Glenn Fontana – the Lord Mayor of Wollongong Football

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It was Jim Fraser, the former heroic Socceroo goalkeeper and current head of Western Sydney Wanderer’s youth goalkeeping program, who some years ago recognised Glenn Fontana’s contribution to football in the Illawarra region by naming him the Lord Mayor of Wollongong.

In his many years as a senior player, senior and youth coach, Fontana has been held in high esteem by generations of former senior and youth players which has elevated him to household name status in the region.

Fontana commenced his long journey in football as a professional with Balgownie in NSW Federation 2 in the 1974 season, graduating to the NSL with Wollongong City where he remained for five seasons , making ninety appearances and scoring over twenty goals. He has been ever present in coaching roles to this day since he retired from playing.

Unlike most Australian coaches who confine their education to home, Fontana had a long term association with Liverpool and Fulham for whom he was Chief Talent Scout for a combined period of seventeen years.

He has crossed paths with many legendary football figures in his ventures overseas but never believed he would meet Wiel Coerver at a Liverpool training session.

At one stage he had two hundred players at his Coerver coaching school in Wollongong.

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, Glenn Fontana recalls his early memories of football on the South Coast, the worship of Jim Kelly’s Gang , Adrian Alston, Peter Wilson and Max Tolson, his experiences as a senior player, adventures in Europe and his love affair with the world game.

ROGER SLEEMAN

What are your memories of South Coast football in your early days, and who were the greatest coaches, influences and idols?

GLENN FONTANA

I played my junior football from u/6’s with Balgownie and always had an ambition to play first grade which transpired when George Ramage, the legendary Balgownie and South Coast keeper, selected me in a match against Marconi as a striker in 1974 at the tender age of eighteen

I was fortunately influenced by the great South United flanker, Denis Paterson, who I also played with in the Illawarra League when Balgownie became defunct.

In 1980, I signed for Wollongong United in the NSW State League and was coached by the inimitable Mike Johnson.

ROGER SLEEMAN

When Jim Kelly, the former Blackpool and England B player, who was a team-mate of Sir Stanley Mathews came to Australia in the early 1960’s to eventually become captain coach of South Coast United, football boomed in the Illawarra?

What are your recollections of those times?

GLENN FONTANA

It was a famous era in the region when the Kelly Gang would play, particularly after that inspiring win against Apia in the 1963 grand final at the Sydney Sports Ground which drew a record Australian club crowd of 30,158.

It was the day local South Coast products like Max Tolson, Denis Paterson, Peter Beattie and Casey de Bruin came of age.

All youngsters on the Coast aspired to play for the Kelly Gang and Max Tolson was a major idol for me as he personified skill, tenacity and sometimes outright brilliance.

When Peter Wilson and Adrian Alston came to Australia, I witnessed two magnificent footballers who have created such a legacy for Australian football.

Significantly, at the time football was in the psyche as no other sports mattered.

I still remember at the age of six taking the train to Sydney with my grandmother to see the great Ron Lord play in goals for Prague.

I always supported United but always took notice of visiting players like Ray Baartz, John Giacometti, Alan Marnoch, John Watkiss and Mike Denton to name a few.

ROGER SLEEMAN

In the NSL you played ninety games and scored more than twenty goals as a target man for Wollongong City.

Did you like doing all the hard work which was required as a central striker and what were your main attributes?

GLENN FONTANA

I originally started my career as a winger because I had genuine pace but I was used as the wide player in a 4-3-3 structure . My first coach at Wollongong City, Ken Morton brought me in to replace the Kiwi striker, Brian Turner, who didn’t fit the bill in the centre of the attack.

I was given my chance in 1981 and scored in my debut game against Newcastle who that day boasted the Leeds United and England defender , Paul Reaney as a guest player.

I was good in the air and had a useful first touch but I was never a dribbler.

I was mainly there to finish or create chances for others.

ROGER SLEEMAN

You never played representative football for NSW or Australia?

What was that next step to play at those levels?

GLENN FONTANA

My first touch was adequate and I was good at laying the ball off to team-mates but I only worked on first touch in senior football, not at youth level.

I was sadly lacking in this area and was a late developer and learner.

