Lionesses generously gift gym equipment to the Mariners

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Central Coast Mariners Stadium
Image credit: Central Coast Mariners

The England women’s national team are planning on leaving their mark on Australian football long after the World Cup, with an announcement that they left $584,000 worth of gym equipment to the Mariners.

The team was living at the Crowne Plaza, Terrigal, and training at Gosford’s Industree Group stadium during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which concluded last Sunday.

The gift from the Lionesses on top of the huge momentum through the amazing Matildas run and crowd numbers have presented Football Australia a huge chance to super-charge the future of women’s football and sport in general.

The Mariners will be fielding a Liberty A-League Women’s team for the first time next season and attracting fans will be a key goal in the teams infancy as the club projects to build on its Men’s success and rise in popularity.

Nick Montgomery, head coach of the Central Coast Mariners, in an interview with talkSPORT expressed his delight with the current European champions who have massively helped the Australian club throughout the World Cup.

“It is important we continue to build resources,” Montgomery told talkSPORT.

“FIFA invest a lot of money, and for us to get some gym equipment, the stuff they are leaving behind to the only club on the central coast, it is a great gesture from them.

“Not only will it help us develop the young kids, but also the first-team and W League team as well,” he continued in the interview.

The Mariners continue to be the club most involved in the A-League Men’s regarding business-to-business dealings. The club have emphasised an importance on the corporate side of the football club, with over 50 current partners, most of them local businesses, that share the same view of connecting with the Gosford and Central Coast community in improving grassroots football as well as their already amazing on-field performance.

Central Coast Mariners have provided a fantastic foundation for their women’s team, renovating Central Coast stadium to host their matches and creating a development pathway for female footballers in the Central Coast region so that they can ensure sustainable results.

This gift from the Lionesses will only further help their cause and is a reward of the fantastic business the club has done recently.

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Football NSW calls on clubs to Make It Red for Heart Health Round

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Football NSW is calling on clubs and associations across the state to register for the 2026 Make It Red campaign, joining a national awareness movement aimed at reducing heart-related deaths on sporting grounds ahead of Heart Health Round on the weekend of June 5 to 7.

The campaign, developed by the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, asks sporting clubs to wear red, raise funds and build awareness around heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia for both men and women, and one that health authorities say is largely preventable through modifiable risk factors.

The call to action comes as the Foundation continues its work to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across NSW sporting facilities, a project that has already engaged twelve football associations and fed data into both the NSW Ambulance GoodSAM registry and NSW Health’s public AED map. The availability of a functioning, registered AED on site is among the most significant determinants of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, with survival rates declining sharply for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is encouraging clubs to engage with the campaign across three areas. Clubs can register for the Make It Red campaign to help fund research, education and prevention programs. Participants, particularly those aged over 35, are encouraged to seek a free heart health screening test from their local GP or enquire about hosting a Heartbeat of Football testing day. Clubs are also urged to ensure their grounds have active, accessible AEDs in place, with guidance available through Football NSW’s Rescue Ready Guide.

The Make It Red campaign runs from June 5 to July 12, with Heart Health Round taking place across the opening weekend. Clubs can register and access participation resources at makeitred.org.

Community Spirit Shines on AFC Grassroots Football Day 2026

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Image credit: Football Australia

This week, Football Australia (FA) celebrated AFC Grassroots Football Day 2026, championing the people and communities who continue to hold up a safe, inclusive and supportive environment in the football landscape.

‘For all, for life’

In collaboration with Football NSW, Canterbury Football Association and community club, Balmain & District Football Club, the day reflected the very best of what football provides.

The event brought in participants of all ages – from 4-74 years-old – and reached a total of 400 people. Girls-only programs, all-abilities sessions and over-age football ensured all were catered for.

Such a diverse range of participants builds on a wider drive during FIFA World Football Week, which seeks to promote the sport not just as the dazzling lights of 100,000-seater stadiums, but as a way to foster community spirit and social development.

Furthermore, FA support through its Club Changer program was a welcome addition to the action, emphasising the organisation’s commitment to nurture a real love for the game across communities in Australia.

“Through Club Changer we support our clubs to provide a safe, fun and enjoyable environment where everyone is welcome; whether that be as a player, volunteer, referee or supporter,” explained National Program Manager Club Development at FA, Grace Lambourne.

“Everyone should feel they belong and are welcome to play, stay, and love the game.”

 

A welcome celebration

While the upcoming FIFA World Cup will no doubt inspire millions of future Socceroos and Matildas, events like the AFC Grassroots Football Day represent something beyond just inspiration.

It is a platform. An opportunity to express a love for football and to connect with others while doing so.

And connections between the professional and grassroots game is more important than ever if Australia is to nurture the next generation of talent.

This is particularly clear in the rise of women’s football across the nation. Since the FIFA Women’s World Cup, female participation rose by 32%, and registrations for the MiniTillies Program skyrocketed from 264 in 2023, to 1223 in 2024.

The professionals spark passion. But communities turn that passion into playing time.

That is why celebrating grassroots football – and the volunteers and families who sustain it – is a vital part of Australia’s football future. Together, FA and the AFC are creating strong foundations built on positivity, engagement, and inclusivity for all with a love for the beautiful game.

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