Soccerscene the only online publication dedicated to the Australian and international football industry. It serves as a practical guide for those involved in the business of running a football club and bringing readers up-to-date research and development across all football matters providing insights, discussion and information related to topics that matter.
Football Victoria Club Grants are open for grassroots clubs
Football Victoria confirm the opening of applications for the 2024 FV Club Development Grant Stream.
The Grant has a maximum value of $1,000 and the initiative aligns with FV’s “Our Football” Strategic Framework.
One of FV’s core pillars as mentioned in their recent 2024-2028 Strategy is to ensure clubs under FV start to lead and unite the way in governance, capability, and sustainability.
The foundation of grassroots football is the most important for a proper working pyramid and referee/player development that are mentioned as key pillars in the ‘Our Football’ Strategy for the next 5 years.
Examples of what will be funded by FV:
Implementation of social programs like MiniRoos/MiniTillies Kick Off, Go Girls, Go Soccer Mums, and All Abilities to boost and retain participation.
Implement the FV Club Coach Coordinator (CCC) Program to enhance support for grassroots coaching.
Acquire essential operational equipment, such as line marking machines and portable goals.
Improve existing programs to better include women and girls, such as by removing white playing shorts.
Promote female coaching by providing full or partial funding for coaching courses.
Assist current referees in obtaining advanced levels of accreditation and furthering their professional development.
Support a current female committee member in completing a leadership course for women or any other relevant course, such as financial management or governance.
Introduce new initiatives throughout the club, such as safeguarding measures.
This is a great initiative by FV who are looking at ensuring that clubs are sustainable in the long term, beyond the initial funding they receive.
By working with FV’s Growth and Development department throughout the process, it’s sure to successfully fund key areas of clubs to help them strive.
Applications opened 1st August 2024 and close on Monday 30th of September 2024 with successful applicants notified on the 14th of October.
For any club aiming to survive, thrive and endure, a strategic plan is a vital tool that needs to be implemented. 
Strategic plans provide a direction, goals, and timeline to clubs to ensure they continue on the right track into the future, by detailing the actions and steps the club will take.
These plans also help to determine the principles and values of the club, highlighting the way a club presents itself to the world.
Additionally, having a strategic plan lowers the amount of risk a club undertakes, and can act as a guide in times of emergency or uncertainty.
Strategic Planning Resources
Creating a strategic plan can be a long process, which may require outside help to gain fresh perspectives and guidance.
Fortunately, many states and territories host an array of freely available resources such as fact sheets, videos and guides that directly address strategic planning. Additionally, a range of organisations provide consultancy assistance.
Australia wide – Football Australia – Club Changer (Provides resources and education to members)
Australia wide – Belgravia Sports Community (Offers free resources, paid consultancy and training programs)
Australia wide – Australian Sports Commision – Game Plan (Free platform and toolkit for sport clubs)
Strategic Planning Processes
Strategic planning will differ from club to club depending on how each approach the situation, especially if working groups are consulted.
However, the phases of a strategic planning project will share similarities.
Stage 1
Clubs will often begin strategic planning by scrutinising club documents and key matters in order to review the health of the club and to understand the club’s identity.
This process will evaluate a wide breadth of material such as the club’s guiding constitution, policies, rules, financial documents, fundraisers, membership, club infrastructure, social media profiles, programs, teams, levels of success and more.
After completing the first stage, clubs may undertake a member survey. They can be a very useful tool, as they gather a valuable understanding of the attitudes a club’s community may have about its stature, culture, future, and what they want to see from it.
Stage 2
Next, a club would begin to discuss its future by highlighting goals it wishes to achieve.
Goals can be diverse and range from off-field to on-field matters, however they should always be relevant to the club and achievable. By setting objectives, you ensure that the club is working together towards something every day.
Across this process, timeframes and actions should be explored to create a plan of how to achieve the outlined goals. It can be advantageous to delegate goals to specific people or boards to ensure that multiple projects can be worked on and tracked at once, instead of having them all be lumped on one individual or being nebulously attached to no one.
This phase also presents the opportunity to reflect on the principles and values of the club. While it can appear superfluous, a small selection of small meaningful words can be incredibly impactful. A club’s chosen values describe the club to those outside of it, reminds club members of its purpose, and can also help formulate the goals, objectives and vision of the club.
Stage 3
Once a club has moved past goal setting and is beginning its action plans, reaching out to legal and accounting firms to review materials and provide advice can be highly valuable.
These organisations can provide comprehensive details on where to make adjustments for governance and how to budget effectively.
Stage 4
Finally, the club will begin to formulate the final document of the strategic plan before presenting it to members.
When creating the document, ensure it can be easily understood by a wide array of audiences.
Additionally, include a concise yet detailed summary of the plan so it doesn’t require members to read the document fully.
Conclusion
As time passes it is important to check in on the strategic plan to ensure that the club is on track for its goals and that the document is still relevant. Circumstances can change, so it can be beneficial to amend the plan to ensure it is still applicable to the club.
However, it is important to note that strategic plans are a long-term investment, and can take years to fulfill, so do not be over eager in manipulating them.
Football NSW are aiming to develop on the extraordinary numbers of the 2024 season that saw more than 260,000 players take to the pitch. The announcement comes as part of the national Play Football campaign.
With NSW being one of Australia’s largest participation states for football, the federation’s push for more numbers is a welcome target for football in the country.
Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas spoke with enthusiasm about the sport’s trajectory, highlighting its inclusive nature.
“Football continues to be the sport of choice for the NSW and Australian community, providing a positive environment for participants of all ages and abilities,” Tsatsimas mentioned via Football NSW official press release.
“We have had unprecedented growth in players, coaches, referees and volunteers, with exponential growth in the female game.”
The statistics paint a promising picture of the sport’s expansion, with 2024 registering a 9% increase in player numbers from the earlier season. This translates to over 20,000 new participants.
Perhaps most significantly with the effect of the Women’s FIFA World Cup of 2023, female participation surged by 17%, with more than 9,000 women and girls joining the sport, accounting for nearly half of the total growth.
Maintaining and increasing Women and girls’ levels in the sport are crucial points for development of the Australian game and will be key for the continued rise in participation numbers.
The organisation is now actively encouraging early registration for the 2025 season to ensure players can secure spots with their preferred local clubs, with help from the updated Play Football website.
Beyond player participation, Football NSW is expanding its focus on supporting roles within the sport. The 2024 season witnessed record numbers in coaching, refereeing, and volunteering positions, all crucial components of the game’s ecosystem.
The need for more people joining non-player roles through all levels of the game in NSW is evident with John Tsatsimas pointing out himself the necessity for the 2025 Season.
“There’s a place for everyone in our sport, and we look forward to welcoming new and returning participants for the 2025 season,” Tsatsimas explained via Football NSW official press release.
For those interested in contributing to the sport beyond playing, Football NSW has established comprehensive pathways.
The Football NSW Coach Hub provides resources and guidance for aspiring coaches looking to shape the next generation of footballers.
Additionally, the Referee Hub offers opportunities for individuals to engage with the sport from a different perspective while maintaining an active lifestyle.
With football’s exciting growth continuing in Australia with the expansion and promising viewership numbers of the 2024-25 professional A-leagues, it is always important for the sport that the participation numbers of state leagues and amateur local clubs follow the trend.