Technique should be mastered between 10-15 years of age and I was working at striking a ball at 22-23 with Brian Turner, Max Tolson and Adrian Alston.

They made be a better player which made up for the lack of instruction I received as a youth player.

Glenn scoring for Wollongong City in last match of 1982 season against Brisbane City.

ROGER SLEEMAN

What are your lasting memories of the NSL?

GLENN FONTANA

Those five seasons were all memorable as my dream to play senior football at the highest level in the country was realised.

However, the highlight was the third place finish in the 1982 season.

In the final we played St George but were defeated by two goals from the England striker, Ted McDougall .

I was denied a headed goal by former Socceroo custodian, Terry Greedy, who somehow spread himself low into the extreme left hand corner of his goal to parry the ball beyond the goal-line.

ROGER SLEEMAN

What prompted your interest to enter the coaching ranks after your playing career ended?

GLENN FONTANA

I was always a keen student of the game and was fortunate to coach youth at Wollongong Wolves and Fairymeadow.

I did my apprenticeship as assistant coach to John Fleming and Dave Ratcliffe in senior football at the Wolves and went out on my own as a senior coach at Mount Pritchard in 1989.

ROGER SLEEMAN

What was your football philosophy?

GLENN FONTANA

I emphasized playing out from the back in a passing game with a predominant skill and attacking style.

Also, I was determined to give youth a chance to play at the highest level.

When I was assistant coach at the Wolves in the State League, I introduced Matt Horsley and Sasha Dimoski to the youth team and at Wollongong United , Scott Chipperfield, Mile Sterjovski and Richard Lloyd .

ROGER SLEEMAN

Matt Horsley was one of the best products on the South Coast?

Why was he different to other wide players?

GLENN FONTANA

I watched him in a State League match and like Rhyan Grant and Brett Emerton, he had boundless energy and an unique ability to run at players and cruise past them.

I selected him for the Wolves youth team and by the end of the year , Dave Ratcliffe put him into the first team and the rest is history.

I’ve always believed we should be encouraging youth to progress to elite level and Horsley was a perfect example.

ROGER SLEEMAN

You were involved with Coerver training during it’s infancy in Australia and you were also privileged to meet Wiel Coerver in England.

Tell us more.

GLENN FONTANA

Football NSW conducted some demonstrations in 2000 and in the same year Charlie Cooke, the former Scotland and Chelsea wizard, came to Australia with Alf Galustian ,the Chelsea youth coach , to demonstrate how Coerver could be implemented into normal training.

Charlie Cooke was amazing and he was instrumental in influencing me to use Coerver in my own coaching from that day on.

I encouraged young players to use it in dribbling e.g. the Cruyff turn , the Beckenbauer inside outside cut and the Rivelino method, especially in small sided games.

Terry Antonis, David Carney and Brett Holman were among the best exponents of Coerver in the NSW state teams I coached .

I met Wiel Coerver by chance when I was watching a training session at Anfield in 2008.

I saw this fellow on the sideline and introduced myself to him and I was in seventh heaven when he told me who he was.

I told him I used his method with my coaching in Australia and we had a great discussion about the finer points of the game.

Glenn playing against Melita Eagles in NSL 1984.

ROGER SLEEMAN

You were Liverpool’s chief scout for Australia between 2000-2010

How did that transpire and can you relate your experiences?

GLENN FONTANA

In 2000 when I was the coach of the NSW u/15’s at the national titles, I met Trevor Gould(son of the legendary Coventry striker, Bobby Gould) who was the Academy Manager at Coventry City.

He invited me England to look at the club setup because he wanted me to represent Coventry and when I went there I was also approached by Sam Allardyce at Bolton. The very next day I was watching Liverpool at Anfield with my old team -mate from the Wolves, Jeff Ainsworth ,and he introduced me to Sammy Lee.who offered me the opportunity to join Liverpool’s scouting network and I agreed.

In that time period, I would spend 3-4 weeks a year at Anfield and meet with Steve Heighway, the Academy Manager, and he made it quite clear to only send the best players to him.

At the time, Nick Rizzo and Robbie Fowler were playing and I also became friendly with U.S. goalkeeper, Brad Friedl .

I was responsible for bringing Dean Bouzanis to the club and it was Rafa Benitez who rated him the best goalkeeper in the world for his age at the time.

