Let’s Light Up Football provides key funding

Liam Watson

There’s not long left to go for Football NSW clubs to apply for funding as part of the Let’s Light Up Football campaign.

This is a campaign which is open to Football NSW affiliated clubs and associations, together with local councils and schools. They are able to apply and receive funding which will go towards improving lighting for community pitches across the state.

Football NSW has provided all the relevant details for anyone who has yet to apply for funding which will enhance the ability to train and play under safe conditions:

“The fund will provide up to 20% of a floodlighting project with a maximum of $20,000 available per project. The project will also need confirmed approval from the relevant local government authority as part of the eligibility criteria.”

“Once again $300,000 worth of funding will be made available to Member Associations and Clubs with the opportunity to upgrade lighting to a safe and suitable standard for the community and most importantly increase the capacity of open space through the provision of night training and games, throughout NSW.”

Football NSW Chief Executive Stuart Hodge spoke about the key campaign which still has a couple weeks to go.

“We are excited to once again inject funding into the local football community across NSW,” he said.

“The recent state-wide facilities audit highlighted that 32% of the fields in NSW don’t have floodlighting and 42% of fields with lighting are below the minimum Australian Standards of 50 lux. This campaign aims to address this issue by providing participants with a safe and welcoming environment”.

This campaign has been open by Football NSW since the 30th of April and closes on the 15th of July at 4pm.

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Football Victoria Welcomes AquaMe as Hydration Tech Partner

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Image Credit: Football Victoria Website

Football Victoria (FV) is excited to announce its partnership with AquaMe, with cutting-edge hydration technology for the next generation of upcoming footballers.

AQUAME is a cutting-edge smart water bottle system designed to meet the demands of today’s athletes. By combining advanced sensor technology with a sleek, user-friendly design, AQUAME supports personalised hydration management tailored to individual needs.

FV’s Executive Manager of Commercial, Chris Speldewinde, welcomed the partnership with open arms.

‘We’re thrilled to be aligning with AQUAME, whose focus on innovation and athlete well-being aligns perfectly with our academy’s mission to prepare players for the highest level,” he said via press release.

As part of the onboarding process, each FV Academy player has received their own AQUAME 2.0 Smart Water Bottle, along with access to the AQUAME PRO App.

This innovative system empowers players to track and maintain their hydration—from pre-training preparation to post-match recovery—using the same elite tools trusted by professional clubs such as Valencia CF, Deportivo Alavés, and the Mexico National Team.

By analysing both real-time and historical hydration data, AQUAME helps address the risks of both over- and under-hydration, ensuring each athlete maintains optimal hydration levels.

This data-driven approach provides deeper insights into the causes of dehydration, enabling teams to take proactive steps and prevent issues before they occur.

The integration of AQUAME into the FV Academy program marks a proactive step in equipping young athletes for the demands of high-performance sport, while promoting lifelong healthy hydration habits.

AQUAME Executive Steve Xie also shared his enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting the shared commitment to athlete wellbeing and innovation.

“Partnering with Football Victoria allows us to support the next wave of football talent with technology proven to enhance performance and recovery,” he said via press release.

To mark the launch of this exciting collaboration, AQUAME is also offering all Football Victoria families an exclusive 10% discount on the AQUAME 2.0 Smart Water Bottle and App.

Use code FOOTBALLVIC at checkout via the link below to access a special offer and experience the latest innovative technology in hydration.

AquaMe x FV Special Offer

Relevent Sports and US Soccer settlement opens up opportunity for European games in the US

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Image credit: Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock.com

After a six-year legal battle, US Soccer and Relevent Sports have reached a settlement in the latter’s antitrust lawsuit which opens the potential for European leagues to play games in the US.

Recently Relevent’s lawyers filed a motion in federal court to dismiss their case against U.S. Soccer with prejudice—which means they won’t be able to bring the same lawsuit or claims against the federation again in the future.

US Soccer expresses relief as a longstanding issue is resolved, allowing the organisation to fully focus on growth and building momentum ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

“We are pleased to put this matter behind us as we remain focused on growing the game and harnessing the momentum of US Soccer ahead of next year’s World Cup,” US Soccer said via statement on ESPN.

The details of the settlement haven’t been made public, bringing an end to the long-running legal battle between the federation and Relevent Sports, the agency co-founded and owned by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

Relevent had already reached a separate deal with FIFA last year, agreeing to remove soccer’s global governing body from the lawsuit as a co-defendant.

“We appreciate US Soccer’s collaboration in reaching this settlement,” Relevent chief executive Danny Sillman told ESPN via statement.

”Ultimately, we all share the same goal: growing the sport throughout America.

“We’re excited to continue supporting clubs from Europe and around the world to expand the sport’s reach and impact across the US.”

Relevent first revealed plans in 2018 to host a La Liga match between Barcelona and Girona in Miami, as part of its 15-year commercial deal with Spain’s top football league.

FIFA quickly responded by introducing a policy that banned league matches from being played outside the home countries of the participating clubs.

As a result, Barcelona pulled out of the game, there was also disagreement between La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over the idea of playing a league match overseas.

Relevent later tried to bring an Ecuadorian league match to the US, with support from LigaPro Ecuador, but U.S. Soccer denied approval, again citing FIFA’s policy.

In response, Relevent sued both U.S. Soccer and FIFA in 2019, accusing them of working together to block foreign league games in the U.S.

The lawsuit claimed this was done to protect Soccer United Marketing (SUM), Major League Soccer’s (MLS) commercial arm, and prevent competition.

Although the case was initially dismissed in July 2021, that decision was overturned in May 2023, opening the door for a trial.

Relevent eventually reached a settlement with FIFA, which included the creation of a working group to explore possible changes to its rules on international matches.

Just last month, it was confirmed that Relevent had secured the global commercial rights for UEFA’s men’s club competitions over a six-season cycle starting in 2027/28.

This means Relevent will now manage, sell, and market the commercial rights for the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League worldwide.

Additionally to collaborating with La Liga, Relevent also has commercial partnerships with the English Football League (EFL) and the Bundesliga, it’s also responsible for scheduling and promoting pre-season Premier League games in the US.

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