL Academy Manager, Charlotte Healy and Aston Villa WFC Head Coach, Gemma Davies.

 

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