After Heighway left, Malcolm Elias took over but he was sacked and went to Fulham.

ROGER SLEEMAN

You were Fulham Chief Scout for Australia from 2011-2017.

Describe your experience at Fulham.

GLENN FONTANA

Malcolm Elias enlisted my services and he had a very strong background in discovering talent like Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott.

I took Corey Gameiro over and he stayed for two seasons without making any first team appearances.

Malcolm came to Australia and was very impressed with Bailey Wright playing for Victoria in the state titles.

Unfortunately, Malcolm missed out when Wright signed for Bristol City.

Alex Gersbach was also considered but his commitments with the Olyroos and the Socceroos were always a hinderance.

When Fulham were relegated they dropped all their scouts so at the moment I have no attachment to the club.

However, if they remain in the Premier League , I will probably get work again.

ROGER SLEEMAN

What role are you performing at the moment?

GLENN FONTANA

I’m employed by Football South Coast to run the SAP program for the South Coast Flames which I do three days a week and I play a very keen interest in A-League and NPL football.

I’m often asked to write reports on games for local coaches.

The game runs in my veins and I’ve been extremely fortunate to experience such wonderful times in football in Australia and Europe and had the pleasure of attending three World Cups.

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Yarraville Glory FC: Building Community Through Football

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Image Credit: Yarraville Glory FC website

For Yarraville Glory FC, football isn’t just about competition—it’s about connection. Whether through the partnerships with Mells Football Academy & Summer Holiday Football, or fundraising efforts like Think Pink, the club is creating more than just players; it’s building a stronger, more inclusive community.

Speaking with Soccerscene, President of Yarraville Glory FC Jim Babatzanis discusses how the club is making football accessible for all and turning the game into a powerful tool for junior growth and family bonding.

Can you tell us about the club’s mission when it comes to community involvement? How has that shaped Yarraville Glory’s identity?

Jim Babatzanis: Our goal is to get everyone together—parents, kids, seniors—all involved together. We want to bring it back to when we played as kids, when you would stay at the ground all day, and parents would connect with parents from other teams. It’s about making the club feel like a family, not just a community. We’re starting to bring that back slowly, and we can already see the positive impact.

How do you ensure that football at Yarraville Glory FC is accessible and inclusive for people of all backgrounds and abilities?

Jim Babatzanis: We’ve done indigenous training; we’ve done all different types of training. Last year, we had African community leaders come in and have a chat with us as well. We want to include everyone because, at the end of the day, we’re all the same—our differences don’t matter. 

Yarraville Glory FC has recently formed an official partnership with Mells Football Academy. What does this collaboration mean for the club, and how does it fit into the club’s long-term vision?

Jim Babatzanis: For us, this partnership provides more training for our juniors in a smaller, more intimate environment. Coaches will be handling 15 kids and aren’t able to coach individually; they have to coach for a team environment. For us, the vision is for us to guide our juniors all the way to the senior team. George Mells, who has played in the A-League and overseas, has helped us in these academies, bringing invaluable experience to help develop young players. As well as this, James Golding, our technical director, his work that he does with us is unbelievable. I’m most excited about seeing the kids improve their skills and play at the highest possible level they can achieve.

Could you please tell us a bit about the Summer Holiday Football Camp? What should players and parents expect from this camp, and could you walk us through how the camp was structured and what makes it a unique opportunity for young footballers?

Jim Babatzanis: Firstly, it gives them time to be away from technology and be out and about, and George creates a fun environment for the kids. They spend the day there playing, training, learning new skills, and meeting new people as well. It’s not just kids from our club that go to it; kids from multiple clubs come for the camp. Every school holiday, every term, they have these camps available.

How does the Summer Holiday Football Camp align with the broader goals of Yarraville Glory FC in terms of developing young players, fostering team spirit, and instilling a love for football in the community?

Jim Babatzanis: Keeping the kids playing the game, the game that they enjoy. For me, the more the kids play the game, the more they fall in love with it. I know from my kids, even though they play in the girls, when they’re not there, they won’t be as inclined to play it. Kids these days have different varieties to pick from. Keeping them in love with it, that’s all it is.

Could you walk me through the origins of the GO Family Program and how the partnership was formed? What were the initial goals of this collaboration, and how did it all come together?

