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.
Italy’s top flight soccer league Serie A has named Paolo Dal Pino as their new president.
Dal Pino, who was Chief Executive of Telit Communications at the time he was elected, secured his new position in a comprehensive voting count.
According to the Associated Press, Dal Pino got 12 votes from the 20-team competition, one more than the 11 required to secure the role.
Despite being forced to resign from the president role in November, Gaetano Miccichè attracted seven votes, while a solitary ballet was left blank.
Miccichè did provide good competition, after an investigation about irregularities of how he was elected in 2018.
Since Miccichè’s resignation, Serie A has had Mario Cicala and Giancarlo Abete come in as emergency leaders.
The appointment of Dal Pino is hoped to steady the ship following some turbulent times for Serie A, as the league has made headlines for the wrong reasons.
Multiple incidents of racism have serviced this season which players point out and they had been widely condemned for their latest campaign to attempt to rectify the problems.
Serie A has also come under fire for its decision to take a second consecutive edition of its Super Cup competition to Saudi Arabia, with Qatari broadcaster BeIN Sports warning that the league is risking UK£390 million (US$500 million) worth of overseas rights contracts with the company by doing so.
In addition, Serie A are needing to come up with a future strategy and final decision for their broadcast rights, continuing to stall over a decision on Spanish agency Mediapro’s idea to launch a dedicated league channel.
A-League giant Melbourne Victory has revealed a brand-new extensive infrastructure strategy to foster and support tomorrow’s footballing stars.
The strategic infrastructure plan set out by Victory will aim to develop youth and women’s football programs by providing improved access to world class footballing facilities and player pathways across Victoria.
To achieve this, Melbourne Victory has opted for a campus model to enable players access to connected and consistent facilities across the North, East, South and West of Melbourne, all within an hour’s journey of Victory’s club administrative centre and the A-League Men’s training facilities at Gosch’s Paddock.
The club also intends to build another campus within the Melbourne city centre, with the first campus location to be announced by the club soon, as it continues to review and assess possible sites across the city.
Melbourne Victory Chairman, John Dovaston, explained why the club had chosen the campus model.
“The announcement of this project, and the direction taken, is aimed at ensuring we are best placed to attract and retain football talent across the State,” he said in a press release.
“Our innovative approach will allow us to have a number of campuses with not only an elite focus, but also, an eye on building our community to ensure that all Victorians have an opportunity to participate and engage in our game.”
Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the new infrastructure strategy was so important to the club.
“It is well understood that sport and football can influence social cohesion, and it’s our responsibility as a Club to establish infrastructure and programs that can positively impact members of the community, regardless of gender, background or location, whether that be through training the next generation of football stars, or using football as a vehicle to lead, unite, connect and inspire the community more broadly,” she said via press release.
“By enabling Victory to connect with communities across the North, South, East, and West of AAMI Park, our spiritual home, we can truly grow the Victory family and set new standards for elite facilities in our Pathway and community programs.”
The infrastructure project is an important move for the club, allowing it to grow, improve and future-proof its current suite of footballing programs. Currently, Victory operates nine elite and 23 pathway programs, providing services to over 16,000 participants across Victoria. Through the campus model, the club hopes it will be able to more efficiently develop the new generation of A-League and national team players.
“The priority is to provide not just an entry point for individuals to engage and participate in football, but to keep them engaged and provide a holistic journey to grow the Victory family across the State,” Carnegie continued.
“We are excited about the opportunities that the project can provide and the potential for growth for our Club and for football in the future.”
Melbourne Victory will continue to issue updates as it sets on the 5-year-plus journey to complete the entire project. For more information on the club’s major infrastructure strategy, access the plan HERE.
The first round of the WA Community Use of School Sporting Facilities Program grants is now open for applications until March 21.
The program is an initiative from the West Australian government aimed to inspire partnerships between schools and community sporting groups to more effectively use sporting facilities and foster a greater sense of community.
Developed in collaboration with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC), and the Department of Education (DoE), the program strives to:
improve access to sporting facilities for community sporting groups
improve school sports facilities
assist schools in developing their facilities for outside hours use without damaging student safety
encourage partnerships between schools and community sporting groups
Grants Eligibility
Program funding is only available to WA public primary or secondary schools, which have partnered with at least one community sporting group under a DoE Community Use Agreement.
Schools applying for funding must prove they need monetary support to develop facilities and assist community sporting groups to use facilities. Additionally, they need an Eligibility Declaration from their partnered sporting grouping to confirm it will regularly access the facilities.
The partnered community sporting group must also meet a range of eligibility requirements:
It must be incorporated under the Associations Incorporations Act 2015 (WA),
Or it must be an Indigenous organisation under the Corporations (Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
Or it must be a company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
It must participate in a classified sport under the DLGSC
It must be registered under a DLGSC recognised state sport association (SSA)
It must enter teams into a local sport program or DLGSC SSA affiliated competition
It must have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
It must comply with the Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004
It must maintain insurance to cover the DoE CUA
Grants Funding Parameters
There is up to $50,000 worth of funding available for successful applicants across four different types of one-off investments:
Minor Equipment or Infrastructure
This includes funding for small scale items such goalposts, equipment storage or other minor items or infrastructure.
Minor Playing Surface or Upgrade of Oval or Hardcourts
This includes funding for minor improvements to sports fields and courts, such as:
Resurfacing
Marking
Reticulation
Returfing
Grass oval rejuvenation works
Minor Improvements to Existing Surfaces
This includes funding for small scale improvements that make sporting facilities safer for outside use, such as locks, cameras, gates, and lights.
Other Relevant Activities That Enhance Facilities Use
This includes funding for activities that would increase the use of sporting facilities, such as for one off payments for staff and equipment.
How to Apply for Grants
Applications for the program can be completed online on the DLGSC website.
Before applying make sure to read the guidelines and have the necessary documentation ready.
Quotes, photos, files and documents to use as evidence to support your claim
Applications for the first round of funding must be completed and submitted before March 21 5.00 pm 2025. If you miss out on this round or are unsuccessful, there are two more rounds of grants occurring later in the year.
The second round of applications will open March 24 9.00 pm and close May 16 5.00 pm 2025. While the third round of applications will open May 19 9.00 pm and close July 4 5.00 pm 2025.