Iconic Barton Park precinct re-opened in Banksia

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Image via St George FC website

The Bayside Council confirmed the re-opening of the iconic Barton Park, formerly known as St George Stadium after a long hiatus, in fantastic news for Australian football.

The precinct, located in Banksia in South Sydney, has been undergoing a mega  $51.7 million upgrade that has transformed an old sporting field into a state-of-the art sporting and recreational facility which will be enjoyed by Bayside’s growing population.

The upgrade includes three new full-size natural turf soccer fields, a new state-of-the-art facility with a 450-seat spectator grandstand, two multi-use courts suitable for basketball, futsal and handball, four tennis courts, new amenities, improved road access and parking.

Last weekend, Barton Park had a Recreational Precinct Opening Day to celebrate its return and hosted two football matches including an exciting 2-1 St George FC vs Sydney Olympic clash in the National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s competition.

In April 2024, St George FC confirmed that Bayside Council has been granted licence 1 of the new Barton Park Sports Complex to the club. This licence includes fields 1 and 2, the newly named Frank Arok Grandstand and the canteen facilities.

After plenty of pitch and grandstand issues in the stadium, it forced multiple relocations from St George FC over the past two decades, however, it’s great to see this stability back in the NPL and the club who get to enjoy this fantastic facility for the future.

Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas emphasised the importance of this storied stadium re-opening for Australian football and to host official NPL matches again.

“The facility accommodates much more than that with numerous outside fields and recreational areas. Special acknowledgement to Bill Saravinovski and the team Bayside Council (NSW) and NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper who have worked on this project for a long time,” Tsatsimas mentioned on LinkedIn.

“The campaign for modern football facilities across all areas and regions continues.”

Always a great sign to see one of Australian football’s most historic venues re-open to hosting official league matches in its improved state.

Football NSW have a plan to continue renovating football grounds to improve the facilities standard across the state and this is one big announcement early on in the season.

Federal Budget commits $97 million investment for sport programs

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Image credit: Play Football website

The 2024-25 Federal Budget, which was released on Tuesday night, includes more than $97 million over two years to the ASC to extend Sporting Schools, the Local Sporting Champions, and Local Para Champions programs, and participation funding to help more Australians get active.

This two-year extension runs until 30 June 2026 and helps kids of all different sports afford an opportunity to play at a local level if they come from and under privileged background.

Football Australia is a part of the Sporting Schools program, with each state offering participation Officers and local clubs that are ready to implement in-school and after-school programs for students of ages up to Year 8, plus all abilities programs.

Football Australia use this program to link local football clubs with schools to facilitate an ongoing relationship and provide further opportunity for students to continue their football journey outside of school, whether that be MiniRoos Kick Off, MiniRoos Club or Junior Football.

More than 24,000 young Australians will be supported with the Local Sporting Champions (LSC) and Local Para Champions (LSP) grants programs continuing for a further two years.

These are fantastic programs that have supported Australia’s best athletes including many Matildas like Courtney Nevin, Cortnee Vine, Alex Chidiac, Teagan Micah and Clare Hunt.

World Cup veteran’s Caitlin Foord and Ellie Carpenter also rose to success with assistance from the LSC program throughout their junior careers.

Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins OAM mentions the importance of this investment to continue critical national sporting programs.

“Once again, I want to thank Minister Wells and the Australian Government for their continued support and investment in Australian sport,” Perkins said in a statement.

“This funding extends critical sport participation programs like the Participation Grant program and Sporting Schools which provides free and fun sporting opportunities to more than two million students each year.

“This follows last week’s announcement of $249.7 million to upgrade the AIS Campus to ensure our athletes have access to the world’s best testing and training facilities, and accommodation ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

This is a fantastic initiative that will benefit football amongst other sports and has a history of helping kids of all skill levels play in their respective sport.

The Federal Budget have put in almost $350 to improve sport, mostly around the 2032 Olympic Games but it is great to see some investment in the world game after the huge success of the Women’s World Cup last year.

The biggest Female Football Week to date draws to a close

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Image via PxHere website

Female Football week is at its climax across the country with each respective state firmly involved in what has been a monumental year of growth and perseverance with one of the hottest topics amongst the sporting plethora across the nation.

Symbolising the significant strides in which female football has made down under, off the back of its maiden World Cup hosting tenure.

Football Queensland throughout the grand occasion were busy shining a spotlight upon the continuous growth of participation, encouraging women of all ages to become involved and immersed within the global game.

Football Victoria – Commentary

Football Victoria (FV) celebrated women’s football week in style.

Round 8 of the National Premier League Women’s (NPLW) competition within Victoria was unique throughout its coverage, with every match throughout the round featuring a female commentator.

A monumental feat spearheaded by the FV Commentary team, this was the first time an all female commentary round was executed.

Football Queensland

FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci disclosed his appreciation for the momentous occasion via the FQ website.

“While celebrations like FFW serve as a crucial milestone in FQ’s journey towards achieving 50/50 gender parity by 2027 and helps to further reinforce our commitment to enhancing accessibility and inclusivity, our support is not confined to this week, as we remain dedicated to prioritising our female football community year-round.”

Football Queensland – Award Ceremony

Paying homage to Referees, Club Volunteers, Players and Community Champions of the year was conducted through awards up for grabs.

FQ showcased an award ceremony towards multiple facets of football throughout the state.

A nice incentive dedicated to the recognition and appraisal of the hard work undertaken by different areas of football.

The Female Football Week club of the year was awarded to Central Football Club following their extraordinary contribution to female football within Queensland.

Displayed throughout the clubs commitment to female football, the club are fully dedicated to the advancement of women’s football.

Harvesting a fostering environment throughout the club, alongside the nourishment of young promising female footballers has been symbolised by FQ.

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