Jim Babatzanis: The GO Family Program was formed through the council and Football Victoria. They approached us and other clubs like Maribyrnong Swift and Footscray United Rangers on if we would like to participate, and we agreed. Our first term had solid numbers, but the second term was a bit harder since many kids were already training with their clubs. Still, it’s a great initiative; families that have enjoyed it and had the chance to have a kick with their kids, usually the parents don’t get that opportunity.

The Think Pink campaign has been a significant initiative for the club. Could you share more about how it started and how the club involves its members and supporters in the fundraising efforts?

Jim Babatzanis: Pink Ribbon Day started a long time ago, way past my time being in the committee and president. It began after one of our supporters wives battled breast cancer. We wanted to give back to a good cause. Everyone gets involved—volunteering, donating, and participating in activities like jumping castles, cake stalls, and popcorn machines. One of the most memorable initiatives was when our technical director, James, shaved his long hair to raise funds. The kids loved it, even spray-painting his hair pink before cutting it off. 

Could you share a memorable moment from a fundraising event that really showed the community spirit of Yarraville Glory FC?

Jim Babatzanis: That hair-shaving event was probably one of the most memorable events on the pink ribbon day. Seeing all the kids having a laugh, the parents watching on, and the whole community being involved—it was a special moment. 

Thinking back on your time as president, what has been the most fulfilling or rewarding experience for you when it comes to the club’s work within the community? 

Jim Babatzanis: Growing our junior bases. When our committee took over, we had 180 registered players at the club. Now, we have 420 players and counting. Our female program as well; we went from two female teams to nine since my presidency. For us, that’s been huge, and for me personally, that has been really rewarding.

With the club’s focus on both sporting excellence and community engagement, how do you manage to strike a balance between those two aspects? 

Jim Babatzanis: It’s hard because there is a fine line you’re tinkering on. Kids want to play for fun, but they also want to win. We work to nurture both aspects by improving our coaching staff and training methods. Our technical director, James, plays a big role in this, assisting our coaches in developing the kids. Knowing that each team is different and being around it is important. Feeling the vibe of the team and parents can be challenging, as the president when it comes to winning and losing. You don’t want to lose that community feel of the club.

Andrew Holman on Majestri’s mission to revolutionise grassroots football

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Image credit: Majestri

In the world of grassroots football, managing a club can be just as challenging as playing the game itself. From registrations and finances to scheduling and communication, the administrative workload can overwhelm even the most dedicated volunteers. That’s where Majestri comes in.

Founded by former TechnologyOne employees Mike Clahsen, Andrew Holman and John Kent, Majestri was born from a desire to simplify club operations by bringing enterprise-level software to the community sports space. What started as a solution for a single Brisbane football club has since expanded to 250 clubs nationwide across multiple sporting codes, helping streamline administration and improve efficiency.

In an exclusive interview with SoccerScene, Majestri’s Andrew Holman shares insights into the company’s journey, its deep-rooted connection to football, and its commitment to working closely with clubs to provide tailored solutions.

He also discusses the challenges of expansion, the growth of grassroots football, and the future of Majestri in Australia and beyond.

Theo Athans

Speaking on your specific journey, can you talk about the previous jobs or roles you had before the creation of Majestri?

Andrew Holman

In a previous life, the three of us that started Majestri worked for Australia’s largest software company, TechnologyOne. That is where we each learnt what it takes to build and support enterprise-level software.

We saw an opportunity at the end of 2010 to go out on our own and try to bring some of those sensibilities from building software for the big end of town into the community sports world and that’s ultimate how Majestri started.

T.A.

Can you discuss why the company chose to focus on the local football industry? Is it because you have a passion for the game?

A.H.

The real requirement came from Majestri co-founder, Mike Clahsen, who was the president at his local club was up here in Brisbane. That was where a lot of the early requirements for a club administration system stemmed from.

Personally I’ve played football for over 40 years now, from the age of 7. It’s a fantastic game, it’s the best game in the world, and we can see in every community just how important it is through the junior representation. Football is truly the world game and you can see that even in Australia where it isn’t the national code.

