Major parties support lighting upgrade at Thornton’s Allan and Don Lawrence Field

Staff Writer

Thornton Junior Football Club is expected to receive new lighting after Labor and Liberal candidates for Paterson signalled funding if elected on May 21.

Allan and Don Lawrence Field needs new lights installed to increase Friday night competition and mid-week training opportunities.

Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson championed the opportunity if Labor is elected.

“You have my commitment that I am going to be taking this request, from this club, and others forward to the October budget if we are elected under an Albanese Government, to make sure that we do upgrade the lights here,” Swanson told Northern NSW Football.

Liberal candidate for Paterson Brooke Vitnell is equally confident of a funding outcome for Thornton Junior Football Club.

“I’m going to be rattling the can around if I’m given the great opportunity to represent this community in two weeks’ time. I’ll be hunting for funding for organisations just like this and I’m pretty darn determined and pretty good at what I do too,” Vitnell told Northern NSW Football.

Increasing participation opportunities, particularly for women and girls, is central to any funding commitment from the major parties. A cash injection will come off the back of lobbying from Northern NSW Football’s #EQUALISER campaign.

Northern NSW Football CEO David Eland outlined only 25 per cent of football facilities in Paterson are regarded as being female friendly.

“As Australia’s largest team participation sport, the football community has asked government to deliver an equaliser for women and girls’ football ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand,” Eland told Northern NSW Football.

Thornton Junior Football Club is thriving with 500 participants, including more than 100 females.

“We have experienced 45 per cent growth in players over the last five years and installing new lights at our home ground will increase our capacity to provide positive football experiences and get more girls playing,” Thornton Junior FC club secretary Kristen Birkett told Northern NSW Football.

“Thanks to both Meryl and Brooke from the Labor and Liberal parties for their commitment to our community and getting more girls active.”

NNSWF Community Football Manager Ross Hicks said the #EQUALISER campaign was designed to support grassroots football to deliver new, or improved, female-friendly facilities through direct engagement with the government during the 2022 federal election.

“A Football Australia audit of 3,000 facilities showed only 35 per cent are female friendly. We agree this needs to change if we want to hit our goal of 35 per cent female participation by 2023. With a home World Cup next year, now is the time for the upgrade,” Hicks told Northern NSW Football.

The $150,000 project has been approved and costed by Maitland City Council.

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Central Coast Mariners Women secure future under Holman Barnes Group

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Image Credits: Central Coast Mariners

The future of the Central Coast Mariners Women has been secured after the Holman Barnes Group (HBG) reached an agreement to become the new operator of the club’s A-League Women program. The deal ends uncertainty surrounding the team’s participation in the 2026/27 season.

The agreement between HBG, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Total Soccer Growth Holdings (TSG) ensures the Mariners will remain in the Ninja A-League Women competition. It also introduces a new operating model designed to provide long-term stability.

The uncertainty emerged following TSG’s acquisition of the Central Coast Mariners’ men’s side and academy in June. The women’s program was excluded from the original takeover. TSG already owns English football side Queens Park Rangers (QPR) and MLS club Los Angeles FC. The omission placed the future of the 2025 A-League Women champions in doubt. It also prompted the APL to seek a sustainable solution ahead of the new campaign.

A new operating model

Under the new arrangement, HBG will oversee all operational aspects of the women’s team. This includes the football program, staffing and day-to-day management. TSG will retain the club licence and continue overseeing the men’s program and academy. It will also support the women’s operation through its broader football network.

The agreement represents an innovative partnership between the three organisations. It has been designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of professional women’s football on the Central Coast. HBG’s plans extend beyond the senior team. They include a strong focus on developing participation pathways and creating greater opportunities for female footballers throughout New South Wales.

Attention turns to the new season

The transition comes at a crucial time with preparations for the 2026/27 Ninja A-League Women season underway ahead of its October 16 start. The new operators are expected to begin managing the program immediately. This remains subject to the completion of the remaining regulatory processes. The team currently has no sponsors and games are expected to be moved away from Central Coast Stadium.

The A-League had previously set a July 31 deadline for new owners to be found to secure a place in the upcoming competition. With that now achieved, HBG will be on the clock to ensure the season begins without disruption and becomes a commercial success.

For the Central Coast Mariners Women, the agreement delivers certainty after a turbulent off-season. It also allows the club to shift its attention to the 2026/27 campaign and the team’s on-field performance.

South Melbourne’s Australia Cup triumph reignites promotion and relegation debate

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Image Credit: The Greek Herald

South Melbourne FC’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 has reignited debate around promotion and relegation in Australian football, with Co-President Bill Papastergiadis stating the result is further proof that ambitious National Premier Leagues clubs deserve a pathway to the top tier.

The Victorian powerhouse produced one of the competition’s biggest upsets at Lakeside Stadium, overturning an early deficit to eliminate the Isuzu UTE A-League side and secure a place in the Round of 16.

While the result was celebrated as another example of the magic of the Australia Cup, Papastergiadis believes the victory carries a much broader message about the strength that exists outside Australia’s professional league.

Speaking following the win, Papastergiadis said South Melbourne’s performance demonstrated why the Australian football landscape should move towards a connected pyramid featuring promotion and relegation.

“The result was South Melbourne FC’s revenge 22 years in the making,” Papastergiadis said.

“It also demonstrates that clubs in the National Premier Leagues have the quality, professionalism and ambition to compete with A-League opposition when given the opportunity.”

For years, South Melbourne has been one of the strongest advocates for structural reform within Australian football, consistently calling for an open pyramid that rewards sporting merit rather than maintaining a closed league system.

Papastergiadis argued that Australia Cup fixtures continue to showcase the depth of talent throughout the domestic game, with NPL clubs regularly proving they can challenge and defeat professional opponents despite operating with significantly fewer resources.

He believes these performances should not simply be viewed as isolated “cupsets”, but as evidence that Australia’s football ecosystem is ready to embrace a promotion and relegation model that provides ambitious clubs with a genuine pathway to the top flight.

The result against Adelaide United adds another significant chapter to South Melbourne’s storied history. One of Australia’s most successful clubs, South Melbourne has long maintained aspirations of returning to the national stage, backed by a passionate supporter base, strong infrastructure and a proud footballing tradition.

For Papastergiadis, victories such as Thursday night’s reinforce the argument that clubs should earn opportunities through performances on the pitch.

“The Australia Cup continues to show what’s possible when clubs from different levels of the football pyramid compete against one another,” he said.

“Our football should be built on opportunity and merit. Clubs that perform consistently and invest in their communities should have the chance to progress to the highest level.”

South Melbourne will now turn its attention to the Round of 16, where it will look to continue its impressive cup run.

Beyond the result itself, however, the victory has once again fuelled discussion around the future of Australia’s football structure and whether the growing strength of clubs outside the A-League should accelerate the push towards a fully connected national competition.

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