Football Victoria and Queensland plan return to action

Football Victoria and Queensland have stated they are planning returns to action as early as late June or early July.

State competitions across the country have been postponed for what seems like an eternity now, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

However, with the severity of the virus seemingly lowering, plus the return of elite competitions such as the Korean K-League and the German Bundesliga, FV and FQ are hopeful of returning soon as well.

This in spite of several clubs opposing these new plans due to concerns regarding the potential for their clubs to grow during these times. More on that soon.

In a press release on Tuesday, Football Victoria stated that teams could resume competition as early as June 28.

The full press release can be found here:

*START*

As a result of the Victorian Government’s decision to ease its conditions of Stage 3 restrictions relating to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Football Victoria (FV) is now in the process of finalising its Return to Play strategy.

Already, Government decisions have allowed football clubs to resume training in groups of 10 or less, and we expect that number to be increased in the following weeks, provided there are no major future outbreaks of the Coronavirus.

FV is committed to taking a cautious and sensible approach with regard to the safety of all participants in our sport, be they players, coaches, staff or fans.

However, we also understand there is a pressing need for clarity regarding when competitions are expected to resume.

FV has been engaged in ongoing discussions with FFA, State and Federal Governments (including Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV)) and with clubs at all levels to establish a suitable time to Return to Play. This has involved the development of a number of scenarios (including the one below) which are still being finalised.

It is important to note that for some clubs, re-starting will be a relatively simple measure, while others have a large number of issues to consider before they can resume. FV’s goal is to get everyone playing again as soon as it is safe to do so.

As a result of the latest easing of restrictions, Football Victoria is targeting the following start dates for the proposed resumption of play:

  • For our Community Clubs (Seniors & Juniors), the proposed resumption date is June 28, 2020.

  • For our NPL Junior Clubs, the proposed resumption date is June 20, 2020.

  • For our NPL Senior clubs, we are hopeful of resuming play in early July. This continues to be worked through with the clubs as we understand the added complexities of re-starting professional and semi-professional clubs.

Of course, these dates are our target dates only and are subject to the further advice of the Federal and State Chief Health Officers – they may be revised should the Victorian Government and SRV advise new dates as we move through the announced stages of the resumption of sport.

Our decision to go public with these dates is indicative of our commitment to ensure that competitive football at all levels returns as soon as possible.

Football Victoria will continue to keep the football community informed and updated in the coming weeks with regard to any developments, especially in regard to the resumption of increased training numbers and, ultimately, the return of competition play.

Whilst we are delighted to see the manner in which our clubs have adjusted to the new realities of modified training and limited social contact, we remind our entire football community that any breaches of the existing social distancing rules may compromise our ability to resume football.

*ENDS*

Whilst Victorian teams can expect an earlier return to on-field fixtures, teams in Queensland will be back a little earlier, albeit on the training track.

In a statement released to social media on Thursday, FQ announced that teams can return to full training on June 12 should the current trend of COVID-19 continue.

Their full statement can be found below:

*START*

Football Queensland has developed Return to Training guidelines and resources for clubs ahead of the recommencement of football activity from June 12, 2020.

Please note all sanctioned football activity across the state will remain suspended until June 12 in line with Queensland Government guidelines.

Developed in consultation with medical authorities, Football Queensland’s Return to Training guidelines and resources align with the Queensland Government’s Return to Play Guide.

These guidelines have been developed to support Queensland clubs, to ensure they are prepared to welcome participants back into a safe environment once training sessions can resume from June 12.

It is essential that all clubs review and implement the measures outlined in the Return to Training guidelines before returning to training. All members of the football community must also ensure they follow the conditions outlined in the Return to Training guidelines.

At each training session, an accurate record of all attendees (including parents/carers) for the purposes of contact tracing must be kept, including full name, FFA number, phone number, date and time of attendance and confirmation whether they have downloaded the COVIDSafe app. You can find a link to download the Record of Attendance template below.

Below you can also find downloadable signage that can be printed for display at your club during training sessions.

The Return to Training guidelines will be amended in accordance with any future government directives.

*ENDS*

It is exciting to see that the state federations are fighting hard to get teams back on the field and that, in these extremely stressful times, plans are being laid.

Some may say this is still too early, given that there are still new cases of COVID-19 being reported nationwide everyday. This news comes in spite of recent reports from some top clubs in Victoria’s NPL competition that if the game goes ahead as per these guidelines, they will be significantly hampered.

All clubs at the community level are almost solely dependant on matchdays for their success, whether that’s earning success on the field, financially or otherwise.

Put simply, more clubs will end up like some of the state league Australian rules clubs, which include the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL and the Northern Blues (formerly the Northern Bullants) in the VFL.

However, it appears that in the eyes of FV and FQ, nothing is more important than getting the players back out on the field, ready to go for the first set of fixtures.

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Football NSW releases $600,000 towards Grassroots Grants to meet Participation Pressure

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The Victorian State Government has announced new grants and funding for 11 new community infrastructure projects for local football clubs, totalling $3.8 million.
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Sixty-five football clubs across New South Wales have secured a combined total of nearly $600,000 in funding through the NSW Office of Sport’s Local Sports Grant Program. It follows as a result of Football NSW’s scale of demand for community sport support and the growing pressure on clubs struggling to keep pace with surging participation.

The grants, covering 69 individual projects across the Football NSW footprint, will fund facility upgrades, equipment purchases, participation programs and accessibility improvements: the unglamorous but essential infrastructure that determines whether community clubs can function at the level their members require.

The Local Sports Grant Program made up to $4.65 million available statewide in 2025, with $50,000 allocated to each electoral district and individual grants capped at $20,000. Football’s share of nearly $600,000 reflects the sport’s status as the largest participation code in NSW, and the degree to which that status has not always been matched by corresponding investment in the facilities and resources required to sustain it.

Volunteers carrying an unsustainable load

The announcement arrives against a backdrop of mounting pressure on the volunteer workforce that keeps community football operational. Across NSW, thousands of volunteers dedicate significant unpaid time each week to administration, ground preparation, canteen operation and the logistical demands of running competitive junior and senior programs. As participation numbers climb, driven in part by the sustained visibility of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the legacy of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, those demands have intensified without a corresponding increase in the resources available to meet them.

“As the largest participation sport in NSW it is pleasing to see almost $600,000 will be reinvested back into supporting our players, coaches, referees and volunteers to improve the football experience across our community clubs,” said Helen Armson, Football NSW’s Group Head of Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Affairs.

The equity dimension

The distribution of the grants across 65 clubs and 69 projects also speaks to the geographic breadth of football’s footprint in NSW, and to the uneven distribution of resources that has historically characterised community sport in this country. Clubs in outer metropolitan and regional areas tend to operate with smaller budgets, older facilities and thinner volunteer bases than their inner-city counterparts. Grant programs structured around electoral allocation, rather than club size or existing resource base, provide a degree of equity that market-driven funding cannot.

The kinds of projects funded under this program disproportionately benefit clubs serving communities where the barriers to participation are highest. A club that cannot offer adequate facilities or equipment is a club that turns players away, often without intending to.

Football NSW has used the announcement to call on the NSW Government to maintain and extend its investment in the sport. “We urge the government to continue to invest in football,” Armson said, in the midst for a nation-wide push for a $343 million decade-long infrastructure fund to address the facilities gap across the state.

The nearly $600,000 secured through this round is meaningful. Against the scale of what is needed, it is also a measure of how far the investment still has to go.

Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

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