I’m getting a bit old to keep playing regularly now even though I do have a run for 10 weeks in a social competition at the end of every year. I’m 5 years into my coaching journey now with my son’s team, which I’m finding is very fulfilling. There’s immense reward to working with talented kids at that younger, discovery age around 8-12 years.

I guess that’s where the passion has come from, after playing for many years and now into coaching as a parent of a young player.

T.A.

The participation rates are growing every year and the numbers are huge for grassroots soccer so do you see a big potential for growth in this industry?

A.H.

I can tell you unequivocally because we see the numbers. Many clubs have been with us for over a decade now, and their player numbers have at least doubled in the last 10 years. This is even before you factor in the recent meteoric rise of female football on the back of the Matildas World Cup campaign. The demand is accelerating and clubs are at their respective limits in terms of trying to cater to that local demand.

T.A.

What was the inspiration or motivation behind starting Majestri and moving on from your previous job?

A.H.

TechnologyOne was a great place to work, and taught us so much of what we know about building product software, but there was always a latent desire to do our own thing.

Mike had retired from TechnologyOne by 2010 but was actively involved in football, and club administration in particular. When he described ‘Sign-On Day’ activities as having his room full of player registration sheets and sports bags full of cash that couldn’t be banked until the following Monday, we identified that there was potential for a software solution.

With a specialised skill set around financial software in particular, we decided to start with the Treasurer, and have been iterating on the software ever since to cater for other committee positions.

T.A.

How big is your current club portfolio?

A.H.

I would say we are at around 250 clubs around the country and not all of them are football but most of them are.

Although we started with football, we’ve since learned that there is a common set of problems for volunteers no matter what code of sport you play. Certainly, football is what we’re most familiar with, but it’s amazing what you learn about how the nuances of other codes work along the way.

T.A.

Speaking of ambition, do you see Majestri becoming mainstream with leagues and/or associations over the next few years?

A.H.

No, I don’t think our offering will ever been mainstream. The most surprising aspect of this whole journey is the near-uniform resistance of sporting associations at all levels to a club administration system like Majestri.

Despite repeated attempts to rectify this, we’ve accepted that our future lies in our past. This system got to where it is because of working directly with the magnificent volunteers on the ground that give up big parts of their lives to ensure kids get on the pitch, and that is where our success will continue to lay.

There is no shortcut to earning the trust of clubs and the volunteers, so at the moment we’ll continue to introduce them to Majestri one at a time and give them the personalised experience that demonstrates we know what they do.

Every club is unique and part of the overall ‘technology problem’ is this expectation that one solution to capture player registrations will be an immediate fit for all clubs. It’s nowhere near as simplistic as that. Club operations run a wide spectrum of complexity, which is calculated by factors such as how many players are at the club and the different licenses that may be held to field teams at a range of competitive levels. Combine this with a year-round expectation of additional programs such as holiday coaching clinics and skill development programs, and some clubs are serious operations. Others are more traditional where the Winter season is played and then there’s a marked off-season. We endeavour to cater for either end of that spectrum and all clubs in between.

T.A.

Thinking very long term here, do you see the company going international at any point or is the goal to stay in Australia and grow here?

A.H.

There’s always the possibility of overseas opportunities, but I think there are still plenty of problems left to solve in Australia. There are plenty of clubs that we haven’t spoken to yet, and there’s a chance our offering could really help.

Taking a product overseas necessarily introduces complexity to accompany the growth, and I think our prerogative is to build more features. Club operations aren’t static – the compliance and governance continues to grow with the expectation that volunteers will give up more time as a result. It’s just not sustainable without an industrial-strength system underpinning it all, and that’s where we want to focus.

T.A.

You started with the three co-founders but has the company grown in size with employees or any help to operate the 250 club portfolio?

A.H.

We have two active developers involved which is John and myself, two of the three co-founders. Mike has taken a step back from administration to devote significant time to a charity called BrAshA-T, which seeks to cure a particularly awful disease. We also have a gun administrator named Nicole who takes a lot of work off our hands four days a week.

We consider ourselves experts in business automation, and part of proving that is that we can streamline and automate our own business as well. We learnt how to do this by building product software for many years, which is a very difficult skill in our industry. The software we built for TechnologyOne was used by over 1,000 enterprise customers, so a lot of the learnings from our respective careers there have been refined and implemented in Majestri.

 

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